Isaiah 53:1-6

1 Who believed to our hearing? (Who hath believed our report?) and to whom is the arm of the Lord showed?

2 And he shall go up as a rod before him, and as a root from [the] thirsty land. And neither shape neither fairness was to him; and we saw him, and no beholding was; and we desired him, (And he shall grow up like a rod before the Lord, and like a root from the thirsty land. And neither shape nor beauty was to him; and when we saw him, there was no comeliness to him, so that we would desire him;)

3 despised, and the last of men, a man of sorrows, and knowing sickness. And his cheer was as hid (from us,) and despised; wherefore and we areckoned not him. (he was despised, and the last of men, a man of sorrows, and knowing of suffering. And we hid our faces from him, for we despised him, and regarded him as if he was nothing, or of no account.)

4 Verily he suffered our sicknesses, and he bare our sorrows; and we areckoned him as a mesel, and smitten of God, and made low. (Truly he suffered our sicknesses, and he carried our sorrows; but we reckoned him like a leper, and struck by God, and abased, or made low.)

5 Forsooth he was wounded for our wickednesses, he was defouled for our great trespasses; the learning of our peace was on him, and we be made whole by his wanness. (And he was wounded for our wickednesses, he was defiled for our great trespasses; he suffered what should have been our chastising, or our punishment, and we be healed, or made whole, by his scourgings.)

6 All we erred as sheep, each man bowed into his own way, and the Lord putted in him the wickedness of us all. (We have all wandered astray like sheep, each one turned to his own way, but the Lord put on him all of our wickednesses.)

Isaiah 53:1-6 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.