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63
1 Who is this coming from Edom, from the town of Bozrah* Bozrah was an important Edomite town. with clothes stained crimson? Who is this wearing robes of splendor, leaning forward in his great strength as he marches?† Once again, quotation marks are avoided in translating the books of the prophets due to the problems of deciding which are the prophet's own words and which are the Lord's. Since the prophets were speaking for the Lord, the distinction is a minor one. In this passage where there appears to be a dialogue going on, the change in speaker is represented by a new paragraph.
It is me, the one who always speaks goodness and truth, the one who has the power to save.
2 Why are your clothes red, like you've been treading grapes in a winepress?
3 I've been treading the winepress by myself; from the nations around no one came to help me. So in my anger I trod them down as if they were grapes, in my fury I trampled them. It's their blood that has stained my clothes. 4 For I decided this was the day of my vengeance; the year of my redemption has come. 5 I looked around, but no one came to help; I was shocked that there was no one to assist me. So I saved them through my own strength alone, and my own anger kept me going. 6 I trampled down the nations in my anger; in my fury I made them drunk, and spilled their blood upon the ground.
7 I want to tell everyone about the Lord's trustworthy love. I will praise the Lord for everything he's done for us—all the good things he has done for the descendants of Israel because of his kindness and his infinite trustworthy love. 8 He said, “Aren't they my people, children who wouldn't lie to me?” So he became their Savior. 9 He suffered with them in all their suffering, and the angel of his presence‡ “The angel of his presence”: the exact implications of this phrase have been debated so is left as usually translated. Angel means messenger. In whatever case, it is God who is the “agent of salvation.” saved them. In his love and kindness he redeemed them. He picked them up and carried them all throughout those years long ago. 10 But they rebelled against him, and caused his Holy Spirit grief, so to them he became like an enemy and he fought against them.
11 Then they§ “They”: the Hebrew text reads “he” at this point, and so could refer to the Lord. However, in the context of what follows, it is more likely that this refers to the Israelites. thought back to the days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They shouted out, “Where is the one who took Israel through the sea, along with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who placed his Holy Spirit among his people? 12 Where is the one who lifted Moses' right hand, and who used his amazing power to divided the sea in front of them, giving him such a wonderful, enduring reputation? 13 Where is the one who led them through the depths of the sea?” They were like a horse running through the desert, they didn't stumble. 14 Like cattle descending into a valley, the Lord's Spirit gave them rest. This is how you led your people, earning a glorious reputation for yourself.
15 Lord, look down on us from heaven! Watch from your high home, in your holiness and glory! Where is your enthusiasm and power? You're not showing me your feelings of sympathy and kindness! 16 But you are still our Father, even though Abraham wouldn't know us and Israel wouldn't acknowledge us. You, Lord, are our Father; you have always been called our Redeemer from long ago. 17 Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways, and make us stubborn so we don't respect you? Come back to us for the sake of your servants, the tribes that belong to you. 18 Your Temple belonged to us for a little while, but then our enemies invaded and destroyed it. 19 We were yours from ancient times, but we've ended up like people you've never ruled, never identified as yours.

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*63:1 Bozrah was an important Edomite town.

†63:1 Once again, quotation marks are avoided in translating the books of the prophets due to the problems of deciding which are the prophet's own words and which are the Lord's. Since the prophets were speaking for the Lord, the distinction is a minor one. In this passage where there appears to be a dialogue going on, the change in speaker is represented by a new paragraph.

‡63:9 “The angel of his presence”: the exact implications of this phrase have been debated so is left as usually translated. Angel means messenger. In whatever case, it is God who is the “agent of salvation.”

§63:11 “They”: the Hebrew text reads “he” at this point, and so could refer to the Lord. However, in the context of what follows, it is more likely that this refers to the Israelites.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher