Isaiah 53 Text and Commentary
We give you here a translation and verse by verse commentary on Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
הִנֵּ֥ה יַשְׂכִּ֖יל עַבְדִּ֑י
Behold my servant shall act wisely[i]
God Himself points us to someone who is a special agent on His behalf. This is someone who “shall act wisely.” This servant will act in such a way that his actions have good results; he will succeed. Targum Jonathan rendered this phrase as הא יצלח עבדי משיחא “behold my servant the Messiah will prosper.”
This special servant will be God’s “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
יָר֧וּם וְנִשָּׂ֛א וְגָבַ֖הּ מְאֹֽד׃
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted
The words which describe the servant’s exaltation are heaped upon each other: “He shall be exalted and lifted up and be very high.” The words that describe the servant’s exaltation are used elsewhere in the Book of Isaiah to describe the greatness and majesty of God (Isaiah 6:1; 57:15).
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁמְמ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ רַבִּ֔ים
כֵּן־מִשְׁחַ֥ת מֵאִ֖ישׁ מַרְאֵ֑הוּ
וְתֹאֲר֖וֹ מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
Just as many were astonished at you, so his appearance was marred beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.
The “you” of this verse is the people of Israel. Many were shocked when they saw the judgment that fell on Israel when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed (compare 1 Kings 9:8). But just as Israel’s suffering was shocking for many, so is the servant’s suffering. His appearance and form was marred beyond human resemblance (literally “away from man”). The servant is stripped of all human dignity and can say with the words of Psalm 22, “I am a worm, not a man” (Psalm 22:6).
Paradoxically, this is the way the servant will “act wisely” or “succeed.” In a very unexpected way he will bring about amazing things. It is by means of his suffering that he will be God’s “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
כֵּ֤ן יַזֶּה֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים
Thus he will sprinkle many gentiles
Just as the sprinkling of the blood of atonement by the high priest on Yom Kippur in the tabernacle made it possible for God to dwell among His people (Leviticus 16:15-19), so is the servant’s suffering a sacrifice that cleanses many Gentiles. He brings them into a right relationship with God.
עָלָ֛יו יִקְפְּצ֥וּ מְלָכִ֖ים פִּיהֶ֑ם
כִּ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־סֻפַּ֤ר לָהֶם֙ רָא֔וּ
וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֖וּ הִתְבּוֹנָֽנוּ׃
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for those who have not been told they see and those who have not heard they understand.
Even many kings will be in awe of the servant. The good news of the salvation which the suffering servant brings about is first of all a message for Zion (Isaiah 52:7); nevertheless, many Gentiles who at first didn’t hear this message will come to understand it.
מִ֥י הֶאֱמִ֖ין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ
וּזְר֥וֹעַ יְהוָ֖ה עַל־מִ֥י נִגְלָֽתָה׃
Who has believed what we have heard and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
In Isaiah 40:10 it was promised: “Behold the Lord GOD comes with might and His arm rules for Him.” This good news was repeated in Isaiah 52:7-10. Zion’s watchmen rejoice to see “the return of the LORD to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8) as they see that “the LORD has bared His holy arm” (Isaiah 52:10). [“The arm of the LORD” is the LORD’s personal intervention for the salvation of His people.]
Now however, Isaiah, as one of the watchmen of Zion, is leading the people into a confession. The prophet confesses that Israel has difficulty seeing what is happening. Israel has difficulty believing and understanding the good news – in contrast to the many Gentiles mentioned in the previous verse.
The prophet points to Israel’s difficulty in seeing the LORD’s arm. “To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” The eyes of the heart have to be opened to see and understand who the servant really is and what he is accomplishing.
וַיַּ֨עַל כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק לְפָנָ֗יו
וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה
For he grew up before him like the young plant and the root out of dry ground,
The prophet starts to explain why Israel has difficulty seeing God´s coming and His arm of redemption. God’s arm and His personal intervention is, paradoxically, a suffering servant.
The tradition preserved in the vocalization of the text indicates that this servant is the Messiah. The scribes who added the vowel points didn’t read here “as a young plant” but rather “as the young plant” and “as the root.” This refers back to the promise of the Messiah in Isaiah 11:1, 10.
In his letter to Yemen the Rambam (Maimonides) also recognized that the root out of dry ground is the Messiah. The Messiah will be like a fledgling little plant in the desert.
לֹא־תֹ֥אַר ל֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א הָדָ֑ר וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ
וְלֹֽא־מַרְאֶ֖ה וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃
He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
The prophet explains the parable of “the root out of dry ground.” The Messiah comes without outer impressive glory and is not recognized for who he is. He is not the Messiah the people want.
נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים
אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִ
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrow and acquainted with sickness.
In contrast to what the people expected, the servant is a despised and shunned man of suffering; he experiences sickness. The Hebrew word for sickness refers not only to sickness in the strict medical sense of the word but can also refer to the result of a severe beating or to being severely wounded. (Compare 1 King 22:34; Jeremiah 10:19; Isaiah 1:5-6.)
וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ
נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ׃
And as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.
The people did not want to associate with the servant in his sufferings and his suffering was too shocking to observe.
But now the prophet shifts the perspective in how the servant is viewed. He leads the people of Israel into a confession that they were totally mistaken in their evaluation and rejection of the suffering servant.
אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א
וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם
Surely he has born our sickness and carried our sorrows
In reality, the servant was bearing the sickness and sufferings of Israel. In the first chapter of the Book of Isaiah we read about the people of Israel: “the whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint, from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds” (Isaiah 1:5-6). Israel was struck down because of its forsaking of the LORD and because its rebellion against Him (Isaiah 1:4-5).
Here we see the servant taking over Israel’s sickness; he takes upon himself the judgment the people deserve. He takes over the consequences of sin.
וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ
מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃
Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted
The suffering of the servant is misunderstood as suffering for his own sins.
וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ
מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ
מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו
וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ׃
But he was pierced through for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes we are healed.
The prophet leads his people into the confession that in reality the servant suffered for their rebellious deeds and sins.
Very strong words – “pierced” and “crushed” – are used to describe the impact of the suffering on the servant, words that imply death. This full blow of the punishment that we deserved comes down on the servant. Because the servant takes over our punishment there is peace for us.
Because of the servant’s suffering, God freely offers his favor and compassion. They are experienced by those who personally identify with the confession of the prophet, by those who confess: “He suffered for our transgressions and our iniquities.”
The servant’s suffering opens the door for the wonderful future of Jerusalem which is described in Isaiah 54. Because of the servant’s suffering the peace of Jerusalem’s children will be great (Isaiah 54:10-13).
When the people of Israel join the confession of Isaiah 53, Israel will be completely restored and healed. “In the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow” (Isaiah 30:26). “And no inhabitant [of Jerusalem] will say I am sick; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity” (Isaiah 33:24).
כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ כַּצֹּ֣אן תָּעִ֔ינוּ
אִ֥ישׁ לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ פָּנִ֑ינוּ
וַֽיהוָה֙ הִפְגִּ֣יעַ בּ֔וֹ אֵ֖ת עֲוֺ֥ן כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
All of us, individually and without exception, have turned rebelliously away from God and have done things our own way while disregarding God’s authority and guidance. God, however, regarded the servant as if he is the one had done all these wrong deeds. God put the punishment we deserved on the servant. He did this for the iniquity of all of us. This means there is also pardon available for all.
נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮
וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒
It was exacted and he was the one that was afflicted
yet he opened not his mouth
The Hebrew word for “exacted” usually refers to a debt or tax that someone is forced to pay, but what has to be paid now is the price of sin. The servant is the one who has to pay for it. He is afflicted with the punishment for sins that are not his own, yet we don’t hear a word of protest. He willingly gives himself in our place.
כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל
like the lamb he was led to the slaughter
The tradition preserved in the vowel points gives us again an important hint. The traditional Hebrew text doesn’t say like “a” lamb but like “the” lamb. This connects the suffering of the servant with the picture of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12) and the lamb of the daily burnt offerings (Exodus 29:38). The servant is the ultimate lamb. Because of him the judgment of God passes us over.
וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה
וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו׃
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent
so he opened not his mouth
Like a sheep that doesn’t resist when it is being sheared, so the servant didn’t resist being led to the slaughter. Again it is underscored that he didn’t protest against his undeserved fate, but he is paying the price for others. The servant gave himself willingly as a sacrifice for us.
מֵעֹ֤צֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט֙ לֻקָּ֔ח
Without hindrance and without justice he was taken away;
The servant is taken away and he is killed. This happened unfairly and with no one to defend him; without anybody preventing it and without a proper judicial process.
וְאֶת־דּוֹר֖וֹ מִ֣י יְשׂוֹחֵ֑חַ
כִּ֤י נִגְזַר֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים
מִפֶּ֥שַׁע עַמִּ֖י נֶ֥גַע לָֽמוֹ׃
and as for his generation, who considered
that He was cut off out of the land of the living
for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
The servant’s generation, his contemporaries, did not comprehend what was going on when the servant died. They didn’t realize that he actually died for the transgression of Israel, who would have deserved to be stricken like this. The servant is struck in their place.
וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־רְשָׁעִים֙ קִבְר֔וֹ
וְאֶת־עָשִׁ֖יר בְּמֹתָ֑יו
עַ֚ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס עָשָׂ֔ה
וְלֹ֥א מִרְמָ֖ה בְּפִֽיו׃
His grave was assigned with wicked men,
yet he was with a rich man in His death,
because he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
The servant would have been buried with criminals but ended up in in a place of a rich man after he died. This is a first sign of vindication of the servant who was completely innocent both in action and speech.
