---
title: "Clarke"
description: "I conclude, therefore, that this prophecy has not the least relation to Judas Maccabeus. It may be asked, to whom, and to what event does it relate? I can"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/isaiah/63"
---

I conclude, therefore, that this prophecy has not the least relation to Judas Maccabeus. It may be asked, to whom, and to what event does it relate? I can only answer, that I know of no event in history to which, from its importance and circumstances, it can be applied: unless, perhaps, to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish polity; which in the Gospel is called the *coming of* *Christ* and *the days of vengeance*, [Matthew 16:28](../../../kjv/matthew/16/28); [Luke 21:22](../../../kjv/luke/21/22). But though this prophecy must have its accomplishment, there is no necessity for supposing that it has been already accomplished. There are prophecies, which intimate a great slaughter of the enemies of God and his people, which remain to be fulfilled; these in Ezekiel, [Ezekiel 38:2](../../../kjv/ezekiel/38/2), and in the Revelation of St. John, [Revelation 20:8](../../../kjv/revelation/20/8), are called *Gog* and *Magog*. This prophecy of Isaiah may possibly refer to the same or the like event. We need not be at a loss to determine the person who is here introduced, as *stained with treading the* *wine-press*, if we consider how St. John in the Revelation has applied this image of the prophet, [Revelation 19:13](../../../kjv/revelation/19/13); [Revelation 19:15-16](../../../kjv/revelation/19/15-16). Compare [Isaiah 34:1-8](../../../kjv/isaiah/34/1-8) - L.
NOTES ON CHAP. LXIII
Verse [Isaiah 63:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/1). ***Who is this that cometh from Edom*** — Probably both Edom and Bozrah are only figurative expressions, to point out the place in which God should discomfit his enemies. *Edom* signifies *red*, and *Bozrah, a vintage*. *Kimchi* interprets the whole of the destruction of Rome.
***I that speak in righteousness*** - "I who publish righteousness"] A MS. has המדבר *hammedabber*, with the demonstrative article added with greater force and emphasis: *The announcer* of righteousness. A MS. has צדקה *tsedakah*, without ב *be* prefixed; and so the *Septuagint* and *Vulgate*. And *thirty-eight* MSS. (*seven* ancient) of Dr. *Kennicott's*, and many of *De Rossi's*, and one of my own, add the conjunction ו *vau* to רב *rab, and mighty*; which the *Septuagint, Syriac*, and *Vulgate* confirm. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 63:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/2). ***Wherefore*****art thou*****red in thine apparel*** — For ללבושך *lilebushecha, twenty-nine* MSS. (*nine* ancient) of *Kennicott's*, and *thirty* of *De Rossi's*, and *one* edition, have ללבושיך *lilebusheycha* in the plural; so the *Septuagint* and *Syriac*. And all the ancient Versions read it with מ *mem*, instead of the first ל *lamed*. But the true reading is probably מלבושך *malbushecha* in the singular, as in [Isaiah 63:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/3). - L.

Verse [Isaiah 63:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/3). ***And of the people*****there was*****none with me*** — I was wholly abandoned by them: but a good meaning is, No man has had any part in making the atonement; it is entirely the work of the Messiah alone. No created being could have any part in a sacrifice that was to be of infinite merit.
***And I will stain*** - "And I have stained"] For אגאלתי *egalti*, a verb of very irregular formation, compounded, as they say, of the two forms of the preterite and future, a MS. has אגאלהו *egalehu*, the regular future with a pleonastic pronoun added to it, according to the Hebrew idiom: "And all my raiment, I have stained it." The necessity of the verb's being in the past tense seems to have given occasion to the alteration made in the end of the word. The conversive ו *vau* at the beginning of the sentence affects the verb, though not joined to it; of which there are many examples: -
Instead of על בגדי *al begadai, upon my garments*, one of my ancient MSS. has לארץ בגדי *larets begadai, to the earth*: but this word is partly effaced, and על *al* written in the margin by a later hand.

Verse [Isaiah 63:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/5). ***And my fury*** - "And mine indignation"] For וחמתי *vachamathi, nineteen* MSS. (*three* ancient) of *Kennicott's, nine* of *De Rossi's*, and *one* of mine, and *four* editions, have וצדקתי *vetsidkathi, and my righteousness*; from [Isaiah 59:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/16), which I suppose the transcriber retained in his memory. It is true that the Versions are in favour of the common reading; but that noticed above seems to stand on good authority, and is a reading both pleasing and impressive. Opposite, in the margin, my MS. has the common reading by a later hand.

