Isaiah
Verse 1. Revealed. Who could have believed such things? The apostles complain how few were converted. John 12:38. Romans 10:16. Calmet.—These would not submit, though the gospel was not against reason. Worthington.
EXPLANATIONS
Isaiah 53
Historical chapter commentary
Isaiah
Verse 2. Plant. Hebrew also, “suckling child.” Septuagint and so forth—Ground. The blessed Virgin. Calmet.—Was. Septuagint “he had no appearance nor beauty. But his appearance was abject and deficient above all men; a,” and so forth—That we. Lit. “and we have desired him.” Notwithstanding his abject condition, He was the desired of all nations, and by his wounds we are healed. Bible.—Some assert that the person of Christ was not beautiful, while others think that his wounds prevented it from being discerned. Salmeron would supply a negation from the first number: “We have not desired him.”
Isaiah
Verse 3. Not. The whole life of Christ was spent in the midst of poverty, and contradictions. Hebrews 4:15. He has thus taught us to despise ourselves.
Isaiah
Verse 4. Sorrows. Healing them by his own afflictions. Matthew 8:15. Sickness is an effect of sin, which Jesus came to destroy. 1 Peter 2:24—Leper, who was bound to have his face covered. verse 3. Leviticus 13:45.—God. Payva (Def. Trin. iv.) assures us that many Jews were converted by the perusal of this chapter, and particularly of this verse, which may be rendered “as a God wounded and afflicted.” Calmet.
Isaiah
Verse 5. Healed. He inculcates this important truth repeatedly. Christ nailed the hand-writing that was against us to the cross. Colossians 2:14. Bible.
Isaiah
Verse 6. Astray. We belong to his fold. Calmet. 40:11. John 10:11. Lu. 15:4.—Laid. Septuagint “abandoned him to our sins,” as to so many executioners; ( Calmet.) “and he, because he had been abused, opened,” and so forth Bible.
Isaiah
Verse 7. Will. The pagans were very attentive that the victim should not make much resistance. Macrob. iii. 5.
Isaiah
Verse 8. Judgment, or by an unjust and cruel judgment. Bible.—Hebrew “from prison and judgment.” Calmet.—Septuagint “in humiliation, ( Bible.) or humility, his judgment was taken away,” or rescinded, by his glorious resurrection. S. Philip follows this version in explaining this passage to the eunuch. Acts 8:33.—Generation, from his eternal Father or from the Virgin, his incarnation, life, resurrection, or posterity in the Church. All these may be meant, and are inexplicable. Calmet.
Isaiah
Verse 9. Death. Hebrew “and he made his grave with the wicked men, and with the rich man, in his death.” Bible.—Grave and death seem to be transposed; and we might better read, “He was taken up with wicked men in his death, and with a rich man was his sepulchre.” This indeed is only a conjecture, but well grounded in the context. See Joshua 24:19. Kennicott.—Septuagint “and I will give the wicked for his grave, and the rich men for his death.” Bible.—The rich man may denote the small number of Jews who embraced the faith. Calmet.—They esteemed themselves rich, and were highly favoured by God; yet they were blinded, ( Bible.) and given up to the Romans, in punishment of their deicide. Matthew 27:25. The Church is gathered both from Jews and Gentiles. verse 10. Calmet. Saint Jerome—“He will send to hell the wicked,” (Chal.) who slew him. Menochius.—Christ was buried where malefactors were generally, yet honourably, in the tomb of Joseph. Worthington. Matthew 27:57.
Isaiah
Verse 10. Bruise. Septuagint “to cleanse him from the wound.” Bible.—God was pleased that he should satisfy fro our crimes.—Hand. Christ has died for all, and established a Church which shall not perish.
Isaiah
Verse 12. Many. Even to the ends of the earth. Psalms 2:8.—Strong. Demons, Jews, and so forth Hebrew “with the strong” apostles.—Wicked thieves. Barabbas, and so forth—Transgressors. His executioners. The gospel could not speak plainer. Calmet.
Isaiah
So read the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint. Masoretic Text omits “the light”.