Isa_53

The Servant’s Suffering:

Isaiah 53:1-6 (ESV)
¹  Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
²  For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
³  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
⁴  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
⁶  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Ch.53 V.1
A rhetorical question  so who has heard?  –  “The arm of the LORD” revealed!

The arm symbolizes the earthly manifestation of Yahweh’s power.  NLT reveals that when written:

Isaiah 53:1 (NLT)
¹  Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?

Here the Servant becomes Yahweh’s divine warrior in battle—an integral part in Yahweh’s fight to reclaim His people.

V.2 – 3 – The ‘tender green shoot’ grows up and is despised and rejected.

V.3 – …a man of sorrows (H4341 – (anguish or affliction – grief, pain, sorrow)

“..Men hide their faces” –  The servant being despised and rejected.  People look away to symbolize their dissociation with the Servant. 

V.4 – He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows/griefs (H2483 – Suffering (misery)…”

H 2483.  חֳלִי chŏlîy, khol-ee´; from 2470; malady, anxiety, calamity:—disease, grief, (is) sick (-ness).

H2483 is frequently used for serious illness or injury.   (Deut 7:15; 2 Kgs 1:2; 2Kgs 13:14)

Would indicate that the servant’s ability to heal and linked to his willingness to die on behalf of the people.

…was crushed for our iniquities:”

H 4341.  מַכְאֹב makʾob, mak-obe´; sometimes

מַכְאוֹב makʾôwb, mak-obe´; also (fem. Isa. 53:3)

מַכְאֹבָה makʾôbâh, mak-o-baw´; from 3510; anguish or (fig.) affliction:—grief, pain, sorrow.

V.6 – “All (H3605) we like sheep have gone astray….”

H 3605.  כֹּלֹ kôl, kole; or (Jer. 33:8)°

כּוֹל kôwl, kole; from 3634; prop. the whole; hence all, any or every (in the sing. only, but often in a plur. sense):—(in) all (manner, [ye]), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, [no-] thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso (-ever).

FaithLife Bible Commentary:

53:6 All (H3605) of us have wandered about like sheep The metaphor of wayward Israel as a flock of sheep without a shepherd is a common motif used in prophetic literature (see Isa 56:11; Jer 13:20; 23:1; 49:20; Ezek 34:1–10; Zech 10:2).

have wandered about Sheep tend to get lost and be unaware of the consequences of their actions. Israel (and by extension all humanity) have wandered away from God.

let fall on him the iniquity of Rather than people suffering the consequences for their own sinful actions, their iniquities are placed upon the Servant. He bears the punishment for their mistakes.^[1]

The Servant’s Death  & Bearing the Sins of Many…

Isaiah 53:7-12 (ESV)
⁷  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
⁸  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
⁹  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
¹⁰  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
¹¹  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
¹²  Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

V.7 – Slaughter – Alludes to the sacrifice since sheep were used in offering made on the Day of Atonement.

“is dumb” “Silent”– the servant does not plead or complain or request to be removed from the situation.

V.8 – who concerned himself with his generation? The Servant is taken away with his generation. He symbolically takes on the role of the exiled Israelites.

from the land of the living The Hebrew of this phrase is best understood as a rhetorical question: “Who could have mused that [the Servant] would be cut off from the land of the living?” The Servant has not died yet in this poem—instead, the prophet is foreshadowing the Servant’s death by suggesting that it seemed improbable that the Servant would die. He was raised up just a little earlier (see Isa 53:2).

a blow because of the transgression of The Servant was destined to suffer for the people. It was known by his actions and his deeds. my people Refers to Yahweh’s—and the prophet’s—people.^[2]  (FaithLife Study Bible)

V.9 – his grave with the wicked… – rich in his death  in it fulfills the prophecy of the suffering Servant (Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:32-33).

V.9 He had done no violence nor deceit in his mouth and yet killed despite being peaceful. And never deceitful.

V.10 – Yahweh was pleased and places his life as a guilt offering.  To atone for the sin (Lev. 5:14-19).

V.10 He is given to prosper by His Father.

V.11 – He will see – be satisfied in his knowledge, my servant.  Faithlife Study Bible:

53:11 he will see All intact Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts and the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Bible) contain the word “light”; the Masoretic Text simply reads “he will see.” The most probable original text is “he will see light” (Dead Sea Scrolls) or “he will show him light” (Septuagint). The word “light” is required for the text to make sense poetically. This variant is a sign that the Servant experiences postmortem life, though it is not the only sign.

he will be satisfied The Servant may be satisfied by the fact that he has fulfilled Yahweh’s will (Isa 53:10). It is also possible that he is satisfied because he has suffered for the transgressions of God’s people (vv. 5–7). Or, the Servant could be satisfied in his resurrected life.

