Isaiah 53

ARGUMENT^ This chapter describes the circumstances of our Saviour’s sufferings so exactly, that it seems rather a history of his passion, than a prophecy: and it is so undeniable a proof of the truth of Christianity, that the bare reading it, and comparing it with the gospel-history, hath converted some infidels. is which our translation renders prison, is rendered oppression, Psal. cvii.39. And who shall declare his generation?] Who can declare the wickedness of the men of that age or generation, who cut off this innocent person in so unjust a manner? The Jlebrew worddor/often signifies the men of such an age or place., (See Gen. vii. 1. Deut/xxxii. 5. 20. Psal. Ixxviii: 8.) In the same sense is ryzvza frequently xlsed in the New Testament, particularly Matt. xii. 45. xxiii. 3G. Some commentators understand this text of Christ’s eternal generation, but then 1 conceive the word in the Hebrew should have been toledoth.

Isaiah 53:1

TVlIO hath believed our report? &c. This spoken in the person of Christ and his apostles: Who, say they, among our own countrymen, hath believed our preaching or doctrine? So the word shemuah signifies, xxviii. 9. And although God hath shewed such visible tokens of his power, (compare Hi. 10.) in those miracles by which he hath given testimony to our mission, yet how few of our own nation are convinced by them?* (Compare John xii. 37, 38. Rom. x. 16.)

Isaiah 53:2

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. The prophet assigns the cause of the Jews rejecting Christ, viz. the meanness of his outward appearance. The Messias is elsewhere described under the resemblance of a branch or scion growing out of the stem or stock of David. (See xi. 1. Jer. xxiii. 5.) But here he is resembled to a little sucker; the literal interpretation of the word ijonek, and to a branch growing out of a dry-ground, which looks withered, and does not promise either life or fruit. The word shoresh, root, should rather be translated branch, or shoot. (Seethe note on xi. 10.) • He h shall grow up before him.’] That is, before the Lord, mentioned ver. 1. under his immediate care and inspec-. tion; so the expression of dwelling before God, signifies abiding under his protection, Psal. lxi.7. Or before him may signify here, according to God’s determinate counsel and purpose, as the phrase denotes, Rom. iv. 17.‘He hath no form nor comeliness, &c] The meanness of his outward circumstances, especially when he came to be condemned as a malefactor, made his person appear despicable. (Compare lii. 14.) From this text Justin Martyr, Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian, and others of the ancient fathers, concluded our Saviour’s person to have been deformed; an opinion in my judgment not at all probable. In the fourth and following centuries, a quite contrary notion was advanced by St. Jerome, and others, viz. that Christ was a person of extraordinary comeliness, which they grounded chiefly upon that place of the forty-fifth Psalm, (ver.3.) Thouart fairer than the children of men,&c. From these two contrary opinions we may conclude, that the making or setting up the image or the picture of Christ, was no part of religious worship in the early ages of Christianity, or else there would have remained some more certain tradition concerning his outward shape and person. [That we should desire him.] He that is described as the Desire of all nations, Hag. ii. G. (where the word is the same as in the Hebrew here) did not appear at all desirable to those of his own nation.]

Isaiah 53:3

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Enduring the continual contradiction of sinners, and all the ill treatment that the malice of men or devils could suggest. (See Lukexxii. 53.) And we hid as it were our faces from him.’] Out of aversion or contempt. (Compare i. 15. liv. 8. lix. 2.)" So to turn away our face from the needy, (Ecclus. iv. 5.) is to disregard him, and take no pity on his sufferings.

Isaiah 53:4

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He hath borne the evils and punishments which were due to our sins. The two Hebrew verbs, nasa and sabal, properly signify to bear the punishment due to sin. The former is taken so in that noted expression, when any person is said to bear his iniquity; i. e. the punishment of his iniquity: the latter signifies properly to have iniquity laid upon one as a burden, which is the samo with undergoing the punishment due to it. So this word is used, Lam..v. 7. Our fathers have sinned, and are’not; and we have borne their iniquities; that is, we have been punished in their stead. It is used again in the same sense, at ver. 11. of this chapter. Yet we esteemed Mm stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.] His enemies looked upon him as forsaken of God, and derided him for his vain boasts that God was his Father. (See Matt, xxvii. 43.)

Isaiah 53:5

The chastisement of our peace was upon him. He suffered those chastisements or punishments by which our. peace with God was wrought, and satisfaction was made to the Divine justice. (See Rom. v. 1. Ephes. ii. 14.). Ver. G. Allwe like sheep are gone astray.] A proverbial expression. (See Psal. cxix. 17G. Zech. x. 2. Matt, xviii. 11,12. Luke xv. 4.) And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.] The. letter of the Hebrew runs thus: The Lord hath made the iniquities of us all to meet on him, or to fall upon him, as the yevbpagang signifies, Judg. viii; 21. xv.12. Amos v. 19.

Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted. The words may better be rendered, It was exacted of him, and he answered the demand: that is, he gave that satisfaction which God’s justice demanded for our sins.’ Yet he. opened not his mouth.] All the hard usage he met with did not prevail with him to utter any intemperate expression, or to make any return to the ill language which, was given him. (See 1 Pet. ii. 22, 23.) Nay, he eveii abstained from making his just defence, any farther than it was necessary for him to plead his innocence. (See Matt. xxvi: 63. xxvii. 12.) He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.] Meekly submitting to the violence of his persecutors, and not offering to make the least resistance. (See Matt. xxvi. 52, 53.) Tb go as an ox, or lamb, to the slaughter, is another proverbial expression, which wc meet with Prov. vii. 22. Jer. xi. 19. but of a different signification, denoting a false security, or insensibility of danger; to which sense it is explained by Jeremiah himself, in that place, I know not; saith he, that they had devised devices against me. And therefore that text is very impertinently alleged by Grotius here, to justify his applying this part of the prophecy to Jeremiah’s case.

