TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 53:4–9. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses we have,
I.A further account of the sufferings of Christ.
Much was said before, but more is said here, of the very low condition to which he abased and humbled himself, to which he became obedient even to the death of the cross.
1.He had griefs and sorrows; being acquainted with them, he kept up the acquaintance, and did not grow shy, no, not of such melancholy acquaintance. Were griefs and sorrows allotted him? He bore them, and blamed not his lot; he carried them, and did neither shrink from them, nor sink under them. The load was heavy and the way long, and yet he did not tire, but persevered to the end, till he said, It is finished.
2.He had blows and bruises; he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. His sorrows bruised him; he felt pain and smart from them; they touched him in the most tender part, especially when God was dishonoured, and when he forsook him upon the cross. All along he was smitten with the tongue, when he was cavilled at and contradicted, put under the worst of characters, and had all manner of evil said against him. At last he was smitten with the hand, with blow after blow.
3.He had wounds and stripes. He was scourged, not under the merciful restriction of the Jewish law, which allowed not above forty stripes to be given to the worst of male factors, but according to the usage of the Romans. And his scourging, doubtless, was the more severe because Pilate intended it as an equivalent for his crucifixion, and yet it proved a preface to it. He was wounded in his hands, and feet, and side. Though it was so ordered that not a bone of him should be broken, yet he had scarcely in any part a whole skin (how fond soever we are to sleep in one, even when we are called out to suffer for him), but from the crown of his head, which was crowned with thorns, to the soles of his feet, which were nailed to the cross, nothing appeared but wounds and bruises.
4.He was wronged and abused (Isa 53:7): He was oppressed, injuriously treated and hardly dealt with. That was laid to his charge which he was perfectly innocent of, that laid upon him which he did not deserve, and in both he was oppressed and injured. He was afflicted both in mind and body; being oppressed, he laid it to heart, and, though, he was patient, was not stupid under it, but mingled his tears with those of the oppressed, that have no comforter, because on the side of the oppressors there is power, Ecc 4:1. Oppression is a sore affliction; it has made many a wise man mad (Ecc 7:7); but our Lord Jesus, though, when he was oppressed, he was afflicted, kept possession of his own soul. 5. he was judged and imprisoned, as is implied in his being taken from prison and judgment, Isa 53:8. God having made him sin for us, he was proceeded against as a malefactor; he was apprehended and taken into custody, and made a prisoner; he was judge, accused, tried, and condemned, according to the usual forms of law: God filed a process against him, judged him in pursuance of that process, and confined him in the prison of the grave, at the door of which a stone was rolled and sealed. 6. He was cut off by an untimely death from the land of the living, though he lived a most useful life, did so many good works, and they were all such that one would be apt to think it was for some of them that they stoned him. He was stricken to death, to the grave which he made with the wicked (for he was crucified between two thieves, as if he had been the worst of the three) and yet with the rich, for he was buried in a sepulchre that belonged to Joseph, an honourable counsellor. Though he died with the wicked, and according to the common course of dealing with criminals should have been buried with them in the place where he was crucified, yet God here foretold, and Providence so ordered it, that he should make his grave with the innocent, with the rich, as a mark of distinction put between him and those that really deserved to die, even in his sufferings.
II.A full account of the meaning of his sufferings.
It was a very great mystery that so excellent a person should suffer such hard things; and it is natural to ask with amazement, "How came it about? What evil had he done?" His enemies indeed looked upon him as suffering justly for his crimes; and, though they could lay nothing to his charge, they esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted, Isa 53:4. Because they hated him, and persecuted him, they thought that God did, that he was his enemy and fought against him; and therefore they were the more enraged against him, saying, God has forsaken him; persecute and take him, Psa 71:11. Those that are justly smitten are smitten of God, for by him princes decree justice; and so they looked upon him to be smitten, justly put to death as a blasphemer, a deceiver, and an enemy to Caesar. Those that saw him hanging on the cross enquired not into the merits of his cause, but took it for granted that he was guilty of every thing laid to his charge and that therefore vengeance suffered him not to live. Thus Job's friends esteemed him smitten of God, because there was something uncommon in his sufferings. It is true he was smitten of God, Isa 53:10 (or, as some read it, he was God's smitten and afflicted, the Son of God, though smitten and afflicted), but not in the sense in which they meant it; for, though he suffered all these things,
1.He never did any thing in the least to deserve this hard usage. Whereas he was charged with perverting the nation, and sowing sedition, it was utterly false; he had done no violence, but went about doing good. And, whereas he was called that deceiver, he never deserved that character; for there was no deceit in his mouth (Isa 53:9), to which the apostle refers, Pe1 2:22. He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. He never offended either in word or deed, nor could any of his enemies take up that challenge of his, Which of you convinceth me of sin? The judge that condemned owned he found no fault in him, and the centurion that executed him professed that certainly he was a righteous man.
