Isaiah 53:1
מִ֥י הֶאֱמִ֖ין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ וּזְר֥וֹעַ יְהוָ֖ה עַל־מִ֥י נִגְלָֽתָה׃
Who believed our report? and the arm of YHWH, to whom is it uncovered?
Paraphrase: But, alas, not everyone has believed the good news. (Romans 10:16) In fact, the Gentile peoples, who were never told about God’s saving power, are now coming and rejoicing in the cleansing (Isaiah 52:15) which they receive from My Servant. My people, however, have heard this good news all their life long. All the promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the Passover, and other ordinances of Jewish worship were types and pictures of the saving work of the Messiah, but what good has it done the Jewish people? Which of them has believed this good news and taken refuge in this Great King for the saving of their own soul? (Romans 9:30-33) Which of them can testify of the mighty power of God (Isaiah 52:10) in bringing them out of their unbelief (John 3:3; 1 Corinthians 12:3) and into a confident trust in the mercy of God?
Comments:
Isaiah 53:2
וַיַּ֨עַל כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק לְפָנָ֗יו וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה לֹא־תֹ֥אַר ל֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א הָדָ֑ר וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ וְלֹֽא־מַרְאֶ֖ה וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃
and He shall grow up as a sprout before Him and as a root from dry ground; no form is to Him and no magnificence, and we shall see Him and no appearance that we should desire Him.
Paraphrase: This Great Messiah-King will begin very small. No one will even notice His entrance into this earth. He will be born just as a little sprout begins to push it’s way out of the ground and take root. He will be like those plants that struggle to grow because the soil is so dry, and their roots cannot find any moisture. He will have none of that royal bearing and presence which marks the great and powerful men of this earth. He wears no crown and has no royal robes or other regalia which might mark Him out as a king. Frankly, there’s nothing about His outward appearance that would lead us to believe that He is anything but an ordinary child; no one would come and bow before this insignificant person.
Comments:
Isaiah 53:3
נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ׃
Isa 53:4
אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃
Isa 53:5
וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ׃
Isa 53:6
כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ כַּצֹּ֣אן תָּעִ֔ינוּ אִ֥ישׁ לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ פָּנִ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָה֙ הִפְגִּ֣יעַ בּ֔וֹ אֵ֖ת עֲוֺ֥ן כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃
Isa 53:7
נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮ וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒ כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו׃
Isaiah 53:8
מֵעֹ֤צֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט֙ לֻקָּ֔ח וְאֶת־דּוֹר֖וֹ מִ֣י יְשׂוֹחֵ֑חַ כִּ֤י נִגְזַר֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים מִפֶּ֥שַׁע עַמִּ֖י נֶ֥גַע לָֽמוֹ׃
Because of oppression and judgment, He was taken, and His generation, who considered? For he was cut off from the land of the living and for the transgression of My people, the stroke to them.
Paraphrase: Because He was treated with such cruelty and because of the unjust sentence pronounced against him, He was arrested and subjected to all manner of humiliation. No one, however, even cared. No sympathy was extended to Him; He suffered alone. Finally, He was executed and removed from society. None of this was for any sin He had committed. He never broke even the least part of God’s perfect law. It was My people who sinned; they were the ones really should have received this punishment. My Servant took on Himself the punishment which they deserved.
Comments:
This is one of those verses where the meaning of every single clause or phrase is debated.
Sometimes min gives the ground or reason something is done (§e). This is its use in מֵעֹצֶר and וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט and gives the reason for the לֻקָּח.
With regards to יְשׂוֹחֵחַ, Lowth notes (p365) that before anyone was executed for a capital crime in Israel, he was walked through the streets and the town crier would shout, “Whoever knows something about his innocence, let him come and speak about it.”
לָמוֹ is the preposition lamed with the third plural; see §102c2. Here, I’ve understood the preposition as showing possession.
Isaiah 53:9
וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־רְשָׁעִים֙ קִבְר֔וֹ וְאֶת־עָשִׁ֖יר בְּמֹתָ֑יו עַ֚ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס עָשָׂ֔ה וְלֹ֥א מִרְמָ֖ה בְּפִֽיו׃
and He made with the wicked His grave and with the rich in His death because no violence He did, and no deceit was in His mouth.
Paraphrase: He was judged to be guilty and would have been buried as a common criminal; but instead, he was placed in a rich man’s tomb. The reason is because God knew He had done nothing worthy of death. He had committed no act of violence; neither had he deceived anyone.
Comments:
Isaiah 53:10
וַיהוָ֞ה חָפֵ֤ץ דַּכְּאוֹ֙ הֶֽחֱלִ֔י אִם־תָּשִׂ֤ים אָשָׁם֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ יִרְאֶ֥ה זֶ֖רַע יַאֲרִ֣יךְ יָמִ֑ים וְחֵ֥פֶץ יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָד֥וֹ יִצְלָֽח׃
and YHWH was pleased to crush Him; He caused hurt; when His life was made trespass offering, He will see seed; He will prolong days, and the pleasure of YHWH will prosper in His hand.
Paraphrase: God knew His Servant had done no wrong, yet it was part of His eternal good pleasure to crush Him (Acts 2:23), the very One with whom He was well pleased. (Matthew 3:17; 12:18; 17:5) God crushed Him and put Him to all manner of terrible suffering because He was the life that was going to be taken as a trespass offering. (Leviticus 5:14-19) It was only in this way that God’s eternal plan of saving His people could be successful. God put the salvation of His people in the hands of His Servant (John 4:34); He would be the One to execute this plan (Hebrews 10:7), and God’s pleasure would be accomplished. (Isaiah 46:10)
Comments:
Isaiah 53:11
מֵעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשׁוֹ֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים וַעֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל׃
From the trouble of His soul, He will see; He will be satisfied; by His knowledge, My Servant will justify the righteous for many, and their iniquities He will bear.
Paraphrase: Then, the day will come when My Servant will return to Me. (Acts 1:9) He will look back on His mission. He will see all His sufferings; the birth, the life, the trial, the abuse, the cross, the grave, and He will remember it all. “It is finished!” He will say, “Everything that My Father sent Me to do is complete.” Then will come the glorious announcement, “Mission accomplished!” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) Oh what rejoicing will be in the heavenly court at this pronouncement. Then it will be clear in the court of heaven that atonement has been made for the sins of My people (Romans 5:8-11). I see the blood (Exodus 12:13); I see the trespass offering, and their sin is forgiven. (Leviticus 5:16, 18)
Comments:
Isaiah 53:12
לָכֵ֞ן אֲחַלֶּק־ל֣וֹ בָרַבִּ֗ים וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה וְהוּא֙ חֵטְא־רַבִּ֣ים נָשָׂ֔א וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים יַפְגִּֽיעַ׃ס
Therefore, I will divide for Him with many with multitudes; He will divide the plunder
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