Isaiah 63: Mighty to Save
The warrior returns from treading the winepress of judgment, and the prophet recalls God's mercies and pleads for his fatherly return.
Isaiah 63 (WEB)
1 Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this who is glorious in his clothing, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why are you red in your clothing, and your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?
3 “I have trodden the wine press alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yes, I trod them in my anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on my garments, and I have stained all my clothing.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.
5 I looked, and there was no one to help; and I wondered that there was no one to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation to me; and my wrath, it upheld me.
6 I trod down the peoples in my anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
7 I will make mention of the loving kindnesses of Yahweh and the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
8 For he said, “Surely, they are my people, children who will not deal falsely:” so he was their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? where is he who put his holy Spirit in their midst?
12 who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? who divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
13 who led them through the depths, as a horse in the wilderness, so that they didn’t stumble?
14 As the livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of Yahweh caused them to rest; so you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven, and see from the habitation of your holiness and of your glory: where are your zeal and your mighty acts? the yearning of your heart and your compassion is restrained toward me.
16 For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us: you, Yahweh, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.
17 O Yahweh, why do you make us to err from your ways, and harden our heart from your fear? Return for your servants’ sake, the tribes of your inheritance.
18 Your holy people possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary.
19 We have become as they over whom you never bear rule, as those who were not called by your name.
Isaiah 63 (KJV)
1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
8 For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
13 That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?
14 As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
17 O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
18 The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.
Isaiah 63 (ASV)
1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath, it upheld me.
6 And I trod down the peoples in mine anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.
7 I will make mention of the lovingkindnesses of Jehovah, and the praises of Jehovah, according to all that Jehovah hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
8 For he said, Surely, they are my people, children that will not deal falsely: so he was their Saviour.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, andhimself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old, Mosesandhis people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit in the midst of them?
12 that caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? that divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
13 that led them through the depths, as a horse in the wilderness, so that they stumbled not?
14 As the cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of Jehovah caused them to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where are thy zeal and thy mighty acts? the yearning of thy heart and thy compassions are restrained toward me.
16 For thou art our Father, though Abraham knoweth us not, and Israel doth not acknowledge us: thou, O Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name.
17 O Jehovah, why dost thou make us to err from thy ways, and hardenest our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
18 Thy holy people possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
19 We are become as they over whom thou never barest rule, as they that were not called by thy name.
Summary
The chapter opens with a dramatic question: who is this coming from Edom with crimson garments, glorious and mighty? The answer is the Lord, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save. His robes are red because he has trodden the winepress of judgment alone, with no one to help; the day of vengeance was in his heart and the year of his redeemed had come. He trampled the nations in his anger, for his own arm brought him salvation. Then the tone shifts dramatically to remembrance and prayer. The prophet recounts the loving kindnesses of the Lord, how God called Israel his people and became their Savior, how in all their affliction he was afflicted, and how the angel of his presence saved them, lifting and carrying them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit, so he turned against them. The prophet recalls the days of Moses and the Red Sea, asking where now is the God who led them by his glorious arm. He pleads for God to look down from heaven, longing for the zeal and compassion that seem withheld. The chapter ends with a tender confession that anchors the prayer: “you are our Father,” for even if Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us, “you, Yahweh, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.”
Voices
- Yahweh / the warrior — The mighty Savior who comes from Edom in crimson garments, having trodden the winepress of judgment alone, and the everlasting Father and Redeemer of his people.
- The prophet / the people — The voice recalling God's past mercies, confessing rebellion, and pleading for God to return in fatherly compassion.
- The angel of his presence — The one who saved Israel in their affliction, by whom God in his love and pity redeemed and carried his people through the days of old.
Key Verse
Isaiah 63:16 (WEB)
For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us: you, Yahweh, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name.
Lessons Learned
- God is mighty to save and just to judge, and he accomplishes both by his own arm alone.
- Remembering God's past mercies fuels faith and prayer in the present.
- In all his people's affliction, God himself is afflicted with them in his compassion.
- We can appeal to God as our Father even when every other support fails us.
- God is mighty to save. The warrior declares, “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1, WEB), coming to redeem and to judge.
- God shares in his people's affliction. “In all their affliction he was afflicted… in his love and in his pity he redeemed them” (Isaiah 63:9, WEB).
- Rebellion grieves the Holy Spirit. “But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit” (Isaiah 63:10, WEB), turning the Savior into an opponent.
- God is our everlasting Father. “You, Yahweh, are our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is your name” (Isaiah 63:16, WEB).
- Who is the figure coming from Edom, and what has he been doing (verses 1-6)?
- How does the prophet's remembrance of God's mercies (verses 7-9) shape his prayer?
- What does it mean that God was “afflicted” in his people's affliction (63:9)?
- Why does the prophet appeal to God as “our Father” at the end of the chapter (63:16)?
- When you look back, what mercies of God can you recall that strengthen your faith and prayer today?
- The figure is the Lord himself, coming from Edom in crimson garments because he has trodden the winepress of judgment alone (63:1-6). The image portrays God as a warrior who executes justice on his enemies by his own arm, mighty both to save and to judge.
- By rehearsing God's loving kindnesses, his redemption, and his tender care, the prophet builds the ground for his plea (63:7-9). Remembering who God has shown himself to be gives confidence to ask him to act again in the present.
- It means God did not stand aloof from his people's suffering but entered into it with them, redeeming and carrying them in love and pity (63:9). His compassion is not distant; it draws near and bears the weight of his people's pain.
- Though Abraham and Israel may not acknowledge the people, the prophet clings to a deeper relationship: God is their Father and everlasting Redeemer (63:16). When every human tie fails, he appeals to God's own unchanging fatherhood as the basis of hope.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recount specific past mercies and let those memories fuel present prayer. As leader, model how remembering God's faithfulness can anchor faith in seasons when he feels distant.