וַיהוָ֞ה חָפֵ֤ץ דַּכְּאוֹ֙ הֶֽחֱלִ֔י
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
He has made him sick.
In spite of the servant’s innocence, it was the LORD who was ultimately causing the suffering that struck the servant. He made him sick. Sickness is here again not only sickness in the strict medical sense of the word; it can also refer to the result of a severe beating or to being severely wounded (compare 1 King 22:34; Jeremiah 10:19; Isaiah 1:5-6).
It was the LORD’s will or even pleasure to do this. This does not mean that God takes delight in the suffering itself. It was the LORD’s pleasure to crush the servant because of what would result from this suffering. The fruit of the servant’s suffering is what the prophecy focuses on as it continues.
אִם־תָּשִׂ֤ים אָשָׁם֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ
יִרְאֶ֥ה זֶ֖רַע יַאֲרִ֣יךְ יָמִ֑ים
וְחֵ֥פֶץ יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָד֥וֹ יִצְלָֽח׃
When his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring ; he shall prolong his days.
And the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
The servant will give his soul, his own life as a sacrifice for sin. From the suffering of the servant will come an offspring. These offspring are not literal children but (as is explained a few verses later), they are the many people who are made righteous by the servant.The servant himself will personally see his offspring; because although he died, he will yet live! “He shall prolong his days.” Messiah will live forever. (See also Psalm 21:4.)Through him the LORD’s will, yes, the LORD’s pleasure, will be successful. The LORD’s pleasure is that many will be accounted as righteous so he can have mercy on his people and establish Jerusalem with an amazing glory and peace (see Isaiah 54).
מֵעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשׁוֹ֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע
As a result of the anguish of his soul he shall see the light and be satisfied;
The traditional Hebrew text doesn’t have “the light”. But both the oldest known Greek translation of the TeNaKh (The Septuagint) and the Isaiah scroll found among the Dead Sea Scrolls reads “he shall see the light and be satisfied (יראה אור ישביע) which is most likely the original text. To see the light means to live. So the servant will live again as a reward for his travail and will have victory over death. Messiah himself will be satisfied with what he accomplished through his suffering.
בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים
וַעֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל׃
By the knowledge of him, shall the righteous one, my servant make many to be accounted righteous. For he shall bear their iniquities.
God himself is speaking here again. God is presenting his special servant as the one who makes it possible His regarding many people as righteous. This is possible because the servant shall bear their sins.
The servant makes many to be accounted as righteous “by the knowledge of him.” “Knowledge” means recognizing, understanding who Messiah is. It refers to the main theme of the prophecy: the recognition of what was actually happening when the servant suffered and died.
This “knowledge” is the acknowledgement that “He was pierced for our transgression.” It is seeing that the servant actually is God’s arm, God’s personal intervention to save his people.
לָכֵ֞ן אֲחַלֶּק־ל֣וֹ בָרַבִּ֗ים
וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many
and he shall divide the spoil with the numerous.
Because Messiah gave his life, God will reward him. But not only that, also the many who are now accounted as righteous because of the servant’s bearing of their iniquities, will share in the servant’s reward.
The servant shall divide the spoil, i.e., share the results of his victory, with the numerous, the great multitude that will become righteous in God’s eyes because of him.
תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ
וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה
וְהוּא֙ חֵטְא־רַבִּ֣ים נָשָׂ֔א
וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים יַפְגִּֽיעַ׃
Because he poured out his soul unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors
Yet he himself bore the sin of many
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
The death of the righteous servant, in which he was accounted as a transgressor, is the most perfect intercession for sinful people ever. This makes it possible that so many people share in Messiah’s victory over death.
This servant truly is “God’s salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). The Messiah is the hope of Israel and of the entire world.
See also:
Who is the servant of Isaiah 53 - Israel or Israel’s redeemer?
Isaiah 53 before and after Rashi
Who are the “we” of Isaiah 53?
Israel and the servant in Isaiah 42 and 49
[i] We tried to give you here the best English translation possible, based on the Hebrew text. It is basically an eclectic use of the ESV, NASB, KJV and NET translations. [Citations: 52:13a ESV; 52:13b NASB; 52:14 NASB & ESV; 52:15a NASB & KJV; 52:15 is a minor variation of ESV with אשר interpreted as “those”; 53:1 ESV; 53:2a is a minor variation of ESV where the indefinite article was changed into a definite article in accordance with the Masoretic text; 53:2b-3 ESV; 53:4a ESV, NASB & NET; 53:4b ESV; 53:5a NASB; 53:5b ESV; 53:6 NASB; 53:7 author’s translation; 53:8a author’s translation (compare the notes of the NET); 53:8b-9 NASB; 53:10 ESV; 53:11 author’s translation (compare NASB, ESV and notes on NET); 53:12 ESV.]