(1) The prophet, according to his custom, adds a threat to the promise and exhortation, so that the hardened, who do not respect the promises and laugh at the exhortations, may at least be moved by threats to see if they can still be converted. He introduces persons by speech (facit prosopopoeiam) in order to give the matter a more terrible appearance. Therefore, it is threats with which he announces to the synagogue its final devastation.
V. 1. Who is he who comes from Edom?
2. edom means a needy man. This is what he calls the synagogue because it has stained itself with the blood of the prophets and Christ. "Bazra" means one fortified. Thus the Jews were fortified with divine privileges, they had the promises, the fathers 2c., Rom. 9, 4. 5. But he begins with a doubt to give the matter a the more terrible appearance. As if he wanted to say: Dear God, what do I see in my people? There comes a man in a bloody garment 2c. Thus he indicates the great defeat that the synagogue has suffered.
Who is so adorned in his garments.
(3) He whom ye crucified, and whom ye reckoned dead, hath now received the kingdom, that he may punish you.
It is I who teach righteousness, and I am a master to help.
4. he starts a conversation. For he lets Christ answer: I rise up in anger and indignation, but not against you and other godly men. For I am a righteousness maker to the godly, and a salvation maker, redeeming them from death and all evils. Therefore do not be afraid.
V. 2. Why is your robe so red?
If you are the Savior, what does the bloody garment mean? Why is your dress like a winepress treaders?
V. 3. I tread the winepress alone.
6 I have punished the unbelieving synagogue. But that he adds "alone" means that the Jews were destroyed for no other reason than because they rejected and crucified Christ. This sin, that they did not believe in Christ and crucified him, crushes, corrupts and scatters them. For all other sins can still be tolerated; but the contempt of Christ and of the Word cannot be tolerated nor forgiven. Further, so the word "winepress" signifies the calamity and defeat of the corrupt people.
V. 4. For I have set before me a day of vengeance.
They did not want to believe when I foretold it to them, so now they find out in fact that I did not speak it in vain. They did not want the life I offered them, therefore they are showered with death and all misfortunes. But notice that Christ visits those who despise him with such punishments. Thus, because of the contempt of the Word, ours are afflicted with riots, with hunger, with war, and will be afflicted even more.
V. 5 For I looked around.
8 He speaks of his suffering. When I was in the flesh, no one cared for me, no one received me, they laughed at me.
my afflictions, though I came into the flesh to make them blessed; but they thought that I was oppressed, but I am not oppressed." For my righteousness has helped me, therefore I now reign, and bring the despisers to punishment.
V. 6. I have pushed their fortune to the ground.
9. "Their wealth", that is everything they had, the promises, the testament, the law 2c. All this is of no further use to them, but they have lost it. Here we will put the end of the sixty-third chapter. 1)
1) Here our Bible closes the 63rd chapter, while in Hebrew and Vulgate this chapter has nineteen verses.