Isaiah 53:1-8

The Suffering Servant

1 1Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a 2tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has 3no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was 4despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and 5acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was 6despised, and we did not 7esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself 8bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of 9God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for 10our transgressions, He was crushed for 11our iniquities; The 12chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by 13His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not 14open His mouth; 15Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living 16For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

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Isaiah 53:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 53

This chapter treats of the mean appearance of Christ in human nature, his sufferings in it, and the glory that should follow. It begins with a complaint of the small number of those that believed the report concerning him, the power of God not being exerted, Isa 53:1, the reason of this general disbelief was the meanness of his outward circumstances, and the want of comeliness in him; hence he was treated with general neglect and contempt, Isa 52:2,3 was the more unkind and ungenerous, since it was the griefs and sorrows of others he bore, and their sins also, for which he was wounded and bruised, that they might have healing, Isa 53:4-6, yet he took and bore all patiently, like a lamb at the slaughter, and the sheep under the shearer, Isa 53:7, which was the more extraordinary, since he was used, both in life and at death, in so rigorous and barbarous a manner, and all for the sins of others, having been guilty of none himself, Isa 53:8,9, and, what is most amazing, the Lord himself had a hand in grieving and bruising him, Isa 53:10, though for his encouragement, and a reward to him, as man and Mediator, for all his sufferings, it is intimated that he should succeed and prosper, have a numerous issue, should justify many, and have a portion and spoil divided with the great and mighty, Isa 53:10-12.

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Cross References 16

  • 1. John 12:38; Romans 10:16
  • 2. Isaiah 11:1
  • 3. Isaiah 52:14
  • 4. Psalms 22:6; Isaiah 49:7; Luke 18:31-33
  • 5. Isaiah 53:10
  • 6. Mark 10:33, 34
  • 7. John 1:10, 11
  • 8. Matthew 8:17
  • 9. John 19:7
  • 10. Isaiah 53:8; Hebrews 9:28
  • 11. Isaiah 53:10; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3
  • 12. Deuteronomy 11:2; Hebrews 5:8
  • 13. 1 Peter 2:24, 25
  • 14. Matthew 26:63; Matthew 27:12-14; Mark 14:61; Mark 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9
  • 15. Acts 8:32, 33; Revelation 5:6
  • 16. Isaiah 53:5, 12

Footnotes 11

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