The Lamb · stop 4 of 9
Dumb before the shearers
For the first time the lamb is a person: 'as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.' Silence is the detail Isaiah repeats twice in one verse.
7He 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.
Open Isaiah 53:7 in the reader →Everything gathered on this verse →
A voice from the tradition
Witness
By this will we are sanctified, his making his own soul, his own life, an offering for our sin. It was for our good, and in our stead, that Jesus Christ suffered.
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710), on Isaiah 53:7 — public domainPuritan
The approved voices
On Isaiah 53:7
Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. This testimony is about the Ethiopian eunuch, who was riding in a chariot of Queen Candace while reading the book of Acts (Chapter 8 and following). He did not understand what he was reading, but with the help of Philip, he came to understand the passion and the name of the Savior. He was immediately baptized in the blood of the Lamb that he had been reading about and deserved to be called a man.
Jerome· Commentary on Isaiah, 420Patristic
The workbench
Words in this verse
- נִגַּ֨שׂni.Gas — he was oppressedH5065
- וְה֣וּאve.Hu' — and heH1931
- נַעֲנֶה֮na.'a.Neh — [was] afflictedH6031
- וְלֹ֣אve.Lo' — and notH3808
- יִפְתַּח־yif.tach- — he openedH6605
- פִּיו֒piv — mouth hisH6310
- כַּשֶּׂה֙ka.Seh — like <the> sheepH7716
- לַטֶּ֣בַחla.Te.vach — [which] to the slaughterH2874
- יוּבָ֔לyu.Val — it is broughtH2986
- וּכְרָחֵ֕לu.khe.ra.Chel — and like a eweH7353
- לִפְנֵ֥יlif.Nei — [which] <to> beforeH6440
- גֹזְזֶ֖יהָgo.ze.Zei.ha — shearers itsH1494
- נֶאֱלָ֑מָהne.'e.La.mah — it is dumbH481
- וְלֹ֥אve.Lo' — and notH3808
- יִפְתַּ֖חyif.Tach — he openedH6605
- פִּֽיו׃Piv — mouth hisH6310
The floor
Where the canon echoes this verse
- Acts 8:32–33
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
Commentary on Acts 8:32–331 voice
But again: Whom did Philip preach to the eunuch of the queen of the Ethiopians, returning from Jerusalem, and reading Esaias the prophet, when he and this man were alone together?
Irenaeus· Against Heresies Book III, 202Patristic
- Matthew 26:63
But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Commentary on Matthew 26:631 voice
(Verse 63.) And the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living God that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. Why do you swear, most wicked of priests, to accuse rather than to believe? If to accuse, others argue: condemn the silent one. If to believe, why did you not want to believe the one confessing?
Jerome· Commentary on Matthew, 420Patristic
- 1 Peter 2:23
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Mark 14:61
But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
Commentary on Mark 14:611 voice
If you will not learn Who Christ is from those that know Him, learn it at least from those that know Him not. So shall the confession, which their ignorance is forced to make, rebuke your blasphemy. The Jews did not recognise Christ, come in the body, though they knew that the true Christ must be the Son of God. And so, when they were employing false witnesses, without one word of truth in their testimony, against Him, their priest asked Him, Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Hilary of Poitiers· ON THE TRINITY 6.50, 367Patristic
- John 19:9
and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
Commentary on John 19:91 voice
Since he willed to suffer on behalf of the world, he is silent when examined and beaten by Pilate. For if he had spoken, he would not have been crucified from weakness, since there is no weakness in the words that the Word speaks.
Origen of Alexandria· COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 19.61, 253Patristic
- Matthew 27:12–14
And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.
Commentary on Matthew 27:12–142 voices
The governor marvelled at His endurance, as knowing that he had power to condemn Him, He yet continued in a peaceful, placid, and immovable prudence and gravity. He marvelled greatly, for it seemed to him a great miracle that Christ, produced before a criminal tribunal, stood thus fearless of death, which all men think so terrible.
Origen of Alexandria· Catena Aurea by Aquinas, 253Patristic
Neither then nor now did Jesus make any reply to their accusations, for the word of God was not sent to them, as it was formerly to the Prophets. Neither was Pilate worthy of an answer, as he had no fixed or abiding opinion of Christ, but veered about to contradictory suppositions. Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
Origen of Alexandria· Catena Aurea by Aquinas, 253Patristic
- Luke 23:9
Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer.
Commentary on Luke 23:92 voices
Having been bound, Christ went from Caiaphas to Pilate; is this also written? Yes: "And having bound him, they led him away as a present to the King of Jarim." But some keen listener will object: "Pilate was not a king." (Let us pass over for the time the main points of the inquiry.) "How then, having bound him, did they lead him as a present to the king?" But read the Gospel: "Pilate, hearing that he was from Galilee, sent him to Herod; for Herod was then king and was present in Jerusalem."
Cyril of Jerusalem· Catechetical Lecture 13:14, 386Patristic
He was silent and did nothing, for Herod's unbelief deserved not to see Him, and the Lord shunned display. And perhaps typically in Herod are represented all the ungodly, who if they have not believed the Law and the Prophets, cannot see Christ's wonderful works in the Gospel.
Ambrose of Milan· Catena Aurea by Aquinas, 397Patristic
- Mark 15:5
But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.
Commentary on Mark 15:51 voice
He is the One who, although he was silent in his passion, will not be silent finally in the day of reckoning. He is our God, even if unrecognized. He is already known among the faithful and all who believe. When he comes manifesting himself in his second coming, he will not be silent. For although he was formerly hidden in humility, he will come manifested in power.
Cyprian· Treatise IX. On the Advantage of Patience 23, 258Patristic
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge; OpenBible.info (CC-BY).