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Isaiah

About this book
Chapter 63

1 Who is this who comes from Edom, dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? Who is this one wearing royal attire, who marches confidently because of his great strength? “It is I, the one who announces vindication, and who is able to deliver!” 2 Why are your clothes red? Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?⁠ 3 “I have stomped grapes in the wine press all by myself; no one from the nations joined me. I stomped on them in my anger; I trampled them down in my rage.⁠ Their juice splashed on my garments and stained all my clothes.⁠ 4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance, and then payback time arrived. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help;⁠ I was shocked because there was no one offering support. So my right arm accomplished deliverance; my raging anger drove me on. 6 I trampled nations in my anger; I made them drunk in my rage; I splashed their blood on the ground.”⁠ 7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord, of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds. I will tell about all the Lord did for us, the many good things he did for the family of Israel, because of his compassion and great faithfulness. 8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people, children who are not disloyal.” He became their deliverer. 9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. The messenger sent from his very presence delivered them.⁠ In his love and mercy he protected them; he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.⁠ 10 But they rebelled and offended his Holy Spirit, so he turned into an enemy and fought against them.⁠ 11 His people remembered the ancient times. Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea, along with the shepherd of his flock? Where is the one who placed his Holy Spirit among them,⁠ 12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, who divided the water before them, gaining for himself a lasting reputation,⁠ 13 who led them through the deep water? Like a horse running through the wilderness they did not stumble.⁠ 14 As an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.⁠ In this way you guided your people, gaining for yourself an honored reputation.⁠ 15 Look down from heaven and take notice, from your holy, majestic palace!⁠ Where are your zeal and power? Do not hold back your tender compassion! 16 For you are our father,⁠ though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, Lord, are our father; you have been called our Protector from ancient times.⁠ 17 Why, Lord, do you make us stray from your ways and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance! 18 For a short time your special nation possessed a land, but then our adversaries knocked down your holy sanctuary. 19 We existed from ancient times, but you did not rule over them; they were not your subjects.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 63:13 and Wisdom of Solomon 19:7 and Pseudo Jonathan Exodus 15:19

Hebrew Bible · Deuterocanon · Targum

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Summary

The Aramaic translation in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan describes crossing the Red Sea calmly, like walking through a garden, and the Wisdom of Solomon uses a similar description of that event. Both reflect the same reading of Isaiah 63 as a calm journey.

Passages

Isaiah 63:13

Hebrew Bible
11 His people remembered the ancient times. Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea, along with the shepherd of his flock? Where is the one who placed his Holy Spirit among them, 12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, who divided the water before them, gaining for himself a lasting reputation, 13 who led them through the deep water? Like a horse running through the wilderness they did not stumble. 14 As an animal that goes down into a valley to graze, so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest. In this way you guided your people, gaining for yourself an honored reputation.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Wisdom of Solomon 19:7

Deuterocanon
6 For the whole creation, each part in its diverse kind, was made new again, complying with your commandments, that your servants might be kept unharmed. 7 Then the cloud that overshadowed the camp was seen, and dry land rising up out of what had been water, out of the Red sea an unhindered highway, and a grassy plain out of the violent surge, 8 by which they passed over with all their army, these who were covered with your hand, having seen strange marvels.
50 BCE – 50 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Wisdom of Solomon

Pseudo Jonathan Exodus 15:19

Targum
19 For the horses of Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, went into the sea; and the Lord turned the waters of the sea back on them; but the children of Israel went on dry ground in the midst of the sea. There sweet springs sprang up, as well as fruit trees, green plants, and choice fruit at the bottom of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her; they were dancing to the sound of timbrels and playing the hingas.
300–1200 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Pseudo Jonathan Exodus

References

"... One particular miracle seemed to be implied by the prophet Isaiah in regard to the crossing of the Red Sea ... Read in a certain way, these lines suggested to interpreters that the Red Sea had been made not only passable, but dry as a desert—or perhaps even turned into a grassy valley ..."
James L. Kugel, The Bible as It Was (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998), 342–343.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 63:13 and Wisdom of Solomon 19:7 and Pseudo Jonathan Exodus 15:19

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