Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 63:1–6

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The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1Who is this who comes from Edom,1

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?2

Who3 is this one wearing royal attire,4

who marches confidently5 because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!”6

63:2Why are your clothes red?

Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?7

63:3“I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;

no one from the nations joined me.

I stomped on them8 in my anger;

I trampled them down in my rage.

Their juice splashed on my garments,

and stained9 all my clothes.

63:4For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,

and then payback time arrived.10

63:5I looked, but there was no one to help;

I was shocked because there was no one offering support.11

So my right arm accomplished deliverance;

my raging anger drove me on.12

63:6I trampled nations in my anger,

I made them drunk13 in my rage,

I splashed their blood on the ground.”14

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.
  2. 2 Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”
  3. 3 The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.
  4. 4 Heb “honored in his clothing”; , “glorious in his apparel.”
  5. 5 The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see 858 צָעָה).
  6. 6 Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”
  7. 7 Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”
  8. 8 Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.
  9. 9 Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).
  10. 10 Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gé’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19–27; Deut 19:6–12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.
  11. 11 See Isa 59:16 for similar language.
  12. 12 Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; “my own wrath sustained me.”
  13. 13 See Isa 49:26 and 51:22 for similar imagery.
  14. 14 Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Who is this who comes from Edom,

in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,

he who is splendid in his apparel,

marching in the greatness of his strength?

“It is I, speaking in righteousness,

mighty to save.”

Why is your apparel red,

and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?

“I have trodden the winepress alone,

and from the peoples no one was with me;

I trod them in my anger

and trampled them in my wrath;

their lifeblood spattered on my garments,

and stained all my apparel.

For the day of vengeance was in my heart,

and my year of redemption had come.

I looked, but there was no one to help;

I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;

so my own arm brought me salvation,

and my wrath upheld me.

I trampled down the peoples in my anger;

I made them drunk in my wrath,

and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Who is this coming from Edom,

from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson?

Who is this, robed in splendor,

striding forward in the greatness of his strength?

“It is I, proclaiming victory,

mighty to save.”

Why are your garments red,

like those of one treading the winepress?

“I have trodden the winepress alone;

from the nations no one was with me.

I trampled them in my anger

and trod them down in my wrath;

their blood spattered my garments,

and I stained all my clothing.

It was for me the day of vengeance;

the year for me to redeem had come.

I looked, but there was no one to help,

I was appalled that no one gave support;

so my own arm achieved salvation for me,

and my own wrath sustained me.

I trampled the nations in my anger;

in my wrath I made them drunk

and poured their blood on the ground.”

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Who is this coming from Edom

in crimson-stained garments from Bozrah—

this one who is splendid in his apparel,

striding in his formidable might?

It is I, proclaiming vindication,

powerful to save.

Why are your clothes red,

and your garments like one who treads a winepress?

I trampled the winepress alone,

and no one from the nations was with me.

I trampled them in my anger

and ground them underfoot in my fury;

their blood spattered my garments,

and all my clothes were stained.

For I planned the day of vengeance,

and the year of my redemption came.

I looked, but there was no one to help,

and I was amazed that no one assisted;

so my arm accomplished victory for me,

and my wrath assisted me.

I crushed nations in my anger;

I made them drunk with my wrath

and poured out their blood on the ground.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Who is this who comes from Edom,

from the city of Bozrah,

with his clothing stained red?

Who is this in royal robes,

marching in his great strength?

“It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation!

It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!”

Why are your clothes so red,

as if you have been treading out grapes?

“I have been treading the winepress alone;

no one was there to help me.

In my anger I have trampled my enemies

as if they were grapes.

In my fury I have trampled my foes.

Their blood has stained my clothes.

For the time has come for me to avenge my people,

to ransom them from their oppressors.

I was amazed to see that no one intervened

to help the oppressed.

So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm,

and my wrath sustained me.

I crushed the nations in my anger

and made them stagger and fall to the ground,

spilling their blood upon the earth.”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Who is this, coming from Edom,

from Bozrah in bright red garments?

Who is this honored in his garment,

lying down in his great strength?

“It is I, speaking in justice,

mighty to save!”

Why are your garments red,

and your garments like he who treads in the winepress?

“I have trodden the winepress alone,

and there was no man from the peoples with me.

And I trod them in my anger,

and I trampled them in my wrath,

and spattered their juice on my garments,

and stained all my clothing,

for the day of vengeance was in my heart,

and the year of my blood-vengeance has come!

And I looked, but there was no helper,

and I was appalled, but there was no one who sustains,

so my arm came to assist me,

and my wrath was what sustained me.

And I trampled peoples in my anger,

and I made them drunk in my wrath,

and I brought their juice down to the earth.”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel,

And thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

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.

For the day of vengeance is in mine heart,

And the year of my redeemed is come.

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.

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.

Public Domain