Go to Related Reading
About this book

LXX Isaiah

Septuagint

About this book
Chapter 63

1 Who is this that is come from Edom, with red garments from Bozrah? thus fair in his clothing, with mighty strength? I speak of righteousness and saving judgment. 2 Why are your garments red, and your clothing as if fresh from a trodden winepress? 3 I am full of trodden grape, and of the nations there is not a man with me; and I trampled them in my fury, and dashed them to pieces as earth, and brought down their blood to the earth.⁠ 4 For the day of retribution has come upon them, and the year of redemption is at hand. 5 And I looked, and there was no helper;⁠ and I observed, and none upheld: therefore my arm delivered them, and my anger drew near. 6 And I trampled them in my anger, and brought down their blood to the earth. 7 I remembered the mercy of the Lord, the praises of the Lord in all things in which he repays us. The Lord is a good judge to the house of Israel; he deals with us according to his mercy, and according to the abundance of his righteousness. 8 And he said, Is it not my people? the children surely will not be rebellious: and he became to them deliverance 9 out of all their affliction: not an ambassador, nor a messenger, but the Lord himself saved them, because he loved them and spared them: he himself redeemed them, and took them up, and lifted them up all the days of old. 10 But they disobeyed, and provoked his Holy Spirit: so he turned to be an enemy, he himself contended against them. 11 Then he remembered the ancient days, he that brought up from the land the shepherd of the sheep: where is he that put his Holy Spirit in them? 12 who led Moses with his right hand, the arm of his glory? he forced the water to separate from before him, to make himself an everlasting name. 13 He led them through the deep, as a horse through the wilderness, and they did not faint, 14 and as cattle through a plain: the Spirit came down from the Lord, and guided them:⁠ thus you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name. 15 Turn from heaven, and look from your holy habitation and from your glory: where is your zeal and your strength? where is the abundance of your mercy and of your compassions, that you have withheld yourself from us? 16 For you are our Father; for though Abraham did not know us, and Israel did not acknowledge us, yet you, Lord, our Father,⁠ deliver us: your name has been upon us from the beginning. 17 Why have you caused us to err, Lord, from your way? and hardened our hearts, that we should not fear you? Return for your servants' sake, for the sake of the tribes of your inheritance, 18 that we may inherit a small part of your holy mountain. Our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary. 19 We have become as at the beginning, when you did not rule over us, and your name was not called upon us. If you would open the heaven,⁠ trembling will take hold upon the mountains from you, and they shall melt,

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 63:14 and LXX Isaiah 63:14

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

Share:

Summary

Isaiah 63 describes the Spirit of God giving rest to the people, comparing it to an animal grazing in a valley. The Greek Septuagint translation removes the reference to rest, changing it to describe the Spirit guiding them.

Passages

Isaiah 63:14

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

LXX Isaiah 63:14

Septuagint
12 who led Moses with his right hand, the arm of his glory? he forced the water to separate from before him, to make himself an everlasting name. 13 He led them through the deep, as a horse through the wilderness, and they did not faint, 14 and as cattle through a plain: the Spirit came down from the Lord, and guided them: thus you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name. 15 Turn from heaven, and look from your holy habitation and from your glory: where is your zeal and your strength? where is the abundance of your mercy and of your compassions, that you have withheld yourself from us? 16 For you are our Father; for though Abraham did not know us, and Israel did not acknowledge us, yet you, Lord, our Father, deliver us: your name has been upon us from the beginning.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Isaiah

References

"... Given then the rare but here explicit linguistic connection (to be led by the Spirit, together with walking), and the ethical/moral context of living/behaving rightly and doing God’s will, and that this is in the larger context of a psalm that we know was important for Paul (also in nearby soteriological contexts), it is likely that Paul was deliberately alluding to it also for “walk by/ led by the Spirit.” Even if it is only a partial background that Paul is echoing, the context of the psalm could be expected to shed light on Paul’s meaning in his usage that has been influenced by it ... Beale acknowledges that Psalm 143 is part of the “important background for Galatians 5:18.” However, he argues that it is not the primary background for two reasons: 1) the psalm uses ὁδηγέω instead of ἄγω (in Paul). But LXX Isaiah 63:14 also uses the same verb in the only place it directly describes the Spirit leading; and anyway, the two verbs are close synonyms; 2) Isaiah 63 is part of an eschatological exodus-new exodus context, while the psalm is applying the concept to David’s life. But that is surely not a limitation for Paul, for whom the Psalms indeed function eschatologically ..."
Scott A. Swanson, The Instruction of the Spirit: The Wisdom Framework for Pauline Spirit Dependence (Mid-America Journal of Theology, No. 29, 2018), 81–128.

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 63:14 and LXX Isaiah 63:14

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library