Isaiah 52:15
in Isaiah 52so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
so shall he sprinkle many nations; 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 understand.
KJV
So 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.
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This verse in Isaiah 52
Commentary
16 notes on this verse(Verse 15.) He shall sprinkle many nations; 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. LXX: So many nations will be amazed at him, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For they will see what was not proclaimed to them, and they will understand what they had not heard. He shall sprinkle many nations, purifying them with his own blood and consecrating them in the baptism of God's service.
This site's exposition
My Servant will prosper
on Isaiah 52:13-15
The fourth servant song opens, and its first word is exaltation: “He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted”. Against that height verse 14 sets a form “marred beyond human likeness”. Paul quotes verse 15 at Romans 15:21, and the Targum of Jonathan names this servant the Messiah.
This site's exposition
so He will sprinkle many nations
Clarke keeps sprinkle while doubting it, and Secker, whom he quotes, preferred the Septuagint's reading, many nations will marvel at Him. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown keep sprinkle. Jerome sees in it the blood of Christ and baptism, before which kings shut their mouths.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
The Word, joined to human flesh, came forth from the virgin womb and has now strode forth like a giant and has run his course, and his exit was from the highest heaven and his return to the height of heaven. Now he has been exalted and honored, and many nations now marvel at him, and the kings stop their mouths because they have passed the cruelest laws against Christians. For, indeed, they were not told about him. Now they see, and though they did not hear, now they understand.
For not all believed, but those who did believe admired to the highest point the mystery of piety. "And kings shall keep their mouths shut." At the manifest demonstration of God's power, those who formerly persecuted him and had dared to blaspheme will restrain their …
For as victors they departed from Jerusalem, not as those defeated, in order to subjugate the world to the Gospel of God, who daily preached in the Temple, and had subjected many thousands of Jews to the faith of Christ, also to subjugate his world to the Gospel. For they held the Lord as the leader, who would gather them, the God of Israel, that is, to make one flock out of the entire world, so that what the Lord speaks in the Gospel to the Father would be fulfilled (John 17:21): Give that as you and I are one, so may they be one in us: so that with the same mind and the same opinion, leaving behind conflicting vices and opposing things, they may embrace one and only virtue. For vices and disturbances do not follow one another: that which is said about virtues, in which there are no excesses or deficiencies, that is, neither more nor less, but all things are moderate.
And we have not in vain believed in Him, and have not been led astray by those who taught us such doctrines; but this has come to pass through the wonderful foreknowledge of God, in order that we, through the calling of the new and eternal covenant, that is, of Christ, might be found more intelligent and God-fearing than yourselves, who are considered to be lovers of God and men of understanding, but are not. Isaiah, filled with admiration of this, said: "And kings shall shut their mouths: for those to whom no announcement has been made in regard to Him shall see; and those who heard not shall understand. Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he foretells liberation as to the remission of sins: he shall sprinkle, with the sprinkling of his blood (1 Pet 1:2), and the water of baptism: having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with clean water (Heb 10:22); as …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Kings shall shut their mouths because of him." He means that they will be troubled, after examining [his miracles]. Or, he alludes to what happened at the time of the crucifixion; the sun became obscure, and everybody stood up, being struck by stupefaction.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the L ORD , that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the L ORD ; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v5-6
Kings - Shall be silent before him out of profound humility, reverence, and admiration of his wisdom. For - They shall hear from his mouth many excellent doctrines, which will be new and strange to them. And particularly that comfortable doctrine of the salvation of the Gentiles, which was not only new to them, but strange and incredible to the Jews themselves.
So shall he sprinkle many nations,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
So shall he sprinkle many nations - I retain the common rendering, though I am by no means satisfied with it. “יזה yazzeh, frequent in the law, means only to sprinkle: but the water sprinkled is the accusative case; the thing on which has על al or אל el. Θαυμασονται, ό, makes the best apodosis. ינהג yenahag would do. ינהרו yinharu is used Isa 2:2; Jer 31:12; Jer 51:14, but is unlike. ‘Kings shall shut,’ etc., is good, but seems to want a first part.” - Secker.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The antithesis is sufficient without any forced rendering. Many were astonished; so many (not merely men, but) nations shall be sprinkled. They were amazed at such an abject person claiming to be Messiah; yet it is He who shall justify and purify.