2.He conducted himself under his sufferings so as to make it appear that he did not suffer as an evil-doer; for, though he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth (Isa 53:7), no, not so much as to plead his own innocency, but freely offered himself to suffer and die for us, and objected nothing against it. This takes away the scandal of the cross, that he voluntarily submitted to it, for great and holy ends. By his wisdom he could have evaded the sentence, and by his power have resisted the execution; but thus it was written, and thus it behoved him to suffer. This commandment he received from his Father, and therefore he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, without any difficulty or reluctance (he is the Lamb of God); and as a sheep is dumb before the shearers, nay, before the butchers, so he opened not his mouth, which denotes not only his exemplary patience under affliction (Psa 39:9), and his meekness under reproach (Psa 38:13), but his cheerful compliance with his Father's will. Not my will, but thine be done. Lo, I come. By this will we are sanctified, his making his own soul, his own life, an offering for our sin.
3.It was for our good, and in our stead, that Jesus Christ suffered. This is asserted here plainly and fully, and in a very great variety of emphatical expressions.
(1.)It is certain that we are all guilty before God. We have all sinned, and have come short of the glory of God (Isa 53:6): All we like sheep have gone astray, one as well as another. The whole race of mankind lies under the stain of original corruption, and every particular person stands charged with many actual transgressions. We have all gone astray from God our rightful owner, alienated ourselves from him, from the ends he designed us to move towards and the way he appointed us to move in. We have gone astray like sheep, which are apt to wander, and are unapt, when they have gone astray, to find the way home again. That is our true character; we are bent to backslide from God, but altogether unable of ourselves to return to him. This is mentioned not only as our infelicity (that we go astray from the green pastures and expose ourselves to the beasts of prey), but as our iniquity. We affront God in going astray from him, for we turn aside every one to his own way, and thereby set up ourselves, and our own will, in competition with God and his will, which is the malignity of sin. Instead of walking obediently in God's way, we have turned wilfully and stubbornly to our own way, the way of our own heart, the way that our own corrupt appetites and passions lead us to. We have set up for ourselves, to be our own masters, our own carvers, to do what we will and have what we will. Some think it intimates our own evil way, in distinction from the evil way of others. Sinners have their own iniquity, their beloved sin, which does most easily beset them, their own evil way, that they are particularly fond of and bless themselves in.
(2.)Our sins are our sorrows and our griefs (Isa 53:4), or, as it may be read, our sicknesses and our wounds: the Septuagint reads it, our sins; and so the apostle, Pe1 2:24. Our original corruptions are the sickness and disease of the soul, an habitual indisposition; our actual transgressions are the wounds of the soul, which put conscience to pain, if it be not seared and senseless. Or our sins are called our griefs and sorrows because all our griefs and sorrows are owing to our sins and our sins deserve all our griefs and sorrows, even those that are most extreme and everlasting.
(3.)Our Lord Jesus was appointed and did undertake to make satisfaction for our sins and so to save us from the penal consequences of them.
[1.]He was appointed to do it, by the will of his Father; for the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. God chose him to be the Saviour of poor sinners and would have him to save them in this way, by bearing their sins and the punishment of them; not the idem - the same that we should have suffered, but the tantundem - that which was more than equivalent for the maintaining of the honour of the holiness and justice of God in the government of the world. Observe here, First, In what way we are saved from the ruin to which by sin we had become liable - by laying our sins on Christ, as the sins of the offerer were laid upon the sacrifice and those of all Israel upon the head of the scape-goat. Our sins were made to meet upon him (so the margin reads it); the sins of all that he was to save, from every place and every age, met upon him, and he was met with for them. They were made to fall upon him (so some read it) as those rushed upon him that came with swords and staves to take him. The laying of our sins upon Christ implies the taking of them off from us; we shall not fall under the curse of the law if we submit to the grace of the gospel. They were laid upon Christ when he was made sin (that is, a sin-offering) for us, and redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us; thus he put himself into a capacity to make those easy that come to him heavily laden under the burden of sin. See Psa 40:6-12. Secondly, By whom this was appointed. It was the Lord that laid our iniquities on Christ; he contrived this way of reconciliation and salvation, and he accepted of the vicarious satisfaction Christ was to make. Christ was delivered to death by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. None but God had power to lay our sins upon Christ, both because the sin was committed against him and to him the satisfaction was to be made, and because Christ, on whom the iniquity was to be laid, was his own Son, the Son of his love, and his holy child Jesus, who himself knew no sin. Thirdly, For whom this atonement was to be made. It was the iniquity of us all that was laid on Christ; for in Christ there is a sufficiency of merit for the salvation of all, and a serious offer made of that salvation to all, which excludes none that do not exclude themselves. It intimates that this is the one only way of salvation. All that are justified are justified by having their sins laid on Jesus Christ, and, though they were ever so many, he is able to bear the weight of them all.
