BOOK 23 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Isaiah 63

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Isaiah 63 Overview

A blood-stained divine warrior comes from Edom after treading the winepress of judgment; Isaiah then recalls the LORD’s past lovingkindness, Israel’s rebellion, and the Spirit’s presence, turning the memory into a plea for renewed mercy.

IsaiahBook

63Chapter

19Verses

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Before you read Isaiah 63

Coming from

Isaiah refuses silence until Zion’s righteousness shines; Jerusalem receives a new name, watchmen continually remind the LORD of His promise, and a highway is prepared for the returning redeemed whose Savior comes with reward.

In this chapter

Leads into

The prayer continues with a plea for God to rend the heavens and come down, confessing uncleanness and iniquity while appealing to the Creator as Father and Potter not to remain angry forever over ruined Zion.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The chapter moves abruptly from vengeance to prayer. Edom/Bozrah symbolizes the judged enemy, while the communal lament looks back to the exodus and asks why present experience feels so unlike former salvation.

The interpretive center of Isaiah 63 is the chapter’s own movement: final vengeance belongs to the lord. Read its poetry, signs, historical references, and later biblical connections from that center rather than treating isolated phrases as detached slogans.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Final vengeance belongs to the LORD

The divine warrior acts alone when no human helper is sufficient.

God’s covenant history includes both compassion and grief over rebellion

He carried Israel, yet they rebelled and vexed His Holy Spirit.

Remembering past salvation can fuel present prayer

The exodus becomes the basis for asking God to look down and act again.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Revelation 19:13-15

The returning Christ treads the winepress of divine wrath, echoing Isaiah 63’s divine-warrior imagery.

Ephesians 4:30

Paul’s warning not to grieve the Holy Spirit recalls Isaiah’s statement that Israel vexed His Holy Spirit.

Exodus 14–15

The prayer’s memories of sea, shepherd, Spirit, and glorious arm are rooted in the exodus.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not turn the winepress scene into human permission for vengeance.

The figure is the LORD executing judgment.

Do not miss the chapter’s Trinitarian richness without forcing later terminology back mechanically.

The LORD, the angel of His presence, and His Holy Spirit all appear within Israel’s salvation history.

Read Isaiah 63 watching for…

the warrior from Edom

the winepress imagery

lovingkindnesses of the LORD

Israel grieving the Holy Spirit

the appeal to exodus memories

Chapter outline3 sections

1-6The mighty one comes from Edom with garments stained from judgment 7-14Israel remembers the LORD’s lovingkindness, redemption, and guidance in the wilderness 15-19The people plead for the LORD to look down and return to them

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.

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.

For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.

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.

But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

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?

That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

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.

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?

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.

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.

The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.