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Commentary on Isaiah 63 verses 1–6
It is a glorious victory that is here enquired into first and then accounted for. 1. It is a victory obtained by the providence of God over the enemies of Israel; over the Babylonians (say some), whom Cyrus conquered and God by him, and they will have the prophet to make the first discovery of him in his triumphant return when he is in the country of Edom: but this can by no means be admitted, because the country of Babylon is always spoken of as the land of the north, whereas Edom lay south from Jerusalem, so that the conqueror would not return through that country; the victory therefore is obtained over the Edomites themselves, who had triumphed in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (Psa 137:7) and cut off those who, making their way as far as they could from the enemy, escaped to the Edomites (Oba 1:12, Oba 1:13), and were therefore reckoned with when Babylon was; for no doubt that prophecy was accomplished, though we do not meet in history with the accomplishment of it (Jer 49:13), Bozrah shall become a desolation. Yet this victory over Edom is put as an instance or specimen of the like victories obtained over other nations that had been enemies to Israel. This over the Edomites is named for the sake of the old enmity of Esau against Jacob (Gen 27:41) and perhaps with an allusion to David's glorious triumphs over the Edomites, by which it should seem, more than by any other of his victories, he got himself a name, Psa 60:1-12, title, Sa2 8:13, Sa2 8:14. But this is not all: 2. It is a victory obtained by the grace of God in Christ over our spiritual enemies. We find the garments dipped in blood adorning him whose name is called The Word of God, Rev 19:13. And who that is we know very well; for it is through him that we are more than conquerors over those principalities and powers which on the cross he spoiled and triumphed over.
In this representation of the victory we have,
I. An admiring question put to the conqueror, Isa 63:1, Isa 63:2. It is put by the church, or by the prophet in the name of the church. He sees a mighty hero returning in triumph from a bloody engagement, and makes bold to ask him two questions: - 1. Who he is. He observes him to come from the country of Edom, to come in such apparel as was glorious to a soldier, not embroidered or laced, but besmeared with blood and dirt. He observes that he does not come as one either frightened or fatigued, but that he travels in the greatness of his strength, altogether unbroken.
Triumphant and victorious he appears,
And honour in his looks and habit wears.
How strong he treads! how stately doth he go!
Pompous and solemn is his pace,
And full of majesty, as is his face;
Who is this mighty hero - who!
- Mr. Norris
The question, Who is this? perhaps means the same with that which Joshua put to the same person when he appeared to him with his sword drawn (Jos 5:13): Art thou for us or for our adversaries? Or, rather, the same with that which Israel put in a way of adoration (Exo 15:11): Who is a God like unto thee? 2. The other question it, "Wherefore art thou red in thy apparel? What hard service hast thou been engaged in, that thou carriest with thee these marks of toil and danger?" Is it possible that one who has such majesty and terror in his countenance should be employed in the mean and servile work of treading the wine-press? Surely it is not. That which is really the glory of the Redeemer seems, prim facie - at first, a disparagement to him, as it would be to a mighty prince to do the work of the wine-dressers and husbandmen; for he took upon him the form of a servant, and carried with him the marks of servitude.
II. An admirable answer returned by him.
1.He tells who he is: I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. He is the Saviour. God was Israel's Saviour out of the hand of their oppressors; the Lord Jesus is ours; his name, Jesus, signifies a Saviour, for he saves his people from their sins. In the salvation wrought he will have us to take notice, (1.) Of the truth of his promise, which is therein performed: He speaks in righteousness, and will therefore make good every word that he has spoken with which he will have us to compare what he does, that, setting the word and the work the one over against the other, what he does may ratify what he has said and what he has said may justify what he does. (2.) Of the efficacy of his power, which is therein exerted: He is mighty to save, able to bring about the promised redemption, whatever difficulties and oppositions may lie in the way of it.
'Tis I who to my promise faithful stand,
I, who the powers of death, hell, and the grave,
Have foil'd with this all-conquering hand,
I, who most ready am, and mighty too, to save.
- Mr. Norris
2.He tells how he came to appear in this hue (Isa 63:3): I have trodden the wine-press alone. Being compared to one that treads in the wine-fat, such is his condescension, in the midst of his triumphs, that he does not scorn the comparison, but admits it and carries it on. He does indeed tread the wine-press, but it is the great wine-press of the wrath of God (Rev 14:19), in which we sinners deserved to be cast; but Christ was pleased to cast our enemies into it, and to destroy him that had the power of death, that he might deliver us. And of this the bloody work which God sometimes made among the enemies of the Jews, and which is here foretold, was a type and figure. Observe the account the conqueror gives of his victory.