[2.]He undertook to do it. God laid upon him our iniquity; but did he consent to it? Yes, he did; for some think that the true reading of the next words (Isa 53:7) is, It was exacted, and he answered; divine justice demanded satisfaction for our sins, and he engaged to make the satisfaction. He became our surety, not as originally bound with us, but as bail to the action: "Upon me be the curse, my Father." And therefore, when he was seized, he stipulated with those into whose hands he surrendered himself that that should be his disciples' discharge: If you seek me, let these go their way, Joh 18:8. By his own voluntary undertaking he made himself responsible for our debt, and it is well for us that he was responsible. Thus he restored that which he took not away.
(4.)Having undertaken our debt, he underwent the penalty. Solomon says: He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it. Christ, being surety for us, did smart for it.
[1.]He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, Isa 53:4. He not only submitted to the common infirmities of human nature, and the common calamities of human life, which sin had introduced, but he underwent the extremities of grief, when he said, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful. He made the sorrows of this present time heavy to himself, that he might make them light and easy for us. Sin is the wormwood and the fall in the affliction and the misery. Christ bore our sins, and so bore our griefs, bore them off us, that we should never be pressed above measure. This is quoted (Mat 8:17) with application to the compassion Christ had for the sick that came to him to be cured and the power he put forth to cure them.
[2.]He did this by suffering for our sins (Isa 53:5): He was wounded for our transgressions, to make atonement for them and to purchase for us the pardon of them. Our sins were the thorns in his head, the nails in his hands and feet, the spear in his side. Wounds and bruises were the consequences of sin, what we deserved and what we had brought upon ourselves, Isa 1:6. That these wounds and bruises, though they are painful, may not be mortal, Christ was wounded for our transgressions, was tormented or pained (the word is used for the pains of a woman in travail) for our revolts and rebellions. He was bruised, or crushed, for our iniquities; they were the procuring cause of his death. To the same purport is Isa 53:8, for the transgression of my people was he smitten, the stroke was upon him that should have been upon us; and so some read it, He was cut off for the iniquity of my people, unto whom the stroke belonged, or was due. He was delivered to death for our offences, Rom 4:25. Hence it is said to be according to the scriptures, according to this scripture, that Christ died for our sins, Co1 15:3. Some read this, by the transgressions of my people; that is, by the wicked hands of the Jews, who were, in profession, God's people, he was stricken, was crucified and slain, Act 2:23. But, doubtless, we are to take it in the former sense, which is abundantly confirmed by the angel's prediction of the Messiah's undertaking, solemnly delivered to Daniel, that he shall finish transgression, make an end of sin, and make reconciliation for iniquity, Dan 9:24.
(5.)The consequence of this to us is our peace and healing, Isa 53:5.
[1.]Hereby we have peace: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; he, by submitting to these chastisements, slew the enmity, and settled an amity, between God and man; he made peace by the blood of his cross. Whereas by sin we had become odious to God's holiness and obnoxious to his justice, through Christ God is reconciled to us, and not only forgives our sins and saves us from ruin, but takes us into friendship and fellowship with himself, and thereby peace (that is, all good) comes unto us, Col 1:20. He is our peace, Eph 2:14. Christ was in pain that we might be at ease; he gave satisfaction to the justice of God that we might have satisfaction in our own minds, might be of good cheer, knowing that through him our sins are forgiven us.
[2.]Hereby we have healing; for by his stripes we are healed. Sin is not only a crime, for which we were condemned to die and which Christ purchased for us the pardon of, but it is a disease, which tends directly to the death of our souls and which Christ provided for the cure of. By his stripes (that is, the sufferings he underwent) he purchased for us the Spirit and grace of God to mortify our corruptions, which are the distempers of our souls, and to put our souls in a good state of health, that they may be fit to serve God and prepared to enjoy him. And by the doctrine of Christ's cross, and the powerful arguments it furnishes us with against sin, the dominion of sin is broken in us and we are fortified against that which feeds the disease.
