Isaiah 63:7-10

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

63:7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,

of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.

I will tell about all ¹  the Lord did for us,

the many good things he did for the family of Israel, ² 

because of ³  his compassion and great faithfulness.

63:8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,

children who are not disloyal.” ⁴ 

He became their deliverer.

63:9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too. ⁵ 

The messenger sent from his very presence ⁶  delivered them.

In his love and mercy he protected ⁷  them;

he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times. ⁸ 

63:10 But they rebelled and offended ⁹  his holy Spirit, ¹⁰ 

so he turned into an enemy

and fought against them.

[63:7]  ¹ tn Heb “according to all which.”

[63:7]  ² tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”

[63:7]  ³ tn Heb “according to.”

[63:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.

[63:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).

[63:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”

[63:9]  ⁷ tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”

[63:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”

[63:10]  ⁹ tn Or “grieved, hurt the feelings of.”

[63:10]  ¹⁰ sn The phrase “holy Spirit” occurs in the OT only here (in v. 11 as well) and in Ps 51:11 (51:13 HT), where it is associated with the divine presence.