Read & explore together
The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53:1–8 is a prophetic poem about a servant who is not admired by people, yet whose suffering is described in relation to the wrongdoing and peace of others. The passage keeps asking readers to look again at what his suffering means.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
Within these verses, the speakers begin with a message many do not believe. They describe the servant’s ordinary appearance, rejection, suffering, silence under oppression, and removal by judgment. The poem contrasts human assessment of him with repeated statements about what he bears for others.
Isaiah 53:1–8Main takeaway
This passage presents the servant as rejected and afflicted, while also saying that his suffering bears the transgressions and iniquity of others.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A message not widely believedThe poem opens with two questions: who has believed the message, and to whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?
Explanation
The poem opens with two questions: who has believed the message, and to whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed? The text does not explain the phrase here, but it does connect revelation with a message that is not readily believed or received.
02A servant people did not admireThe servant grew up “as a tender plant” and “as a root out of dry ground”. The comparison describes his growth, and the verse adds that he had no good looks, majesty, or beauty that drew people to him.
Explanation
The servant grew up “as a tender plant” and “as a root out of dry ground”. The comparison describes his growth, and the verse adds that he had no good looks, majesty, or beauty that drew people to him. Instead, he was despised, rejected, and not respected.
03His suffering and our wrongdoingThe poem says people considered him plagued and struck by God, yet it also says he bore “our sickness” and carried “our suffering”.
Explanation
The poem says people considered him plagued and struck by God, yet it also says he bore “our sickness” and carried “our suffering”. It then links his piercing and crushing with “our transgressions” and “our iniquities”, saying his punishment brought peace and his wounds brought healing.
04Silent under oppressionThe passage says all have gone astray like sheep, each turning to his own way, while Yahweh laid on the servant the iniquity of all.
Explanation
The passage says all have gone astray like sheep, each turning to his own way, while Yahweh laid on the servant the iniquity of all. Though oppressed and afflicted, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away by oppression and judgment, cut off from the land of the living.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What does the passage contrast in the way people viewed the servant and what he was doing?
Compare “we considered him plagued” with the statements that he bore “our sickness” and was pierced for “our transgressions”.
02How do verses 2 and 3 describe both the servant’s appearance and people’s response to him?
Notice the lack of majesty or beauty in verse 2 and the words despised, rejected, and not respected in verse 3.
03What do verses 6 to 8 say about the people, the servant’s silence, and his end?
Trace the movement from all going astray, to iniquity laid on him, to his silence, oppression, and being cut off from the land of the living.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Isaiah 53:1–8
1Who has believed our message? To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?
2For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
4Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.
8He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people?