(6.)The consequence of this to Christ was his resurrection and advancement to perpetual honour. This makes the offence of the cross perfectly to cease; he yielded himself to die as a sacrifice, as a lamb, and, to make it evident that the sacrifice he offered of himself was accepted, we are told here, Isa 53:8,
[1.]That he was discharged: He was taken from prison and from judgment; whereas he was imprisoned in the grave under a judicial process, lay there under an arrest for our debt, and judgment seemed to be given against him, he was by an express order from heaven taken out of the prison of the grave, an angel was sent on purpose to roll away the stone and set him at liberty, by which the judgment given against him was reversed and taken off; this redounds not only to his honour, but to our comfort; for, being delivered for our offences, he was raised again for our justification. That discharge of the bail amounted to a release of the debt.
[2.]That he was preferred: Who shall declare his generation? his age, or continuance (so the word signifies), the time of his life? He rose to die no more; death had no more dominion over him. He that was dead is alive, and lives for evermore; and who can describe that immortality to which he rose, or number the years and ages of it? And he is advanced to this eternal life because for the transgression of his people he became obedient to death. We may take it as denoting the time of his usefulness, as David is said to serve his generation, and so to answer the end of living. Who can declare how great a blessing Christ by his death and resurrection will be to the world? Some by his generation understand his spiritual seed: Who can count the vast numbers of converts that shall by the gospel be begotten to him, like the dew of the morning?
When thus exalted he shall live to see
A numberless believing progeny
Of his adopted sons; the godlike race
Exceed the stars that heav'n's high arches grace.
- Sir R. Blackmore
Of this generation of his let us pray, as Moses did for Israel, The Lord God of our fathers make them a thousand times so many more as they are, and bless them as he has promised them, Deu 1:11.
Historical interpretation
Four Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth [Isaiah 53:9]: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. For He says, "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have declared [our message] in His presence: He is, as it were, a child, and like a root in thirsty ground; He has no form nor glory, yea, we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness; but His form was without eminence, yea, deficient in comparison with the [ordinary] form of men. He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, and acquainted with the endurance of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labour, and stripes, and affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the midst of His sufferings opens not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people was He brought down to death. And I will give the wicked for His sepulchre, and the rich for His death, because He did no iniquity, neither was guile found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If you make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding, to justify the Just One who ministers well to many; and He Himself shall carry their sins. On this account He shall inherit many, and shall divide the spoil of the strong; because His soul was delivered to death, and He was reckoned among the transgressors, and He bare the sins of many, and for their sins was He delivered." [Isaiah 53:1-12] And again He says, "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All that see me have derided me; they have spoken with their lips; they have wagged their head, [saying] He hoped in God, let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, since He delights in Him." [Psalm 22:6-8] You see, beloved, what is the example which has been given us; for if the Lord thus humbled Himself, what shall we do who have through Him come under the yoke of His grace?
David alone of the prophets prophesied with an instrument, called by the Greeks the “psaltery.” … But this psaltery has the source of its musical numbers above, in order that we, too, may practice seeking things above and not suffer ourselves to be borne down by the pleasure of melody to the passions of the flesh. And I think that this truth, too, was signified deeply and clearly to us in a prophetic way in the construction of the instrument, namely, that those who have souls well ordered and trained have the way ready to things above. And again, an instrument having the source of its melodious sound in its upper parts may be taken as like the body of Christ and his saints—the only instrument that maintains rectitude; “for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” This is indeed an instrument, harmonious, melodious, well-ordered, that took in no human discord and did nothing out of measure but maintained in all things, as it were, harmony toward the Father; for, as he says, “he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth; he that comes from heaven testifies of what he has seen and heard.”
If you wish to look at the mind behind his appearance, you will find it to be an ocean of compassion for humanity residing there. For he saved them, the most foul people who gloried in their wealth and those condemned to death from their deeds, as they trusted and received the death of the Savior which was a ransom for them, offering them, in place of the tomb and death, eternal life and incorruptible everlasting life.This verse shows the unrighteous rage of the devil when he unleashed himself on our Savior. For although there was no sin found in his being according to the flesh, but that flesh remained sinless, the devil as if [Christ] were a sinner killed him and in so doing manifested the totality of his wickedness. But for this very reason came salvation for those who had fallen into sin.
Receiving the sufferings due to us, [Christ] made them his own and so from a standpoint of faith it is said that he became a curse for us himself. And it is said that they make gifts not with sacrifices but with feeling and repentance, and thus they receive a spiritual healing as they trade not only their present life.
