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Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD’s arm been revealed?

Isaiah 53:1 WEB

For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53:2 WEB

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.

Isaiah 53:3 WEB

Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:4 WEB

But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 WEB

All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6 WEB

He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.

Isaiah 53:7 WEB

He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people?

Isaiah 53:8 WEB

They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Isaiah 53:9 WEB

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and the LORD’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 53:10 WEB

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:11 WEB

Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:12 WEB

End of Isaiah 53

Continue reading Isaiah 54

What is Isaiah 53 about?

Isaiah 53 describes the "suffering servant," a figure despised and rejected, "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (verse 3). He suffers not for his own wrongs but for others: "he was wounded for our transgressions... and with his stripes we are healed" (verse 5). "All we like sheep have gone astray," yet the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all. He goes silently "as a lamb to the slaughter," dies, and is buried with the rich, yet afterward he will see the fruit of his suffering and justify many. Written centuries before Jesus, the New Testament applies this chapter to his death and resurrection.

What does Isaiah 53 mean?

Isaiah 53:5

Isaiah 53 describes a servant of the LORD who suffers for the sins of others. This verse is its center: "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities." The punishment that brought us peace with God fell on him, "and with his stripes we are healed." Stripes are the wounds of a whipping. Isaiah wrote centuries before Jesus, yet the New Testament applies this passage directly to his suffering and death; 1 Peter 2:24 quotes it. The healing in view is first spiritual, restoring our broken relationship with God. Christians read it as the heart of the gospel: Jesus took our place.

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