King James Version
Isaiah 53
12 verses with commentary
The Suffering Servant
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? report: or, doctrine?: Heb. hearing?
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'Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?' The chapter opens with prophetic lamentation over widespread unbelief. The Hebrew 'shemu'ah' (report/message) is literally 'what we have heard.' The 'arm of the LORD' - divine power in salvation - remains hidden to most. John 12:38 and Romans 10:16 cite this to explain Jewish rejection of Jesus.
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
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'For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.' The Servant's humble origins: 'tender plant' (yoneq - suckling, sapling), 'root out of dry ground' (unlikely place for growth). No external attractiveness draws attention. The Hebrew 'hadar' (majesty/beauty) is absent.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. we hid: or, he hid as it were his face from us: Heb. as an hiding of faces from him, or, from us
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This prophetic description of the suffering Servant (fulfilled in Christ) reveals His rejection and sorrows. 'Despised' (bazah) means treated with contempt, regarded as worthless. 'Rejected' (chadal) conveys being forsaken, abandoned by others. 'A man of sorrows' shows His intimate acquaintance with grief—not occasional sadness but one whose life was characterized by suffering. 'We hid as it were our faces from him'—people turned away in disgust or indifference. 'We esteemed him not' means we considered Him insignificant, without value. This describes humanity's response to Jesus: religious leaders rejected Him, crowds turned away, disciples fled, and even today many dismiss Him.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
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This verse reveals the substitutionary nature of Christ's suffering—He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. The Hebrew 'nasah' (bore) means to lift, carry, take away—depicting Jesus taking upon Himself what we deserved. 'Griefs' (choli) refers to sicknesses, pains, and 'sorrows' (makob) to emotional and physical anguish. Yet observers misinterpreted His suffering: 'we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted'—thinking God was punishing Him for His own sins. This tragic irony: they witnessed substitutionary atonement but interpreted it as divine judgment for personal sin. Matthew 8:17 applies this to Jesus's healing ministry, while 1 Peter 2:24 emphasizes His sin-bearing on the cross.
But 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. wounded: or, tormented stripes: Heb. bruise
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But 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. This verse stands at the heart of Isaiah's fourth Servant Song, providing the Old Testament's clearest prophecy of Messiah's substitutionary atonement. Every phrase drips with theological significance.
"He was wounded" (מְחֹלָל/mecholal) means pierced through, fatally wounded. This isn't superficial injury but mortal wounding—pointing forward to Christ's crucifixion, where nails pierced hands and feet, and a spear pierced His side. The passive construction indicates something done TO the Servant by others.
"For our transgressions" (מִפְּשָׁעֵנוּ/mippsha'enu) reveals the substitutionary nature. The preposition מִן (min) indicates "because of," "on account of." His wounds aren't for His own sins but FOR ours. Pesha means rebellion, willful transgression—not mere mistakes but deliberate defiance of God.
"Bruised for our iniquities" (מְדֻכָּא מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵינוּ/medukka me'avonotenu) continues the substitution theme. "Bruised" means crushed, broken. "Iniquities" (avon) encompasses guilt, punishment, and the twistedness of sin. He bears not just the act but the guilt and penalty.
"The chastisement of our peace was upon him" (מוּסַר שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ עָלָיו/musar shelomenu alav) reveals the purpose: our shalom—peace, wholeness, reconciliation with God. The discipline/punishment that secures our peace fell on Him. This is penal substitution: He receives the penalty we deserve so we receive the peace He deserves.
"With his stripes we are healed" (וּבַחֲבֻרָתוֹ נִרְפָּא־לָנוּ/uvachaburato nirpa-lanu) completes the exchange. His wounds bring our healing—not primarily physical but spiritual restoration. The perfect tense נִרְפָּא (nirpa) can be read prophetically: "we are/have been healed," pointing to accomplished redemption.
"He was wounded" (מְחֹלָל/mecholal) means pierced through, fatally wounded. This isn't superficial injury but mortal wounding—pointing forward to Christ's crucifixion, where nails pierced hands and feet, and a spear pierced His side. The passive construction indicates something done TO the Servant by others.
"For our transgressions" (מִפְּשָׁעֵנוּ/mippsha'enu) reveals the substitutionary nature. The preposition מִן (min) indicates "because of," "on account of." His wounds aren't for His own sins but FOR ours. Pesha means rebellion, willful transgression—not mere mistakes but deliberate defiance of God.
"Bruised for our iniquities" (מְדֻכָּא מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵינוּ/medukka me'avonotenu) continues the substitution theme. "Bruised" means crushed, broken. "Iniquities" (avon) encompasses guilt, punishment, and the twistedness of sin. He bears not just the act but the guilt and penalty.
"The chastisement of our peace was upon him" (מוּסַר שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ עָלָיו/musar shelomenu alav) reveals the purpose: our shalom—peace, wholeness, reconciliation with God. The discipline/punishment that secures our peace fell on Him. This is penal substitution: He receives the penalty we deserve so we receive the peace He deserves.
