You are a moralist friend.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ISAIAH 53:4-6
4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6All 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.
53:4 "griefs" The word literally means "sickness" (BDB 318, cf. Deut. 28:59,61), but is used in a much wider sense in Hebrew (Isa. 1:6; 6:10). This speaks of Jesus' substitutionary work (cf. Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:21).
Many have tried to interpret this strophe and Isa. 53:5d as teaching that Jesus' death dealt with believers' sins and sicknesses, but this is to misinterpret the parallelism (cf. Ps. 103:3). "Sickness" is a Hebrew idiom for sin (cf. Isa. 1:5-6; Ps. 103:3). My favorite charismatic author, Gordon Fee, has written a powerful booklet on this issue entitled The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels.
SPECIAL TOPIC: HEALING
"bore. . .carried" These two VERBS are parallel.
bore ‒ BDB 669, KB 724, Qal PERFECT, used of bearing one's guilt, Gen. 4:13; Lev. 5:1,17; 7:18; Num. 5:31; 14:34; Ezek. 14:10; 44:12, but it is also used of someone or some animal bearing another's guilt, cf. Lev. 10:17; 16:22; Num. 14:33; Ezek. 4:4,5,6 and of the suffering Servant's redemptive ministry in Isa. 53:4
carried ‒ BDB 687, KB 741, Qal PERFECT; this is literally "bear a heavy load," it is used of the Servant in Isa. 53:4 and Isa. 53:11 (Qal IMPERFECT)
Notice the series of VERBS in Isa. 53:4-6 of what YHWH did to the Servant for humanity's benefit.
smitten by God, Isa. 53:4 ‒ BDB 645, KB 697, Hophal PARTICIPLE
afflicted (by God), Isa. 53:4 ‒ BDB 776, KB 853, Pual PARTICIPLE
pierced through for our transgressions, Isa. 53:5 ‒ BDB 319, KB 320, Poal PARTICIPLE
crushed for our iniquities, Isa. 53:5 ‒ BDB 193, KB 221, Pual PARTICIPLE
the chastening for our well being (no VERB) upon Him, Isa. 53:5
by His scourging we are healed, Isa. 53:5
This is the textual foundation for the doctrine of the vicarious, substitutionary atonement.
"Smitten of God" It was God's will that Jesus die (cf. Isa. 53:10; John 3:16; Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus' trial and death were not accidents or mistakes, but the plan of God (cf. Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:28; 1 Pet. 1:20).
53:5 "pierced. . .crushed" As "bore" and "carried" in Isa. 53:4 were parallel, so too, these VERBS.
pierced ‒ BDB 319, KB 320, Poal PARTICIPLE usually by a sword in battle, but not here. The same root means "polluted" for mankind's purification and forgiveness.
crushed ‒ BDB 193, KB 221, Pual PARTICIPLE; this VERB is used several times in Isaiah
Isa. 57:15 ‒ Niphal PARTICIPLE, "the heart of the contrite"
Isa. 3:15 ‒ Piel IMPERFECT, "crushing My people"
Isa. 19:10; 53:5 ‒ Pual PARTICIPLE, "to be crushed"
Isa. 53:10 ‒ Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, "to crush"
It denotes one who is humbled. In this context by YHWH Himself for the greater good of all mankind.
53:6 This is the OT counterpart to Rom. 3:9-18,23; 5:12,15,18; 11:32; Gal. 3:22. This shows the terrible development of the Fall of Genesis 3 (cf. Gen. 6:5,11-12; Ps. 14:3; 143:2).
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FALL OF MANKIND
"the iniquity of us all to fall on Him" Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. Everyone is potentially saved by Christ (cf. John 1:12,29; 3:16-17; 4:42; Rom. 5:18; 1 Tim. 2:4; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 1 Pet. 1:9; 1 John 2:2; 4:14). Only willful unbelief keeps anyone from God.
