37:36 The Lord’s messenger 1 went out and killed 185,000 troops 2 in the Assyrian camp. When they 3 got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! 4
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
1 tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
2 tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
3 tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
4 tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”
5 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
6 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”
sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
7 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
8 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”