Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryIsaiah 63

The Triumphs of the Messiah.This passage describes a glorious victory. It first looks at God’s triumph over Israel’s enemies, especially the Edomites who had rejoiced at Jerusalem’s troubles. But it also points to a greater victory: the victory Jesus Christ wins over spiritual enemies. The image of garments stained with blood shows both God’s judgment on the wicked and Christ’s victory over sin and Satan. This is both a message of God’s justice and His saving power for His people.v. 1: The prophet sees a powerful conqueror coming from Edom, with his clothes stained red. He asks, Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah? The conqueror travels in strength and majesty. This is not just a human leader, but a figure who brings victory by God’s own power . The scene points forward to Christ, who is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:13 ), returning in triumph.

v. 2: The question is asked, Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? The conqueror’s clothes are stained as if he has been crushing grapes, a picture of judgment and hard struggle. This shows that Christ’s victory came at a great cost, and he suffered in the battle for His people .

v. 3: The conqueror answers, I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me . He won the victory by Himself, with no one to help or even support Him. This is like Jesus, who faced God’s wrath for sin alone, and defeated sin and evil by His own strength (Colossians 2:15 ). The image of the winepress is also found in the great winepress of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:19 ).

v. 4: The conqueror says, The day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed had come . God had fixed a time to judge His enemies and to save His people. This shows God’s holy anger against evil and His loving plan to deliver those He calls His own. Even before it happens, He calls His people the “redeemed” because their salvation is certain (Exodus 12:41; Daniel 9:2 ).

v. 5: The conqueror looked for someone to help, but found no one. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold . So, he brought salvation by his own power. This shows that only God can save, and when everyone else fails, He acts alone. In Christ’s suffering and victory, even his closest friends deserted Him, but He still overcame for us.

v. 6: The conqueror says he will finish the victory. I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath and poured out their lifeblood on the earth . God will bring down every enemy, making them weak and helpless. This is a warning to all who fight against God, but a comfort to those who trust in Him—His victory is complete, and no one can stand against His power (Revelation 6:2 ).

Praising the LORD for His Mercy and CompassionThis section is a prayer that remembers all the good things the Lord

v. 8: God said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely.”So He became their Savior. God chose Israel to be His people and promised to save them .

v. 9: In all their troubles, God was troubled too. His love and mercy saved them. “In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old”.

v. 10: But the people rebelled and made God’s Holy Spirit sad. So, God became their enemy and fought against them .

v. 11: Then the people remembered the old days of Moses and how the Lord

v. 12: God did powerful miracles through Moses, dividing the sea so His people could walk through safely. God did this to show His great strength and save His people .

v. 13: God led His people through the deep, just like a horse in the desert that does not stumble. God made their journey safe .

v. 14: The Spirit of the Lord

Earnest Pleadings.This prayer follows the earlier words of praise and is meant for times of deep trouble, especially during captivity. It is a heartfelt and persistent prayer, full of strong feelings and urgent requests. The prayer includes honest complaints about suffering and spiritual struggles, as well as reasons for hope based on God’s past kindness and His relationship with His people. These words give us an example of how to pray when we feel distant from God or when life is very hard.v. 15: The people ask God to notice their suffering. Look down from heaven, and see from your holy and glorious home . They know God sees everything, but they pray that He would look with compassion and care. They remember God’s holiness and glory, and they want Him to act for them as He did for His people in the past. They ask, Where are your zeal and your strength, your tender compassion? They remember times when God’s love and power were clear and hope that He will show them again.

v. 16: They remind God that He is their Father. You, O Lord

v. 17: The people confess their spiritual struggles. Why, O Lord

v. 18: They grieve that enemies have taken over God’s sanctuary. Your holy people possessed your sanctuary for only a little while; now our adversaries have trampled it down . They miss the chance to worship God together and feel deep sadness that His house has been dishonored. They remember that the land and temple were meant to be theirs forever, but because of their sins, they lost these blessings.

v. 19: The people plead that now they are treated like strangers. We have become like those you never ruled over, like those who were not called by your name (Isaiah 63:19 ). They feel rejected and forgotten, as if they were never God’s people. Yet they hope that God will remember His covenant and show mercy again. They long for God to act, not just for their sake, but to show that they truly belong to Him.