"With his stripes we are healed" (וּבַחֲבֻרָתוֹ נִרְפָּא־לָנוּ/uvachaburato nirpa-lanu) completes the exchange. His wounds bring our healing—not primarily physical but spiritual restoration. The perfect tense נִרְפָּא (nirpa) can be read prophetically: "we are/have been healed," pointing to accomplished redemption.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. laid: Heb. made the iniquity of us all to meet on him
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All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. This verse appears at the heart of Isaiah's fourth Servant Song (52:13-53:12), providing a comprehensive statement of human sinfulness and divine substitutionary atonement. It moves from universal condemnation to universal provision through the suffering Servant, making it one of the clearest gospel presentations in the Old Testament.
"All we like sheep have gone astray" (כֻּלָּנוּ כַּצֹּאן תָּעִינוּ/kullanu katzon ta'inu) begins with total inclusiveness: "all of us." No exceptions, no exemptions, no privileged class excluded. The comparison to sheep (tzon) is deliberately unflattering in biblical usage. Sheep are notoriously prone to wandering, defenseless against predators, directionless without a shepherd, and lacking natural homing instinct. "Gone astray" (ta'ah) means to wander, err, go astray, lose the way—not innocent mistake but willful wandering from God's path. Sheep don't accidentally wander; they choose to follow their own impulses (grass looks greener elsewhere, water seems closer another direction) rather than following the shepherd. This is humanity's portrait: we've all wandered from God's way, pursuing our own interests, following our own desires, trusting our own judgment over His guidance.
"We have turned every one to his own way" (אִישׁ לְדַרְכּוֹ פָּנִינוּ/ish ledarko paninu) intensifies and personalizes the indictment. "Every one" (ish, each individual) emphasizes that universal sinfulness is also individual and personal—not just humanity generically but each person specifically. "His own way" (darko, his own path, his own road) reveals sin's essential nature: autonomous self-direction rather than submission to God's way. Each person charts their own course, makes their own rules, determines their own direction. "Turned" (panah) indicates deliberate choice, active turning away, purposeful redirection. The verb's reflexive form suggests we have turned ourselves—this wasn't done to us but by us, voluntarily choosing rebellion over submission, independence over obedience.
The verse's structure presents devastating parallelism: collectively "all" have strayed; individually "every one" has chosen his own path. Sin is both universal (affecting all humanity without exception) and personal (each person's deliberate choice and responsibility). This demolishes all claims to human goodness or self-righteousness. The righteous and unrighteous, moral and immoral, religious and irreligious, educated and ignorant—all have gone astray, all chosen their own way over God's. No one can claim exemption; no one can plead innocence. The playing field is level at the foot of the cross: all are sinners needing the same salvation.
"And the LORD hath laid on him" (וַיהוָה הִפְגִּיעַ בּוֹ/va-Yahweh hifgia bo) marks the dramatic, saving turn from universal condemnation to particular redemption. Hifgia means to cause to meet, to make to strike, to lay upon—carrying connotations of violent impact. This is God's deliberate, sovereign act—He caused our iniquity to fall upon, to strike, to meet in the Servant. The verb indicates violent collision—our sin crashing down on Him with full force. Critically, God Himself is the active agent transferring sin from us to the Servant. This wasn't accident, tragedy, or human injustice alone, but divine plan. The Father deliberately placed on the Son what we deserved, making the cross both cosmic injustice (the innocent suffering for the guilty) and perfect justice (sin receiving its due penalty, just on a substitute).
"The iniquity of us all" (אֵת עֲוֺן כֻּלָּנוּ/et avon kullanu) brings the verse full circle with stunning inclusiveness. The same "all" who strayed now have their iniquity laid on Him. Avon encompasses guilt, punishment, and the twisted, perverted nature of sin itself. Not merely sinful acts but the guilt those acts incur, the punishment that guilt deserves, and the moral corruption that produces such acts—all laid on the Servant. The inclusive "all" that condemned us in the verse's first half now saves us in the second half: all who strayed, all whose iniquity was laid on Him, can therefore all be saved through Him. The scope of redemption matches the scope of sin: as wide as the fall is deep, salvation runs equally deep and wide.
This is substitutionary atonement in its clearest Old Testament expression: we sinned (all, every one); He bore the punishment (the LORD laid on Him our iniquity). The exchange is complete and perfect: our sin for His suffering, our guilt for His innocence, our punishment for His pain, our death for His life. What we deserved, He received; what He deserved (righteousness, vindication, life), we can receive through faith in Him.
"All we like sheep have gone astray" (כֻּלָּנוּ כַּצֹּאן תָּעִינוּ/kullanu katzon ta'inu) begins with total inclusiveness: "all of us." No exceptions, no exemptions, no privileged class excluded. The comparison to sheep (tzon) is deliberately unflattering in biblical usage. Sheep are notoriously prone to wandering, defenseless against predators, directionless without a shepherd, and lacking natural homing instinct. "Gone astray" (ta'ah) means to wander, err, go astray, lose the way—not innocent mistake but willful wandering from God's path. Sheep don't accidentally wander; they choose to follow their own impulses (grass looks greener elsewhere, water seems closer another direction) rather than following the shepherd. This is humanity's portrait: we've all wandered from God's way, pursuing our own interests, following our own desires, trusting our own judgment over His guidance.
