Isaiah 53

1Who has truly believed our revelation?

To whom will Yahweh reveal his mighty arm? # 53:1 God’s “arm” is a metaphor for his triumphant power. It is said that almost every verse in this chapter is alluded to in the New Testament in reference to Jesus.

2He sprouted up like a tender plant before the Lord, # 53:2 Or “before him.”

like a root # 53:2 Jesus is the Root of David and the Sprouting of the Lord (see Isa. 11:1). The parched soil can represent both the barrenness of humanity before God and the barren season of Israel’s history just before Jesus appeared. A root cannot live in dry ground, yet we see a hint here that the Messiah would be miraculously born. A root in dry ground is an allusion to the virgin birth of Jesus, who was conceived without a human father. in parched soil.

He possessed no distinguishing beauty

or outward splendor to catch our attention—

nothing special in his appearance to make us desire him.

3He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of deep sorrows

who was no stranger to suffering and grief. # 53:3 Yet Jesus was the most emotionally whole and healed man to ever walk the earth. He did not absorb the insults and rejections of even his own neighbors (see Luke 4:14–30).

We hid our faces from him in disgust

and considered him a nobody, not worthy of respect.

The Sin-Bearer Servant

4Yet he was the one who carried our sicknesses # 53:4 This was fulfilled in two ways. First, the Lamb of God carried away diseases as he walked the earth (see Matt. 8:16–17). And second, he paid the sin price for all humanity on the cross with his sacred blood.

and endured the torment of our sufferings.

We viewed him as one who was being punished # 53:4 Or “stricken,” a word used for one who is struck with leprosy. Because of this, the Jewish Talmud gives many opinions about this verse, then offers an authoritative ruling of the sages: “The rabbis say: ‘His name is The Leper . . . as it is said [in Isaiah 53:4], “Surely our sicknesses he himself bore and our sorrows he carried, yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” ’ ” (b. Sanhedrin 98b). Their conclusion was that the Messiah will be called “the Leper of the House of Rabbi.” They understood that he would not be an actual “leper” but that he would carry the spiritual “leprosy” of the people, as a leper carries his affliction.

for something he himself had done,

as one who was struck down by God and brought low.

5But it was because of our rebellious deeds that he was pierced # 53:5 See Zech. 12:10; John 19:31–37; Rev. 1:7.

and because of our sins that he was crushed.

He endured the punishment that made us completely whole, # 53:5 This is the Hebrew word shalom, meaning “peace,” “prosperity,” “wholeness,” “success,” or “well-being.” All of these have come to us through Christ’s sufferings.

and in his wounding # 53:5 The Hebrew word could be translated “among his wounds [bruises]” or “in his wounds [bruises].” See the split-open rock of Song. 2:14. # 53:5 The Hebrew word for “wounding” (or “scourging”) is chaburah and means “blueness of the wounds.” But chaburah is taken from the root word chabar, which means “to join together,” “to unite,” “to have fellowship,” or “to become a couple.” A nuanced translation of Isaiah 53:5 could be “In the fellowship of being one with him is our healing.” we found our healing.

6Like wayward sheep, we have all wandered # 53:6 The Hebrew verb wander has an implication of self-deception. See 1 Peter 2:25. astray.

Each of us has turned from God’s paths and chosen our own way;

even so, Yahweh laid # 53:6 The Hebrew verb laid can also mean “to make intercession.” This would mean that the Lord interceded within himself (the Godhead) to orchestrate our salvation. the guilt of our every sin upon him. # 53:6 This entire chapter provides such detail of the last hours of Jesus Christ that one would almost imagine Isaiah was standing at the foot of the cross writing this chapter. Isaiah’s prophecy, written more than seven hundred years before the cross, is all stated in the past tense, as though it had already happened. There is no other person in human history who could possibly fulfill all of Isaiah’s prophecy. It is believed that Isaiah 53 is referred to eighty-five times in the New Testament. A few of these references include Matt. 8:17; 27:11–13, 26–31, 41–43, 57–60; Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37; John 12:38; Acts 8:32–35; Rom. 5:6–9, 18–19; 10:16; Phil. 2:5–11; 1 Peter 2:21–24.

