1 Who is this that commeth from Edom, with died garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, trauelling in the greatnesse of his strength? I that speake in righteousnesse, mightie to saue.
2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparell, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3 I haue troden the winepresse alone, and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my furie, and their blood shall be sprinkled vpon my garments, and I will staine all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the yeere of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to helpe; and I wondered that there was none to vphold: therefore mine owne arme brought saluation vnto me, and my furie, it vpheld me.
6 And I will tread downe the people in mine anger, & make them drunke in my furie, and I will bring downe their strength to the earth.
7 ¶ I will mention the louing kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on vs; and the great goodnes towards the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them, according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his louing kindnesses.
8 For hee said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so hee was their sauiour.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence saued them: in his loue and in his pitie hee redeemed them, and he bare them, and caried them all the dayes of olde.
10 ¶ But they rebelled, and vexed his holy spirit: therefore hee was turned to be their enemie, and he fought against them.
11 Then he remembred the dayes of old, Moses and his people, saying; Where is hee that brought them vp out of the Sea, with the shepheard of his flocke? where is hee that put his holy Spirit within him?
12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arme, diuiding the water before them, to make himselfe an euerlasting name?
13 That led them through the deepe as an horse in the wildernesse, that they should not stumble?
14 As a beast goeth downe into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so diddest thou leade thy people, to make thy selfe a glorious Name.
15 ¶ Looke downe from heauen, and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse, and of thy glory: where is thy zeale and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? are they restrained?
16 Doubtlesse thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of vs, and Israel acknowledge vs not: thou, O Lord art our Father, our Redeemer, thy Name is from euerlasting.
17 ¶ O Lord, why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes? and hardened our heart from thy feare? Returne for thy seruants sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.
18 The people of thy holinesse haue possessed it but a little while: our aduersaries haue troden downe thy Sanctuarie.
19 Wee are thine, thou neuer barest rule ouer them, they were not called by thy Name.
Christ's victory over his enemies. (1-6) His mercy toward his church. (7-14) The prayer of the church. (15-19)1-6 The prophet, in vision, beholds the Messiah returning in triumph from the conquest of his enemies, of whom Edom was a type. Travelling, not as wearied by the combat, but, in the greatness of his strength, prepared to overcome every opposing power. Messiah declares that he had been treading the wine-press of the wrath of God, #Re 14:19; 19:13|, and by his own power, without any human help, he had crushed his obstinate opposers, for the day of vengeance was determined on, being the appointed season for rescuing his church. Once, he appeared on earth in apparent weakness, to pour out his precious blood as an atonement for our sins; but he will in due time appear in the greatness of his strength. The vintage ripens apace; the day of vengeance, fixed and determined on, approaches apace; let sinners seek to be reconciled to their righteous Judge, ere he brings down their strength to the earth. Does Christ say, "I come quickly?" let our hearts reply, "Even so, come; let the year of the redeemed come."
7-14 The latter part of this chapter, and the whole of the next, seem to express the prayers of the Jews on their conversation. They acknowledge God's great mercies and favours to their nation. They confess their wickedness and hardness of heart; they entreat his forgiveness, and deplore the miserable condition under which they have so long suffered. The only-begotten Son of the Father became the Angel or Messenger of his love; thus he redeemed and bare them with tenderness. Yet they murmured, and resisted his Holy Spirit, despising and persecuting his prophets, rejecting and crucifying the promised Messiah. All our comforts and hopes spring from the loving-kindness of the Lord, and all our miseries and fears from our sins. But he is the Saviour, and when sinners seek after him, who in other ages glorified himself by saving and feeding his purchased flock, and leading them safely through dangers, and has given his Holy Spirit to prosper the labours of his ministers, there is good ground to hope they are discovering the way of peace.
15-19 They beseech him to look down on the abject condition of their once-favoured nation. Would it not be glorious to his name to remove the veil from their hearts, to return to the tribes of his inheritance? The Babylonish captivity, and the after-deliverance of the Jews, were shadows of the events here foretold. The Lord looks down upon us in tenderness and mercy. Spiritual judgments are more to be dreaded than any other calamities; and we should most carefully avoid those sins which justly provoke the Lord to leave men to themselves and to their deceiver. "Our Redeemer from everlasting" is thy name; thy people have always looked upon thee as the God to whom they might appeal. The Lord will hear the prayers of those who belong to him, and deliver them from those not called by his name.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.