Isaiah 63
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ืกืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 63 of 66 | Day: 210 of 742
Date: September 9, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Chapter 63 breaks the sustained consolation of the preceding chapters with a burst of dramatic dialogue. A watcher cries out, โWho is this coming from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah?โ (ืื ืื ืื ืืืืื ืืืืฅ ืืืืื ืืืฆืจื), and the figure who answers speaks with the voice of God Himself: โIt is I, who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.โ Rashi frames the whole opening as a prophecy of the vengeance God will take on Edom, adding an important methodological caution that governs how the entire passage should be read: the prophet speaks in the language of human warfare, of men in garments spattered with blood when they slay, because Scripture describes the Divine in human terms in order to make it audible to the ear, just as Yechezkel compares Godโs voice to the sound of many waters. Radak says the same in fewer words, that God likened the destroyer to a warrior taking vengeance, and Metzudat David notes that the prophet is speaking โin the manner customary among human beings.โ None of the commentators loaded here treats the crimson as literal. Rashi also preserves the aggadic material about Bozrah, including the tradition in Makkot that the heavenly prince of Edom will err in supposing Bozrah to be the city of refuge Betzer, and will err again in forgetting that refuge shelters only the inadvertent killer, while Israel was killed deliberately.
The dialogue continues in verse 2 with the question that gives the passage its most famous image: why is your clothing red, and your garments like one who treads in the winepress? The answer in verse 3 is the great solitary declaration, โI trod out a vintage alone, and of the peoples none was with Meโ (ืคืืจื ืืจืืชื ืืืื ืืืขืืื ืืื ืืืฉ ืืชื). Radak explains the mechanics of the metaphor, that a winepress is called ืคืืจื because the grapes are crushed and broken within it, and that the wicked are the grapes; and both Radak and Metzudat David read โaloneโ theologically, as meaning that Israel possessed no merit that could stand alongside God as a helper. Verses 4 through 6 close the vision with a compressed chiasm of vengeance and redemption: a day of vengeance was in My heart and My year of redemption had come; I looked and there was none to help; My own arm brought Me victory and My own fury sustained Me. Rashiโs gloss on โMy fury sustained Meโ is one of the theologically weightier comments in the chapter, that Godโs anger at the nations, who added harm when He was only slightly wroth with His people, is what aroused Him to exact payment, โeven though Israel is not fit and worthy of redemption.โ Redemption here is grounded not in Israelโs deserving but in the Divine character.
At verse 7 the chapter pivots so sharply that it can feel like a new prophecy, yet the pivot is the point. โI will recount the kindnesses of the Lordโ (ืืกืื ืโ ืืืืืจ), says the prophet, and Rashi and Metzudat David both understand him to be reminding Israel of what God has done for them. Radak sharpens the logic: having been shown the kindnesses God will do in the future, the prophet recalls the kindnesses of the past so that people will acknowledge and praise His name, and he notes that the verse says God dealt with them according to His mercies and abundant kindness rather than according to their deeds. Verse 8 then supplies the founding moment: God said, โSurely they are My people, children who will not deal falsely,โ and became their savior. Rashiโs comment here is quietly devastating, that although it was revealed before Him that they would betray Him, they were nonetheless His people. Radak locates the statement at the Exodus, when God took them from among another people and took them to Himself as children.
Verse 9 is one of the most beloved and most textually intricate verses in Tanakh, turning on a keri-ketiv: โin all their affliction He was afflictedโ (ืื ืฆืจ) read against a written ืื ืฆืจ, and the angel of His presence saved them. Radak lays out both readings with unusual care, explaining that the written text means He did not multiply their affliction because He saved them from it, while the read text means that God Himself was distressed in their distress, on the model of the verse in Shoftim that His soul was grieved by the misery of Israel, and he cites the sugya that treats this very verse as the proof that a written ืื can carry the sense of ืื. Rashi identifies the angel of His presence as Michael, the prince of the Presence, and Radak offers the alternative that the โangelโ is the chain of causes God arranges for their salvation, so that nothing they experienced was mere accident. The verse ends with God bearing and lifting Israel all the days of old, only for verse 10 to record the rupture: they rebelled and grieved His holy spirit, and He turned to be their enemy and fought against them. Radak understands โHis holy spiritโ as the words of His prophets spoken through prophecy, so that the rebellion is specifically a refusal to hear the prophetic word, and Metzudat David reads the verse as the direct undoing of verse 8โs confidence that they would not prove false.
