What does Isaias Chapter 63 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The winepress speaker declares solitary judgment and redemption. Remembered mercy contrasts with provoked wrath and Moses-era leading. The prayer questions withheld help and sanctuary loss.

Chapter breakdown

Isaias 63 opens with a question about one coming from Edom and Bosra in dyed garments, beautiful and strong, speaking justice and defending to save. His red clothing is compared with a winepress worker. He says he trod alone, with none of the Gentiles, in anger and indignation, staining his garments. Vengeance's day and redemption's year arrive; his own arm saves and indignation helps when no helper appears. He makes peoples drunk in indignation and brings strength to earth. The edition separately interprets Edom and Bosra mystically as enemies of Christ and his Church.

Remembered mercies concern gifts to Israel and the declaration that these children will not deny. The verse says that in all their affliction he was not troubled; the angel of his presence saved them, while his love and mercy redeemed and carried them. They provoke wrath and afflict his Holy One's spirit, and he becomes their fighting enemy. Remembrance turns to Moses, shepherds, the sea and the spirit amid them. The right arm of Moses, divided water, a horse in wilderness and a beast in field describe divine leading and rest.

The prayer asks heaven to look down, questioning withheld zeal, strength and mercy. God is father and redeemer though Abraham has not acknowledged them and Israel is ignorant. Questions about erring and hardened hearts lead to a request for return for servants and inheritance. The edition explains withdrawn grace as punishment and speaks of the prophet representing Jews; these explanations remain annotations. Enemies trample the sanctuary and the people compare their condition with those never ruled by or named after God.

The story inside

Opening: The winepress speaker declares solitary judgment and redemption. Development: Remembered mercy contrasts with provoked wrath and Moses-era leading. Conclusion: The prayer questions withheld help and sanctuary loss.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The winepress speaker declares solitary judgment and redemption.
2
Remembered mercy contrasts with provoked wrath and Moses-era leading.
3
The prayer questions withheld help and sanctuary loss.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 83617–83630
63:1. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosra, this beautiful one in his robe, walking in the greatness of his strength. I, that speak justice, and am a defender to save. Edom.... Edom and Bosra (a strong city of Edom) are here taken in a mystical sense for the enemies of Christ and his church. 63:2. Why then is thy apparel red, and thy garments like theirs that tread in the winepress? 63:3. I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the Gentiles there is not a man with me: I have trampled on them in my indignation, and have trodden them down in my wrath, and their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my apparel.
Lines 83675–83700
63:15. Look down from heaven, and behold from thy holy habitation and the place of thy glory: where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the multitude of thy bowels, and of thy mercies? they have held back themselves from me. They have held back, etc.... This is spoken by the prophet in the person of the Jews at the time when, for their sins, they were given up to their enemies. 63:16. For thou art our father, and Abraham hath not known us, and Israel hath been ignorant of us: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer, from everlasting is thy name. Abraham hath not know us, etc.... That is, Abraham will not now acknowledge us for his children, by reason of our degeneracy; but thou, O Lord, art our true father and our redeemer, and no other can be called our parent in comparison with thee. 63:17. Why hast thou made us to err, O Lord, from thy ways: why hast thou hardened our heart, that we should not fear thee? return for the sake of thy servants, the tribes of thy inheritance. Made us to err, etc. Hardened our heart, etc.... The meaning is, that God in punishment of their great and manifold crimes, and their long abuse of his mercy and grace, had withdrawn his graces from them, and so given them up to error and hardness of heart.