Yet many people who read them today find that the words seem to jump off the page. Below is a brief exposition and commentary on these three verses. Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make; Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life. After the suffering 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. Ask yourself, if you have the courage to believe it. All of these come and rest upon Him. Am I willing to dismiss Jesus as the one whom the prophet foretold? The passage can also be found in, e.g., the 1937 edition. He called his insurance company from the hospital, but they refused to cover his injury. Raise him up from Seir, to assemble us the second time on Mount Lebanon, by the hand of Yinnon. When faced with the question, Was Jesus who he claimed to be? Rashi held the position that the servant passages of Isaiah referred to the collective fate of the nation of Israel rather than a personal Messiah. The problem is not what Christians think of the passage. Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. That is the heart of the matter. Isaiah 53 is the fourth of the four “Servant Songs.” (The others are found in Isaiah chapters 42, 49 and 50.) This can only be uncovered by looking back at the preceding ch… We find the same interpretation in the Babylonian Talmud: What is his [the Messiah's] name? If it is because of the traditional belief that the coming of the Messiah will bring the “world to come,” then again, yes, it is impossible for Jesus to be the Messiah. The Zohar, in its interpretation of Isaiah 53, points to the Messiah as well: There is in the Garden of Eden a palace named the Palace of the Sons of Sickness. Just as there were m… because of what Christians think about it, Yet many people who read them today find that the words seem to jump off the page, The early sages expected a personal Messiah to fulfill the Isaiah prophecy, Israel is not now, nor ever has been, without sin. Likewise, how can Israel be the servant, the one who "had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:9)? The key to deciphering any biblical text is to view it in context. Were the Jewish people, God forbid, ever "cut off from the land of the living?" They are for Jews. See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. the seven fountains of the blood isaiah 53:3-5 introduction a. humor 1. Author: Isaiah 1:1 identifies the author of the book of Isaiah as the Prophet Isaiah. The problem (according to those who omitted the passage) is what Jews might think. Leah confessed, "I'm starting to see that Jesus is the Messiah, but if I accept it, I'm also rejecting my father, who did not believe in Jesus. After all, the services from which it is omitted are not for Christian ears. Purpose of Writing: The Prophet Isaiah was primarily called to prophesy to the Kingdom of Judah. 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 hath no form nor comeliness. Most scholars agree that the prophet Isaiah likely only wrote a portion of the book, but recent scholarship also argues that even the portions he didn’t physically write originated with him in some form. Undoubtedly, this is a hint at the speaker of the passage, and so before we go any further, we need to determine who is “our”. The Bible’s message of the Creator’s continuing relationship with humanity is no less relevant today than it was thousands of years ago. From its earliest beginnings, Christians have acknowledged that the claims concerning Jesus depend upon his fulfillment of the earlier prophecies of the Jewish Bible. Rabbi Moshe Kohen Iben Crispin of Cordova, who lived in the fourteenth century, said of the Israel as servant interpretation, it "distorts the passage from its natural meaning" and that Isaiah 53 "was given of God as a description of the Messiah, whereby, when any should claim to be the Messiah, to judge by the resemblance or non-resemblance to it whether he were the Messiah or not. He also foretold the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of the Lord. and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Also, Driver and Neubauer, p.399. The Aramaic translation of this chapter, ascribed to Rabbi Jonathan ben Uzziel, a disciple of Hillel who lived early in the second century c.e., begins with the simple and worthy words: Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high, and increase, and be exceeding strong: as the house of Israel looked to him through many days, because their countenance was darkened among the peoples, and their complexion beyond the sons of men (Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 53, ad locum). And then, a completely different view was presented. How can the sin-bearer and the sinner be the same? Isaiah's calling as a prophet was primarily to the nation of Judah (the southern kingdom) and to Jerusalem, urging the people to repent from their sins and return to God. For example, "He was despised and rejected…he was pierced for our transgressions…he was led like a lamb to the slaughter," and so on. It was a convincing passage, indeed, and even her father had not been able to dismiss it. Isaiah 53 is not an isolated chapter and must be read in context to understand its true meaning. That unfamiliarity in part stems from the fact that Isaiah 53 does not appear in the regular synagogue calendar readings. Because when we finish the cycle of readings for the year, we haven't really finished it. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. This is incontrovertible evidence that Isaiah 53 was written before the time of Jesus. Isaiah is one of the prophets of the Jewish Bible. Isaiah 53 Lyrics: Isaiah 53 / Words and music by Ray Boltz and Steve Millikan / All we like sheep have gone astray / We've turned everyone to his own way / And God laid all our iniquity on Him 2. Encyclopedia Judaica, article on Servant of the Lord, Vol. But many people find a personal challenge in these words that is interwoven with the questions: who is this person and what in the world was he doing? We've left out a portion from our own prophets, ostensibly because of what Christians think about it. "4, Yet to this day, many rabbis persist in citing Rashi as the definitive word on how to interpret the servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53. Our ancient commentators with one accord noted that the context clearly speaks of God's Anointed One, the Messiah. This view was popularized by Jewish commentator Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki), who lived one thousand years after Jesus. Similarly, in an explanation of Ruth 2:14 in the Midrash Rabbah it states: He is speaking of the King Messiah: "Come hither" draw near to the throne "and dip thy morsel in the vinegar," this refers to the chastisements, as it is said, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities.". The chart below offers more striking evidence about how Yeshua, and only Yeshua, could fulfill this very important part of the Jewish Scriptures. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. When she understood that Yeshua is the Jewish way to say Jesus, it dawned on her. Some rabbis, such as Ibn Ezra and Kimchi, agreed. His coming had been preceded by hundreds of years of prophecies. This verse presents some difficulty to those who interpret this passage as referring to Israel. Opening it to the passage in question, she made two astounding discoveries. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. What if His suffering on our behalf, as it is described in Isaiah 53, is precisely what Jesus was sent to fulfill? The Musaf (additional) Service for the Day of Atonement, Philips Machzor (20th c.)7. Some thought it was Jesus, but when it sunk in that the passage was a citation from the Tanakh, they were put off. Actually, it’s in both. Judah was threatened with destruction by Assyria and Egypt, but was … We shall be healed by his wound, at the time that the Eternal will create him (the Messiah) as a new creature. A man went on a ski trip and was knocked unconscious by the chairlift. We wrestle with the same mysteries of our forebears – those of life and death and the quest for meaning amid the uncertainties of daily living. and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? It is not simply because of the Christian interpretation that the Isaiah passage is omitted. Israel is unique inasmuch as it is probably the only place on earth where you can spend a couple of hours on a public street and be assured of getting one hundred Jewish opinions. No alternative interpretation was applied to this passage until the Middle Ages. The Jewish Bible is composed of the Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets) and the Ketuv’im (Writings). Second, they pointed out that the text is grammatically in the singular tense throughout. The last 26 chapters are thought to have been written by Isaiah in his later years. 7. And in the margin he had written: "messianic prophecy—Yeshua is Messiah.". Isaiah prophesized the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. she wanted the answer to be no. One of the most important archeological discoveries of all time is the Dead Sea Scrolls, which includes an almost intact scroll of the book of Isaiah. Israel is not now, nor ever has been, without sin—the Scriptures are replete with examples of Israel's disobedience. Bible passage: Isaiah 53:4-6 Prophet: Isaiah Written: Between 701-681 BC. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. I like Mr. Neto’s answer. This portion of Scripture is highly controversial. Montefiore & H. Loewe, (New York: Schocken Books, 1974) p. 544, 3. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. As you go through the proposed list of people this passage describes, ask yourself: which one was totally blameless throughout his life? We ask hard questions about faith and the issues facing our Jewish people today. This had already been suggested by 12th century Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, who pointed out that the prophesies in chapters 40 to 66, and in chapters 34 and 35, were written in a language very different from the rest of the book, and make no mention of Isaiah in them. However, many other rabbinic sages during this same period and later—including Maimonides—realized the inconsistencies of Rashi's views and would not abandon the original messianic interpretations. Baron, The Servant of Jehovah c. 2000, p. viii. (Sanhedrin 98b). Date of Writing: The book of Isaiah was written between 739 and 681 B.C. If so, what are the implications of this for Jewish people and others? "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it … 14, p. 1187, 6. (Not that our people outside of Israel are adverse to giving opinions, it's just difficult to find such a high concentration of us in any one place.) “He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.” This is to emphasize the eminence of the Messiah who would in fact rise from the dead, and ascend to the heavens and sit next t… As you will see armed with only a Bible and Rabbi Tovia Singer’s two-part audio program and written teachings on this chapter, originally this passage had nothing to do with a future messiah. In Isaiah 53:4-6, the prophet Isaiah, who lived about 700 years before the time of Jesus, prophesied that the Messiah would suffer for the sins of others: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Could it be because countless Jewish followers in Yeshua (Jesus) have come to believe in him after studying this very passage? Judah was going through times of revival and times of rebellion. If you were to survey one hundred Jews who believe Yeshua is the Messiah, you'd get a very different opinion about the identity of this servant in Isaiah. This is incontrovertible evidence that Isaiah 53 was written before the time of Jesus. grew up in Nazareth, a city with a very (, while on the cross, was mocked, blasphemed and reviled, even by those who were crucified with him (, would bear our sins and suffer in our place (, "…himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." The book is about two basic questions. Jewish followers in Yeshua (Jesus) have come to believe in him after studying this very passage? Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. Though the “servant” in Isaiah 53 is not openly identified – these verses merely refer to “My servant” (52:13, 53:11) – the “servant” in each of the previous Servant Songs is plainly and repeatedly identified as the Jewish nation. John 12:37-38 and Romans 10:16 use Isaiah 53:1 to state Israel's rejection of Christ despite His many miracles in their presence. This question reveals a set of assumptions that we are asking questions about. Are you ready to know why?If you are willing to explore this “obscure” passage, here it is:Isaiah 52:13-15 1. The Rabbis said: His name is "the leper scholar," as it is written, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted." Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. If you open its pages, you might be surprised how contemporary an ancient text can be. There is really no consensus based on personal knowledge of the passage. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. ", When challenged to read Isaiah 53, Leah found her dad's old, faded Tanakh. But Israel is not unique when it comes to the Jewish response to Isaiah 53. Likewise, it is impossible to say that "for the transgression of my people he was stricken" since "my people" clearly means the Jewish people. Since when does the Christian interpretation of Jewish Scripture have a bearing on what is or is not read in synagogues all over the world? This portion of Scripture is highly controversial. A recent informal survey illustrates this point.1 One hundred Jews on the streets of Tel Aviv were asked, Who do you think the 53rd chapter of Isaiah describes?" O bring him up from the circle of the earth. Some of the first written interpretations or targums (ancient paraphrases on biblical texts) see this passage as referring to an individual servant, the Messiah, who would suffer. These are the issues we seek to probe, from within Jewish tradition and through the record of the New Testament. All seemed to think that whomever it referred to, it wouldn't make much difference in their daily lives. Rabbinic Anthology, C.G. But what if he is? © Copyright 2020 - Chosen People Ministries. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. The 53 rd Chapter of Isaiah, written 700 years before the birth of Jesus describes in great detail the ministry of Jesus and his rejection by the nation of Israel. Messianic Jewish talmudist, Rachmiel Frydland, recounts those early views:3. Luke 22:28 reminds us that Jesus was familiar with suffering, as Isaiah 53:3 noted. Biblical scholars have established that the Book of Isaiah comprises what were originally three separate books, written over a period of centuries. It was written by Isaiah who was a prophet from 619-533 B.C.E. This page is also available in: हिन्दी (Hindi) Some claim that Isaiah 53 doesn’t point to the future Messiah.They base their assumption on the fact that Isaiah wrote chapter 53 in the past tense. Third, they noted verse 8 of chapter 53. - Jeremiah 31:36. If you don't see an email from us in the next few weeks, please check your spam or junk folder in your email account to make sure our messages have not been filtered. The Jewish Bible is composed of the Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets) and the Ketuv’im (Writings). If nothing else, the chapter is packed with incredible drama, heroics and pathos. This palace the Messiah enters, and He summons every pain and every chastisement of Israel. But what if the role of the Messiah includes that of Suffering Servant? If Jesus is not the fulfillment of Isaiah 53 and a host of other prophecies of the Jewish Bible, he is not the Messiah. Because contrary to what those surveyed felt, many people have looked into the questions this passage poses and have found that the answers are extremely relevant to their own lives. 2 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. Actually, it’s in both. “Behold, my servant shall prosper…” The term “servant” is supposed to connect back to sections earlier in the book that speak of “the Servant of the Lord” (for example, in chapters 42, 49 and 50, where the Messiah is described as a servant that suffers). In the spring of 2000, Efraim Goldstein and several Jews for Jesus staff members conducted an informal, "non-scientific" survey of passersby on the streets of Tel Aviv. In the original text there were no chapters and breaks. Which one lives today? In 1922, the late David Baron, a British Jewish believer in Yeshua who was well-versed in rabbinics, wrote in the preface to his exposition of Isaiah chapter 53: …it is beyond even the wildest credulity to believe that the resemblance in every feature and minutest detail between this prophetic portaiture drawn centuries before his [Jesus'] advent and the story of his life, and death, and glorious resurrection as narrated in the gospels, can be mere accident or fortuitous coincidence.6. There are numerous challenges in the Book of Isaiah that lead scholars to speculate about which parts were written by Isaiah himself, and what else was added and by whom. The early sages expected a personal Messiah to fulfill the Isaiah prophecy. Scientific consensus, arrived at by analysis of the scroll itself, plus paleographic and scribal dating studies, place the scroll at 150-100 B.C. Others shrugged off the passage as too difficult to understand. In Isaiah 52:13-53:12, the prophet foreshadowed the life and mission of Jesus, who was born about 700 years later. If verse 8 refers to Israel, then are we to read that Israel is stricken for Israel because of Israel's sin? They usually cite the prophet Isaiah himself, King Cyrus, King Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Moses, Job or even some anonymous contemporaries of Isaiah as the one spoken of by the prophet.5. And you would probably find that a large percentage of them found this passage extremely influential in their thinking. 2:5, p. 2, 4. Most were unfamiliar with the passage and were asked to read it before answering. First, the passage really did sound like it was describing Jesus. Leah just had to ask…"Who is Yeshua?" Isaiah is one of the prophets of the Jewish Bible. Isaiah 53 is a well-known passage of Scripture to the avid student of the Bible. The omission is striking because of what Montefiore does not quite say. 2. Isaiah 53:2. 1. In Isaiah 53:3, the prophet said that the Messiah would be rejected and despised. Isaiah speaks about the Messiah—His humiliation and sufferings are described—He makes His soul an offering for sin and makes intercession for the transgressors—Compare Mosiah 14. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (, did not defend himself to Herod, Pontius Pilate or the Sanhedrin (, was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man (, would not remain dead, but see his seed, prolong his days andbe exalted (, rose from the dead three days after the crucifixion and still lives today and millions of people see themselves as his spiritual seed (. Our Jewish people, God forbid when was isaiah 53 written ever `` cut off from the land the... 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