In his knowledge An elaboration on the previous line. The Servant knows that he has borne the iniquities of many and will make many righteous. He has learned this through his anguish (his suffering).

my servant Yahweh begins speaking again.

shall declare many righteous Like Israel—as Yahweh’s servant—was commanded to bring forth justice to the nations, the Servant makes many righteous.

will bear their iniquities The iniquities of the people are placed upon the Servant (similar to the goat on the Day of Atonement in Lev 16:22).^[3]

V.12 NLT –  I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.

He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

V.12-ESV –     Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many H7227, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors;  yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. ^[4]

V.12…” yet he bore the sin of many H7227 

Many – H 7227.  רַב rab, rab; by contr. from 7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):—(in) abound (-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great (-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, [time]), (do, have) many (-ifold, things, a time), ([ship-]) master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply (-tude), officer, often [-times], plenteous, populous, prince, process [of time], suffice (-ient).

ALL – H 3605.  כֹּלֹ kôl, kole; or (Jer. 33:8)°

Reference to V.12 – Quote: FaithLife Study Bible:

he poured his life out to death A reiteration of what has already occurred; the Servant already died in v. 10.

with the transgressors The Servant died with the wicked; see note on v. 9.

bore the sin of many Indicates that the prophet likely had both sin and guilt offerings in mind in v. 10 when he said that the Servant was placed as a guilt offering. The Servant does not just bear people’s iniquities (their culpability or guilt); He also carries their sin—their actual wrongdoings. The Servant takes responsibility for all the things that people have done wrong against God and one another.

will intercede for the transgressors The Servant vicariously suffers for the people by bearing their iniquities and carrying their sin through becoming their guilt offering. His actions are somewhat akin to—though not entirely the same as—the role of the priests in Leviticus (Isa 53:10–12; compare Lev 10:17). Unlike the priests and prophets before him, the Servant successfully bears the iniquities of a group of people through his suffering.

Yahweh’s people thought He had forsaken and forgotten them (Isa 49:14), but He had a plan. Yahweh sends His Servant, who will not just call the people back to Yahweh like a prophet, but will also accomplish Yahweh’s very purposes. All the other prophetic attempts to bear iniquities, or bring restoration, were thwarted or unsuccessful (e.g., Ezek 4:4–8; Jer 7:16). The Servant evokes a concept of grace, which is not present in the eye-for-an-eye based thinking of some of the other prophets (e.g., Ezek 9:8–10; 13:15; 22:28–30). Isaiah 52:13–53:12 is about Yahweh sending someone to make many “righteous,” and perhaps, ultimately bring restoration and reconciliation—themes that are present throughout the book of Isaiah.^[5]

1. 12 – Be Comforted – Warren Wiersbe:

The death of the Servant also satisfied the Law of God. The theological term for this is “propitiation” (Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2). In pagan religions, the word meant “to offer a sacrifice to placate an angry god”; but the Christian meaning is much richer. God is angry at sin because it offends His holiness and violates His holy Law. In His holiness, He must judge sinners; but in His love, He desires to forgive them. God cannot ignore sin or compromise with it, for that would be contrary to His own nature and Law.

How did God solve the problem? The Judge took the place of the criminals and met the just demands of His own holy Law! “He was numbered with the transgressors” and even prayed for them (Isa. 53:12; Luke 22:37; 23:33–34). The Law has been satisfied, and God can now graciously forgive all who will receive His Son.^[6]

V.12 – The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

12. will I. Is 49:24, 25. *52:15. Ge +✓3:15. Ps *2:8. 24:7-10. Da 2:45. Mt *12:28, 29. Ac *26:18. Ep 4:8-10. Ph ✓2:8-11. Col *1:13, 14. *2:15. He *2:14, 15. a portion. ƒ63A2, 2 S +6:6. “Therefore will I (Jehovah) divide (or apportion) to him a great multitude (for booty), and the strong ones will he (i.e., Messiah) divide as spoil” (B11). The “many nations” of Is 52:15 answer to the “great multitudes” of Is 53:12; and “the kings” of Is 52:15 answer to the “strong ones” of Is 53:12. Thus the two passages explain each other. The first line of verse 12 is what Jehovah divides to his servant; and the second line is what he divides as victor for himself and his host. Compare Ps 110:2-5 and Re 19:11-16. spoil. Mk 3:27. Ro 16:20. 1 J 3:8. the great. Ac 2:33, 36. 2 Co 13:4. Ph 2:9. Re 17:14. 19:12. poured. F/L Is 32:15. Le =4:30. +=23:19. Ps *22:14. Ph 2:17mg. He *12:2. soul. Heb. nephesh, Ge +12:13. unto death. Mt ✡27:50. numbered with. T#1952. Mk ✡*▶15:28. Lk *▶22:37. *23:25, 32, 33. he bare. See on ver. *11. Le 10:17▶?. Nu 9:13▶?. 18:32▶?. 1 Ti ✓2:5, 6. Ti *2:14. He *9:26, 28. of many. ✓ƒ171F. Synecdoche of the Species B623. When the species is put for the genus, or when particulars are put for universals. Many is sometimes put for all. Contrast ƒ171B, Ge +24:10. For other instances of this figure see Da 12:2. Mt 20:28. ✓26:28n. Jn 6:50. Ro ✓5:15, 19. 8:29. He 2:10. 9:28. made intercession. T#1953. Ps 109:4. Lk ✡*23:34. Ro *8:34. He ✓7:25. ✓9:24. 1 J *2:1, 12. for the transgressors. T#1748. Lk 23:43. Jn 17:20. Ro 5:8.

