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Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53

The big picture

Isaiah 53 opens in verse 1 with “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”, reaches its middle movement near verse 6 with “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the…”, and closes in verse 12 with “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, mouth, soul, afflicted, death. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Isaiah · King James Version · 12

Isaiah 53:1-6

1–6: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD…

Isaiah 53:1–6 opens with “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” and reaches “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 53 develops its own movement around LORD, mouth, soul, afflicted, death, with particular weight carried by despised, LORD, sorrows.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” By verse 3, the text has turned to “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid…” It lands on “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 question, 1 stated contrast, 3 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Accusation, warning, invitation to return, judgment, and hope each do different work. The prophet’s first audience anchors later questions about fulfillment. Words such as despised, LORD, sorrows, acquainted, afflicted, astray tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Isaiah 53 develops its own movement around LORD, mouth, soul, afflicted, death,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include All, God, Surely. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 1: “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: despised, LORD, sorrows, acquainted, afflicted, astray

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Isaiah 53:1

    “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  2. Isaiah 53:2

    “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…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  3. Isaiah 53:3

    “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from…” The line’s distinctive content terms include despised, acquainted, esteemed. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.

  4. Isaiah 53:4

    “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and…” Naming Surely keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Isaiah 53:5

    “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon…” The line’s distinctive content terms include bruised, chastisement, healed. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Isaiah 53:6

    “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

Isaiah 53:1-6

King James Version

1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2For 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.

3He 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.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But 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.

6All 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.

Isaiah 53:7-12

7–12: He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he…

Isaiah 53:7–12 opens with “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to…” and reaches “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 53 develops its own movement around LORD, mouth, soul, afflicted, death, with particular weight carried by mouth, soul, death.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb…” By verse 9, the text has turned to “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done…” It lands on “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 question, 1 stated contrast, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Accusation, warning, invitation to return, judgment, and hope each do different work. The prophet’s first audience anchors later questions about fulfillment. Words such as mouth, soul, death, divide, LORD, transgressors tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Isaiah 53 develops its own movement around LORD, mouth, soul, afflicted, death,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Yet. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 8: “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…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: mouth, soul, death, divide, LORD, transgressors

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Isaiah 53:7

    “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as…” The line’s distinctive content terms include mouth, afflicted, dumb. Its relationship to verses 8 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Isaiah 53:8

    “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  3. Isaiah 53:9

    “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was…” The line’s distinctive content terms include death, deceit, grave. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  4. Isaiah 53:10

    “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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  5. Isaiah 53:11

    “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  6. Isaiah 53:12

    “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

Isaiah 53:7-12

King James Version

7He 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.

8He 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.

9And 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.

10Yet 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.

11He 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.

12Therefore 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.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Identify the historical crisis, covenant failure, warning, and promised hope.
  2. Distinguish the prophet’s immediate audience from later biblical connections.
  3. Do not turn present-day headlines into confident fulfillment claims without textual evidence.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Isaiah 53?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Isaiah 53 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Isaiah 53 develops its own movement around LORD, mouth, soul, afflicted, death?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?