Isaiah 63:7.— Vitringa begins here the second section of the fifth discourse, which is comprised, according to him, in this and the following chapter, and contains the discourse of a company of penitent Jews, confessional and supplicatory. In the confessional part we have, first, a commemoration of the benefits conferred by God upon the Jewish nation, in hope that they would rightly use them; general in Isaiah 63:7-8 particular, with respect to the angel of Jehovah, and the Holy Spirit, Isaiah 63:9-10. Secondly, we have the ingratitude of this nation, with the sad consequence thereof; namely, deprivation of their superior light and grace, Isaiah 63:10. Thirdly, a complaint of the people, long forsaken, concerning the misery of their state, compared with the benefits of ancient times; Isaiah 63:11-14. The supplicatory part contains, first, an humble supplication for this miserable and afflicted people; the arguments bring drawn from the divine excellencies, Isaiah 63:15.—from confidence in God alone, with a renunciation of all merit; Isaiah 63:16.—and from the greatness of their misery and calamity, Isaiah 63:17-19. Secondly, a prayer is intermixed, expressing their ardent desire of this benefit; the first reason being drawn from the example of God's descent upon mount Sinai, chap. Isaiah 64:1-3. The second from the greater examples of divine grace which were expected under the new oeconomy, Isaiah 63:4. We have, thirdly, the supplication repeated; wherein they justify the ways of God, and in the most humble manner again confess their own unworthiness and spiritual misery; Isaiah 63:5-7. They earnestly deprecate the wrath of God, which had lain so long upon them, from a regard to God and themselves, Isaiah 63:8-9. They urge in mournful terms their external and temporal calamity, to move the compassion of God; Isaiah 63:10-12. Vitringa supposes that this section pertains to the present dispersed Jews, who, seeing the wonderful display of God's power in the destruction of the papal church and tyranny, will be converted in consequence to the Christian religion: in a view to this he here introduces a company of Jews, representing the first-fruits at the beginning of this great work of grace, deploring the blindness and hardness of their nation, and with the utmost humility turning themselves, and praying for that complete conversion of their nation, which is to follow the coming-in of the fulness of the Gentiles. See Romans 11:25-26.
I will mention— I will commemorate, &c. The prophet here speaks in the person of those penitent Jews, who, convinced themselves of the truth of Christianity, intercede for the rest of their brethren, in that state of blindness and darkness under which the nation had long groaned. An attention to the analysis will, perhaps, prove the best comment on this section.