Devine Scripture

Isaiah 53:5

What does Isaiah 53:5 mean?

A plain-English look at Isaiah 53:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Isaiah 53:5 means

This verse makes the atoning work of the Servant explicit. His wounds and bruises were not accidental or for His own fault, but were sustained *for our transgressions* and *our iniquities*, highlighting the substitutionary nature of His suffering. The means by which peace with God is established — "the chastisement of our peace" — rested upon Him, meaning He endured the punishment necessary to bring about reconciliation. The profound result of His physical and spiritual agony is spiritual healing for humanity, achieved through His stripes.

Isaiah 53:5 in context

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.

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

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

But 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.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

But 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.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

But 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.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

But it was for our sins he was wounded, and for our evil doings he was crushed: he took the punishment by which we have peace, and by his wounds we are made well.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And he is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement of our peace <FI>is<Fi> on him, And by his bruise there is healing to us.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

But 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.

Context

Following the revelation that the Servant bore our griefs, this verse intensifies and clarifies the *reason* for His suffering, directly linking it to human sin and divine atonement. It moves beyond simply bearing our sorrows to providing explicit details of His redemptive work through specific acts of wounding and bruising. This verse solidifies the substitutionary nature of His sacrifice, paving the way for the broader declaration of universal sin and God's plan in the next verse.

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

v.5This passage

v.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.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Zechariah 13:7

    Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.

  • Matthew 20:28

    even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

  • 1 Peter 2:24

    who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

  • Isaiah 53:10

    Yet 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.

  • Romans 5:6

    For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.

  • Hebrews 10:14

    For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Sermon ideas from Isaiah 53:5

Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.

  • What Isaiah 53:5 teaches us about substitutionary atonement

  • What Isaiah 53:5 teaches us about messianic prophecy

  • What Isaiah 53:5 teaches us about the lamb of god

  • What Isaiah 53:5 teaches us about justification

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