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Isaiah 53

The Suffering Servant

1Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed?

"Jehovah" renders the Tetragrammaton YHWH as required by PT convention. The word "שְׁמֻעָתֵנוּ" (shemu'atenu) means "our report" or "what we have heard" — rendered as "what we have heard" to preserve the communal testimony sense. "זְרוֹעַ" (zeroa') means "arm," a concrete image of Jehovah's active power and intervention, retained literally rather than softened to an abstraction.

2He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no striking form, no majesty. We looked at him, and there was no appearance that we should desire him.

The Hebrew *יוֹנֵק* (yoneq) means a suckling or tender shoot — something newly emerged and fragile — preserved here rather than softened to a generic "plant." The phrase *לְפָנָיו* (before him) maintains the relational dynamic: the servant grows up in the presence of the one he serves, keeping the sender/servant distinction intact. *תֹאַר* (to'ar) and *הָדָר* (hadar) together convey outward form and splendour; both are negated, emphasising that nothing in his visible appearance would attract or commend him to observers.

3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sufferings and acquainted with sickness. And like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we regarded him as nothing.

*Nibzeh* (נִבְזֶה) appears twice in the verse — translated "despised" both times, preserving the deliberate repetition the Hebrew uses for emphasis. *Chadal ishim* (חֲדַל אִישִׁים) literally means "forsaken/rejected of men" — one from whom men withdraw — rendered "rejected by men" to capture that sense of active human avoidance. *Lo chashabnuhu* (לֹא חֲשַׁבְנֻהוּ) means "we did not reckon him" or "we did not account him" — translated "we regarded him as nothing," conveying the full weight of that dismissal.

4Surely he carried our sicknesses, and our pains he bore them. Yet we ourselves reckoned him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted.

The Hebrew *נָשָׂא* (nasa) means to lift and carry — a physical bearing of burden — rendered "carried" to preserve this weight. *חֳלָיֵנוּ* (cholayenu) means sicknesses or diseases, not the more abstract "griefs" found in many conventional translations. *מֻכֵּה אֱלֹהִים* (mukkeh Elohim) is rendered "struck by God" at face value — the verse presents this as the mistaken assumption of the onlookers, not a theological statement of fact, and the translation preserves that irony without softening it.

5Yet he was pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. The discipline that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

The Hebrew *mĕḥolal* (from *ḥālal*) carries the primary meaning of pierced or wounded through — not merely "wounded" in a general sense but penetrated or run through; this sharper force is preserved here. *Mûsar* means discipline or chastisement in the sense of corrective punishment, not simply "punishment" as often rendered; the phrase reads literally "the discipline of our peace was upon him," meaning the corrective suffering that secured our wholeness (*shalom*) fell on him. *Ḥăburâh* means a stripe, bruise, or wound from a blow — rendered "wounds" to preserve the physical, bodily force of the image.

6We all wandered like sheep, each turning to his own way, and Jehovah caused to fall on him the iniquity of us all.

The verb *hifgi'a* (הִפְגִּיעַ) is the hiphil causative form of *paga'*, meaning to cause something to strike, meet, or fall upon — here rendered "caused to fall on him" to preserve the causative force rather than the softer "laid on him" found in many conventional translations. *Ta'inu* (תָּעִינוּ) conveys active wandering or straying, reinforcing the sheep metaphor as a picture of deliberate misdirection rather than passive lostness. *Avon* (עֲוֺן) is rendered "iniquity" in its full sense of guilt and moral crookedness, not merely "sin" in its lighter modern usage.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to slaughter, and like a ewe silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth.

The Hebrew נִגַּשׂ (niggash) carries the force of being pressed hard or oppressed — a stronger word than mere "suffering" — and וְהוּא נַעֲנֶה (vehu na'aneh) means he was humbled or afflicted in response to that pressure. The double repetition of "he did not open his mouth" is preserved exactly as in the source text, as the Hebrew text itself repeats it for emphasis and the repetition must not be collapsed into a single occurrence. The feminine pronoun is avoided — rendered 'its' rather than 'her' following ESV and NIV — to prevent any confusion between the ewe in the simile and the masculine servant being described throughout the passage.

8By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who will speak of his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people, a blow fell on him.

"מֵעֹצֶר" (me'otser) means "by oppression" or "by restraint" — translated here as "by oppression" to preserve the force of unjust constraint rather than the softer "after" used in some traditions. "נִגְזַר" (nigzar) means "cut off" — a stark, decisive verb of severance, retained without softening. "נֶגַע לָמוֹ" literally means "a blow/stroke to him" — translated as "a blow fell on him," preserving the physical force of the Hebrew rather than abstracting it into passive theological language.

9His grave was appointed with the wicked, and with the rich in his deaths, though he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

The plural בְּמֹתָיו (*bəmōtāyw*, "his deaths") is preserved literally rather than smoothed into a singular, as it appears in the Hebrew — this unusual plural is theologically significant and should not be normalised. The verb וַיִּתֵּן (*wayyittēn*) means "he appointed/assigned" with Jehovah as the implied subject, rendered as a passive to reflect the agency without adding a named subject not explicit in the clause. חָמָס (*ḥāmās*) is translated "violence" in its primary sense of wrongful force, not softened to "wrong."

10Yet Jehovah was pleased to crush him, making him sick. If his life is made a guilt offering, he will see offspring, he will lengthen days, and the pleasure of Jehovah will succeed in his hand.

*Nephesh* (נַפְשׁוֹ) is rendered "his life" rather than "his soul," following the Pioneer Translation's consistent rendering of this word as life or being. *Asham* (אָשָׁם) is translated "guilt offering," its precise sacrificial meaning in Levitical law — a specific category of atoning sacrifice, not a general term for sin. *Daka* (דַּכְּאוֹ) is translated "crush," preserving the violent physical force of the verb, which tradition has sometimes softened.

11Out of the anguish of his being he will see and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will make many righteous, and their iniquities he will bear.

The Hebrew *nephesh* (נַפְשׁוֹ) is rendered "being" rather than "soul," following the Pioneer Translation's treatment of this word as the whole living person, not an immaterial component. The word *eved* (עַבְדִּי) is translated "servant," preserving the explicit servant-of-Jehovah framework central to this passage. The phrase "my righteous servant" follows the Hebrew word order (*tsaddiq avdi*), keeping the descriptor "righteous" before "servant" as the source text places it, rather than smoothing it into "my servant the righteous one."

12Therefore I will give him a portion among the many, and with the mighty he will divide the spoil — because he poured out his being to death, and was numbered among the transgressors, and he bore the sin of the many, and for the transgressors he intercedes.

*Napšô* (נַפְשׁוֹ) is rendered "his being" rather than "his soul," consistent with the PT treatment of *nephesh* as referring to the whole living self. *He'erâ* (הֶעֱרָה) carries the sense of pouring out or laying bare — his entire being was exposed and surrendered to death, not merely his body. *Yapgîa'* (יַפְגִּיעַ) is rendered "intercedes," reflecting its primary meaning of making entreaty or intervention on behalf of another — this same root appears in verse 6, where it describes burden being *laid upon* him, but here the direction is reversed: he now acts on behalf of the transgressors.

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1

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

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

2

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.

For he shall grow 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 shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4

Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

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

5

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

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.

6

We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

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

7

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8

By oppression and judgment He was taken away, and who can recount His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was stricken for the transgression of My people.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

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

10

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Yet it pleased the LORD 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 the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11

After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

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

12

Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

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

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