A Study of Isaiah 53 In Its Evolving Historical Contexts (2)

ESSAY TWO

A Study of Isaiah 53

The Interpretation and Evolving Meaning

of the Suffering Servant of God

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

Please note

I will provide a process-theological reflection after each of six sections. I have also listed in the Appendix five English versions of Isaiah 53 using BibleHub.com for comparative, side-by-side reading and study. I have also included the Hebrew Interlinear bible and Greek Septuagint (LXX) versions.

“The biblical text does not live in the past alone,

but in the continuing life of evolving communities

that receive and pursue it's loving message.”

- R.E. Slater

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II. The Literary Context

The Servant Songs within Isaiah 40-55

The passage commonly known as Isaiah 53 does not stand alone but forms part of a larger poetic unit extending from Isaiah 52:13–53:12. This unit belongs to a group of passages within Isaiah 40–55 often referred to by scholars as the Servant Songs. These texts introduce a mysterious figure described as the “servant of Yahweh,” whose role is connected with the restoration of Israel and the revelation of God’s purposes among the nations.

Most modern scholarship identifies four principal servant passages within Deutero-Isaiah 40–55:

• Isaiah 42:1–9
• Isaiah 49:1–6
• Isaiah 50:4–11
• Isaiah 52:13–53:12

Together these poems introduce a mysterious figure referred to as “the servant of the Lord.” Although these passages share common themes, they also exhibit distinctive literary features that set them apart from the surrounding prophetic material. The servant is portrayed at times as an individual chosen by God, yet at other times the servant appears closely associated with the collective identity of Israel itself. This ambiguity has long invited interpretation, encouraging readers across centuries to reflect on the relationship between individual vocation and communal destiny.

Several themes appear consistently across the songs:

• the servant is chosen by God
• the servant experiences rejection and suffering
• the servant carries the burdens of others
• the servant ultimately receives divine vindication.

Within this sequence, Isaiah 53 represents the dramatic culmination. The narrative arc of the servant unfolds in a pattern:

• Calling and Proclamation
• Rejection and Suffering
• Renewal of Burden
• Vindication

Although the servant endures humiliation and violence, the poem ends with a surprising reversal. The suffering figure is ultimately exalted and vindicated, suggesting that suffering itself plays a role in the unfolding of divine purposes.

II

Within the broader structure of Isaiah 40–55, the servant songs contribute to the larger message of hope addressed to exiled Israel. These chapters repeatedly proclaim that the God who once formed Israel has not abandoned the covenantal relationship established in earlier generations. Instead, the prophetic voice announces that the period of exile is drawing toward its end and that restoration is imminent. The servant figure functions within this proclamation as a vehicle through which divine purpose becomes visible in history across cycles of dispossession and repossession.

Literarily, the servant passages display a distinctive poetic intensity. They employ vivid imagery, parallelism, and dramatic tension to describe the servant’s calling, suffering, continuation of burden, and eventual vindication. In the final and most developed servant song (Isaiah 52:13–53:12), the narrative unfolds through a carefully balanced sequence of poetic movements. The poem traces a trajectory from humiliation and suffering toward ultimate recognition and exaltation, suggesting that what appears as defeat may paradoxically become the means through which redemption emerges. Uniquely, it is the prophet's own life-story, or personal journey, from which the servant-messenger theme results. 

This literary structure has led many scholars to describe the passage as one of the most profound poetic compositions within the Hebrew Bible. The text’s rhetorical power lies partly in its ability to reinterpret suffering itself. Rather than portraying suffering simply as meaningless tragedy, the poem frames it within a larger narrative of transformation, suggesting that the servant’s experience becomes a catalyst for communal healing.

At the same time, the poem remains deliberately open-ended. It does not fully identify the servant, nor does it explicitly resolve the tension between individual and collective interpretations. This ambiguity has allowed the passage to remain fertile ground for additional theological reflection across diverse historical contexts.

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Process-Theological Reflection

From a process perspective, the literary structure of the servant songs illustrates how theological meaning often emerges through poetic narrative rather than systematic doctrine. The prophetic writers did not attempt to construct a rigid metaphysical explanation of suffering... in theological terms this is known as theodicy:

Theodicy is the theological and philosophical attempt to justify or defend God’s goodness and omnipotence despite the existence of evil and suffering in the world. Coined from Greek roots for "God" (theos) and "justice" (dike), it addresses the "problem of evil" - how a loving creator allows suffering, pain, and death.

Key Aspects of Theodicy

• Purpose: To reconcile an all-powerful, all-good God with a broken world.
• Origin: The term was coined by German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz in 1710.

Common Arguments

• Free Will Defense: Evil exists because God gave humans free will, allowing them to choose wrongly.
• Soul-Making Theodicy: Suffering is necessary for spiritual growth and character development.
• Contrast/Balance: Evil provides a necessary contrast to understand beauty and goodness.
• Distinction: Unlike a "defense," which only tries to show that God and evil are logically compatible, a theodicy attempts to explain why God permits evil.

Theodicy aims to show that the existence of evil does not necessarily disprove the existence of a benevolent, omnipotent God.

Another contemporary nuance to the classic doctrine of omnipotence is to replace its teaching with that of amipotence:

• Omnipotence defines God as having unlimited, coercive power to do anything, often leading to questions about why evil exists.
• Amipotence (from Latin amicus, "friend") posits that God’s power is defined by "uncontrolling/non-coercive love," suggesting God influences the world through persuasion and relationship, rather than absolute control. 

Key Differences

• Nature of Power: Omnipotence is "power over" (control/coercion), while amipotence is "power alongside of" (loving persuasion). Hence, empowering loving attitudes and actions.
• Response to Evil: In omnipotence, God could stop evil but chooses not to. In amipotence, God cannot singlehandedly stop evil because God's love respects creaturely free will and will not control creation - only persuade as is possible under love's genuine composition and character.
• Source of Action: Omnipotence focuses on God as the sole cause. Amipotence emphasizes an agential (freewill) synergy between God and creatures.
• Goal: The goal of omnipotence is often viewed as total domination to establish order; the goal of amipotence is relational love involving willing participation, synergistic cooperation, and empowering love.. 

Consequently, divine amipotence seeks to solve the problem of evil by suggesting that God’s love is "relentlessly loving" rather than "profoundly omnipotent," working to persuade all creatures and even nature itself towards goodness.

II

Repeating our first observation then... "From a process perspective, the literary structure of the servant songs illustrates how theological meaning often emerges through poetic narrative rather than systematic doctrine. The prophetic writers did not attempt to construct a rigid metaphysical explanation of suffering... in theological terms this is known as theodicy."

Instead, they offered imaginative frameworks through which communities might reinterpret their experiences of loss, injustice, and hope. The servant figure thus functions less as a fixed doctrinal identity and more as a symbolic lens through which Israel could understand its historical experience and vocation within the unfolding drama of the divine-human relationship.

Within this context, suffering is not portrayed as a predetermined divine requirement but as the tragic dimension of historical (creaturely/human) experience that may nevertheless become transformative. Process theology understands God not as the author of suffering but as the persistent source of creative possibility within every moment of experience. Even within conditions of exile, oppression, and communal trauma, divine persuasion continually seeks to bring forth new possibilities for healing and renewal - not only within covenanted communities, but external-and-outside of those communities as well... thus Cyrus, thus Darius I.

Hence, there is no aspect of life which is outside of God's divine jurisdiction of love, recreation, transformation, redemption, renewal, or resurrection. All life - the entirety of the cosmos - are actors within the commerce of God's activity. The servant narrative therefore reflects an ancient attempt to interpret how redemptive meaning might arise within the painful - and consequential - realities of human history.

Finally, the openness of the servant imagery reflects the dynamic nature of theological interpretation itself. Because the biblical text does not rigidly define the servant’s identity, successive generations have been able to imaginatively reinterpret the servant figure in light of their own experiences, hopes, and dreams. From a process perspective, this interpretive flexibility of Scripture (subsumed under the very nature of language itself) is not a weakness of the text but a sign of its vitality and the liveliness of communicative language/dialogue/communion/fellowship between conscious human beings and their societies. Sacred literature remains alive precisely because it participates in the ongoing dialogue between divine possibility and human understanding.

- R.E. Slater

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UPDATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Blenkinsopp, Joseph. Isaiah 40–55. New York: Doubleday, 2002.

Brueggemann, Walter. Isaiah 40–66. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998.

Childs, Brevard S. Isaiah. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.

Clifford, Richard J. Isaiah 40–66. New Collegeville Bible Commentary. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.

Cobb, John B., Jr., and David Ray Griffin. Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976.

Collins, John J. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2018.

Fretheim, Terence E. The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.

Goldingay, John. The Message of Isaiah 40–55. London: T&T Clark, 2005.

Goldingay, John. The Theology of the Book of Isaiah. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014.

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Theodicy: Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man, and the Origin of Evil. 1710.

Oord, Thomas Jay. The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015.

Seitz, Christopher R. Isaiah 40–66. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.

Sweeney, Marvin A. Isaiah 40–66. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016.

Westermann, Claus. Isaiah 40–66: A Commentary. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969.

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APPENDIX I

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Literary Structure of the Servant Songs in Isaiah 40–55

The four passages commonly known as the Servant Songs appear within the exilic section of Isaiah (chapters 40–55). Although these poems share thematic unity, each develops a different dimension of the servant’s vocation. When read sequentially, the songs reveal a progressive narrative movement from commissioning to suffering and eventual vindication.

First Servant Song – Isaiah 42:1–9

• The Servant Introduced by God – 42:1
  God presents the servant as the chosen one, upheld and empowered by the divine Spirit.

• The Character of the Servant’s Mission – 42:2–3
  The servant establishes justice through gentleness rather than coercion.

• The Servant’s Global Purpose – 42:4
  Justice extends beyond Israel toward the distant nations.

• The Divine Commission – 42:5–7
  The servant is appointed as a covenant for the people and a light to the nations.

• The Divine Declaration of Authority – 42:8–9
  God affirms sovereignty and announces the unfolding of new historical realities.

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Second Servant Song – Isaiah 49:1–6

• The Servant Calls the Nations to Listen – 49:1
  The servant announces that the calling existed before birth.

• The Servant’s Formation and Preparation – 49:2–3
  God shapes the servant as an instrument of prophetic speech.

• The Servant’s Moment of Discouragement – 49:4
  The servant laments the apparent futility of the mission.

• Divine Reaffirmation of the Mission – 49:5
  God confirms the servant’s continuing purpose.

• The Expansion of the Mission – 49:6
  The servant’s calling extends beyond Israel to become a light for all nations.

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Third Servant Song – Isaiah 50:4–11

• The Servant as Teacher – 50:4
  God grants the servant wisdom to sustain the weary.

• The Servant’s Obedient Response – 50:5
  The servant remains faithful to the divine calling.

• The Servant’s Suffering and Persecution – 50:6
  The servant endures humiliation and abuse.

• Confidence in Divine Vindication – 50:7–9
  The servant trusts that God will ultimately vindicate the mission.

• A Call to Decision – 50:10–11
  The audience must decide whether to trust the servant’s message.

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Fourth Servant Song – Isaiah 52:13–53:12

• The Servant Exalted – 52:13–15
  The servant’s mission culminates in unexpected exaltation.

• The Servant Rejected – 53:1–3
  The servant is misunderstood and despised.

• The Servant’s Suffering Interpreted – 53:4–6
  The servant bears the consequences of communal suffering.

• The Servant’s Silent Submission – 53:7–9
  The servant endures injustice without resistance.

• The Servant Vindicated – 53:10–12
  God restores and honors the servant’s mission.

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Narrative Development Across the Four Songs

When read together, the servant songs reveal a progressive theological movement:

• Commissioning and empowerment

• Expansion of mission beyond Israel

• Faithful endurance of suffering

• Transformative suffering leading to vindication

This literary progression suggests that the final servant poem in Isaiah 52–53 represents the culmination of an unfolding theological reflection on vocation, suffering, and restoration within Israel’s exilic experience.

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APPENDIX II

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Isaiah 53 in the King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), English Standard Version (ESV), and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) presents the "Suffering Servant" prophecy with distinct linguistic flavors, ranging from archaic, poetic language to modern, literal phrasing.

Here is a sample breakdown of linguistic/semantic differences:

1. Sample Verse Comparison (Isaiah 53:5)

• KJV: Uses "wounded" and "bruised" with the famous phrase "with his stripes we are healed".
• NASB (1995/2020): Uses "pierced through" and "crushed" for a more intense image.
• ESV: Similar to NASB with "pierced" and "crushed," but renders the end as "with his wounds we are healed".
• NRSV: Uses "wounded" and "crushed," focusing on "punishment that made us whole".

2. Translation Approach & Tone

• KJV (1611): Known for its poetic, archaic language (e.g., "hath") and traditional phrasing.
• NASB (1995/2020): A highly literal, "word-for-word" translation prioritizing precision in modern English.
• ESV (English Standard Version): Balances literal accuracy with improved readability compared to the KJV.
• NRSV (New Revised Standard Version): A "formal equivalence" translation using modern, inclusive language.