Verse [Isaiah 63:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/6). ***And make them drunk in my fury*** - "And I crushed them in mine indignation"] For ואשכרם *vaashkerem, and I made them drunken,* *twenty-seven* MSS., (*three* ancient,) *twelve* of *De Rossi's*, and the old edition of 1488, have ואשברם *vaashabberem, and I crushed* *them*: and so the *Syriac* and *Chaldee*. The *Septuagint* have omitted this whole line.

Verse [Isaiah 63:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/7). ***I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord*** — The prophet connects the preceding mercies of God to the Jews with the present prospect he has of their redemption by the Messiah; thus making a *circle* in which eternal goodness revolves. The remaining part of this chapter, with the whole chapter following, contains a penitential confession and supplication of the Israelites in their present state of dispersion, in which they have so long marvellously subsisted, and still continue to subsist, as a people; cast out of their country; without any proper form of civil polity or religious worship, their temple destroyed, their city desolated and lost to them, and their whole nation scattered over the face of the earth, apparently deserted and cast off by the God of their fathers, as no longer his peculiar people.
They begin with acknowledging God's great mercies and favours to their nation, and the ungrateful returns made to them on their part, that by their disobedience they had forfeited the protection of God, and had caused him to become their adversary. And now the prophet represents them, induced by the memory of the great things that God had done for them, as addressing their humble supplication for the renewal of his mercies. They beseech him to regard them in consideration of his former loving-kindness, they acknowledge him for their Father and Creator, they confess their wickedness and hardness of heart, they entreat his forgiveness, and deplore their present miserable condition under which they have so long suffered. It seems designed as a formulary of humiliation for the Israelites, in order to their conversion.
The whole passage is in the elegiac form, pathetic and elegant; but it has suffered much in our present copy by the mistakes of transcribers.
***The praises of the Lord*** - "The praise of JEHOVAH"] For תהלות *tehilloth*, plural, *twenty-nine* MSS. (*three* ancient) and *two* editions, have תהלת *tehillath*, in the singular number; and so the *Vulgate* renders it; and one of the Greek versions, in the margin of Cod. Marchal. and in the text of MSS. Pachom. and I. D. II. την αινεσιν Κυριου, "the praise of the Lord." - L.

Verse 8. - 9. ***So he was their Saviour. In all their**********affliction*** - "And he became their Saviour in all their distress"] I have followed the translation of the *Septuagint* in the latter part of the *eighth*, and the former part of the *ninth* verse; which agrees with the present text, a little differently divided as to thee members of the sentence. They read מכל *miccol, out of all*, instead of בכל *bechol, in all*, which makes no difference in the sense; and צר *tsar* they understand as ציר *tsir*. Και εγενετο αυτοις εις σωτηριαν εκ πασης θλιψεως αυτων· ου πρεσβυς, ουδε αγγελος· "And he was salvation to them in all their tribulation; neither an ambassador nor an angel, but himself saved them." An angel of his presence means an angel of superior order, in immediate attendance upon God. So the angel of the Lord says to Zacharias, "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God," [Luke 1:19](../../../kjv/luke/1/19). The presence of JEHOVAH, [Exodus 33:14-15](../../../kjv/exodus/33/14-15), and the angel, [Exodus 33:20-21](../../../kjv/exodus/33/20-21), is JEHOVAH himself; here an angel of his presence is opposed to JEHOVAH himself, as an angel is in the following passages of the same book of Exodus. After their idolatrous worshipping of the golden calf, "when God had said to Moses, I will send an angel before thee - I will not go up in the midst of thee - the people mourned," [Exodus 33:2-4](../../../kjv/exodus/33/2-4). God afterwards comforts Moses, by saying, "My presence (that is I myself in person, and not by an angel) will go with thee," [Exodus 33:14](../../../kjv/exodus/33/14). Αυτος προπορευσομαι σου, "I myself will go before thee," as the *Septuagint* render it.
The MSS. and editions are much divided between the two readings of the text and margin in the common copies, לא lo, not, and לו *lo, to him*. All the ancient Versions express the chetib reading, *lo, not*.
***And he bare them and carried them all the days of old*** - "And he took them up, and he bore them, all the days of old."] [Isaiah 46:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/46/3). - L.

Verse [Isaiah 63:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/9). [Isaiah 63:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/8).

Verse [Isaiah 63:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/10). **And*****he fought against them*** — *Twenty-six* MSS. (*ten* ancient) and the *first* edition, with another, add the conjunction ו *vau*, והוא vehu, and he.