"We have turned every one to his own way" (אִישׁ לְדַרְכּוֹ פָּנִינוּ/ish ledarko paninu) intensifies and personalizes the indictment. "Every one" (ish, each individual) emphasizes that universal sinfulness is also individual and personal—not just humanity generically but each person specifically. "His own way" (darko, his own path, his own road) reveals sin's essential nature: autonomous self-direction rather than submission to God's way. Each person charts their own course, makes their own rules, determines their own direction. "Turned" (panah) indicates deliberate choice, active turning away, purposeful redirection. The verb's reflexive form suggests we have turned ourselves—this wasn't done to us but by us, voluntarily choosing rebellion over submission, independence over obedience.
The verse's structure presents devastating parallelism: collectively "all" have strayed; individually "every one" has chosen his own path. Sin is both universal (affecting all humanity without exception) and personal (each person's deliberate choice and responsibility). This demolishes all claims to human goodness or self-righteousness. The righteous and unrighteous, moral and immoral, religious and irreligious, educated and ignorant—all have gone astray, all chosen their own way over God's. No one can claim exemption; no one can plead innocence. The playing field is level at the foot of the cross: all are sinners needing the same salvation.
"And the LORD hath laid on him" (וַיהוָה הִפְגִּיעַ בּוֹ/va-Yahweh hifgia bo) marks the dramatic, saving turn from universal condemnation to particular redemption. Hifgia means to cause to meet, to make to strike, to lay upon—carrying connotations of violent impact. This is God's deliberate, sovereign act—He caused our iniquity to fall upon, to strike, to meet in the Servant. The verb indicates violent collision—our sin crashing down on Him with full force. Critically, God Himself is the active agent transferring sin from us to the Servant. This wasn't accident, tragedy, or human injustice alone, but divine plan. The Father deliberately placed on the Son what we deserved, making the cross both cosmic injustice (the innocent suffering for the guilty) and perfect justice (sin receiving its due penalty, just on a substitute).
"The iniquity of us all" (אֵת עֲוֺן כֻּלָּנוּ/et avon kullanu) brings the verse full circle with stunning inclusiveness. The same "all" who strayed now have their iniquity laid on Him. Avon encompasses guilt, punishment, and the twisted, perverted nature of sin itself. Not merely sinful acts but the guilt those acts incur, the punishment that guilt deserves, and the moral corruption that produces such acts—all laid on the Servant. The inclusive "all" that condemned us in the verse's first half now saves us in the second half: all who strayed, all whose iniquity was laid on Him, can therefore all be saved through Him. The scope of redemption matches the scope of sin: as wide as the fall is deep, salvation runs equally deep and wide.
This is substitutionary atonement in its clearest Old Testament expression: we sinned (all, every one); He bore the punishment (the LORD laid on Him our iniquity). The exchange is complete and perfect: our sin for His suffering, our guilt for His innocence, our punishment for His pain, our death for His life. What we deserved, He received; what He deserved (righteousness, vindication, life), we can receive through faith in Him.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
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'He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.' The Servant's silence under suffering is emphasized twice: 'opened not his mouth.' The Hebrew 'nagas' (oppressed) indicates harsh treatment. The lamb imagery points to sacrificial death - not resisting, not protesting.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. from prison: or, he was taken away by distress and judgment: but, etc was he: Heb. was the stroke upon him
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'He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.' Legal injustice ('from prison and from judgment') leads to death. 'Cut off from the land of the living' means killed. The reason: 'for the transgression of my people' - substitutionary suffering for others' sins.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. death: Heb. deaths
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'And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.' The expected grave is with the wicked (criminals' burial). Yet He's with 'the rich' in death. The Hebrew 'ashir' (rich) was fulfilled when wealthy Joseph of Arimathea provided his tomb (Matthew 27:57-60). Complete innocence: no violence, no deceit.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. thou: or, his soul shall make an offering
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'Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.' The Hebrew 'chaphets' (pleased) doesn't mean God enjoyed the suffering but that this was His sovereign will for redemption. 'Asham' (guilt/sin offering) - specific sacrificial terminology. Yet death leads to 'prolonged days' - resurrection.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
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'He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.' The Servant sees the fruit of His suffering and is 'satisfied' (savea - filled, content). 'Justify many' - legal acquittal - through His 'knowledge' (either the Servant's knowledge or knowledge of Him). Iniquity-bearing completes the substitution.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
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'Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.' Victory language: portion, spoil - the Servant triumphs. Four reasons: poured out soul unto death, numbered with transgressors, bore sin of many, made intercession. Jesus quoted 'numbered with transgressors' (Luke 22:37).