Isaiah 63:11 - Exposition

Then he remembered the days of old . It is questioned who remembered, God or his people. Gesenius, Hitzig, Ewald, Nagelbach, Delitzsch, Knobel, and Mr. Cheyne are in favour of the people; Bishop Lowth and Dr. Kay of God. The reflections which follow ( Isaiah 63:11-13 ) seem certainly most appropriate to the people, or to the prophet speaking in their name. Where is he that brought them up out of the sea? i.e. "the Red Sea" (comp. Isaiah 51:10 ). What has become of the protecting God who then delivered them? With the shepherd of his flock ; or, shepherds , according to another reading. The "shepherd" might be either Moses, or "the angel of his face" ( Isaiah 63:9 ). The "shepherds"—if that reading be preferred—must be Moses, Aaron, and perhaps Miriam ( Micah 6:4 ). Where he that put his Holy Spirit within him? The "him" of this passage undoubtedly refers to "the people" (Rosenmuller, Knobel, Delitzsch, Kay, Cheyne). God gave to the people in the wilderness "his good Spirit to instruct them" ( Nehemiah 9:20 ), and guide them ( Haggai 2:4 , Haggai 2:5 ), and govern them ( Numbers 11:17 ).