(1.)He gains the victory purely by his own strength: I have trodden the wine-press alone, Isa 63:3. When God delivered his people and destroyed their enemies, if he made use of instruments, he did not need them. But among his people, for whom the salvation was to be wrought, no assistance offered itself; they were weak and helpless, and had no ability to do any thing for their own relief; they were desponding and listless, and had no heart to do any thing; they were not disposed to give the least stroke or struggle for liberty, neither the captives themselves nor any of their friends for them (Isa 63:5): "I looked, and there was none to help, as one would have expected, nothing of a bold active spirit appeared among them; nay, there was not only none to lead, but, which was more strange, there was none to uphold, none that would come in as a second, that had the courage to join with Cyrus against their oppressors; therefore my arm brought about the salvation; not by created might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, my own arm." Note, God can help when all other helpers fail; nay, that is his time to help, and therefore for that very reason he will put forth his own power so much the more gloriously. But this is most fully applicable to Christ's victories over our spiritual enemies, which he obtained by a single combat. He trod the wine-press of his Father's wrath alone, and triumphed over principalities and powers in himself, Col 2:15. Of the people there was none with him; for, when he entered the lists with the powers of darkness, all his disciples forsook him and fled. There was non to help, none that could, none that durst; and he might well wonder that among the children of men, whose concern it was, there was not only none to uphold, but that there were so many to oppose and hinder it if they could.
(2.)He undertakes the war purely out of his own zeal. It is in his anger, it is in his fury, that he treads down his enemies (Isa 63:3), and that fury upholds him and carries him on in this enterprise, Isa 63:5. God wrought salvation for the oppressed Jews purely because he was very angry with the oppressing Babylonians, angry at their idolatries and sorceries, their pride and cruelty, and the injuries they did to his people, and, as they increased their abominations and grew more insolent and outrageous, his anger increased to fury. Our Lord Jesus wrought out our redemption in a holy zeal for the honour of his Father and the happiness of mankind, and a holy indignation at the daring attempts Satan had made upon both; this zeal and indignation upheld him throughout his whole undertaking. Two branches there were of this zeal that animated him: - [1.] He had a zeal against his and his people's enemies: The day of vengeance is in my heart (Isa 63:4), the day fixed in the eternal counsels for taking vengeance on them; this was written in his heart, so that he could not forget it, could not let it slip; his heart was full of it, and it lay as a charge, as a weight, upon him, which made him push on this holy war with so much vigour. Note, There is a day fixed for divine vengeance, which may be long deferred, but will come at last; and we may be content to wait for it, for the Redeemer himself does so, though his heart is upon it. [2.] He had a zeal for his people, and for all that he designed to make sharers in the intended salvation: "The year of my redeemed has come, the year appointed for their redemption." There was a year fixed for the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and God kept time to a day (Exo 12:41); so there was for their release out of Babylon (Dan 9:2); so there was for Christ's coming to destroy the works of the devil; so there is for all the deliverances of the church, and the deliverer has an eye to it. Observe, First, With what pleasure he speaks of his people; they are his redeemed; they are his own, dear to him. Though their redemption is not yet wrought out, yet he calls them his redeemed, because it shall as surely be done as if it were done already. Secondly, With what pleasure he speaks of his people's redemption; how glad he is that the time has come, though he is likely to meet with a sharp encounter. "Now that the year of my redeemed has come, Lo, I come; delay shall be no longer. Now will I arise, saith the Lord. Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh." Note, The promised salvation must be patiently waited for till the time appointed comes; yet we must attend the promises with our prayers. Does Christ say, Surely I come quickly; let our hearts reply, Even so come; let the year of the redeemed come.
(3.)He will obtain a complete victory over them all. [1.] Much is already done; for he now appears red in his apparel; such abundance of blood is shed that the conqueror's garments are all stained with it. This was predicted, long before, by dying Jacob, concerning Shiloh (that is, Christ), that he should wash his garments in wine and his clothes in the blood of grapes, which perhaps this alludes to, Gen 49:11.
With ornamental drops bedeck'd I stood,
And wrote my vict'ry with my en'my's blood.
