Go to Related Reading
About this book

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 63:6 and Ephesians 4:9 and Jonathan Isaiah 63:6

Hebrew Bible · New Testament · Targum

Share:

Summary

Isaiah 63 ends with blood being "splashed on the ground," which the Aramaic translation in the Targum interprets as the “lowest parts of the earth,” a reference to cosmic judgment. Ephesians may have been influenced by a similar Aramaic tradition.

Passages

Isaiah 63:6

Hebrew Bible
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.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Ephesians 4:9

New Testament
8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” 9 Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? 10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ephesians

Jonathan Isaiah 63:6

Targum
5 And it is revealed before me that there is no man whose works are good, and it is known to me that there is no man who will stand up and pray on behalf of them; yes, I will redeem them by the arm of my strength, and by the Memra of my delight I will help them. 6 And I will slay the nations in my anger, and I will tread them down in my fury, and I will cast the slain of their mighty ones into the lowest parts of the earth. 7 The prophet said, “I will mention the loving-kindness of the LORD, the praise of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has dealt bountifully with us, and His great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has given to them according to His mercies and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses.”
200–300 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jonathan Isaiah

References

"... It is striking that “Edom” does not here occasion a reference to Rome (compare 34:9), even though military “retribution” is the principal issue (verses 1–3). But it may be that Rome is understood as a matter of course, in accordance with Amoraic interpretative habit (compare 34:9 ). In verse 5 (compare also verse 9), there is a clear back reference to the apparently non-messianic theology of vindication which is characteristic of the later meturgeman (compare 59:16) ... On the other hand, the reference to “the lower earth” in verse 6 might be considered by scholars of the New Testament in respect of Ephesians 4:9 ..."
Bruce D. Chilton, The Isaiah Targum: Introduction, Translation, Apparatus and Notes, ArBib 11 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, 1987), 121.

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

Your feedback

Isaiah 63:6 and Ephesians 4:9 and Jonathan Isaiah 63:6

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library