MODERN Jewish writers refuse to see the Messiah in this passage, but their predecessors were not so blind. The Tar-gum and the ancient Rabbis interpreted it of the Messiah and, indeed, all attempts to explain it apart from Him are palpable failures. Christian commentators in all ages have seen the Lord Jesus here. How could they do otherwise? To whom else could the Prophet have referred? If the Man of Nazareth, the Son of God, is not right visible in these three verses, they are dark as midnight itself! We do not hesitate for a moment in applying every word to our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Brothers, when our Lord ascended on high, He gave us this commission, "Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Our duty is to obey that command, whether men will hear or whether they will not. The commission is unconditional and is not dependent upon our success. If up to this date, 1875, there had never been a solitary convert through Christian ministry. If the whole of the Church of God had, until this time, labored in vain and the succession of saints had only been kept up by miracle, it would not affect our duty one iota. Our business is to preach the Gospel, even to those who are driven to persecution thereby. We are to sow, whether a harvest follows or not. Success is with God—service belongs to us. I believe, therefore, that true faith, when it is in a healthy condition, will enable us to go plodding on, carefully scattering the seed even by the wayside and on stony places. But there is flesh about us all—and faith is not always unalloyed with sight—and consequently we occasionally flag and almost faint if we do not see some present usefulness. This passage may cheer us if we fear that we have spent our strength for nothing, for such certainly was the condition of the Church of God at the time when this passage was addressed to it.
MODERN Jewish writers refuse to see the Messiah in this passage, but their predecessors were not so blind. The Tar-gum and the ancient Rabbis interpreted it of the Messiah and, indeed, all attempts to explain it apart from Him are palpable failures. Christian commentators in all ages have seen the Lord Jesus here. How could they do otherwise? To whom else could the Prophet have referred? If the Man of Nazareth, the Son of God, is not right visible in these three verses, they are dark as midnight itself!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
As many wondered As many peoples wondered about them when they saw them in their humble state, and said to one another, How marred is his [Israel’s] appearance from that of a man!
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֵּ֤ן | ken | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| יַזֶּה֙ | yazeh | he will startle | H5137 → | |
| גּוֹיִ֣ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| רַבִּ֔ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| עָלָ֛יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִקְפְּצ֥וּ | yikpetzu | they will shut | H7092 → | |
| מְלָכִ֖ים | melakhim | kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| פִּיהֶ֑ם | pihem | mouth their | H6310 → | 498 times |
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| סֻפַּ֤ר | supar | it had been recounted | H5608 → | 159 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to them | ||
| רָא֔וּ | rau | they will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר | vaasher | and [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמְע֖וּ | shameu | they had heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הִתְבּוֹנָֽנוּ׃ | hitbonanu | they will understand | H995 → | 170 times |
כֵּ֤ןso
kenH3651 →771 times
יַזֶּה֙he will startle
yazehH5137 →
גּוֹיִ֣םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
רַבִּ֔יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
עָלָ֛יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
יִקְפְּצ֥וּthey will shut
yikpetzuH7092 →
מְלָכִ֖יםkings
melakhimH4428 →2525 times
פִּיהֶ֑םmouth their
pihemH6310 →498 times
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֲשֶׁ֨ר[that] which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
סֻפַּ֤רit had been recounted
suparH5608 →159 times
לָהֶם֙to them
lahem
רָא֔וּthey will see
rauH7200 →1300 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֥רand [that] which
vaasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמְע֖וּthey had heard
shameuH8085 →1159 times
הִתְבּוֹנָֽנוּ׃they will understand
hitbonanuH995 →170 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 36:25I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
- John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- Jeremiah 33:8
And I will cleanse them from all the iniquity they have committed against Me, and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- Titus 3:5–6
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- Hebrews 10:22
Through
Isaiah 49:7Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:4
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
- Matthew 26:67
Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him
- Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
- 1 Peter 2:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Augustine of Hippo, AGAINST PHILOSOPHERS 3; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1231: “The Sure Triumph Of The Crucified One” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Ishodad of Merv, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 52:15; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter CXVIII; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 17:52.15 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.