- Mr. Norris
In the destruction of the antichristian powers we meet with abundance of blood shed (Rev 14:20, Rev 19:13), which yet, according to the dialect of prophecy, may be understood spiritually, and doubtless so may this here. [2.] More shall yet be done (Isa 63:6): I will tread down the people that yet stand it out against me, in my anger; for the victorious Redeemer, when the year of the redeemed shall have come, will go on conquering and to conquer, Rev 6:2. When he begins he will also make an end. Observe how he will complete his victories over the enemies of his church. First, He will infatuate them; he will make them drunk, so that there shall be neither sense nor steadiness in their counsels; they shall drink of the cup of his fury, and that shall intoxicate them: or he will make them drunk with their own blood, Rev 17:6. Let those that make themselves drunk with the cup of riot (and then they are in their fury) repent and reform, lest God make them drunk with the cup of trembling, the cup of his fury. Secondly, He will enfeeble them; he will bring down their strength, and so bring them down to the earth; for what strength can hold out against Omnipotence?
He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the New Testament to be sealed “in his blood,” affirms the reality of Christ’s body. For no blood can belong to a body that is not a body of flesh. If any sort of body were presented to our view, which is not one of flesh, not being fleshly, it would not possess blood. In order, however, that you might discover how anciently wine is used as a figure for blood, turn to Isaiah, who asks, “Who is this that comes from Edom, from Bosor with garments dyed in red, so glorious in his apparel, in the greatness of his might? Why are your garments red, and your clothing as his who comes from the treading of the full winepress?” The prophetic Spirit contemplates the Lord as if he were already on his way to his passion, clad in his fleshly nature; and as he was to suffer therein, he represents the bleeding condition of his flesh under the metaphor of garments dyed in red, as if reddened in the treading and crushing process of the winepress, from which the laborers descend reddened with the wine juice, like men stained in blood.
The angels, too, were in doubt when Christ arose; the powers of heaven were in doubt when they saw that flesh was ascending into heaven. Then they said, “Who is this King of glory?” And yet some said, “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory may come in.” In Isaiah, too, we find that the powers of heaven doubted.
(Version 2.) Why then is your garment red, and your clothing like one who treads in the winepress? LXX: Why are your garments red, and your clothes like those who tread the winepress, full of trampled grapes? Where it is now spoken of as red, in Hebrew it is read as Edom (). Therefore, even above where Edom is written, it is not a place name, but the name of blood. Again, the Angels inquire and say: We have learned that you are the one who speaks of justice, and salvation for all is established in your judgment. Now we want to know why your clothes are stained as if with wine, or what could have caused the tunic, which is woven from above and cannot be torn, to have such whiteness from the virgin womb, as no fuller could achieve on earth, reddened with bloody blood? For mercy is more fitting for you than cruelty: whiteness is more fitting than blood. To these the Lord responded, not with one verse as before, but with many words, in order to teach all those who are ignorant, so that they may not be compelled to seek again.
Similarly, in Isaiah, “who is this that comes from Edom, in radiant garments?” Notice what the angels do; they proclaim his beauty but are silent about his essence.
For he appeared to the powers above not only in the form in which he came for us, that is, as a human, but also showing the signs of his passion. Thus, we say that after his resurrection from the dead the marks of the nails and the other things of his wounds were marked on the holy flesh.… So that the angels asking each other might say, “Who is this?” He considers and replies to them, “I speak justice and the judgment of salvation.” He calls “justice” the divine and good news-bearing message or every just word that the Lord speaks. And the judgment of salvation refers to the judgment we receive. He indicated the world also to Satan, who was accusing it, and he saved those burdened by terrible greed. And he expelled the rebel and foreign usurper from among them, saying, “Now is the judgment of this world.”
