Isaiah 53:2-12

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, ¹and like a root out of dry ground; ²he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 ³He was despised and rejected^[a] by men; a man of sorrows,^[b] and acquainted with^[c] grief;^[d] and as one from whom men hide their faces^[e] he was despised, and ⁴we esteemed him not.

4 ⁵Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, ⁶smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 ⁷But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, ⁸and with his stripes we are healed.

6 ⁹All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; ¹⁰and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, ¹¹yet he opened not his mouth; ¹²like a ¹³lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, ¹⁴who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked ¹⁵and with a rich man in his death, although ¹⁶he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet ¹⁷it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;^{[f] 18}when his soul makes^[g] an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; ¹⁹the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see^[h] and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall ²⁰the righteous one, my servant, ²¹make many to be accounted righteous, ²²and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 ²³Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,^{[i] 24}and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,^[j] because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; ²⁵yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:2-12 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.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 11:1
• 2. [Isaiah 52:14]
• 3. Isaiah 49:7; [Psalms 22:6; Mark 9:12]
• 4. [John 1:10, 11]
• 5. [Matthew 8:17]
• 6. Psalms 69:26
• 7. [Romans 4:25]
• 8. Cited 1 Peter 2:24
• 9. Cited 1 Peter 2:25; [Jeremiah 50:6, 17]
• 10. 2 Corinthians 5:21; [ver. 10; Colossians 2:14]
• 11. Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61; John 19:9; 1 Peter 2:23
• 12. Cited Acts 8:32
• 13. [Jeremiah 11:19]
• 14. Isaiah 57:1
• 15. Matthew 27:57, 60
• 16. Cited 1 Peter 2:22; [Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5]
• 17. [ver. 4]
• 18. [ver. 6]
• 19. [Isaiah 44:28]
• 20. [1 John 2:1]
• 21. Acts 13:39; Romans 5:18, 19
• 22. [ver. 5]
• 23. Isaiah 52:13; [Philippians 2:9]
• 24. [Colossians 2:15]
• 25. ver. 6, 8, 10

Footnotes

• [a]. Or forsaken
• [b]. Or pains; also verse 4
• [c]. Or and knowing
• [d]. Or sickness; also verse 4
• [e]. Or as one who hides his face from us
• [f]. Or he has made him sick
• [g]. Or when you make his soul
• [h]. Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll he shall see light
• [i]. Or with the great
• [j]. Or with the numerous