Isaiah Chapter 53 With John Calvins study notes from the Geniva Study Bible

Geneva Study Notes
Isaiah Chapter 53

Isaiah 53:1

53:1 Who {a} hath believed our report? and to whom is the {b}

     arm of the LORD revealed?



     (a) The prophet shows that very few will receive their

         preaching from Christ, and from their deliverance by

         him, John 12:38, Romans 10:16.

     (b) Meaning, that no one can believe but whose hearts God

         touches with the virtue of his Holy Spirit.



Isaiah 53:2

53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a

     {c} root out of a dry {d} ground: he hath no form nor

     comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty

     that we should desire him.



     (c) The beginning of Christ's kingdom will be small and

         contemptible in the sight of man, but it will grow

         wonderfully and flourish before God.

     (d) Read Isaiah 11:1.



Isaiah 53:3

53:3 He is despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and

     acquainted with {e} grief: and we hid as it were [our]

     faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.



     (e) Which was by God's singular providence for the comfort

         of sinners, Hebrews 4:15.



Isaiah 53:4

53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried {f} our

     sorrows: yet we did esteem him {g} stricken, smitten by

     God, and afflicted.



     (f) That is, the punishment due to our sins, for which he

         has both suffered and made satisfaction,

         Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24.

     (g) We judge evil, thinking that he was punished for his

         own sins, and not for ours.



Isaiah 53:5

53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was]

     bruised for our iniquities: the {h} chastisement for our

     peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.



     (h) He was chastised for our reconciliation,

         1 Corinthians 15:3.



Isaiah 53:6

53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every

     one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the {i}

     iniquity of us all.



     (i) Meaning, the punishment of our iniquity, and not the

         fault itself.



Isaiah 53:7

53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he {k} opened

     not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

     and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened

     not his mouth.



     (k) But willingly and patiently obeyed his father's

         appointment, Matthew 26:63, Acts 8:32.



Isaiah 53:8

53:8 He was taken from {l} prison and from judgment: {m} and who

     shall declare his generation? for he was cut off from the

     land of the living: for the transgression of my people was

     he stricken.



     (l) From the cross and grave, after that he was condemned.

     (m) Though he died for sin, yet after his resurrection he

         will live forever and this his death is to restore life

         to his members, Romans 6:9.



Isaiah 53:9

53:9 {n} And 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.



     (n) God the Father delivered him into the hands of the

         wicked, and to the powers of the world to do with him

         what they would.



Isaiah 53:10

53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him]

      to grief: when {o} 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.



      (o) Christ by offering up himself will give life to his

          Church, and so cause them to live with him forever.



Isaiah 53:11

53:11 He shall see of the {p} travail of his soul, [and] shall

      be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my {q} righteous

      servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.



      (p) That is, the fruit and effect of his labour, which is

          the salvation of his Church.

      (q) Christ will justify by faith through his word, while

          Moses could not justify by the law.



Isaiah 53:12

53:12 Therefore I will divide to him [a portion] with the great,

      and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because {r}

      he hath poured out his soul to death: and he was numbered

      with the transgressors; and he bore the sin {s} of many,

      and made intercession for the transgressors.



      (r) Because he humbled himself, therefore he will be

          extolled to glory, Philippians 2:7-2:12.

      (s) That is, of all that believe in him.