Devine Scripture
Isaiah 53

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Isaiah 53

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1Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?

2For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

8By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them 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?

9And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.

11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.

12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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Parallel translations · Isaiah 53:1

WEB · World English Bible (2000)

Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?

KJV · King James Version (1611)

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

ASV · American Standard Version (1901)

Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?

BBE · Bible in Basic English (1949)

Who would have had faith in the word which has come to our ears, and to whom had the arm of the Lord been unveiled?

YLT · Young's Literal Translation (1862)

Who hath given credence to that which we heard? And the arm of Jehovah, On whom hath it been revealed?

DRA · Douay-Rheims (Challoner) (1752)

Who a hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

DBY · Darby Bible (1890)

Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?

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Commentary · Isaiah 53

The Suffering Servant

Seven hundred years before Calvary, Isaiah describes a servant despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, who is wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace is upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. He is led as a lamb to the slaughter and yet by his knowledge shall justify many. No other Old Testament passage so clearly anticipates the cross. The New Testament writers quote it again and again as the master-key to the meaning of Christ's death.

Themes

  • Substitutionary atonement
  • Messianic prophecy
  • The Lamb of God
  • Justification

Application

What Isaiah saw from afar, we see clearly at the cross: the just dying for the unjust, that God might be both just and the justifier of him who believes.

Read full chapter commentary →Book overview ↗

Key cross-references

From the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — verses that illuminate Isaiah 53:1.

  • Isaiah 51:9

    Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Is it not thou that didst cut Rahab in pieces, that didst pierce the monster?

  • Isaiah 52:10

    Jehovah hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

  • Isaiah 40:5

    and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:24

    but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

  • John 12:38

    that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

  • Romans 1:16

    For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

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Isaiah 54 →

"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah."