Isaiah 53
53
LIII
1Who hath believed our report,
And to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
2For he grew up like a tender plant before him,
And like a root out of a dry ground:
He had neither form nor splendour that we should regard him;
Nor yet an appearance, that we should desire him.
3He was despised and abandoned by men,
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,
And as one that hideth his face from us:
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4But it was our infirmities that he bare,
And our sorrows that he carried:
Yet we did esteem him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5And he was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:
The chastisement of our peace was upon him,
And with his stripes we are healed.
6All we, like sheep, have gone astray;
We have turned every one to his own way;
But Jehovah hath made to meet on him the iniquity of us all:
7He was oppressed, and he submitted himself, and opened not his mouth:
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter;
And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
So he opened not his mouth.
8He was taken from prison and from judgment:
And who shall declare his generation?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9And his grave was appointed with the wicked;
But it was with the rich at his death,
Because he had done no violence;
Neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10But Jehovah was pleased to bruise him; He put him to grief:
If his soul shall make an offering for sin,
He shall see seed; he shall prolong days,
And the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hands.
11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied;
By the knowledge of him my righteous servant shall justify many;
For he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore will I distribute to him the many for his portion,
And he shall distribute the strong as a spoil;
Because he poured out his soul unto death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
And he bare the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.
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Isaiah 53: TEG
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Translated by Rev John Jones (Ioan Tegid).Published at Oxford in 1830, second edition 1842.
Isaiah 53
53
1Who would believe what we have heard?#What we have heard: this fourth servant oracle is introduced by words of the Lord (52:13–15) but is now continued by speakers who are not identified, perhaps those referred to in 52:15, perhaps Israel (cf. “struck for the sins of his people”—v. 8). The Lord is again the speaker in vv. 11–13.
To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?#Is 52:10; Jn 12:38; Rom 10:16.
2He grew up like a sapling before him,#Is 11:1.
like a shoot from the parched earth;
He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye,
no beauty to draw us to him.
3He was spurned and avoided by men,
a man of suffering, knowing pain,
Like one from whom you turn your face,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.#Jb 19:18; Ps 31:11–13; Mk 9:11.
4Yet it was our pain that he bore,
our sufferings he endured.
We thought of him as stricken,
struck down by God#Struck down by God: the Bible often sees suffering as a punishment for sin (e.g., Ps 6:2; 32:1–5), yet sin sometimes appears to go unpunished and the innocent often suffer (cf. Ps 73; the Book of Job). In the case of the servant, the onlookers initially judge him guilty because of his suffering but, in some way not explained, they come to understand that his sufferings are for the sins of others. One notes the element of surprise, for such vicarious suffering, in the form described here, is without parallel in the Old Testament. and afflicted,#Jer 10:19; Mt 8:17.
5But he was pierced for our sins,
crushed for our iniquity.
He bore the punishment that makes us whole,
by his wounds we were healed.#1 Cor 15:3; 1 Pt 2:24.
6We had all gone astray like sheep,
all following our own way;
But the Lord laid upon him#The Lord laid upon him: the servant’s suffering is no accidental or casual matter, but part of God’s plan; see also v. 10. The bystanders’ speculation of v. 4 is verified, but not in the sense intended by them.
the guilt of us all.#Lv 16:21–22.
7Though harshly treated, he submitted
and did not open his mouth;
Like a lamb led to slaughter
or a sheep silent before shearers,
he did not open his mouth.#Mt 26:63; Acts 8:32.
8Seized and condemned, he was taken away.
Who would have thought any more of his destiny?
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
struck for the sins of his people.
9He was given a grave among the wicked,
a burial place with evildoers,
Though he had done no wrong,
nor was deceit found in his mouth.#1 Pt 2:22–23; 1 Jn 3:5.
10But it was the Lord’s will to crush him with pain.
By making his life as a reparation offering,#Reparation offering: the Hebrew term ’asham is used of a particular kind of sacrifice, one that is intended as compensation for that which is due because of guilt. See Lv 5:14–26 and note. Justify: the verb means “to be acquitted,” “declared innocent,” but since the servant bears “their iniquity,” an effective rather than simply legal action is suggested.
he shall see his offspring, shall lengthen his days,
and the Lord’s will shall be accomplished through him.
11Because of his anguish he shall see the light;
because of his knowledge he shall be content;
My servant, the just one, shall justify the many,
their iniquity he shall bear.
12Therefore I will give him his portion among the many,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
Because he surrendered himself to death,
was counted among the transgressors,
Bore the sins of many,
and interceded for the transgressors.#Mk 15:28; Lk 22:37.
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