3. Parallel Bible Study Comparison

• NASB is generally considered the most precise.
• For Tradition/Beauty: KJV is the standard for poetic, traditional English.
• For Readability/Accuracy Balance: ESV offers a solid balance of the two.
• For Modern Semantic Updates: NRSV provides updated, often more inclusive, phrasing.

4. New Testament References

The Suffering Servant

• Matthew 26:57-68
• Mark 14:53-65
• John 18:19-24
• 1 Peter 2:21-25

A Grave Assigned

• Matthew 27:57-61
• Mark 15:42-47
• Luke 23:50-56
• John 19:38-42

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NEW AMERICAN STD 1995

ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION

1Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

1Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

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

6All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

8By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

8By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

9And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

12Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

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NEW KING JAMES VERSION

KING JAMES BIBLE

1Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

2For 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.

3He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

3He 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.

4Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

5But 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.

6All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

6All 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.

7He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

7He 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.

8He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

8He 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.

9And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

9And 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.

10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You 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.

10Yet 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.

11He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

11He 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.

12Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

12Therefore 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.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

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NEW REVISED STANDARD CATHOLIC EDITION

1Who has believed what we have heard?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3He was despised and rejected by others;

a man of suffering[a] and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces[b]

he was despised, and we held him of no account.

4Surely he has borne our infirmities

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

5But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

6All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8By a perversion of justice he was taken away.

Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people.

9They made his grave with the wicked

and his tomb[c] with the rich,[d]

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.[e]

When you make his life an offering for sin,[f]

he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.

11 Out of his anguish he shall see light;[g]

he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.

The righteous one,[h] my servant, shall make many righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out himself to death,

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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THE LXX VERSION (SWETE'S SEPTUAGINT)

The Suffering Servant

1 Κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσεν τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων Κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη;

2 ἀνηγγείλαμεν ὡς παιδίον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ· οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτῷ οὐδὲ δόξα. καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος,

3 ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον καὶ ἐκλιπὸν παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὢν καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ὅτι ἀπέστραπται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ⸆ ἠτιμάσθη καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη.

4 οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν πληγῇ καὶ ἐν κακώσει.

5 αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν, τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν.

6 πάντες ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν, ἄνθρωπος τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπλανήθη· καὶ Κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν.

7 καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα· ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ.

8 ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον.

A Grave Assigned

9 καὶ δώσω τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀντὶ τῆς ταφῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους ἀντὶ τοῦ θανάτου· ὅτι ἀνομίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ δόλον ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ.

10 καὶ Κύριος βούλεται καθαρίσαι αὐτὸν τῆς πληγῆς· ἐὰν δῶτε περὶ ἁμαρτίας, ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὄψεται σπέρμα μακρόβιον· καὶ βούλεται Κύριος ἀφελεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ πόνου τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ,

11 δεῖξαι αὐτῷ φῶς καὶ πλάσαι τῇ συνέσει, δικαιῶσαι δίκαιον εὖ δουλεύοντα πολλοῖς, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ἀνοίσει.

12 διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸς κληρονομήσει πολλούς, καὶ τῶν ἰσχυρῶν μεριεῖ σκῦλα· ἀνθ᾽ ὧν παρεδόθη εἰς θάνατον ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνόμοις ἐλογίσθη, καὶ αὐτὸς ἁμαρτίας πολλῶν ἀνήνεγκεν, καὶ διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν παρεδόθη.

LXX-Swete-1930 courtesy of Eliran Wong. [BibleBento.com]
https://github.com/eliranwong/NES-Swete-1930 GNU General Public License v3.0

THE OLD TESTAMENT IN GREEK ACCORDING TO THE SEPTUAGINT edited by HENRY BARCLAY SWETE D.D. VOL. I - GENESIS–IV KINGS - Fourth Edition, 1909 - Reprinted 1925 VOL. II - I CRONICLES–TOBIT - Third Edition, 1907 VOL. III - HOSEA–IV MACCABEES - Fourth Edition, 1912 - Reprinted 1930 CAMBRIDGE AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Versification has been modified to correspond with modern English texts. Section Headings Courtesy Bible Hub.