The remainder of the chapter is a sustained lament that reaches back into the Exodus and then turns it into a demand. Verses 11 through 14 are a chain of โWhere is He?โ questions: where is the One who brought them up from the sea with the shepherds of His flock, who set His holy spirit in their midst, who led at Mosheโs right hand with His glorious arm, who split the waters to make Himself an everlasting name, who led them through the depths so that they did not stumble, like a horse in the wilderness, like cattle going down into the valley. Radakโs treatment of these verses is a small essay in itself: he explains that the crossing was not needed to bring Israel to the other bank, since they entered and exited on the same side, but was performed to display Godโs hand and to overturn the very order of nature; and he observes that in exile Israel says these words because prophecy has ceased since the deaths of Chagai, Zecharyah and Malachi, so that no one can tell them when the end will come. Rashi similarly hears the whole passage as Israelโs supplication in exile, asking where is Moshe our shepherd who brought us up from the Sea of Reeds.
The chapterโs final movement, verses 15 through 19, converts that memory into a plea. Look down from heaven and see; where is Your zeal and Your might, the yearning of Your innards and Your mercies, which are withheld from me? Rashi connects the โstirring of Your innardsโ to Yirmiyahuโs โtherefore My heart yearns for him,โ and reads ืืชืืคืงื as the same self-restraint that Yosef exercised before his brothers, mercy present but held back. Then comes the verse that Jewish liturgy has never let go of: โFor You are our Father, though Avraham does not know us and Yisrael does not recognize us; You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your nameโ (ืืชื ืโ ืืืื ื ืืืื ื ืืขืืื ืฉืื). Rashi and Metzudat David read the reference to the patriarchs as their absence at the moments Israel needed them, in the affliction of Egypt and in the wilderness, and Radak grounds it in the plain human fact that a father of flesh and blood knows his son only during his lifetime, whereas God is our Father who lives and endures forever, so that there is no one to cry out to but Him. Verse 17โs audacious โWhy do You make us stray from Your ways?โ is softened by both Rashi and Radak, Rashi noting that it is in Godโs power to remove the evil inclination, as the prophets promised, and Radak explaining that the complaint speaks in the plural about only some of Israel who despaired of redemption because the exile was so long. The chapter ends with the Temple trampled by enemies after Israel possessed it only a short while, and with the cry that has echoed through every later generation: โIf only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake before You.โ Radak understands this as an appeal back to Sinai, when Godโs glory descended and the mountain trembled, and Metzudat David reads it as a demand that God act now as He acted then. That unfinished plea runs directly into chapter 64, which continues it without pause.
ืคืจืง ืกืดื ยท Chapter 63
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืึดืึพืึถึฃืโื ืึผึธึฃื ืึตืึฑืึืึนื ืึฒืึคืึผืฅ ืึผึฐืึธืึดืืึ ืึดืึผืืฆึฐืจึธึื ืึถึื ืึธืึฃืึผืจ ืึผึดืึฐืืึผืฉืึืึน ืฆึนืขึถึื ืึผึฐืจึนึฃื ืึผึนืึืึน ืึฒื ึดึื ืึฐืึทืึผึตึฅืจ ืึผึดืฆึฐืึธืงึธึื ืจึทึฅื ืึฐืืึนืฉืึดึฝืืขึทื
English:
Who is this coming from Edom, In crimsoned garments from Bozrahโ Who is this, majestic in attire, Pressing forward with great might? โIt is I, who contend victoriously, Powerful to give triumph.โ
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึฅืึผืขึท ืึธืึนึื ืึดืึฐืืึผืฉืึถึืึธ ืึผืึฐืึธืึถึืืึธ ืึผึฐืึนืจึตึฅืึฐ ืึผึฐืึทึฝืชื
English:
Why is Your clothing so red, Your garments like those of someone who treads grapes?