Verse [Isaiah 63:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/11). ***Moses*****and*****his people*** - "Moses his servant"] For עמו *ammo, his people*, two MSS. (*one* of them ancient) and *one* of my own, (ancient,) and *one* of *De Rossi's*, and the old edition of 1488, and the *Syriac*, read עבדו *abdo, his servant*. These two words have been mistaken one for the other in other places; [Psalms 78:71](../../../kjv/psalms/78/71), and [Psalms 80:5](../../../kjv/psalms/80/5), for עמו *ammo, his people*, and עמך *ammecha, thy people*, the *Septuagint* read עבדו *abdo, his servant*, and עבדך *abdecha, thy servant*.
***Where*****is*****he that brought them up out of the sea with the**********shepherd of his flock? where c.*** - "How he brought them up from the sea, with the shepherd of his flock how," c.] For איה *aiyeh,* *how*, interrogative, twice, the *Syriac* Version reads איך *eich,* *how*, without interrogation, as that particle is used in the *Syriac* language, and sometimes in the *Hebrew*. See [Ruth 3:18](../../../kjv/ruth/3/18); [Ecclesiastes 2:16](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/2/16).
***The shepherd of his flock*** — That is, Moses. The MSS. and editions vary in this word; some have it רעה *roeh*, in the singular number; so the *Septuagint, Syriac*, and *Chaldee*. Others רעי *roey*, plural, *the shepherds*. - L.

Verse 13. - 14. ***That led them through the deep - As a beast goeth**********down into the valley*** — In both these verses there is an allusion to the Israelites going through the Red Sea, in the bottom of which they found no more inconvenience than a horse would in running in the desert, where there was neither *stone* nor *mud*; nor a beast in the valley, where all was *plain* and *smooth*.

Verse [Isaiah 63:14](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/14). ***The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest*** - "The Spirit of JEHOVAH conducted them."] For תניחנו *tenichennu, caused him to* *rest*, the *Septuagint* have ὡδηγησεν αυτους, *conducted them*; they read תנחם *tanchem*. The *Syriac, Chaldee*, and *Vulgate* read תנחנו *tanchennu, conducted him*. Two MSS. have the word without the י *yod* in the middle. [Isaiah 63:13](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/13).

Verse [Isaiah 63:15](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/15). ***And thy strength*** - "And thy mighty power" ] For גבורתיך *geburotheycha*, plural, *thirty-two* MSS. (*seven* ancient) and *twenty-one* of *De Rossi's*, and *seven* editions, have גבורתך *geburathecha*, singular.
***Are they restrained?*** — For אלי *elai, from* (or in regard to) *me,* the *Septuagint* and *Syriac* read אלינו *eleynu, from us*. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 63:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/16). ***Our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting*** - "O deliver us for the sake of thy name."] The present text reads, as our translation has rendered it, "Our Redeemer, thy name is from everlasting." But instead of מעולם *meolam, from everlasting*, an ancient MS. has למען *lemaan, for the sake of*, which gives a much better sense. To show the impropriety of the present reading, it is sufficient to observe, that the *Septuagint* and *Syriac* translators thought it necessary to add עלינו *aleynu, upon us*, to make out the sense; That is, "Thy name is *upon us*, or we are called by thy name, from of old." And the *Septuagint* have rendered גאלנו *goalenu*, in the *imperative* mood, ῥυσαι ἡμας, *deliver* *us*. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 63:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/17). ***Why hast thou made us to err*** — A mere *Hebraism*, for why hast thou *permitted* us to err. So, *Lead us not into temptation*; do not *suffer* us to fall into that to which we are tempted.

Verse [Isaiah 63:18](../../../kjv/isaiah/63/18). ***The people of thy holiness have possessed*****it*****but a**********little while*** - "It is little that they have taken possession of thy holy mountain"] The difficulty of the construction in this place is acknowledged on all hands. *Vitringa* prefers that sense as the least exceptionable which our translation has expressed; in which however there seems to be a great defect; that is, the want of that in the speaker's view must have been the principal part of the proposition, the object of the verb, *the land*, or *it*, as our translators supply it, which surely ought to have been expressed, and not to have been left to be supplied by the reader. In a word, I believe there is some mistake in the text; and here the *Septuagint* help us out; they had in their copy הר *har, mountain*, instead of עם *am, people*, του ορους του ἁγιου σου, *the* *mountain of thy Holy One*. "Not only have our enemies taken possession of Mount Sion, and trodden down thy sanctuary; even far worse than this has befallen us; thou hast long since utterly cast us off, and dost not consider us as thy peculiar people." - L.

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