Isaiah 63:2 Meaning and Explanation
“Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The prophet presses the question: why are your garments stained red like one who has trodden grapes in the winepress?
The Context of Isaiah 63:2
The image of treading the winepress was vivid to an agricultural people. Grapes burst under foot, staining everything crimson. Here it becomes a metaphor for judgment executed alone.
What Does Isaiah 63:2 Mean?
Imagine the winepress at harvest, grapes crushed underfoot, their juice soaking garments scarlet. The prophet sees this image in the returning figure and asks directly: why are you red? Why do your garments look as though you have trampled grapes alone? The question seems innocent, a simple inquiry about appearance. But the prophet is drawing us into the mystery of what happened in that wilderness, what price was paid, what work was done in solitude.
The figure does not shy from the question. In the very next verse, he will answer: I have trodden the winepress alone. His work of redemption is his alone to perform. No one else can bear what he bears. When we contemplate the cross, we see this same solitude, this same weight borne by one person for the sake of many. His garments are stained because judgment and salvation are bound together in his person.
Isaiah 63:2 in the Original Language
winefat (Hebrew: יקב, yaqeb) is the vat or pit where grapes were trampled; the verb 'to tread' (דרך, darak) carries the sense of both movement through space and the exertion of force.
How to Apply Isaiah 63:2 Today
The prophet's honest question mirrors our own bewilderment before the cross. Why this cost? Why this blood? We learn that redemption requires a price paid in solitude, a burden carried alone so that we might go free. Our part is to receive what he has done.
Frequently Asked Questions About Isaiah 63:2
What does Isaiah 63:2 mean?
The prophet presses the question: why are your garments stained red like one who has trodden grapes in the winepress?
What is the context of Isaiah 63:2?
The image of treading the winepress was vivid to an agricultural people. Grapes burst under foot, staining everything crimson. Here it becomes a metaphor for judgment executed alone.
How can I apply Isaiah 63:2 today?
The prophet's honest question mirrors our own bewilderment before the cross. Why this cost? Why this blood? We learn that redemption requires a price paid in solitude, a burden carried alone so that we might go free. Our part is to receive what he has done.