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืคึผืึผืจึธึฃืโื ืึผึธืจึทึฃืึฐืชึผึดื ืึฐืึทืึผึดึื ืึผืึตึฝืขึทืึผึดืืึ ืึตึฝืืึพืึดึฃืืฉื ืึดืชึผึดึื ืึฐืึถืึฐืจึฐืึตึฃื ืึผึฐืึทืคึผึดึื ืึฐืึถืจึฐืึฐืกึตึื ืึผึทืึฒืึธืชึดึื ืึฐืึตึคื ื ึดืฆึฐืึธืึ ืขึทืึพืึผึฐืึธืึทึื ืึฐืืืึพืึทืึฐืึผืึผืฉืึทึื ืึถืึฐืึธึฝืึฐืชึผึดืื
English:
โI trod out a vintage alone; Of the peoples nobody was with Me. I trod them down in My anger, Trampled them in My rage; Their life-blood bespattered My garments, And all My clothing was stained.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึื ืึฅืึนื ื ึธืงึธึื ืึผึฐืึดืึผึดึื ืึผืฉืึฐื ึทึฅืช ืึผึฐืืึผืึทึื ืึผึธึฝืึธืื
English:
For I had planned a day of vengeance, And My year of redemption arrived.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึทืึผึดืืึ ืึฐืึตึฃืื ืขึนืึตึืจ ืึฐืึถืฉืึฐืชึผืึนืึตึื ืึฐืึตึฃืื ืกืึนืึตึืึฐ ืึทืชึผึคืึนืฉืึทึฝืขึพืึดืึ ืึฐืจึนืขึดึื ืึทืึฒืึธืชึดึื ืึดึฅืื ืกึฐืึธืึธึฝืชึฐื ึดืื
English:
Then I looked, but there was none to help; I stared, but there was none to aidโ So My own arm wrought the triumph, And My own rage was My aid.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึธืึคืึผืก ืขึทืึผึดืืึ ืึผึฐืึทืคึผึดึื ืึทืึฒืฉืึทืึผึฐืจึตึื ืึผึทืึฒืึธืชึดึื ืึฐืืึนืจึดึฅืื ืึธืึธึืจึถืฅ ื ึดืฆึฐืึธึฝืืย {ืก} ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
English:
I trampled peoples in My anger, I made them drunk with My rage, And I hurled their glory to the ground.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึทึฝืกึฐืึตึจื ืึฐืึนืึธึคืโืโืึทืึฐืึผึดืืจึ ืชึผึฐืึดืึผึนึฃืช ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึฐืขึทึื ืึผึนึฅื ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืึผึฐืึธืึธึื ืึผ ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฐืจึทืึพืืึผืึ ืึฐืึตึฃืืช ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืึผึฐืึธืึธึฅื ืึผึฐึฝืจึทืึฒืึธึืื ืึผืึฐืจึนึฅื ืึฒืกึธืึธึฝืืื
English:
I will recount GODโs kind acts, GODโs praisesโ For all that GOD has wrought for us, The vast bounty to the House of Israel That was bestowed upon them According to Godโs mercy and great kindness.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึนึืืึถืจึ ืึทืึฐึพืขึทืึผึดึฃื ืึตึืึผึธื ืึผึธื ึดึืื ืึนึฃื ืึฐืฉืึทืงึผึตึืจืึผ ืึทืึฐืึดึฅื ืึธืึถึื ืึฐืืึนืฉืึดึฝืืขึทื
English:
[God] thought: Surely they are My people, Children who will not play false. So [God] was their Deliverer.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืึผึฐึฝืืืึพืฆึธืจึธืชึธึฃืโื (ืื) [ืึฃืึน] ืฆึธึืจ ืึผืึทืึฐืึทึคืึฐ ืคึผึธื ึธืืึ ืืึนืฉืึดืืขึธึื ืึผึฐืึทืึฒืึธืชึฅืึน ืึผืึฐืึถืึฐืึธืชึืึน ืึฃืึผื ืึฐืึธืึธึื ืึทึฝืึฐื ึทืึผึฐืึตึฅื ืึทึฝืึฐื ึทืฉืึผึฐืึตึื ืึผืืึพืึฐืึตึฅื ืขืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
In all their troubles [God] was troubled, And the angel of the divine Presence delivered them. In love and pity It was [God] who redeemed them, Raised them, and exalted them All the days of old.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ืึฐืึตึืึผึธื ืึธืจึฅืึผ ืึฐืขึดืฆึผึฐืึืึผ ืึถืชึพืจึฃืึผืึท ืงืืึฐืฉืึืึน ืึทืึผึตืึธืคึตึฅืึฐ ืึธืึถึื ืึฐืืึนืึตึื ืึฅืึผื ื ึดืึฐืึทืึพืึผึธึฝืื
English:
But they rebelled, and grieved Godโs holy spirit; Then it was [God] who became their enemy, And made war against them.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืึฐืึผึนึฅืจ ืึฐืึตึฝืึพืขืึนืึธึื ืึนืฉืึถึฃื ืขึทืึผึืึน ืึทืึผึตึฃืโื ืึทึฝืึผึทืขึฒืึตึฃื ืึดืึผึธึื ืึตึืช ืจึนืขึตึฃื ืฆึนืื ึืึน ืึทืึผึตึื ืึทืฉืึผึธึฅื ืึผึฐืงึดืจึฐืึผึืึน ืึถืชึพืจึฅืึผืึท ืงืืึฐืฉืึฝืึนื
English:
Then they remembered the ancient days, The One who pulled a precious people out [of the water]: โWhere is the One who brought them up from the Sea Along with the shepherd of this flock? Where is the One whose holy spirit Was placed in their midst,
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืืึนืึดืืึฐึ ืึดืืึดึฃืื ืึนืฉืึถึื ืึฐืจึืึนืขึท ืชึผึดืคึฐืึทืจึฐืชึผึืึน ืึผึคืึนืงึตึฝืขึท ืึทึืึดืึ ืึดืคึผึฐื ึตืืึถึื ืึทืขึฒืฉืึฅืึนืช ืึืึน ืฉืึตึฅื ืขืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
Whose glorious arm was made To march at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them To make a reputation for all time,
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืืึนืึดืืึธึื ืึผึทืชึผึฐืึนืึืึนืช ืึผึทืกึผึฅืึผืก ืึผึทืึผึดืึฐืึผึธึืจ ืึนึฅื ืึดืึผึธืฉืึตึฝืืึผื
English:
Who led them through the deeps So that they did not stumbleโ As a horse in a desert,
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึผึทืึผึฐืึตืึธืึ ืึผึทืึผึดืงึฐืขึธึฃื ืชึตืจึตึื ืจึฅืึผืึท ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืชึผึฐื ึดืืึถึื ึผืึผ ืึผึตึื ื ึดืึทึฃืึฐืชึผึธ ืขึทืึผึฐืึธึ ืึทืขึฒืฉืึฅืึนืช ืึฐืึธึ ืฉืึตึฅื ืชึผึดืคึฐืึธึฝืจึถืชื
English:
Like a beast descending to the plain?โ โTwas the spirit of GOD gave them rest; Thus did You shepherd Your people To win for Yourself a glorious name.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 15
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึตึคื ืึดืฉืึผึธืึทึืึดืึ ืึผืจึฐืึตึื ืึดืึผึฐืึปึฅื ืงืืึฐืฉืึฐืึธึ ืึฐืชึดืคึฐืึทืจึฐืชึผึถึืึธ ืึทืึผึตึคื ืงึดื ึฐืึธึฝืชึฐืึธึ ืึผืึฐืึฃืึผืจึนืชึถึืึธ ืึฒืึฅืึนื ืึตืขึถึืืึธ ืึฐึฝืจึทืึฒืึถึืืึธ ืึตืึทึฅื ืึดืชึฐืึทืคึผึธึฝืงืึผื
English:
Look down from heaven and see, From Your holy and glorious height! Where is Your zeal, Your power? Your yearning and Your love Are being withheld from us!
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 16
Hebrew:
ืึผึดึฝืึพืึทืชึผึธึฃื ืึธืึดึืื ืึผ ืึผึดึคื ืึทืึฐืจึธืึธืึ ืึนึฃื ืึฐืึธืขึธึื ืึผ ืึฐืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึื ืึนึฃื ืึทืึผึดืืจึธึื ืึผ ืึทืชึผึธึคื ืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึธืึดึืื ืึผ ืึผึนืึฒืึตึฅื ืึผ ืึตืขืึนืึธึื ืฉืึฐืึถึฝืึธื
English:
Surely You are our Father: Though Abraham regard us not, And Israel recognize us not, You, O ETERNAL One, are our Father; From of old, Your name is โOur Redeemer.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 17
Hebrew:
ืึธึฃืึผึธื ืชึทืชึฐืขึตึคื ืึผ ืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึดืึผึฐืจึธืึถึืืึธ ืชึผึทืงึฐืฉืึดึฅืืึท ืึดืึผึตึื ืึผ ืึดืึผึดืจึฐืึธืชึถึืึธ ืฉืึืึผื ืึฐืึทึฃืขึทื ืขึฒืึธืึถึืืึธ ืฉืึดืึฐืึตึื ื ึทืึฒืึธืชึถึฝืึธื
English:
Why, ETERNAL One, do You make us stray from Your ways, And turn our hearts away from revering You? Relent for the sake of Your servants, The tribes that are Your very own!
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 18
Hebrew:
ืึทืึผึดืฆึฐืขึธึืจ ืึธืจึฐืฉืึืึผ ืขึทืึพืงืืึฐืฉืึถึืึธ ืฆึธืจึตึืื ืึผ ืึผืึนืกึฐืกึืึผ ืึดืงึฐืึผึธืฉืึถึฝืึธื
English:
Our foes have trampled Your Sanctuary, Which Your holy people possessed but a little while.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 19
Hebrew:
ืึธืึดึืื ืึผ ืึตึฝืขืึนืึธืึ ืึนืึพืึธืฉืึทึฃืึฐืชึผึธ ืึผึธึื ืึนึฝืึพื ึดืงึฐืจึธึฅื ืฉืึดืึฐืึธึ ืขึฒืึตืืึถึื ืึฝืึผืึพืงึธืจึทึคืขึฐืชึผึธ ืฉืึธืึทึืึดืึ ืึธืจึทึืึฐืชึผึธ ืึดืคึผึธื ึถึืืึธ ืึธืจึดึฅืื ื ึธืึนึฝืึผืึผื
English:
We have become as a people You never ruled, To which Your name was never attached. If You would but tear open the heavens and come down, So that mountains would quake before Youโ
โถCommentaries (1)