53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 1
like a root out of parched soil; 2
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 3
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 4
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 5
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 6
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 7
7:51 “You stubborn 16 people, with uncircumcised 17 hearts and ears! 18 You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors 19 did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors 20 not persecute? 21 They 22 killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, 23 whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! 24
1 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
2 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
3 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
4 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
5 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
6 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
7 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
8 tn Or “subjects.” Technically these people were not his subjects yet, but would be upon his return. They were citizens of his country who opposed his appointment as their king; later the newly-appointed king will refer to them as his “enemies” (v. 27).
9 tn The imperfect is intense in this context, suggesting an ongoing attitude.
10 tn Grk “this one” (somewhat derogatory in this context).
11 tn Or “to rule.”
12 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
13 tn Grk “my beloved son.” See comment at Luke 3:22.
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the tenants’ decision to kill the son.
15 sn Throwing the heir out of the vineyard pictures Jesus’ death outside of Jerusalem.
16 sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
17 tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
18 tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
19 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
20 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
21 sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.
22 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
23 sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.
24 sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).