Isaiah 53:8

He ivas taken from prison and from judgment. Wc do not read that imprisonment was any part of Christ’s sufferings: so I think the marginal reading is to be preferred, He was taken away by distress and judgment: or it may be rendered, He was carried away to execution (so the participle of lukkak is used, Prov. xxiv. 11.) by tyrannical oppressio?i, and a sentence of condemnation. The word notzer,

Isaiah 53:9

And he made his gravH ivith the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, &c. Some render the words thus,- His grave was appointed with the wicked (being crucified with malefactors), but he was with the rich in his death, being buriedin the monument of Joseph of Arimathea; or, his sepulchre was with the rich: so Schindler renders the word bemothau, as if it were derived from bamah. Others to this purpose, God delivered him, even to the grave and to death, into the hands of the wicked and powerful. The word rich is. sometimes taken, in an ill sense, for a tyrant or oppressor:. (see Job xxvii. 19. compared with ver. 13.) and so they understand it here, and translate the latter part of the verse thus, Not for any violence that he had done, or that any deceit tvas found in his mouth. The very same Hebrew particles, nal lo, being thus translated, Job xvi. 17. Or else, taking those particles in that sense, we may very well join this sentence to the following verse, thus, Although he had done no wickedness, neither teas any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise hitn…..

Isaiah 53:10

When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. Our Saviour’s words, John xii. 24. are a commentary upon this place, where, speaking of the benefits that would follow from his death, he saith, “.Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” [He shall see his seed.] This may be properly understood of our Lord’s disciples, called Christians, after his name. Nothing is more usual than to call teachers by the name of fathers, (see 2 Kings ii. 12. xiii. 14.) and them that follow liis instructions by the name of children. In this sense we read of th6 children of Abraham, the children of God, and the children of wisdom. The Chaldee,’ LXX. and Vulgar Latin, join the following words to this sentence, He shall see a seed which shall prolong their days;?. e. the church, which shall continue unto the end of the world.] He shall prolong his days.] Bciug raised up from the dead, he shall die no more, (Rom. vi. 9.) And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.] The redemption, and salvation of mankind is often called God’s good pleasure; as being both highly acceptable to him, and likewise proceeding purely from his good pleasure and free grace. (See Ephcs. i. 5. 9. 2 Thcss. i. 11. John vi. 39.)

Isaiah 53:11

He shall see of the travail of his soul, aud shall be satisfied. He shall rejoice to find that his death and sufferings have not been in vain, but the means of saving so many: to this sense some understand that text of St. Paul, where he saith, that Christ, for the joy which was set before him, endured the cross, despising the sliame, (Heb.xii. 2.) By his knowledge.] By such a knowledge of Christ, as produceth faUh andobedience. (See John xvii. 3. Philip. iii/8, 9. 2 Pet. i. 3.). \ -.. Shall my righteous servant.] St. John alludes to/ this place, when he calls our Saviour, Jesus Christ the righteous, 1 John ii. 1. (Concerning the title of servant, see the note onxlii. 1.) L7 « X’- Justify many.’] The writers of the New Testament allude to this text, when they say, that Christ gave his life a ransom for many; (Matt. xx. 2S.) His blood was shed for many; (Matt.xxvi.28.) Christ teas once.offered to bear the sins of many; (Heb. ix. 28.) and, By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous, (Rom. v. 19.) where the ot IloXXot, the many, are equivalent to all men, as appears by the foregoing verse.

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great. The words may be rendered more exactly to* the Hebrew, thus, I will bestow many upon him; or, I will give him his share or possession in many: to this sense the Sep t tuagint render it, KXripovofiricTzt iroXkovg. Thus the expression, is equivalent to that of Psal. ii. 1. Itvill give him the heathen to his inheritance, &c. Any gift is expressed in the Hebrew by a share or lot in a division: the phrase alludes to the division of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes by lot. • (See Psal. xvi. 5, 6.) And he shall divide the spoil with the strong.] The expression alludes to the custom of conquerors to divide the spoils of their victory.with their officers and soldiers. (See ix. 3. Josh. xxii. 8. Judg. v. 30. Prov. xvi. 19. Zech. xiv. 1.) So Christ, after he had conquered the powers of darkness by his cross, (see Colos. ii. 15.) should ascend triumphantly into heaven, leading captivity captive, and distributing gifts unto men, (Ephes. iv. 8.) But I must observe, that the Septuagint and Chaldee paraphrase render the words, He shall divide the spoils of the strong; as if the Hebrew particle eth stood for meeth, as it does Gen. iv. 1. and elsewhere; and then the sense will be, that Christ shall turn Satan out of that kingdom, which he had usurped over mankind, and assert his own right to it. (See John xii. 31.) And this interpretation of the words, our Saviour himself may be thought to allude to, when, speaking of his conquest over Satan, he saith, When a stronger thanhe shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. (Luke xi. 22.) Because he hath poured out his soul unto death.] He hath poured forth his blood, wherein the life or animal soul doth consist. (See Lev. xvii. 11.) The same reason of Christ’s exaltation is assigned, Philip, ii. 9.