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THE HEBREW INTERLINEAR BIBLE

The Suffering Servant

4310 [e]   1 mî   1 מִ֥י    1 Who   1 Interrog   1 539 [e] he·’ĕ·mîn הֶאֱמִ֖ין has believed V‑Hifil‑Perf‑3ms      ؟       8052 [e] liš·mu·‘ā·ṯê·nū; לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ our report Prep‑l | N‑fsc | 1cp 2220 [e] ū·zə·rō·w·a‘ וּזְר֥וֹעַ and the arm Conj‑w | N‑fsc 3068 [e] Yah·weh יְהוָ֖ה of Yahweh N‑proper‑ms 5921 [e] ‘al- עַל־ to Prep 4310 [e] mî מִ֥י whom Interrog      ؟       1540 [e] niḡ·lā·ṯāh. נִגְלָֽתָה׃ has been revealed V‑Nifal‑Perf‑3fs

5927 [e]   2 way·ya·‘al   2 וַיַּ֨עַל    2 for He shall grow up   2 Conj‑w | V‑Qal‑ConsecImperf‑3ms   2      ､       3126 [e] kay·yō·w·nêq כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק as a tender plant Prep‑k, Art | N‑ms 6440 [e] lə·p̄ā·nāw, לְפָנָ֗יו before Him Prep‑l | N‑cpc | 3ms 8328 [e] wə·ḵaš·šō·reš וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ and as a root Conj‑w, Prep‑k, Art | N‑ms      –       776 [e] mê·’e·reṣ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ out of ground Prep‑m | N‑fsc 6723 [e] ṣî·yāh, צִיָּ֔ה dry Adj‑fs 3808 [e] lō- לֹא־ no Adv‑NegPrt 8389 [e] ṯō·’ar תֹ֥אַר form N‑ms   lōw ל֖וֹ He has Prep | 3ms 3808 [e] wə·lō וְלֹ֣א or Conj‑w | Adv‑NegPrt      –       1926 [e] hā·ḏār; הָדָ֑ר comeliness N‑ms 7200 [e] wə·nir·’ê·hū וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ and when we see Him Conj‑w | V‑Qal‑ConjImperf.h‑1cp | 3ms 3808 [e] wə·lō- וְלֹֽא־ and [There is] no Conj‑w | Adv‑NegPrt 4758 [e] mar·’eh מַרְאֶ֖ה beauty N‑ms      .       2530 [e] wə·neḥ·mə·ḏê·hū. וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃ that we should desire Him Conj‑w | V‑Qal‑ConjImperf.h‑1cp | 3ms

959 [e]   3 niḇ·zeh   3 נִבְזֶה֙    3 He is despised   3 V‑Nifal‑Prtcpl‑ms   3 2310 [e] wa·ḥă·ḏal וַחֲדַ֣ל and rejected by Conj‑w | Adj‑msc      –       376 [e] ’î·šîm, אִישִׁ֔ים men N‑mp 376 [e] ’îš אִ֥ישׁ a Man N‑msc      ､       4341 [e] maḵ·’ō·ḇō·wṯ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת of sorrows N‑mp 3045 [e] wî·ḏū·a‘ וִיד֣וּעַ and acquainted Conj‑w | V‑Qal‑QalPassPrtcpl‑msc      –       2483 [e] ḥō·lî; חֹ֑לִי with grief N‑ms 4564 [e] ū·ḵə·mas·têr וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר and as it were we hid Conj‑w, Prep‑k | N‑msc 6440 [e] pā·nîm פָּנִים֙ [our] faces N‑mp 4480 [e] mim·men·nū, מִמֶּ֔נּוּ from Him Prep | 3ms      ､       959 [e] niḇ·zeh נִבְזֶ֖ה He was despised V‑Nifal‑Prtcpl‑ms 3808 [e] wə·lō וְלֹ֥א and not Conj‑w | Adv‑NegPrt      .       2803 [e] ḥă·šaḇ·nu·hū. חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ׃ we did esteem Him V‑Qal‑Perf‑1cp | 3ms

403 [e]   4 ’ā·ḵên   4 אָכֵ֤ן    4 Surely   4 Adv   4      ､       2483 [e] ḥo·lā·yê·nū חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ our griefs N‑mpc | 1cp 1931 [e] hū ה֣וּא He Pro‑3ms 5375 [e] nā·śā, נָשָׂ֔א has borne V‑Qal‑Perf‑3ms      –       4341 [e] ū·maḵ·’ō·ḇê·nū וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ and our sorrows Conj‑w | N‑mpc | 1cp 5445 [e] sə·ḇā·lām; סְבָלָ֑ם carried V‑Qal‑Perf‑3ms | 3mp 587 [e] wa·’ă·naḥ·nū וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ and yet we Conj‑w | Pro‑1cp 2803 [e] ḥă·šaḇ·nu·hū, חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ esteemed Him V‑Qal‑Perf‑1cp | 3ms      ､       5060 [e] nā·ḡū·a‘ נָג֛וּעַ stricken V‑Qal‑QalPassPrtcpl‑ms 5221 [e] muk·kêh מֻכֵּ֥ה Smitten by V‑Hofal‑Prtcpl‑msc      ､       430 [e] ’ĕ·lō·hîm אֱלֹהִ֖ים God N‑mp      .       6031 [e] ū·mə·‘un·neh. וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃ and afflicted Conj‑w | V‑Pual‑Prtcpl‑ms

