View Isaiah 63 in the note window.
Christ's victory over his enemies, ver. 1 - 6.
and mercy towards his church: in judgment remembering mercy,
ver. 7 - 14.
The church's prayer and complaint in faith, ver. 15 - 19.
1: Who - The church makes enquiry, and that with admiration, who it
is that appears in such a habit or posture? Edom - Idumea, where
Esau dwelt. It is put for all the enemies of the church.
Bozrah - The capital city of Idumea. Here is also an allusion to the
garments of this conqueror, Edom signifying red, and Bozrah a
vintage. Glorious - Such as generals march before their armies in.
Righteousness - Here Christ gives an answer, wherein he both asserts
his fidelity, that he will faithfully perform what he hath promised,
and that he will truly execute justice. Mighty - I have power to
accomplish salvation.
3: Trodden - I have destroyed the enemies of my people, I have crushed
them as grapes are crushed, this being an usual metaphor to describe the
utter destruction of a people.
4: Of vengeance - To take vengeance on the enemies of my church.
5: None to help - Not that he needed it, but to see what men would do,
in regard his people needed it; therefore the standing, or not standing
by his people, is the same thing with standing, or not standing by him.
Uphold - A metaphor, taken from a staff, that is an help to one that
leans on it.
6: Drunk - They go as it were to and fro, not knowing what to do with
themselves. Bring down - Whatever it is wherein their strength lies, he
will bring to the very dust, to nothing.
7: Mention - Here begins a new matter, which contains the prophet's
prayer, to the end of chap. 64, wherein he begins with mentioning the
great kindnesses that God had shewn the Jews, and that emphatically,
setting them forth with the greatest advantages.
8: He said - When he made a covenant with our fathers, and brought
them out of Egypt. Not lie - That will keep my covenant.
So he - Not Cyrus, Zerubbabel, or Nehemiah, but Christ himself.
9: The angel - The same that conducted them through the wilderness;
the Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared to Moses in the bush.
Saved them - From the house of bondage. Carried - He carried them in the
arms of his power, and on the wings of his providence. And he is said to
do it of old, To remember his ancient kindness for many generations past.
11: He remembered - This relates, either
- To the people, and then he is collectively taken, and so it looks
like the language of the people in Babylon, and must be read, he
shall remember. Or,
- It may look back to their condition in the wilderness, and thus they
may properly say, Where is he? Or that God who delivered his people
of old, to do the like for us now? There is a like phrase used by
God, as it were recollecting himself, Where is he? Where am I
with my former bowels, that moved me to help them of old?
His people - What great things he had done for them by Moses.
The sea - Here God speaks of himself, as in the former clause, that
divided the sea for them. Shepherds - Moses and Aaron.
Holy spirit - Those abilities and gifts, wherewith God furnished
Moses, as properly proceeding from the Spirit.
13: As an horse - With as much ease and tenderness, as an horse led
by the bridle. Not stumble - That, tho' the sea were but newly divided,
yet it was dried and smoothed by the wind, that God sent, as it were to
prepare the way before them.
14: The valley - A laden beast goeth warily and gently down the hill.
Rest - Led them easily, that they should not be over - travelled, or fall
down, through weariness; thus Jeremiah expresses it, (Jer 31:2),
and thus God gave them rest from their enemies, drowning them in the sea,
and in their safe conduct, that they could not annoy or disturb them,
leading them 'till he found them a place for resting; the word for
leading, and resting, being much of a like notion, (Zec 10:6),
pointing at their several rests by the way, (Nu 10:33), or it may be
read by way of interrogation, as all the foregoing words, and be the
close of that enquiry, And where is the spirit, that caused then to rest?
Or, he led them to Canaan the place of their rest.
15: Look - Now the prophet begins to expostulate with God, and to
argue both from the goodness of his nature, and from the greatness of
his works. God sees every where, and every thing, but he is said to
look down from heaven, because there is his throne whereon he sits in
majesty. Behold - Not barely see, but behold with regard, and respect
thy poor people. Where - What is become of that love, which of old would
not let thee suffer thy people to be wronged? Strength - That power of
thine manifested in those great acts? The founding - This is spoken of
God after the manner of men.
16: Abraham - He who was our father after the flesh, though he be
dead, and so ignorant of our condition. Redeemer - This is urged as
another argument for pity; because their Father was their Redeemer.
From everlasting - Thou hast been our Redeemer of old.
17: Made us - Suffered us to err. Hardened - Suffered it to be
hardened. Thy fear - The fear of thee. Servants sake - For our sakes,
that little remnant that are thy servants. Inheritance - The land of
Canaan, which God gave them as an inheritance.
18: People - The people set apart for his servants.
A little while - Comparatively to the promise, which was for ever.
Sanctuary - The temple.
19: Thine - We continue so; we are in covenant, which they never
were; and thus it is an argument they use with God to look upon them.
Never - Not in that manner thou didst over us. They - Neither owned
thee, nor were owned by thee.