“Who is this that comes from Edom?” It seems that the prophet sees God under the aspect of a warrior who marches at the head of his people, and, after destroying the Edomites, has come back and arrives; and the prophet asks who is this that comes from Edom and Bozrah, their royal cities.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 63:2 presents a dramatic prophetic inquiry, following the majestic appearance of a triumphant warrior in the preceding verse. The prophet, witnessing this formidable figure arriving from Edom, questions why his apparel is stained a vivid red, likening his garments to those of one who has just trodden grapes in a winepress. This striking and visceral imagery immediately signals a scene of intense divine judgment and decisive victory, setting the stage for a profound revelation of God's righteous justice and vengeance against the enemies of His people.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 63:2 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and visceral picture of a warrior whose clothes are stained a deep red, immediately conjuring associations with blood, battle, and the aftermath of a violent confrontation. The central device is a powerful Simile, comparing the warrior's garments to those of "him that treadeth in the winefat." This simile functions as an extended Metaphor, where the familiar agricultural act of treading grapes in a winepress is transformed into a profound symbol of divine judgment, signifying the crushing and utter defeat of adversaries. The verse opens with a Rhetorical Question, "Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel...?", which serves to engage the reader, build suspense, and compel the warrior's subsequent explanation, thereby making the revelation of divine judgment more impactful and dramatic. The color red itself is highly Symbolic, representing not only the blood of battle and the fierceness of God's wrath but also the completeness and decisiveness of His vengeance, leaving no doubt about the nature of the warrior's recent engagement.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 63:2 powerfully introduces the theme of God's righteous judgment and vengeance, portraying Him as a divine warrior who personally executes justice. This imagery underscores the biblical principle that while God is merciful and long-suffering, He is also perfectly holy and just, and He will ultimately bring all unrighteousness to account. The "winepress" metaphor is a consistent biblical symbol for the outpouring of divine wrath, signifying a decisive and overwhelming defeat of God's enemies. This passage serves as a stark reminder that God's plan for salvation is inextricably linked with His work of judgment, ensuring that righteousness will ultimately prevail and His covenant people will be vindicated. It reveals a God who is actively engaged in the affairs of humanity, not merely observing, but intervening to fulfill His sovereign purposes.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 63:2 confronts us with the awe-inspiring and sometimes terrifying reality of God's justice. While contemporary theology often emphasizes God's boundless love and mercy, this verse serves as a crucial reminder of His unwavering commitment to righteousness and His ultimate resolve to address evil, oppression, and rebellion. For those who persist in defiance against God or who actively oppress the vulnerable, this passage serves as a solemn warning of impending accountability and the certainty of divine retribution. It calls us to consider the profound seriousness of sin and the inescapable nature of God's judgment. Conversely, for those who are suffering under injustice, who feel overwhelmed by the prevalence of evil in the world, or who long for the vindication of God's people, this verse offers profound comfort and hope. It assures us that God sees, He cares deeply, and He will indeed act decisively to bring about justice and deliverance for His people. This vision encourages us to trust in God's sovereign control, knowing that His perfect kingdom will ultimately be established through both His redemptive work and His necessary work of judgment, bringing an end to all unrighteousness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "red apparel" in this verse?
Answer: The "red apparel" is highly symbolic, representing not grape juice, but the blood of God's enemies. It signifies that the triumphant warrior has just completed a work of intense judgment and vengeance, having "trodden" or crushed His adversaries. This vivid imagery immediately communicates the violent, decisive, and complete nature of the divine intervention, indicating that a great battle has been fought and won.
Why is the "winefat" or "winepress" used as a metaphor for judgment?
Answer: The "winefat" or "winepress" was a common agricultural tool where grapes were crushed underfoot to extract juice. This process was messy and resulted in red stains on the workers. Biblically, this familiar imagery is consistently employed as a powerful metaphor for God's wrath and judgment, where His enemies are "crushed" and utterly defeated, much like grapes are crushed in the press. It conveys the totality, overwhelming nature, and often the bloody consequences of divine retribution, as seen in passages like Revelation 14:19-20.
Who is the warrior described in Isaiah 63:2?
Answer: While not explicitly named in this verse, the warrior is widely interpreted by Christian theologians as a prefigurement of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He is depicted as the one who "speaketh in righteousness, mighty to save" (Isaiah 63:1), and the subsequent verses confirm His solitary work of judgment. This figure embodies God's own power and commitment to justice, ultimately fulfilled in Christ's role as both Savior and Judge in the consummation of history.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 63:2 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who embodies both the saving and judging aspects of God's character. While Christ's first advent was marked by humility, sacrifice, and the offering of salvation (as prophesied in Isaiah 53), this passage powerfully foreshadows His second coming as the triumphant divine warrior. The imagery of the "red apparel" and garments "like him that treadeth in the winefat" resonates profoundly with New Testament depictions of Christ's glorious return. In Revelation 19:11-16, Jesus is described as riding a white horse, "clothed with a vesture dipped in blood," and from His mouth "goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." This direct parallel confirms that the prophetic vision of Isaiah 63:2 points to Christ's definitive victory over all evil, sin, and opposition at the consummation of history. He is the one who, having secured salvation through His own blood shed on the cross (Colossians 1:20), will return to execute perfect justice, bringing an end to all unrighteousness and establishing His eternal kingdom of righteousness and peace (Revelation 21:1-4).