1931 [e]   5 wə·hū   5 וְהוּא֙    5 But He   5 Conj‑w | Pro‑3ms   5 2490 [e] mə·ḥō·lāl מְחֹלָ֣ל [was] wounded V‑Pual‑Prtcpl‑ms      ､       6588 [e] mip·pə·šā·‘ê·nū, מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ for our transgressions Prep‑m | N‑mpc | 1cp 1792 [e] mə·ḏuk·kā מְדֻכָּ֖א [He was] bruised V‑Pual‑Prtcpl‑ms      –       5771 [e] mê·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯê·nū; מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ for our iniquities Prep‑m | N‑cpc | 1cp 4148 [e] mū·sar מוּסַ֤ר the chastisement for N‑msc 7965 [e] šə·lō·w·mê·nū שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ our peace N‑msc | 1cp 5921 [e] ‘ā·lāw, עָלָ֔יו [was] upon Him Prep | 3ms 2250 [e] ū·ḇa·ḥă·ḇu·rā·ṯōw וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ and by His stripes Conj‑w, Prep‑b | N‑fsc | 3ms 7495 [e] nir·pā- נִרְפָּא־ are healed V‑Nifal‑Perf‑3ms      .         lā·nū. לָֽנוּ׃ we Prep | 1cp

3605 [e]   6 kul·lā·nū   6 כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙    6 All we   6 N‑msc | 1cp   6 6629 [e] kaṣ·ṣōn כַּצֹּ֣אן like sheep Prep‑k, Art | N‑cs      –       8582 [e] tā·‘î·nū, תָּעִ֔ינוּ have gone astray V‑Qal‑Perf‑1cp 376 [e] ’îš אִ֥ישׁ every one N‑ms      –       1870 [e] lə·ḏar·kōw לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ to his own way Prep‑l | N‑csc | 3ms 6437 [e] pā·nî·nū; פָּנִ֑ינוּ we have turned V‑Qal‑Perf‑1cp 3068 [e] Yah·weh וַֽיהוָה֙ and Yahweh Conj‑w | N‑proper‑ms 6293 [e] hip̄·gî·a‘ הִפְגִּ֣יעַ has laid V‑Hifil‑Perf‑3ms   bōw, בּ֔וֹ on Him Prep | 3ms 853 [e] ’êṯ אֵ֖ת  -  DirObjM 5771 [e] ‘ă·wōn עֲוֺ֥ן the iniquity N‑csc      .       3605 [e] kul·lā·nū. כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃ of us all N‑msc | 1cp

､       5065 [e]   7 nig·gaś   7 נִגַּ֨שׂ    7 He was oppressed   7 V‑Nifal‑Perf‑3ms   7 1931 [e] wə·hū וְה֣וּא and He Conj‑w | Pro‑3ms      ､       6031 [e] na·‘ă·neh נַעֲנֶה֮ was afflicted V‑Nifal‑Prtcpl‑ms 3808 [e] wə·lō וְלֹ֣א and yet not Conj‑w | Adv‑NegPrt 6605 [e] yip̄·taḥ- יִפְתַּח־ He opened V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms      –       6310 [e] pîw פִּיו֒ His mouth N‑msc | 3ms 7716 [e] kaś·śeh כַּשֶּׂה֙ as a lamb Prep‑k, Art | N‑ms      ､       2874 [e] laṭ·ṭe·ḇaḥ לַטֶּ֣בַח to the slaughter Prep‑l, Art | N‑ms 2986 [e] yū·ḇāl, יוּבָ֔ל He was led V‑Hofal‑Imperf‑3ms 7353 [e] ū·ḵə·rā·ḥêl וּכְרָחֵ֕ל and as a sheep Conj‑w, Prep‑k | N‑fs 6440 [e] lip̄·nê לִפְנֵ֥י before Prep‑l | N‑cpc 1494 [e] ḡō·zə·ze·hā גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ its shearers V‑Qal‑Prtcpl‑mpc | 3fs      ､       481 [e] ne·’ĕ·lā·māh; נֶאֱלָ֑מָה is silent V‑Nifal‑Perf‑3fs 3808 [e] wə·lō וְלֹ֥א so not Conj‑w | Adv‑NegPrt 6605 [e] yip̄·taḥ יִפְתַּ֖ח He opened V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms      .       6310 [e] pîw. פִּֽיו׃ His mouth N‑msc | 3ms