Once the only Son of God made our salvation his own prize when he took a body and endured sufferings on our behalf. And his Father rightly said that he took away [Christ’s] pain as our healing and purifying, that our illumination was shown to be his light just as we grow into the knowledge of God and understanding with our behavior changed for the better and converted in the intelligence of God. Since the only-begotten Son of God acted in every way according to the paternal command and filled every thought with obedience, it was characteristic of him that the Savior should wrap a towel around himself and fill the basin with water and be of service in every way.
Then to show that the court was corrupt and the sentence unjust, he went on to say, “In his humiliation his legal trial was taken away,” that is, no one judged justly in his case.
And is not one ashamed to say that God is not crafty or deceitful? Concerning him, however, in respect of the flesh, it might be reasonable [to say it].
In reality, the people were subject to another curse, which says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all that is written in the book of the law.” To this curse, I say, people were subject, for no person had continued in or was a keeper of the whole law. But Christ exchanged this curse for the other, “Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree.” … It was necessary for him who is about to relieve us from a curse to be himself free of it. But he received another instead of ours. Therefore Christ took on himself just such curse and thereby relieved us from the curse. It was like an innocent person deciding to die for another sentenced to death, and so rescuing him from punishment. For Christ took on him not the curse of transgression but the other curse, in order to remove that of others. For “he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
(Verse 7 onwards) Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. He was taken away by distress and judgment. Who can describe his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the transgression of my people he was struck down. He will be given the wicked as a burial place, and the wealthy as his tomb, because he did no violence, nor was deceit found in his mouth. And the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity. LXX: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humility his judgment was taken away. Who will declare his generation, for his life is taken from the earth? He was led away to death because of the iniquities of my people; I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death. He did not commit iniquity, nor was deceit found in his mouth; and the Lord desires to cleanse him from his wound. This testimony is about the Ethiopian eunuch, who was riding in a chariot of Queen Candace while reading the book of Acts (Chapter 8 and following). He did not understand what he was reading, but with the help of Philip, he came to understand the passion and the name of the Savior. He was immediately baptized in the blood of the Lamb that he had been reading about and deserved to be called a man. The apostle was then sent to preach to the Ethiopian people. Just as Jesus was offered to Pontius Pilate, because he himself wanted it, and did not respond when asked to climb the Cross for our sake, he was led like a sheep to slaughter and remained silent like a lamb before the shearer. Indeed, our Passover lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed (I Cor. 5), whom John the Baptist pointed out, saying: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). He is also often mentioned as the slain lamb in the Apocalypse of the Evangelist John (Apocalypse 5). He speaks of Himself in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 11). But I, like an innocent lamb, being led to the victim, did not know. For when He did not know sin, He became sin for us (II Cor. 5). And just as a lamb, when led to the slaughter, does not resist, so He suffered willingly to destroy him who had the power of death (Heb. 2), humbling Himself unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2). This is the lamb, in whose type the lamb was sacrificed, whose blood, when smeared on the doorposts, drove away the destroyer from the Egyptians (Exod. 22); who not only redeemed us with His own blood, but also covered us with His wool, so that, shivering in disbelief, He might warm us with His garment, and we might hear the Apostle speaking to us: As many as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). And in another place: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. XIII, 14). And what follows: He was taken away from distress and judgment; or as the Septuagint translated, in his humility his judgment was taken away, it signifies that he, having conquered, ascended from tribulation and judgment to the Father; or that the judge of all will not find truth in judgment; but that he was condemned without any fault, through the sedition of the Jews and the voice of Pilate. Therefore, the Prophet marvels that God has delivered himself to the passion of all. About what Paul is speaking: For if they had believed, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). It follows: Who will declare His generation? This is understood in two ways: either it is to be understood about His divinity, that the mysteries of His divine birth are impossible to know; about which He Himself speaks in the Proverbs: Before all the hills He brought me forth (Prov. 8:25); according to what we read elsewhere: For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? (Rom. 11:34)? That is, no man; or about the birth of the Virgin, which can hardly be explained. Finally, when it was said to Mary by the Angel: You shall conceive and bear a son, she responded: How shall this be, since I do not know man? To which the Angel again said: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (Luke 1:31, 34, 35), so that the mysteries of this birth may be attributed either to the Angel or to the Evangelist alone. Whose narrator is very rare, according to that: Who is wise, and will understand these things: prudent, and will know them? (Hosea XIV, 10) But if a wise reader responds in silent thought: And how is it written: No one knows the Son except the Father: and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal? And he who knows the Father and the Son, surely he can explain the mystery of their generation. Let him hear that knowing something and speaking it are different, because often we cannot explain with words