Isaiah 53:1-6

1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?

2 For he went up like [a] shoot before him, and like [a] root from dry ground. He had no form and no majesty that we should see him, and no appearance that we should take pleasure in him.

3 [He was] despised and rejected [by] men, a man of suffering, and acquainted with sickness, and like {one from whom others hide their faces}, [he was] despised, and we did not hold him in high regard.

4 However, he was the one who lifted up our sicknesses, and he carried our pain, yet we ourselves assumed him stricken, struck down [by] God and afflicted.

5 But he [was] pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace [was] upon him, and by his wounds {we were healed}.

6 All of us have wandered about like sheep; we each have turned to his own way; and Yahweh let fall on him the iniquity of us all.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "And"
• [b]. Or "grew"
• [c]. Or "and"
• [d]. Or "and"
• [e]. Or "knowledgeable of"
• [f]. Literally "hiding of face from him"
• [g]. Or "and"
• [h]. Or "And"
• [i]. Or "wounded"
• [j]. Or "of"
• [k]. Or "healing"
• [l]. Hebrew "wound"
• [m]. Literally "it was healed for us"