6115 [e]   8 mê·‘ō·ṣer   8 מֵעֹ֤צֶר    8 From prison   8 Prep‑m | N‑ms   8      –       4941 [e] ū·mim·miš·pāṭ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט֙ and from judgment Conj‑w, Prep‑m | N‑ms 3947 [e] luq·qāḥ, לֻקָּ֔ח He was taken V‑QalPass‑Perf‑3ms 853 [e] wə·’eṯ- וְאֶת־ and Conj‑w | DirObjM      ؟       1755 [e] dō·w·rōw דּוֹר֖וֹ His generation N‑msc | 3ms 4310 [e] mî מִ֣י who Interrog 7878 [e] yə·śō·w·ḥê·aḥ; יְשׂוֹחֵ֑חַ will declare V‑Piel‑Imperf‑3ms 3588 [e] kî כִּ֤י for Conj 1504 [e] niḡ·zar נִגְזַר֙ He was cut off V‑Nifal‑Perf‑3ms 776 [e] mê·’e·reṣ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ from the land Prep‑m | N‑fsc      –       2416 [e] ḥay·yîm, חַיִּ֔ים of the living Adj‑mp 6588 [e] mip·pe·ša‘ מִפֶּ֥שַׁע for the transgressions Prep‑m | N‑msc 5971 [e] ‘am·mî עַמִּ֖י of My people N‑msc | 1cs 5061 [e] ne·ḡa‘ נֶ֥גַע was stricken N‑ms      .         lā·mōw. לָֽמוֹ׃ He Prep | 3mp

A Grave Assigned

5414 [e]   9 way·yit·tên   9 וַיִּתֵּ֤ן    9 And they made   9 Conj‑w | V‑Qal‑ConsecImperf‑3ms   9 854 [e] ’eṯ- אֶת־ with Prep      ､       7563 [e] rə·šā·‘îm רְשָׁעִים֙ the wicked Adj‑mp 6913 [e] qiḇ·rōw, קִבְר֔וֹ His grave N‑msc | 3ms 854 [e] wə·’eṯ- וְאֶת־ but with Conj‑w | Prep 6223 [e] ‘ā·šîr עָשִׁ֖יר the rich Adj‑ms      –       4194 [e] bə·mō·ṯāw; בְּמֹתָ֑יו at His death Prep‑b | N‑mpc | 3ms 5921 [e] ‘al עַ֚ל because Prep 3808 [e] lō- לֹא־ no Adv‑NegPrt      ､       2555 [e] ḥā·mās חָמָ֣ס violence N‑ms 6213 [e] ‘ā·śāh, עָשָׂ֔ה He had done V‑Qal‑Perf‑3ms 3808 [e] wə·lō וְלֹ֥א nor [was any] Conj‑w | Adv‑NegPrt 4820 [e] mir·māh מִרְמָ֖ה deceit N‑fs      .       6310 [e] bə·p̄îw. בְּפִֽיו׃ in His mouth Prep‑b | N‑msc | 3ms

3068 [e]   10 Yah·weh   10 וַיהוָ֞ה    10 Yet Yahweh   10 Conj‑w | N‑proper‑ms   10 2654 [e] ḥā·p̄êṣ חָפֵ֤ץ it pleased V‑Qal‑Perf‑3ms 1792 [e] dak·kə·’ōw דַּכְּאוֹ֙ to bruise Him V‑Piel‑Inf | 3ms      –       2470 [e] he·ḥĕ·lî, הֶֽחֱלִ֔י He has put [Him] to grief V‑Hifil‑Perf‑3ms 518 [e] ’im- אִם־ when Conj 7760 [e] tā·śîm תָּשִׂ֤ים You make V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3fs      ､       817 [e] ’ā·šām אָשָׁם֙ an offering for sin N‑ms 5315 [e] nap̄·šōw, נַפְשׁ֔וֹ His soul N‑fsc | 3ms 7200 [e] yir·’eh יִרְאֶ֥ה He shall see V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms      ､       2233 [e] ze·ra‘ זֶ֖רַע [His] seed N‑ms 748 [e] ya·’ă·rîḵ יַאֲרִ֣יךְ He shall prolong V‑Hifil‑Imperf‑3ms      ､       3117 [e] yā·mîm; יָמִ֑ים [His] days N‑mp 2656 [e] wə·ḥê·p̄eṣ וְחֵ֥פֶץ and the pleasure Conj‑w | N‑msc 3068 [e] Yah·weh יְהוָ֖ה of Yahweh N‑proper‑ms 3027 [e] bə·yā·ḏōw בְּיָד֥וֹ in His hand Prep‑b | N‑fsc | 3ms      .       6743 [e] yiṣ·lāḥ. יִצְלָֽח׃ shall prosper V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms

5999 [e]   11 mê·‘ă·mal   11 מֵעֲמַ֤ל    11 The labor   11 Prep‑m | N‑msc   11      ､       5315 [e] nap̄·šōw נַפְשׁוֹ֙ of His soul N‑fsc | 3ms 7200 [e] yir·’eh יִרְאֶ֣ה He shall see V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms      –       7646 [e] yiś·bā‘, יִשְׂבָּ֔ע [and] be satisfied V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms 1847 [e] bə·ḏa‘·tōw, בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ by His knowledge Prep‑b | N‑fsc | 3ms 6663 [e] yaṣ·dîq יַצְדִּ֥יק shall justify V‑Hifil‑Imperf‑3ms 6662 [e] ṣad·dîq צַדִּ֛יק righteous Adj‑ms 5650 [e] ‘aḇ·dî עַבְדִּ֖י My Servant N‑msc | 1cs      –       7227 [e] lā·rab·bîm; לָֽרַבִּ֑ים many Prep‑l, Art | Adj‑mp 5771 [e] wa·‘ă·wō·nō·ṯām וַעֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם for their iniquities Conj‑w | N‑cpc | 3mp 1931 [e] hū ה֥וּא He Pro‑3ms      .       5445 [e] yis·bōl. יִסְבֹּֽל׃ shall bear V‑Qal‑Imperf‑3ms

3651 [e]   12 lā·ḵên   12 לָכֵ֞ן    12 Therefore   12 Adv   12 2505 [e] ’ă·ḥal·leq- אֲחַלֶּק־ I will divide a portion V‑Piel‑Imperf‑1cs   lōw ל֣וֹ Him Prep | 3ms      ､       7227 [e] ḇā·rab·bîm, בָרַבִּ֗ים with the great Prep‑b, Art | Adj‑mp 854 [e] wə·’eṯ- וְאֶת־ and with Conj‑w | Prep      –       6099 [e] ‘ă·ṣū·mîm עֲצוּמִים֮ the strong Adj‑mp 2505 [e] yə·ḥal·lêq יְחַלֵּ֣ק He shall divide V‑Piel‑Imperf‑3ms 7998 [e] šā·lāl שָׁלָל֒ the spoil N‑ms 8478 [e] ta·ḥaṯ, תַּ֗חַת upon Prep 834 [e] ’ă·šer אֲשֶׁ֨ר that Pro‑r 6168 [e] he·‘ĕ·rāh הֶעֱרָ֤ה He poured out V‑Hifil‑Perf‑3ms      ､       4194 [e] lam·mā·weṯ לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ unto death Prep‑l, Art | N‑ms 5315 [e] nap̄·šōw, נַפְשׁ֔וֹ His soul N‑fsc | 3ms 854 [e] wə·’eṯ- וְאֶת־ and with Conj‑w | Prep      –       6586 [e] pō·šə·‘îm פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים the transgressors V‑Qal‑Prtcpl‑mp 4487 [e] nim·nāh; נִמְנָ֑ה He was numbered V‑Nifal‑Perf‑3ms 1931 [e] wə·hū וְהוּא֙ and He Conj‑w | Pro‑3ms 2399 [e] ḥêṭ- חֵטְא־ the sin N‑msc      ､       7227 [e] rab·bîm רַבִּ֣ים of many Adj‑mp 5375 [e] nā·śā, נָשָׂ֔א bore V‑Qal‑Perf‑3ms 6586 [e] wə·lap·pō·šə·‘îm וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים and for the transgressors Conj‑w, Prep‑l, Art | V‑Qal‑Prtcpl‑mp      .       6293 [e] yap̄·gî·a‘. יַפְגִּֽיעַ׃ made intercession V‑Hifil‑Imperf‑3ms   s ס  -  Punc

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