what we conceive in the mind. Therefore, the mystery of the divine nativity in the body can be known by the saints through faith more than it can be expressed in words. Otherwise, even the Apostle, who was caught up to the third heaven and into paradise, heard words that human language cannot utter (2 Corinthians 12). But the Spirit intercedes for us with ineffable groanings. Therefore, the life of the one whose generation can be narrated by no one or by few has been taken away from the earth, so that he would live not on earth, but in heaven. Whether he was cut off from the land of the living, in order to fulfill what was written in the Apocalypse of John: I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore (Rev. 1:17-18); so that after the life he lived on earth, dead to the world, he would live in eternity. And the statement is connected, He struck them for the wickedness of my people; or, according to the Septuagint, he was led to death because of the iniquities of my people, has a twofold meaning. For either he struck down persecutors and wicked people of his own people with his death, or on account of the greatness of the sins of the people, whom he always held as his own, he was led to death in order to call them back to life by his death. He gave the impious for his burial; and the rich for his death. Whether the worst for his burial; and the rich for his death: signifying both peoples, that the multitude of the Gentiles may be shown in the wicked and the worst, who did not have knowledge of God before (Rom. IX); the Jewish people may be shown in the rich, whose people had the Testament and the Legislation and the Prophets. Therefore for this reason the Lord suffered and was buried, so that he might gather for himself a Church from both peoples. Or should this be said, that God delivered the Scribes and Pharisees, as well as the Sadducees, priests and pontiffs, who ruled over the people before the Lord's passion and were filled with excessive wealth, to the Romans after the Lord's passion, and subjected them to eternal servitude. He, for the sake of whose burial and death, the wicked and the rich were handed over, did not commit iniquity, nor was deceit found in his mouth. That which can be understood about no man at all, that he has not sinned in deed or in speech, the Scripture says: There is no one who is clean from filth, not even if his life is only for one day. And, we have all strayed like sheep, each one has turned aside in his own way (Job 25): except for him, who carried our sins and grieves for us, and was wounded for our iniquities, and was afflicted for our crimes, by whose bruise we are healed. In this, indeed, you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His footsteps. He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten (I Peter 2:21-23). However, the Lord wanted to cleanse him from the wound that he had received from the soldier's spear. Whether to crush him in weakness and wound: of whom he himself said: Because whom you struck, they persecuted (Ps. 68:27). And through Zacharias God speaks: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered (Zech. 13:7). Therefore, it was not of necessity that he suffered, but of the will of the Father and his own, to whom he himself said: Father, I have wanted to do your will (Ps. 39:9). Of whom also we read above: He was offered, because he himself wanted.
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Summary
Isaiah 53:9 stands as a profound prophetic declaration within the Suffering Servant passage, meticulously foretelling the circumstances surrounding the Messiah's death and burial. It describes a seemingly contradictory burial alongside both the wicked, implying a criminal's dishonorable end, and with the rich, suggesting an honorable interment. This verse emphatically asserts the Servant's absolute moral purity—a life devoid of violence and deceit—underscoring the profound injustice endured by the Servant while simultaneously highlighting the divine providence orchestrating every detail of his atoning sacrifice, setting the stage for his redemptive work.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 53:9 is strategically positioned within the fourth and most detailed of Isaiah's "Servant Songs" (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), often considered the theological zenith of the book. This particular song commences by introducing the Servant's future exaltation following immense suffering (Isaiah 52:13-15). It then transitions to a lament from those who initially rejected him, now recognizing his substitutionary suffering for their transgressions (Isaiah 53:1-6). The verse immediately preceding Isaiah 53:9 describes the Servant's silent endurance of affliction and his being "cut off out of the land of the living" (Isaiah 53:8), emphasizing his sacrificial death. Verse 9 then meticulously focuses on the post-mortem circumstances, specifically his burial arrangements, before the song culminates with the Servant's ultimate vindication and reward for his atoning work (Isaiah 53:10-12). Thus, Isaiah 53:9 serves as a crucial theological and narrative bridge between his sacrificial death and his subsequent glorious exaltation.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophetic ministry of Isaiah unfolded during a tumultuous period in Israel's history, spanning the reigns of several Judean kings (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah), leading up to the looming threat of the Assyrian and later Babylonian exiles. Prophecies concerning a suffering Messiah would have been profoundly counter-cultural to the prevailing Jewish expectation of a conquering king who would deliver Israel from political oppression and establish an earthly kingdom. Burial customs in ancient Israel were deeply significant and varied based on social status, family tradition, and the nature of one's death. Criminals, especially those executed, were typically denied honorable burial and often interred in common, unmarked graves, sometimes outside city walls, to signify their dishonor and societal rejection. In stark contrast, wealthy individuals or those of high standing would typically possess private, often elaborate, tombs hewn out of rock or constructed within family plots. The juxtaposition in Isaiah 53:9 of being buried "with the wicked" and simultaneously "with the rich" would have been highly unusual, culturally dissonant, and seemingly impossible, thereby highlighting the extraordinary and divinely orchestrated nature of the Servant's death and burial.
