John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 63:9

"In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old." — Isaiah 63:9 (ASV)

In all their affliction he was afflicted. He elaborates on the goodness of God toward his people, and shows that he was kind to the fathers, as long as they permitted themselves to be governed by him, and was so careful about them that he himself bore their distresses and afflictions. By speaking in this manner, he declares the incomparable love which God bears toward his people. To move us more powerfully and draw us to himself, the Lord adapts himself to human ways, by attributing to himself all the affection, love, and compassion (συμπαθεία) which a father can have. And yet, in human affairs, it is impossible to conceive of any sort of kindness or benevolence that he does not immeasurably surpass.

I acknowledge that לא (lo) with א (aleph) literally signifies “not”; and therefore I do not entirely reject a different interpretation, that the people in their afflictions were not afflicted, because God always applied some remedy to alleviate their sorrows. But since א (aleph), in many passages, is clearly changed into ו (vau), learned commentators, in my opinion, justly view it as equivalent to the pronoun לו (lo), meaning “to him.” In this sense the Prophet testifies that God, to alleviate the distresses and afflictions of his people, himself bore their burdens; not that he can in any way endure anguish, but, by a very common figure of speech, he assumes and applies to himself human passions.

And the angel of his face saved them. He next explains the effect of the care which he took of them, stating that he always delivered them by the hand of his angel, whom he calls “the angel of his face” because he was the witness of the presence of God and, as it were, his herald to execute his commands. This is so that we do not think that angels come forth of their own accord, or act on their own initiative, to give us assistance; for the Lord uses their agency and makes his presence known to us through them. Angels can do nothing by themselves and give no assistance, except as the Lord commissions them to be ministers of our salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

Therefore, let us not fix our whole attention on them, for they lead us directly to God.

If it is considered preferable to interpret this phrase as describing the living image of God, because that angel, being the leader and guardian of the people, showed the face of God as in a mirror, that meaning would be highly appropriate. And indeed, I have no doubt that the office of Savior is ascribed to Christ, as we know that he was the angel of highest rank, by whose guidance, safeguard, and protection, the Church has been preserved and upheld.

In his love. He shows what was the cause of such great benefits: namely, his love and undeserved kindness, as Moses also teaches, How came it that God adopted thy fathers, but because he loved them, and because his heart clave to them? (Deuteronomy 4:37; 7:7, 8). Moses wishes to set aside entirely the lofty opinion which they might entertain of themselves, because they were proud and haughty, and claimed more for themselves than they had a right to claim; and therefore he shows that there was no other cause for such great benefits than the absolute and undeserved goodness of God.

He next makes use of the same metaphor which Moses employs in his song, when he says that God carried his people in the same manner as an eagle bears her young on her wings (Deuteronomy 32:11).

Or perhaps some may choose to refer it to sheep, as we have seen elsewhere, He will lead those that are with young (Isaiah 40:11). Yet it is more natural to view this as a comparison to a mother, who not only carries the child in the womb, but rears it until it arrives at full strength. The meaning can be summarized as follows: “The people experienced the grace of God, not only once, when they were redeemed, but during the whole course of their life, so that to him alone should be ascribed all the benefits which they have received.” And therefore he adds:

All the days of the age; that is, in an uninterrupted succession of many years. For God does not grow weary in doing good, nor is it only to a single age that he shows his kindness; for he has never ceased to adorn and enrich his Church with various gifts.