The “Contrast f 171B – is shown below:

171A.  Synecdoche; or, Transfer. Synecdoche of the Genus. All is put for the greater part. Ex 9:6.

171B.     “All” and “every,” as universal affirmations, extend not to all the individuals, but to all kinds; or all that are specified or implied. Ge 24:10.

171C.     A universal negative does not deny particularly. Ex 20:10.

171D.     Words denoting universality do not always affirm it of particulars. Mk 16:20.

171E1.    Words of a wider meaning are used in a narrower sense. The universal for the particular, but of the same kind. Flesh is put for man or mankind. Ge 6:12. ^[7]

V.11-12 – Isaiah:  An Introduction & Commentary TOTC:

11. After is the preposition min (as in 5, 8) and should again be ‘because of’ (cf. Heb. 2:9). See the light of life: this is the only really significant difference between mt and Q. The former has ‘he shall see … be satisfied’ and the latter ‘he shall see light’. niv expands this to ‘the light of life’. If the reading ‘light’ is correct, it has the metaphorical meaning of ‘joy’, a happy outcome. But this, too, is what mt means: (lit.) ‘he shall see, he shall be satisfied’ is an idiomatic way of saying ‘he shall be satisfied with what he sees’. The verse goes on to say what it is that delights the Servant: by his knowledge, i.e. because he knows exactly what is required in order to save sinners, my righteous servant, i.e. ‘that righteous One, my Servant’, an emphatic divine commendation, will justify many (a unique turn of Hebrew phrase), i.e. ‘will provide righteousness for the many’. ‘The many’ is Isaiah’s keyword for those whom the Servant designed to save: what Jesus calls ‘all that the Father gives me’ (John 6:37). Over these he casts the robe of his own righteousness. We are not only family members (10) but wear the family likeness. And: used in its frequent explanatory sense, ‘you see’. Bear: ‘shoulder’ (see 4). Every benefit and blessing come from the substitutionary work.

12. 12. Great is actually ‘many’, and again refers to those whom the Servant designed to save; but among the great … with the strong cannot be correct. It cannot be that this Servant who will ‘prosper’ with a threefold exaltation (52:13), before whom kings are stunned into silence (52:14), who is alive from the dead and the Executor of the Lord’s plans (53:10) will, in the event, share the supreme place with any other. In the light of this, a closer glance at the Hebrew yields, ‘Therefore I will apportion to him the many’ (cf., again, John 6:37), ‘and the strong he will apportion as spoil’. Because: this great victory rests on four facts. (a) He poured out: the Servant’s voluntary self-offering even to the point of death (Phil. 2:8ff.); (b) was numbered: his identification with those in need of salvation (we could translate, ‘He allowed himself to be numbered’); (c) he bore the sin of many (i.e. of all whom he designed to save): his effectiveness as substitute; and (d) made intercession, probably better as ‘interposed’ but, of course, it could refer to his mediatorial intercession whereby he ‘saves to the uttermost’ (Heb. 7:25): his work as mediator. The latter verb, however, is used in verse 6 for ‘caused to meet’ (niv ‘laid’). Just as the Lord placed him in the mediating position, so he personally took it as his own.^[8]

H 7227.  רַב rab, rab; by contr. from 7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):—(in) abound (-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great (-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, [time]), (do, have) many (-ifold, things, a time), ([ship-]) master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply (-tude), officer, often [-times], plenteous, populous, prince, process [of time], suffice (-ient).^[9]

Isaiah 54:1-17  –  The Eternal Covenant of Peace.

^[1] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 53:6). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[2] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 53:8). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[3] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 53:11). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Is 53:12). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[5] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Is 53:12). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

^[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Comforted (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[7] Smith, J. H. (1992). The new treasury of scripture knowledge: The most complete listing of cross references available anywhere- every verse, every theme, every important word (p. 1538). Nashville TN: Thomas Nelson.

^[8] Motyer, J. A. (1999). Isaiah: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, pp. 382–383). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

^[9] Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 106). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.