Key Themes
Isaiah 53:9 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Isaiah and the broader biblical narrative of redemption. Foremost is the theme of Substitutionary Atonement, where the blameless Servant suffers on behalf of others, bearing their iniquities and making propitiation for their sins, as profoundly articulated in Isaiah 53:5-6. The verse powerfully reinforces the Servant's Innocence and Blamelessness, which is absolutely essential for his role as a perfect, unblemished sacrifice, standing in stark contrast to the guilt of those for whom he suffers. It also vividly illustrates Divine Sovereignty and Prophetic Fulfillment, demonstrating God's meticulous and sovereign control over even the most seemingly contradictory details of the Messiah's life and death, centuries before their realization. This theme is foundational to understanding God's unfolding redemptive plan, from the initial promise of a deliverer in Genesis 3:15 to its ultimate and precise fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term signifies not merely physical aggression but encompasses a broader range of wrongdoing, including injustice, oppression, and moral corruption. The assertion that the Servant "had done no violence" emphasizes his absolute moral purity and righteous conduct, indicating he was entirely innocent of any crime or ethical transgression that would warrant his condemnation or death. His blamelessness is foundational to his role as a perfect sacrifice.
This word refers to both natural and violent death, as well as the state or place of the dead (Hades). In the context of Isaiah 53, it points to the Servant's actual, physical demise, which is explicitly presented as a sacrificial act. The phrase "in his death" specifies the timing of the rich man's association with his grave, underscoring that the Servant's burial circumstances were uniquely tied to the moment of his passing, not merely a general association.
This term denotes fraud, treachery, falsehood, or guile. The declaration "neither was any deceit in his mouth" highlights the Servant's unwavering integrity and truthfulness in speech. It implies that he spoke no lies, engaged in no trickery, and was utterly sincere in all his words, standing in stark contrast to the false accusations and deceptive practices of his accusers and the world he came to redeem.
Verse Breakdown
"And he made his grave with the wicked"
This clause prophesies that the Suffering Servant, despite his innocence, would be assigned a burial place typically reserved for criminals or the morally condemned. This aligns with his unjust condemnation and crucifixion alongside actual malefactors, indicating that society would treat him as one deserving of such a dishonorable end. The Hebrew verb "made" (H5414, nâthan) here implies "appointed," "assigned," or "allotted," suggesting a divine or human arrangement for his burial that would initially categorize him with the disreputable.
"and with the rich in his death"
This phrase presents a striking and seemingly paradoxical counterpoint to the preceding clause. While condemned and intended for a criminal's burial, the Servant's actual interment would also involve a wealthy individual. This seemingly contradictory detail points to a unique divine orchestration, where despite the intention to bury him ignominiously, a wealthy person would provide a tomb. The phrase "in his death" specifies that this association with the rich would occur precisely at the time of his burial, immediately following his demise, emphasizing the precision of the prophecy.
"because he had done no violence"
This clause provides the divine justification and explanation for the Servant's true character, contrasting sharply with the unjust treatment he received. It unequivocally states his absolute innocence, asserting that he committed no act of injustice, oppression, or moral wrong (H2555, châmâç). This blamelessness is paramount for his role as an unblemished and acceptable sacrifice, highlighting that his suffering was vicarious, not punitive for his own actions.
