Isaiah 63:2 · Bible study
Isaiah 63:2 Commentary: Red Garments & Winepress Judgment
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the prophet ask about the red clothing of the divine warrior? Explore the winepress imagery symbolizing God's final judgment against His enemies.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prophet asks why the divine warrior’s garments are red, using winepress imagery to symbolize final judgment.
- Key words: red ('adom), clothing (levush), tread (darakh), winepress (gat)
- Main debate: Is this a historical judgment on Edom or an eschatological judgment by Christ?
- Theological theme: Divine justice and salvation; God’s sovereignty in judgment and redemption.
- Best use: Teaching on God’s justice and the two-edged work of the Messiah, used alongside Revelation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress?
WEB World English Bible 2000
Why is your clothing red, and your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?
KJV King James Version 1769
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Wherefore is thy clothing red? And thy garments as treading in a wine fat?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
— Wherefore is redness in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Why then is thy apparel red, and thy garments like theirs that tread in the winepress?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Por qué es bermejo tu vestido, y tus ropas como del que ha pisado en lagar?
Por que tu estás de roupa vermelha, e tuas vestes como de alguém que pisa num lagar?
Pourquoi tes habits sont-ils rouges,
Warum ist dein Gewand so rotfarben und dein Kleid wie eines Keltertreters?
Waarom zijt Gij rood aan Uw gewaad, en Uw klederen als van een, die in de wijnpers treedt?
“Perché questo rosso nel tuo manto, e perché le tue vesti son come quelli di chi calca l’uva nello strettoio?”
Przeczże jest czerwone odzienie twoje? a szaty twoje jako tego, który tłoczy w prasie?
Отчего же одеяние Твое красно, и ризы у Тебя, как у топтавшего в точиле?
你的裝扮 為何 有紅色？你的衣服 為何像踹 酒醡的呢？
Why is your clothing red, and why are your robes like those of one who is crushing the grapes?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 63:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the verse begins a dialogue between the prophet and a divine warrior whose garments are stained red from treading the winepress of God’s wrath. Barnes notes that the winepress is drawn from common agricultural practice: the juice of grapes would splash onto the treader’s clothes. Keil and Delitzsch point out that the Hebrew word for red ('adom) echoes Edom, and the winepress figuratively represents judgment. Matthew Henry sees this as describing Christ’s victory over his enemies. Gill adds that the red is not Christ’s own blood but the blood of his enemies. The answer in verse 3 explains that the warrior has trodden the winepress alone, with no helper. The red is not the original color of the garment but a staining from the treading. The question serves to reveal that the warrior has acted alone in judgment, bringing both salvation and vengeance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical Edom judgment: Points to the specific mention of Edom and Bozrah, and the context of Edom’s hostility (Jer. 49, Obadiah) as a historical judgment on Esau’s descendants.
- Eschatological Christ judgment: Connects to Revelation 19:15, where Christ treads the winepress, and sees the passage as a prophecy of the final judgment at the end of the age.
- Double reference: Holds that the passage refers to both a historical judgment on Edom as a type and the final universal judgment, allowing both contexts to be valid.
What is clear: The central image is unmistakable: God (or his Messiah) appears as a warrior whose blood-stained garments from treading the winepress symbolize his decisive judgment on the enemies of his people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the divine warrior | Represented as God or the Messiah, coming to bring both judgment and salvation. | Whether the warrior is specifically Jesus Christ at his second coming (most Christian traditions) or a more general divine figure (some see the Angel of the Lord). |
| Scope of the judgment | Judgment falls on the enemies of God’s people. | Limited to Edom as a historical opponent (some see the context of Edom and Bozrah) or extended to all nations representing all who oppose God (majority eschatological reading). |
| Relationship to Revelation | John’s visions in Revelation draw directly from this passage. | Whether the events are the same (single final judgment) or two distinct judgments: one historical (on Edom) and one eschatological (at Christ’s return), many hold to a double reference. |
| The portrayal of God’s violence | The passage uses violent imagery to depict divine judgment. | How to reconcile this with the New Testament emphasis on love: some emphasize that judgment is God’s final victory over evil, others struggle with the graphic nature and focus on the salvation side. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Edom was a nation descended from Esau, often hostile to Israel. Bozrah was a capital city of Edom. The Cambridge Bible notes that the name Bozrah resembles the Hebrew word for vintage (batsir), and 'adom (red) suggests Edom. The winepress was a familiar scene in ancient agriculture. In Palestine and Egypt, grapes were placed in troughs cut into rock or built of stone, and men would tread them, often supporting themselves by ropes. The juice would splash onto their clothes, turning them a deep red or purple. This image is used here to symbolize the blood of enemies shed in judgment. Barnes cites a letter from Beyrout describing the custom: men get into stone vats and tread grapes; their clothes are often stained with the juice. The winepress appears as an emblem on coins of Bostra during Roman rule, showing its cultural significance. The prophet’s question is prompted by the sight of a glorious warrior coming from Edom, with garments dyed red, as if from treading a winepress. This sets the stage for the warrior’s answer: he has trodden the winepress of God’s wrath alone, and the blood of the peoples has stained his clothing. The larger context is the eschatological war where God’s Anointed brings salvation to his people and judgment to their enemies.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note a few textual points. Adam Clarke observes that twenty-nine manuscripts have a plural form for “clothing” (lilebusheycha instead of lilebushecha), but the singular reading in verse 3 is likely original. Lange mentions the Masoretic note on the pausal pattach in gath (winepress) being not lengthened, a standard treatment for monosyllabic words. Neither variant significantly affects the meaning.
