Isaiah 53

In my prophets class at RTS, I have recently been teaching on the great Messianic passage of Isaiah 53. Below I give my translation of that passage from the Hebrew, and I introduce it with a comment by John Calvin. I pray that you would ponder and meditate over this all too wondrous passage.

ISAIAH 53: THE IRONY OF THE CROSS

“The spectacle of the cross alienates many persons from Christ, when they consider what is presented to their eyes, and do not observe the object to be accomplished. But all offence is removed when we know that by his death our sins have been expiated, and salvation has been obtained for us”
John Calvin commenting on Isaiah 53

Translation of Isaiah 53:

v. 1 Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?

v. 2 For he grew up like a sapling before him;
And like a root in the land of drought.

He has no form and no ornamentation,
That we might look on him.
And no appearance,
That we might delight in him.

v.3 He was despised and forsaken of men.
A man of sorrows and knowing grief;
And as one from whom men hide their faces,
He was despised.
And we did not esteem him.

v.4 Truly, he lifted up our griefs,
And he bore our sorrows.
Yet we ourselves did esteem him as stricken,
Smitten of God and afflicted.

v. 5 Yet he was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities.
Chastening for our shalom is upon him,
And by his strokes we are healed.

v. 6 All of us like sheep wander about;
Each turns to his own way.
Yet Yahweh has caused the iniquity of all of us to fall on him.

v. 7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted.
But he did not open his mouth;
Like a lamb to the slaughter he was led,
And like a ewe is silent before its shearers,
So he did not open his mouth.
v. 8 By restraint and by judgment he was taken away.
And as for his generation who thought that he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

v. 9 And they gave his grave to be with the wicked,
And to the rich in his death.

For he had done no violence,
And there was no treachery in his mouth.

v. 10 Yet Yahweh was pleased to crush him,
To put him to grief,
That he would place himself as a guilt offering.

He will see his seed;
He will prolong his days.
And the delight of Yahweh will prosper in his hand.

v. 11 From the anguish of his soul
He will see, he will be satisfied.
By his knowledge the righteous one, my servant, will cause many to be righteous;
And their iniquities he will bear.

v. 12 Therefore, I will allot him a portion with the many,
And he will divide the plunder with the many.
For he emptied his soul to death;
And he was numbered with transgressors;
And he bore the sin of many;
And he interceded for the transgressors.