King James Version

What Does Isaiah 53:3 Mean?

Isaiah 53:3 in the King James Version says “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from hi...” — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 53 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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”

Isaiah 53:3 · KJV

Context

1

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? report: or, doctrine?: Heb. hearing?

2

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.

3

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

4

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5

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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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Written 700 years before Christ, Isaiah's detailed description of Messiah's suffering confounded Jewish expectations of a conquering king. Jesus's life perfectly fulfilled this prophecy—rejected by religious leaders, abandoned by friends, despised by crowds who chose Barabbas. The cross epitomized this rejection: executed as a criminal, mocked by observers. Yet Peter explains this rejection was predicted (Acts 3:18) and necessary for salvation. The early church, facing similar rejection, found comfort knowing their Messiah experienced it first.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Jesus's experience of rejection and sorrow comfort you when you face similar experiences?
  2. In what ways do people today still 'hide their faces' from Christ and 'esteem him not,' and how should we respond?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 13 words
נִבְזֶ֖ה1 of 13

“He is despised”

H959

to disesteem

וַחֲדַ֣ל2 of 13

“and rejected”

H2310

vacant, i.e., ceasing or destitute

אִ֥ישׁ3 of 13

“a man”

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

אִ֥ישׁ4 of 13

“a man”

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

מַכְאֹב֖וֹת5 of 13

“of sorrows”

H4341

anguish or (figuratively) affliction

וִיד֣וּעַ6 of 13

“and acquainted”

H3045

to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o

חֹ֑לִי7 of 13

“with grief”

H2483

malady, anxiety, calamity

וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר8 of 13

“and we hid as it were”

H4564

properly, a hider, i.e., (abstractly) a hiding, i.e., aversion

פָּנִים֙9 of 13

“our faces”

H6440

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi

מִמֶּ֔נּוּ10 of 13
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

נִבְזֶ֖ה11 of 13

“He is despised”

H959

to disesteem

וְלֹ֥א12 of 13
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ׃13 of 13

“and we esteemed”

H2803

properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e., (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a maliciou

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Isaiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Isaiah 53:3 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Isaiah 53:3 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Matthew 26:67John 1:10-11Isaiah 53:10Hebrews 12:2-3Isaiah 49:7Psalms 22:6-8

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