CHAPTER LXIII _The prophet, (or rather the Church he represents,) sees the_ _great Deliverer, long promised and expected, making his_ _appearance, after having crushed his enemies, like grapes in_ _the wine-vat. The comparison suggests a lively idea of the_ _wrath of Omnipotence, which its unha... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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 r... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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, which I suppose the transcriber retai... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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 th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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, wit... [ Continue Reading ]
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 di... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Isaiah 63:9. Isaiah 63:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 neit... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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, co... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 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 wh... [ Continue Reading ]