"neither [was any] deceit in his mouth"
This final clause further emphasizes the Servant's perfect integrity, extending his blamelessness from actions to words. It declares that his speech was entirely truthful and free from any falsehood, trickery, or guile (H4820, mirmâh). This highlights his moral perfection, both in deed and in word, reinforcing the profound injustice of his condemnation and the purity and efficacy of his substitutionary sacrifice.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 53:9 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound and multifaceted message. The most prominent is Paradox or Juxtaposition, vividly seen in the seemingly contradictory statement that the Servant's grave would be "with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." This creates immediate tension and invites deeper reflection, hinting at an extraordinary fulfillment that defies conventional expectations and human logic. The entire verse functions as a precise Prophecy, offering a detailed foretelling of future events concerning the Messiah's burial and his inherent character, demonstrating God's foreknowledge and sovereign control. Furthermore, the assertion of the Servant's absolute innocence ("no violence," "no deceit") in the face of his condemnation and ignominious death introduces profound Irony, highlighting the stark contrast between his perfect righteousness and the unjust suffering he endures. This irony underscores the vicarious nature of his sacrifice.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 53:9 is a cornerstone for understanding the nature of the Messiah's atoning work, particularly his blamelessness and the precise fulfillment of prophecy. The theological significance lies in the Servant's absolute moral purity, which uniquely qualifies him as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice required to bear the sins of humanity. His death, though seemingly a defeat and a criminal's end from a human perspective, is revealed as a divinely orchestrated event where every detail, even his burial circumstances, serves a specific redemptive purpose. The paradox of his grave—intended for the wicked yet provided by the rich—underscores God's meticulous and sovereign control over seemingly chaotic or contradictory events, ensuring the precise execution of His plan for salvation. This verse profoundly shapes our understanding of Christ's perfect righteousness and the divine intentionality behind his suffering and death, affirming that his sacrifice was not an accident but the very heart of God's redemptive design.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 53:9 offers profound insights that compel us to reflect deeply on the nature of true righteousness and the unfathomable depth of God's redemptive plan. The Servant's unwavering innocence in the face of extreme injustice challenges us to consider our own integrity and the purity of our motives and actions. His life, perfectly free from violence and deceit, serves as a powerful and unattainable model for how believers are called to live—truthfully, justly, and without guile, even when such a path leads to suffering, misunderstanding, or opposition from the world. Furthermore, this verse deepens our appreciation for the meticulous care with which God fulfills His promises; every minute detail of the Messiah's life, death, and burial was foreknown and divinely orchestrated. This should cultivate a profound and unwavering trust in God's meticulous sovereignty, even when circumstances appear contradictory, chaotic, or unjust in our own lives. Understanding that our salvation rests upon such a perfect, blameless sacrifice should inspire both profound humility and immense gratitude, motivating us to live lives worthy of such a great and costly salvation, reflecting the character of the Servant in our own spheres of influence.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the meaning of "he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death"?
This phrase is a remarkable and precisely fulfilled prophecy concerning the Messiah's burial, containing a striking paradox. "With the wicked" refers to the common practice of burying executed criminals in dishonorable, often unmarked, graves, which would have been Jesus' expected fate given his crucifixion between two criminals (Luke 23:33). However, the phrase "and with the rich in his death" points to the unexpected and divinely orchestrated intervention of a wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathea, who provided his own newly hewn tomb for Jesus' burial (Matthew 27:57-60). This seemingly contradictory detail highlights God's sovereign hand in orchestrating the precise fulfillment of prophecy, ensuring that every aspect of the Servant's death and burial served His redemptive plan and affirmed his unique identity.
Why is the Servant's innocence ("no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth") so important for his redemptive role?
The Servant's absolute innocence is profoundly crucial because it qualifies him as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice for sin. According to the Old Testament sacrificial system, a sacrifice for sin had to be without blemish or defect (Leviticus 1:3). The assertion that the Servant "had done no violence" (meaning no injustice, oppression, or moral wrongdoing) and "neither was any deceit in his mouth" (meaning perfect truthfulness and integrity in speech) underscores his complete moral perfection. This blamelessness means that his suffering and death were not a consequence of his own sin but were purely substitutionary, bearing the sins of others (2 Corinthians 5:21). His perfect character validates the efficacy and sufficiency of his atoning work, making him the only one capable of truly taking away the sin of the world.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 53:9 finds its ultimate, profound, and undeniable fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant of God. The seemingly paradoxical prophecy of his grave being "with the wicked, and with the rich in his death" was meticulously realized in his crucifixion between two common criminals (Luke 23:33), followed by his burial not in a common criminal's grave, but in the new, private tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy and respected member of the Sanhedrin (Matthew 27:57-60; John 19:38-42). This precise and paradoxical fulfillment powerfully demonstrates God's meticulous orchestration of every detail of Christ's passion, ensuring that even his burial circumstances affirmed his unique identity and redemptive mission. Furthermore, the declaration that he "had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth" perfectly describes Jesus' sinless life. He was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15), and as Peter explicitly states, "He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22, directly quoting and applying Isaiah 53:9). This absolute purity was essential for him to be the spotless Lamb of God, whose shed blood alone atones for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Thus, Isaiah 53:9 powerfully testifies to Jesus as the blameless, divinely appointed sacrifice whose death and burial were not a defeat but the climactic, pre-ordained act of God's redemptive plan for humanity's salvation.