Isaiah 63:10

“But they rebelled, &c.] Against the Lord, not withstanding he thought so well of them; did so many good things for them; sympathized with them, and showed them so many favours; wretched ingratitude! they rebelled against the Lord in the times of Moses, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, by their murmurings, unbelief, and idolatry; wherefore he calls them a rebellious people, and says they were such from the day he had been with them; and so in later times, in the times of the judges, and of the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, they rebelled against God their Parent, Protector, and King; (see <050907>Deuteronomy 9:7,24 <230102>Isaiah 1:2 <260205>Ezekiel 2:5-7) and so they did in the times of…”

“vexed--grieved (Psa 78:40; Psa 95:10; Act 7:51; Eph 4:30; Heb 3:10, Heb 3:17). he fought--rather, "He it was that fought," namely, the angel of His presence [HORSLEY], (Lam 2:5).”

“But they rebelled - Against God. This charge is often made against the Jews; and indeed their history is little more than a record of a series of rebellions against God. And vexed - Or rather ‘grieved.’ The Hebrew word עצב ‛âtsab, in Piel, means to pain, to afflict, to grieve. This is the idea here. Their conduct was such as was suited to produce the deepest pain - for there is nothing which we more deeply feel than the ingratitude of those who have been benefited by us. Our translators have supposed that the word conveyed the idea of provoking to wrath by their conduct (thus the Septuagint renders it παρώξυναν τὸ πνεύμα, κ.τ.λ. parōxunan to pneuma, etc.; but the more appropriate sense…”

“63:10 But they rebelled: See also 1:2, 4; 59:1-15; Pss 78, 106. • Persistent disobedience and unbelief grieved his Holy Spirit (Ps 106:33; Matt 12:32; Mark 3:29). • he became their enemy: Examples include Israel’s period of wandering in the wilderness (see the book of Numbers), the period of the judges (see the book of Judges), and the period leading up to the Exile (see the book of Jeremiah).”

“they rebelled: Isa 1:2, Isa 65:2; Exo 15:24, Exo 16:8, Exo 32:8; Num 14:9-11, 16:1-35; Deu 9:7, Deu 9:22-24; Neh 9:16, Neh 9:17, Neh 9:26, Neh 9:29; Lam 1:18, Lam 1:20; Eze 2:3, Eze 2:7, Eze 20:8, Eze 20:13, Eze 20:21 vexed: Psa 78:8, Psa 78:40, Psa 78:49, Psa 78:56, Psa 95:9-11; Eze 6:9; Act 7:51; Eph 4:30 he was: Exo 23:21; Lev. 26:17-46; Deut. 28:15-68, Deu 32:19-25; Jer 21:5, Jer 30:14; Lam 2:4, Lam 2:5; Mat 22:7 Isaiah 63:11”

“Israel's ingratitude. "But they resisted and vexed His Holy Spirit: then He turned to be their enemy; He made war upon them." Not only has ועצּבוּ (to cause cutting pain) קדשׁו את־רוּח as its object, but מרוּ has the same (on the primary meaning, see at Isa 3:8). In other cases, the object of merōth (hamrōth) is Jehovah, or His word, His promise, His providence, hence Jehovah himself in the revelations of His nature in word and deed; here it is the spirit of holiness, which is distinguished from Him as a personal existence. For just as the angel who is His face, i.e., the representation of His nature, is designated as a person both by His name and also by the redeeming activity ascribed to…”