Some commentators have tried to make a restrictive distinction between the "all" [twice] of Isa. 53:6 and "the many" of Isa. 53:11d and 12e. However, the parallelism of Rom. 5:18, "all" and "the many" of Isa. 5:19, clearly shows that they refer to the same group (i.e., fallen humanity made in the image and likeness of YHWH, Gen. 1:26-27).
53:6d
NASB, TEV "fall on"
NKJV, NRSV, REB, Peshitta "laid on"
NJB "to bear on"
NET "to attack"
JPSOA "visited upon"
LXX "gave him over to"
The MT has the VERB (BDB 803, KB 910, Hiphiil PERFECT) which can mean
cause to light upon (here)
cause one to entreat (KB 910, Hiphil #2)
interpose (cf. Isa. 53:12, Qal PARTICIPLE
attack or assail (NET, p. 1269, #10)
"For the transgression of my people" This phrase shows that the term "Servant" in this context cannot be national Israel. The Servant dies (cf. Isa. 8d) for Israel. The DSS have "of his people."
This song/poem has several rare and unusual
VERBALS.
Isa. 52:15, "what had not been told" ‒ Pual PERFECT (BDB 707, KB 765)
Isa. 52:15, "they will understand" ‒ Hithpolel PERFECT (BDB 106, KB 122)
Isa. 53:4, "smitten" ‒ Hophal PARTICIPLE (BDB 645, KB 697)
Isa. 53:4, "afflicted" ‒ Pual PARTICIPLE (BDB 776, KB 853)
Isa. 53:5, "pierced" ‒ Poal PARTICIPLE (BDB 319, KB 320)
Isa. 53:5, "crushed" ‒ Pual PARTICIPLE (BDB 193, KB 221)
Isa. 53:7, "led" ‒ Hophal IMPERFECT (BDB 384, KB 383)
Isa. 53:8, "considered" ‒ Polel IMPERFECT (BDB 967, KB 1319)
53:9 This verse, 9a and 9b, which may be antithetical parallelism on the term "rich" (BDB 799, in line b), in this context refers to "the wicked" (BDB 957, line a). I think it is antithetical parallelism.
This verse describes so explicitly the crucifixion and burial of Jesus (cf. Matt. 27:38-59), as does Psalm 22.
SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ISAIAH 53:10-12
10But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
53:10 "But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief"
Notice the agent and object of these VERBS.
YHWH was pleased (lit. "it was the will of" - BDB 342, KB 339, Qal PERFECT). This VERB means "to delight in" (cf. Isa. 58:2; 62:4) or "desire" (Isa. 55:11). It is even used of YHWH's pleasure to put someone to death in 1 Sam. 2:25. It is shocking to use a VERB like this in connection with the unfair, painful treatment of the righteous Servant. YHWH had a redemptive plan (see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN)!
YHWH's will and purpose was "to crush" (Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Isa. 53:5) and "put to grief" (Hiphil PERFECT, BDB 317, KB 311). The VERB means "to make sick" (JPSOA) or "sore by hitting." There was a high and costly price to pay for human redemption! YHWH and His Servant paid it fully and freely (i.e., 2 Cor. 5:21)!
NASB "If He would render Himself as a guilt offering"
NKJV, NRSV "When You make His soul an offering for sin"
TEV "His death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness"
NJB "if he gives his life as a sin offering"
JPSOA "if fhe made himself an offering for guilt"
Peshitta "he laid down his life as an offering for sin"
REB "who had given himself as a sacrifice for sin"
LXX "If you give an offering for sin"
This phrase is so simple yet so profound. It involves
the will of YHWH
the will of the Servant
the sinful ones who chose to receive this guilt offering (implied)
This is the Hebrew theological concept of "corporality." It is illustrated by
the sacrificial system (Leviticus 1-7), but especially the Day of Atonement (cf. Leviticus 16)
the sin of Achan affecting the Israeli army (Joshua 7)
the clear explanation in Romans 5:12-21
another great example in 2 Cor. 5:21
One innocent One paid the price to set free all the guilty ones!