Reception History
Isaiah 63:2 has been read throughout church history as a prophecy of Christ’s final victory. Early church fathers saw it as prefiguring the Messiah’s triumph over evil. In the medieval period, it was often treated allegorically, with the winepress representing the cross or the crushing of sin. The Reformation brought renewed attention to the literal sense, with Calvin emphasizing the justice of God and the singularity of Christ’s work. In modern hymnody, this imagery appears in “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending,” which parallels the winepress of God’s wrath. The verse is frequently paired with Revelation 14:19-20 and 19:15 in teaching about the second coming. It continues to challenge readers to hold together God’s mercy and judgment.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The question of the red garments, The prophet notices the blood-red stain and asks why. This invites us to confront the reality of divine judgment. The red is an indicator that something violent has occurred, and it demands an explanation.
- The winepress imagery, Treading grapes was hard, solitary work. The warrior describes treading the winepress alone, with no one to help. This depicts God’s complete, solitary victory over evil. The image of the winepress conveys the thoroughness of judgment: the grapes are crushed completely.
- Salvation and judgment together, Verse 3 says “I have trodden the winepress alone… my own arm brought salvation.” The same event that brings judgment on the enemies also brings redemption for God’s people. This is the two-edged work of Christ.
Five-point outline
- The prophet sees a figure approaching: glorious in apparel, but stained red.
- The question: why red? The figure looks like someone whose garments are stained from treading grapes.
- The answer: I have trodden the winepress alone, in anger and wrath, with no helper.
- The double outcome: the day of vengeance and the year of my redeemed.
- The connection to Revelation: the same image appears in Revelation 19:15, where Christ treads the winepress of God’s wrath.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer comes in from the harvest with purple-stained hands from crushing grapes. The stain tells a story of work and abundance, but here it tells a story of judgment and blood.
- A firefighter emerges from a burning building, gear blackened by smoke, face streaked with soot. The stains show engagement in a fierce battle. In this text, the warrior’s red garments show his engagement in a final war against evil.
- A referee brandishes a red card, decisively ending a player’s part in the match. The card signals a clear, final judgment. The winepress image signals God’s final judgment on all that opposes him.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is the God of the Old Testament violent? How do we reconcile this winepress imagery with Jesus’ teaching to love enemies?
- How does this passage connect to Revelation 19? Is this the same event, or two different judgments?
- Does this passage mean that God will judge everyone outside the church? How should we understand the scope of “the peoples” in verse 3?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the reality of God’s judgment. The prophet sees a divine warrior whose garments are stained red, and he asks why. The answer reveals a scene of judgment as thorough as crushing grapes in a winepress. As you discuss, let the seriousness of the imagery lead you to wonder at both God’s justice and his mercy.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the description of the warrior in verse 1 and 2? What does his clothing tell us about what he has been doing?
- Why does the prophet ask about the red color? What would it have meant in an ancient context to see someone with red-stained garments?
- How does the warrior answer the question in verse 3? What does he say about being alone in the winepress?
- The winepress is used in other Scriptures, especially Revelation 14:19-20 and 19:15. How does the New Testament take up this image? What does it tell us about the final judgment?
- Verse 4 speaks of “the day of vengeance” and “the year of my redeemed.” How do these two ideas work together? Is it possible to have vengeance and redemption at the same time?
- How does this passage challenge or comfort you? Where do you see the balance between God’s justice and his saving mercy?
- If this is the same Jesus who we know as the Lamb of God, how can he also be the one who treads the winepress? How do we hold those two pictures together?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Revelation of John 19:13 | He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” |
| Revelation of John 19:15 | Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes grounds the striking image of a blood-red garment in the literal, physical work of treading grapes, a common sight in ancient wine-presses. He draws on contemporary travel accounts to show how the worker’s clothes would be deeply stained by the juice, making the comparison to a warrior splashed with blood both vivid and true to life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the red on the garment is not its natural color but something added, likely suggested by the name Edom. The winepress imagery is fitting. The tense is crucial: the event is future but described in the vision as already past, and the word for blood literally means "juice."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Wherefore is thine apparel red, and thy garments like him that treadeth in ye wine presse?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Christ's garments turned red not from his own bloody sufferings but from the blood of his enemies, like a vintner's clothes stained by trampling grapes. This distinction matters because earlier passages describe Christ's robes as white, yet here the color points to judgment, not personal sacrifice.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draws attention to the Hebrew grammar behind the prophet's question. They note that "why" is asked with a word that inquires after cause, while the Lamed prefix on "to thine apparel" indicates the red is not the original color but something added to it. The wine-presser comparison completes the image of saturated, stained clothing.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry argues that the conqueror here is not Cyrus returning from Babylon, since Babylon lay north while Edom is south of Jerusalem. Instead, he reads this as judgment against the Edomites themselves, who rejoiced over Jerusalem's fall and were later punished as prophesied.