Isaiah 53:8 - The Suffering Servant

By oppression and judgment He was taken away
This phrase highlights the unjust treatment and legal proceedings that led to the suffering servant's removal. In the context of Isaiah, this can be seen as a prophecy of the Messiah, who Christians believe is Jesus Christ. The oppression and judgment refer to the trials Jesus faced, including His arrest and the subsequent trials before Jewish and Roman authorities. These events are recorded in the Gospels, where Jesus is subjected to false accusations and an unfair trial, ultimately leading to His crucifixion. The phrase underscores the miscarriage of justice, as Jesus was innocent yet condemned.

and who can recount His descendants?
This phrase suggests the lack of physical descendants or a future generation for the suffering servant. In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, having descendants was a sign of blessing and legacy. The question implies that the servant's life was cut short, preventing him from having offspring. For Christians, this is seen as a reference to Jesus, who, according to the New Testament, did not have biological children. However, spiritually, His followers are considered His descendants, as they continue His mission and teachings.

For He was cut off from the land of the living;
The phrase "cut off from the land of the living" indicates a premature and violent death. In biblical terms, being "cut off" often refers to a sudden and untimely end. This is seen as a prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion, where He was executed at a relatively young age. The phrase also connects to Daniel 9:26, which speaks of the Messiah being "cut off." The imagery of being removed from the land of the living emphasizes the finality and severity of His death.

He was stricken for the transgression of My people.
This phrase reveals the purpose behind the suffering servant's affliction: it was for the transgressions of others. In the context of Isaiah, this is a substitutionary atonement, where the servant bears the punishment deserved by others. Christians interpret this as a prophecy of Jesus' sacrificial death, where He took upon Himself the sins of humanity. This concept is central to Christian theology, as seen in passages like 1 Peter 2:24, which states that Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. The phrase underscores the servant's role as a willing and innocent substitute for the guilty.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Suffering Servant
This passage is part of the "Servant Songs" in Isaiah, which Christians traditionally interpret as a prophecy about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who suffers for the sins of humanity.

2. Oppression and Judgment
Refers to the unjust treatment and legal proceedings that the Servant endures, symbolizing the trials and crucifixion of Jesus.

3. The Land of the Living
A metaphor for life on earth, indicating that the Servant would be killed.

4. My People
In the context of Isaiah, this refers to the Israelites, but in a broader Christian interpretation, it includes all of God's people who benefit from the Servant's sacrifice.

5. Transgression
The sins and wrongdoings of the people, for which the Servant is punished.

Teaching Points

Understanding Prophecy
Recognize the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the life and work of Jesus Christ, strengthening faith in the divine inspiration of Scripture.

The Cost of Redemption
Reflect on the immense sacrifice Jesus made for humanity's sins, prompting gratitude and a deeper commitment to live according to His teachings.

Injustice and Suffering
Consider how Jesus' unjust suffering provides a model for enduring personal trials and injustices with faith and patience.

Intercession for Others
Just as the Servant suffered for the transgressions of others, Christians are called to intercede and bear one another's burdens in prayer and action.

Evangelism and Witness
Use the prophecy of Isaiah 53 as a tool for sharing the Gospel, explaining how Jesus fulfills these ancient predictions.

(8) He was taken from prison . . .--The Hebrew preposition admits of this rendering, which is adopted by many commentators, as describing the oppression and iniquitous trial which had preceded the death of the servant. It admits equally of the sense, through oppression and through judgment; and, on the whole, this gives a preferable sense. The whole procedure was tainted with iniquity.

Who shall declare his generation?--The words are, perhaps, the most difficult of the whole section, and have been very differently explained: (1) "Who shall declare his life, the mystery of his birth, his eternal being?" (2) "Who shall count his spiritual offspring?" as in Psalm 22:30. (3) "As to his generation (i.e., his contemporaries, as in Jeremiah 2:31), who will consider rightly?" (4) "Who shall set forth his generation in all the intensity of their guilt?"--to say nothing of other renderings, which render the noun as "his dwelling," i.e., the grave, or his "course of life," or his "fate." Of these (3) seems most in harmony with the context, the words that follow pointing to the fact which ought to have been considered, and was not, that though the Servant of Jehovah was smitten, it was not for his own sins, but theirs.

Verse 8. - He was taken from prison and from judgment; rather, by oppression and a judgment was he taken away; i.e. (us Dr. Kay says) "by a violence which cloaked itself under the formalities of a legal process." The Septuagint Version, which is quoted by Philip the deacon in the Acts (Isaiah 8:33), must have been derived from quite a different text. It preserves, however, the right rendering of the verb, "was he taken away," i.e. removed from the earth. Who shall declare his generation? literally, his generation who considereth? The meaning is obscure. Dr. Kay understands by "his generation," his lifetime or his life, comparing Isaiah 38:12, "Mine age is departed," where the same word is used and accompanied by a pronominal suffix. Mr. Urwick suggests that it includes

(1) his origin;

(2) his earthly life; and

(3) his everlasting reign in heaven. . . . Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

By oppression
מֵעֹ֤צֶר (mê·‘ō·ṣer)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6115: Closure, constraint

and judgment
וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט֙ (ū·mim·miš·pāṭ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

He was taken away,
לֻקָּ֔ח (luq·qāḥ)
Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

and who
מִ֣י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

can recount
יְשׂוֹחֵ֑חַ (yə·śō·w·ḥê·aḥ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7878: To muse, complain, talk (of)

His descendants?
דּוֹר֖וֹ (dō·w·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1755: A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling

For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

He was cut off
נִגְזַר֙ (niḡ·zar)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1504: To cut down, off, to destroy, divide, exclude, decide

from the land
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of the living;
חַיִּ֔ים (ḥay·yîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

He was stricken
נֶ֥גַע (ne·ḡa‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5061: Mark -- a blow, a spot

for the transgression
מִפֶּ֥שַׁע (mip·pe·ša‘)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6588: Transgression

of My people.
עַמִּ֖י (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

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