The Surrendered Servant

7He was oppressed and harshly mistreated;

still he humbly submitted, refusing to defend himself.

He was led like a gentle lamb # 53:7 See Gen. 22:7–8; John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19; Rev. 5:12. to be slaughtered.

Like a silent sheep before his shearers,

he didn’t even open his mouth. # 53:7 This was the silence of submission to his Father’s will. See Matt. 26:63; Luke 23:9; 1 Peter 2:23.

8By coercion and with a perversion of justice

he was taken away.

And who could have imagined # 53:8 Or “who of his generation considered.” his future?

He was cut down in the prime of life; # 53:8 Or “He was cut off from the land of the living.” See Dan. 9:26.

for the rebellion of his # 53:8 Or “my.” own people,

he was struck down in their place.

9They gave him a grave among criminals, # 53:9 See Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32; John 19:18.

but he ended up instead in a rich man’s tomb, # 53:9 See Matt. 27:57–60. The literal Hebrew is “and with the rich in his deaths” (plural). His death is our death too, for we have been co-crucified with Christ (see Gal. 2:20). Jesus was born from a virgin womb and laid in a virgin tomb.

although he had done no violence nor spoken deceitfully.

The Servant’s Reward

10Even though it pleased Yahweh

to crush him with grief, # 53:10 Or “disease.”

he will be restored to favor. # 53:10 This points to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to the place of highest honor (see Phil. 2:5–11).

After his soul becomes a guilt-offering, # 53:10 See Mark 10:45; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 9:14.

he will gaze upon his many offspring and prolong his days. # 53:10 Christ’s sacrifice results in the birth of spiritual offspring. He will see his spiritual offspring and enjoy living his life through them; thus, it could be said he prolonged his days. The life we live is no longer our own, and in a way, we prolong his days as we walk in close fellowship with Christ. A people in his image is the joy that was set before him (see Heb. 12:1–2).

And through him, Yahweh’s deepest desires

will be fully accomplished. # 53:10 Or “the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.”

11After the great anguish of his soul,

he will see light # 53:11 This vision of light is the light of a new day, the resurrection morning light that flooded into the empty tomb. and be fully satisfied. # 53:11 Or “he will eat and drink his fill.” See Song. 5:1.

By knowing him, # 53:11 Or “By his knowledge” or “By his sweat.” The Hebrew word for “knowledge” is taken from a homonymic root for “sweat.” Perhaps this is an allusion to his sweat trickling from the cross or of the sweat of blood in the garden of Gethsemane, as well as the knowledge of life that comes to us when we believe in him. See also Gen. 2:9 and 3:17–19, which connect knowledge (of good and evil) with Adam’s sweat. the righteous one,

my servant will make many to be righteous, # 53:11 This is an intimate knowledge, or experience of him by faith, that imparts the righteousness of God to everyone who believes. To be declared righteous involves pardon and acceptance. We are fully pardoned and fully accepted in Christ. See Rom. 3:21–26; 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:5–6; 1 John 4:10.

because he, their sin-bearer, carried away their sins. # 53:11 Jesus accepted the responsibility for the consequences of our sins. See Ps. 38:4; John 1:29; 1 John 3:5.

12So I, Yahweh, will assign him a portion

among a great multitude,

and he will triumph

and divide the spoils of victory with his mighty ones # 53:12 Jesus shares the spoils of his victory on the cross and in the resurrection with us, his mighty ones. He purchased your victory, your salvation, your emotional wholeness, your healing, your deliverance, and your triumph over every foe. —

all because he poured out his life-blood # 53:12 Or “himself.” to death.

He was counted among the worst of sinners,

yet he carried sin’s burden for many # 53:12 See Matt. 11:28.

and intercedes for those who are rebels. # 53:12 The work of a priest was to offer sacrifice for sin and intercede for the sinner. Our High Priest, Jesus, has done this for us. He became our sacrifice and now is interceding for us. See Luke 23:33–34; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25, 27.

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Isaiah 53: TPT

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