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The Prophet Isaiah, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

Isaiahchapter 53

12 verses · Isaiah · 8th century BC · The Prophets

The Prophet Isaiah, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

This chapter opens in the middle of a passage. The fourth of Isaiah's songs about the Servant begins three verses earlier, at Isaiah 52:13. Read Isaiah 52 from the start→

Show Isaiah 52:13 to 15, where this unit begins

52:13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

52:14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

52:15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

These verses are numbered in Isaiah 52.

The line breaks below follow the poem's own punctuation. The section titles are this site's own.

A.Despised and Rejected, No Beauty That We Should Desire Himvv. 1-3

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

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.

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.

B.Wounded for Our Transgressions, Bruised for Our Iniquitiesvv. 4-6

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

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.

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.

C.As a Lamb Led to the Slaughter, a Grave with the Richvv. 7-9

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.

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.

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.

D.It Pleased the LORD to Bruise Him: He Shall See His Seedvv. 10-12

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.

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.

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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