Isaiah 63:5
in Isaiah 63I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted. So My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath, it upheld me.
KJV
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
⋯
This verse in Isaiah 63
Commentary
12 notes on this verseHe calls "arm" the power of righteousness, for he guarded spotless and free from sin the nature that he assumed. We who have benefited from this good work and have been delivered from that bitter slavery, let us sing praises to the author of these …
This site's exposition
I looked, but there was no one to help
on Isaiah 63:5-6
“I looked, but there was no one to help”, and so “My arm brought Me salvation”, the words of 59:16. Verse 6 repeats the treading of verse 3, “I trampled the nations in My anger”. The speech circles back on itself before a new voice begins at verse 7.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 3 and following) I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the peoples there was no man with me. I have trodden them in my anger, and trampled them in my fury: and their blood has stained my garments, and all my clothing is polluted. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. I looked around, and there was no helper: I sought, and there was no one to assist. So my own arm brought salvation to me, and my own wrath supported me. And I have trampled upon the peoples in my anger, and I have made them drunk in my indignation, and I have brought down their strength to the earth. Seventy times because of what we said, I alone have trampled the winepress, they have interpreted, a full trampling, which is more to be read with the previous chapter than as the beginning of the following one. The rest they have translated thus. And there is no one among the nations with me, and I have trampled upon them in my anger, and I have crushed them like the ground, and I have poured out their blood upon the earth, and I have defiled all my garments. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me. I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. For the press is called Geth in Hebrew, as Theodotion has translated the Hebrew word in Greek. But Symmachus, whom we also follow, renders it better in this place. For the word Phura is ambiguous, and usually signifies both a winepress and a jug. It must be said, therefore, about the winepress, that according to the custom of Holy Scripture, sometimes it is used for vengeance and punishments of sins, sometimes for the gathering of new fruits. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he sets out the necessity of salvation: I looked about, and there was none to help, the human race, who could save it, above: he saw that there is not a man (Isa 59:16); or there was none to help, me on the cross: …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
None to help - Not that he needed it, but to see what men would do, in regard his people needed it; therefore the standing, or not standing by his people, is the same thing with standing, or not standing by him. Uphold - A metaphor, taken from a staff, that is an help to one that leans on it.
But this is most fully applicable to Christ's victories over our spiritual enemies, which he obtained by a single combat. He trod the wine-press of his Father's wrath alone, and triumphed over principalities and powers in himself, Col. ii. Of the people there was none with him; for, when he entered the lists with the powers of darkness, all his disciples forsook him and fled.
God wrought salvation for the oppressed Jews purely because he was very angry with the oppressing Babylonians, angry at their idolatries and sorceries, their pride and cruelty, and the injuries they did to his people, and, as they increased their abominations and grew more insolent and outrageous, his anger increased to fury.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And I looked, and there was none to help,....
God's people meeting him with their devotions, and addressing themselves to him with suitable affections; and this part of the chapter is carried on to the close of the next.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The same words as in Isa 59:16, except that there it is His "righteousness," here it is His "fury," which is said to have upheld Him.
And my fury “And mine indignation” - For וחמתי vachamathi, nineteen MSS. (three ancient) of Kennicott’s, nine of De Rossi’s, and one of mine, and four editions, have וצדקתי vetsidkathi, and my righteousness; from Isa 59:16, which I suppose the transcriber retained in his memory. It is true that the Versions are in favor of the common reading; but that noticed above seems to stand on good authority, and is a reading both pleasing and impressive. Opposite, in the margin, my MS. has the common reading by a later hand.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And I looked and there was none to help - The same sentiment is expressed in Isa 59:16 (see the note at that verse). None to uphold - None to sustain or assist. The design is to express the fact that he was entirely alone in this work: that none were disposed or able to assist him. Though this has no direct reference to the plan of salvation, or to the work of the Messiah as a Redeemer, yet it is true of him also that in that work he stood alone.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַבִּיט֙ | veabit | and I may look | H5027 → | 69 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| עֹזֵ֔ר | ʾozer | [was] a helper | H5826 → | 81 times |
| וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖ם | veeshtomem | and I may be appalled | H8074 → | 86 times |
| וְאֵ֣ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| סוֹמֵ֑ךְ | somekh | [was] a sustainer | H5564 → | 48 times |
| וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁע | vatoosha' | and it gave victory | H3467 → | 206 times |
| לִי֙ | li | to me | ||
| זְרֹעִ֔י | zeroi | arm my | H2220 → | 91 times |
| וַחֲמָתִ֖י | vachamati | and rage my | H2534 → | 125 times |
| הִ֥יא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| סְמָכָֽתְנִי׃ | semakhateni | it sustained me | H5564 → | 48 times |
וְאַבִּיט֙and I may look
veabitH5027 →69 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
עֹזֵ֔ר[was] a helper
ʾozerH5826 →81 times
וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵ֖םand I may be appalled
veeshtomemH8074 →86 times
וְאֵ֣יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
סוֹמֵ֑ךְ[was] a sustainer
somekhH5564 →48 times
וַתּ֤וֹשַֽׁעand it gave victory
vatoosha'H3467 →206 times
לִי֙to me
li
זְרֹעִ֔יarm my
zeroiH2220 →91 times
וַחֲמָתִ֖יand rage my
vachamatiH2534 →125 times
הִ֥יאit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
סְמָכָֽתְנִי׃it sustained me
semakhateniH5564 →48 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 44:3For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
- Deuteronomy 8:17–18
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
Through
Psalms 98:1Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.
it leads to
- Exodus 15:6
Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
- Isaiah 52:10
The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
- Exodus 15:6
Through
Isaiah 52:10The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
it leads to
- Luke 3:6
And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”
- Luke 3:6
Through
Isaiah 50:2Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 59:1
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.
- Isaiah 66:4
So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and…
- Numbers 11:23
The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not My word will come to pass.”
- Isaiah 59:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 19:63.1-6 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.
