Isaiah 53

General context

The chapter opens with a question from an unnamed we: who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? The speakers describe a he who grew up before the Lord like a tender plant and a root out of dry ground, with no form or beauty that anyone would desire. He is despised and rejected, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and the speakers say they hid their faces from him and did not esteem him. They then say he has borne their griefs and carried their sorrows while they judged him stricken by God; he was wounded for their transgressions and bruised for their iniquities, and by his stripes they are healed. All of them like sheep went astray, and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of them all. He was oppressed and afflicted but did not open his mouth, like a lamb led to slaughter and a sheep silent before shearers. He was taken from prison and judgment, cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. His grave was made with the wicked and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence and had no deceit in his mouth. The chapter says it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and that when his soul is made an offering for sin he will see his seed, prolong his days, and see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. The Lord calls him my righteous servant who will justify many by bearing their iniquities, and promises him a portion with the great because he poured out his soul to death, was numbered with the transgressors, bore the sin of many and made intercession for them.

Cited passages: Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 53:2, Isaiah 53:3, Isaiah 53:4, Isaiah 53:5, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 53:7, Isaiah 53:8, Isaiah 53:9, Isaiah 53:10, Isaiah 53:11, Isaiah 53:12

Isaiah 53 (KJV)

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Historical context

No one is named in this chapter. The sufferer is he throughout, and the only label attached to him is the Lord's my righteous servant in verse 11, continuing the my servant of the previous chapter's last three verses. In chapter 49 the servant was addressed as Israel; here the text leaves him unnamed and speaks of him as one man, with a grave, a death and a generation, and gives him no name. The speakers shift without marking: verses 1 to 6 are spoken by we and our, verse 8 has a singular my people, and verses 11 and 12 are spoken by the Lord in the first person. The we do not say who they are. The text also states a paradox without resolving it: the speakers say the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all and that it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and at the same time that he had done no violence and had no deceit in his mouth. No place, date, judge or executioner is given. Later New Testament writers quote this chapter by name and by formula: John attributes the opening question to Esaias the prophet; Matthew quotes he took our infirmities as spoken by Esaias; Acts reports an Ethiopian reading the lamb-to-the-slaughter lines as the place of the scripture; Luke quotes he was reckoned among the transgressors as something that must be accomplished; and 1 Peter reuses the words about guile in his mouth and healing by stripes. These are later readings, noted here only as citations.

Cited passages: Isaiah 53:11, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 49:3, Isaiah 53:9, Isaiah 53:8, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 53:12, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 53:10, John 12:38, Matthew 8:17, Acts 8:32, Luke 22:37, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 Peter 2:24

Literary context

The poem is built on a change of mind. The we first describe what they saw, no form, no beauty, a man to hide one's face from, and how they judged it, stricken, smitten of God. Then the word surely turns the account: what looked like his punishment was theirs, and every line of verse 5 pairs his injury with their benefit, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, stripes and healing. The sheep image works twice in opposite directions: the speakers are straying sheep, and he is a sheep silent before the shearers. Silence is stressed by repetition, he opened not his mouth, so he openeth not his mouth, and by the note that no deceit was in his mouth either. The verbs of carrying return from earlier chapters: borne, carried, bear, bare. The last verses answer the earliest. He was cut off, and the text asks who shall declare his generation; the later verses answer that he shall see his seed and prolong his days. He was numbered with transgressors; he makes intercession for transgressors. The chapter closes the passage that began with a face marred more than any man, and the next chapter opens with singing, to a barren woman who has not borne.

Cited passages: Isaiah 53:2, Isaiah 53:4, Isaiah 53:5, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 53:7, Isaiah 53:9, Isaiah 53:11, Isaiah 53:12, Isaiah 53:8, Isaiah 53:10, Isaiah 52:14, Isaiah 54:1

Key moments

1. Who hath believed our report? (Isaiah 53:1). An unnamed we open by asking who has believed them and to whom the Lord's arm is revealed.
2. Despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). The speakers describe a man of sorrows from whom they hid their faces.
3. Wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5). The speakers say his wounds and stripes were for their iniquities and healing.
4. Like sheep gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). All the speakers have strayed, and the Lord lays their iniquity on him.
5. Silent as a lamb (Isaiah 53:7). Oppressed and afflicted, he does not open his mouth, like a lamb led to slaughter.
6. A grave with the wicked (Isaiah 53:9). He is buried with the wicked and the rich though he did no violence.
7. Numbered with the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). The Lord promises him a portion with the great because he poured out his soul to death and interceded for transgressors.

For reflection

The speakers admit that they esteemed him stricken and smitten of God, and only afterward say he was wounded for our transgressions. What makes it hard to see suffering rightly while it is happening, and what changed their view?