Isaiah 53

[FuzzyBunny116]

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

 3 He was despised and rejected by men, 
   a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. 
   Like one from whom men hide their faces 
   he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

 4 Surely he took up our infirmities 
   and carried our sorrows, 
   yet we considered him stricken by God, 
   smitten by him, and afflicted. 

 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, 
   he was crushed for our iniquities; 
   the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, 
   and by his wounds we are healed. 

 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, 
   each of us has turned to his own way; 
   and the LORD has laid on him 
   the iniquity of us all. 

 7 He 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. 

 8 By oppression [a](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18720a)] and judgment he was taken away. 
   And who can speak of his descendants? 
   For he was cut off from the land of the living; 
   for the transgression of my people he was stricken. **("http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18720b")] 

 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, 
   and with the rich in his death, 
   though he had done no violence, 
   nor was any deceit in his mouth. 

 10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, 
   and though the LORD makes [c](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18722c)] his life a guilt offering, 
   he will see his offspring and prolong his days, 
   and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 

 11 After the suffering of his soul, 
   he will see the light of life [d](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18723d)] and be satisfied [e](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18723e)] ; 
   by his knowledge [f](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18723f)] my righteous servant will justify many, 
   and he will bear their iniquities. 

 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18724g)] 
   and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=29&chapter=53&version=31#fen-NIV-18724h)] 
   because he poured out his life unto death, 
   and was numbered with the transgressors. 
   For he bore the sin of many, 
   and made intercession for the transgressors.

At first glance, this seems like an incredible prediction of Christ, but a few things come out at me and I’m curious how they can be reconciled.

First, why is it constantly written in past tense, then switched to future?

Who is supposed to be the speaker in this? It sounds like a man at first, and then like it is God.

What about verse 10 that says “he will see his offspring and prolong his days,”
Jesus didn’t have kids.

Any answers would be much appreciated!

 

[Marie]

To understand it you need to know the historical background of it.
I can’t find the original EWTN File on the net anymore, but here is a good comentary on the subject which I saved for reference.
Basic Scripture- EWTN File- Rev. William G. Most:

Isaiah 53 according to the Targum also refers to the Messiah. But the Targum as we have it is badly distorted: it changes the meek lamb being led to the slaughter into an arrogant conqueror. At least three very honest modern Jews: Levey (p. 152, n. 10), Neusner (p. 190), and H. J. Schoeps (Paul. The Theology of the Apostle,Westminster, 1961, p. 129) admit that the ancient Jews deliberately distorted the Targum to try to keep Christians from using Isaiah 53 and similar passages. We can admit the Jews would find that prophecy difficult, for they also generally believed that the Messiah would live forever. Also, the leader of the second Jewish revolt against Rome, in 132-35, Bar Kokhba, was thought by many to be the Messiah - hence his name “Son of the Star”, in allusion to Numbers 24:17.
Chapter 53 is the fourth of the four “Servant Songs” in Isaiah. The others are: 42:1-7; 49:1-7 and 50:4-11. The Targum sees the first and fourth as Messianic, but not the other two. The New Testament sees 1 and 4 also as Messianic. Some think that in 49:1- 7 the servant is Israel - but in it the Servant has a mission to Israel. However, this could be an instance of the Hebrew pattern in which an individual stands for and is identified with a group.

 

[But_for_Grace]

a few thoughts

Isaiah writes in past tense because the vision of the prophesy has passed, but this does not mean that the prophesy was fulfilled at the time of writting. with this in mind the second point appears to lean towards the fact that the prophet is the one speaking and recording the vision through v 10, at that point the voice becomes that of God (LORD is used only when the underlying Hebrew is Yahweh).

Veres 11 speaks of the resurection and the “knowledge” of God’s righteous servant in bearing iniquities and justifing many. This may be nothing more than that Christ knew the results of his death (he is one person of the omniscient God) or a more symbolic meaning of how his becoming human linked his suffering with our own, hence his knowledge (of our trials lets us know that he will forgive us, understands our suffering, etc.)

As to the question about v 10 and “offspring”, the hebrew word here means “seed” which was a common way of speaking about ones childern at that time. This probably has a larger meaning, as Christians we are adopted sons and daughters of God as St. Paul teaches in his letter to the Romans. Further, the Christ planted his church as a Seed which would grow over time. I read the first “his” as pretaining to Christ and the second as pertaining to the offspring.

(I appologize if I err in this digression as to what our Holy Mother Chruch teaches)