▣ "He will prolong His days" It is obvious that the Servant dies (cf. Isa. 53:8,9,12). Therefore, this verse must refer to life after death!
Notice all the things that YHWH will do for Him.
He will see His offspring (lit. "seed"), Isa. 53:10
He will prolong His days (this must refer to His afterlife), Isa. 53:10
the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand (i.e., YHWH's plan to restore fellowship with mankind), Isa. 53:10
He will see it and be satisfied, Isa. 53:11 (refers to YHWH's good pleasure [will]), Isa. 53:10e
He will justify the many, Isa. 53:11
allot Him a portion with the great, Isa. 53:12
He will divide the booty with the strong, Isa. 53:12
Poetry is always difficult to interpret. Some of these items are uncertain!
53:11
NASB "He will see it"
NKJV, Peshitta "He shall see the travail of His soul"
NRSV, NJB, REB "he shall see light"
LXX, DSS "to show him light"
The MT has "of the travail of his soul he shall see." Notice there is no "it," but it seems to refer to
"the anguish of His soul"
the JPSOA footnote suggests "it" refers to "the arm of the Lord from v. 1, which is also a FEMININE NOUN
the LXX and Dead Sea Scrolls have "lights" (NRSV, NJB). The MT does not have "it" (see NKJV). The UBS Text Project, p. 146, thinks "light" may have dropped out of the text (B rating)
▣ "By His knowledge" The NRSV has "he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge." The question is what "knowledge" seems to relate to
see His offspring (Isa. 53:10d)
prolong His life (Isa. 53:10e)
prospering of YHWH's will (Isa. 53:10f)
results of His anguish (Isa. 53:11a)
▣ "the Righteous One. . .justify" These are both formed from one root (BDB 842, 843). YHWH's sin-bearing (cf. Isa. 53:11e) Servant will accomplish righteousness for all who believe and receive (cf. John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 10:9-13).
▣ "the many" See note at "all" of Isa. 53:6.
▣ "He will bear their iniquities" The same VERB (BDB 687, KB 741, Qal IMPERFECT) was also used in Isa. 53:4. See note there.
53:12a,b "He will divide the booty with the strong" This is war imagery of victory. It is not to be taken literally, but figuratively of spiritual victory (cf. Isa. 52:13)!
▣ "He poured out Himself to death" This VERB (BDB 788, KB 881, Hiphil PERFECT) is literally "be naked" or "be bare" or "to empty." It is used in Isaiah in several senses.
to uncover a weapon, Isa. 22:6
for the Spirit being given (i.e., poured out), Isa. 32:15
BDB calls it a metaphor in this text reflecting the Piel usage #3 (cf. Ps. 141:8)
KB calls it "to tip out," a metaphor "to throw away one life to death"
▣ "And was numbered with the transgressors" Luke 22:37 quotes this verse as being spoken by Jesus in Gethsemane when the soldiers and guards came to arrest Him.
Notice the same word (BDB 833) was used of Israel's sin in Isa. 53:8 and all humans' sin in Isa. 53:5.
"He Himself bore the sin of many" This is the doctrine of substitutionary, vicarious atonement (cf. Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; 14:24; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:4; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 John 2:2). The UBS Text Project thinks "sin" should be PLURAL (B rating).
"And interceded for the transgressors" And He still does (cf. Rom. 8:27,34; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1)!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
Does the title "My Servant" refer to the Jews or the Messiah?
Why are the numerous references to the Gentiles' inclusion so significant in this passage?
Why did God choose the Jews?
Why did the Servant suffer?
Why was God pleased to crush Him?
What does Isa. 53:6 say about sin?
Why has this passage been so influential on the church?
Sanhedrin -- Special Topic by Dr. Bob Utley, professor of hermeneutics (retired).
freebiblecommentary.org
J.