Jesus was an object of astonishment

JESUS WAS AN OBJECT OF ASTONISHMENT
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Jesus the GreatObject of Astonishment!
(A Communion Address by Spurgeon, from his sick room at Mentone,
France)
"Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled,
and be very high. And many were astonishedat You. His visage was so
marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; so shall
He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that
which had not been told them shall they see;and that which they had not
heard shall they consider." Isaiah52:13-15
Our Lord Jesus Christ bore from of old the name of "Wonderful", and the
word seems all too poor to setforth His marvelous personand character. He
says of Himself, in the language of the prophet, "Behold, I and the children
whom the Lord has given Me are for signs and for wonders." He is a fountain
of astonishment to all who know Him, and the more they know of Him, the
more are they "astonished"atHim. It is an astonishing thing that there
should have been a Christ at all: the Incarnation is the miracle of miracles;
that He who is the Infinite should become an infant, that He who made the
worlds should be wrapped in swaddling-bands, remains a fact out of which, as
from a hive, new wonders continually fly forth. In His complex nature He is so
mysterious, and yet so manifest, that doubtless all the angels of heavenwere
and are astonishedat Him. O Son of God, and Sonof man, when You, the
Word, were made flesh, and dwelt among us, and Your saints beheld Your
glory, it was but natural that many should be astonishedat You!
Our text seems to say that our Lord was, first, a great wonderin His griefs;
and, secondly, that He was a greatwonder in His glory.

I. He was a greatwonder in his griefs:"As many were astonishedat You; His
visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of
men."
His visage was marred: no doubt His countenance bore the signs of a
matchless grief. There were plowings on His brow as well as upon His back;
suffering, and brokenness ofspirit, and agonyof heart, had told upon that
lovely face, until its beauty, though never to be destroyed, was "so" marred
that never was any other so spoiled with sorrow. But it was not His face only,
His whole form was marred more than the sons of men. The contour of His
bodily manhood showedmarks of singular assaults ofsorrow, suchas had
never bowed another form so low. I do not know whether His gait was
stooping, or whether His knees tottered, and His walk was feeble;but there
was evidently a something about Him which gave Him the appearance of
premature age, since to the Jews He lookedolder than He was, for when He
was little more than thirty they said unto Him, "You are not yet fifty years
old."
I cannot conceive thatHe was deformed or ungraceful, but despite His natural
dignity, His worn and emaciatedappearance markedHim out as "the Man of
sorrows",and to the carnaleye His whole natural and spiritual form had in it
nothing which evokedadmiration; even as the prophet said, "When we shall
see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." The marring was not
of that lovely face alone, but of the whole fabric of His wondrous manhood, so
that many were astonishedat Him.
Our astonishment, when in contemplationwe behold our suffering Lord, will
arise from the considerationofwhat His natural beauty must have been
enshrined as He was from the first within a perfect body. Conceivedwithout
sin, and so born of a pure virgin without taint of hereditary sin, I doubt not
that He was the flowerand glow of manhood as to His form, and from His
early youth He must have been a joy to His mother’s eye. Greatmasters of the
olden time expended all their skill upon the holy child Jesus, but it is not for
the colors ofearth to depict the Lord from Heaven. That "holy thing" which
was born of Mary was "seenof angels,"and it charmed their eyes. Must such
loveliness be marred? His every look was pure, His every thought was holy,

and therefore the expressionof His face must have been heavenly, and yet it
must be marred. Poverty must mark it; hunger, and thirst, and weariness,
must plough it; heart-griefs must seamand scarit; spittle must disdain it;
tears must scaldit; smiting must bruise it; death must make it pale and
bloodless. Welldoes Bernard sing —
"O sacredHead, once wounded,
With grief and pain weigheddown,
How scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Your only crown;
How pale are You with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!"
The secondastonishmentto us must be that he could be so marred who had
nothing in His characterto mar His countenance. Sin is a saddisfigurement to
faces whichin early childhood were surpassingly attractive. Passion, ifit be
indulged in, soonsets a sealof deformity upon the countenance. Menthat
plunge into vice bear upon their features the traces of their hearts’volcanic
fires. We most of us know some withered beings, whose beauty has been
burned up by the fierce fires of excess, until they are a horror to look upon, as
if the mark of Cain were set upon them. Every sin makes its line on a fair face.
But there was no sin in the blessedJesus, no evil thought to mar His natural
perfectness. No redness ofeyes ever came to Him by tarrying long at the wine;
no unhallowed anger ever flushed His cheek;no covetousness gave to His eye
a wolfish glance;no selfishcare lent to His features a sharp and anxious cast.
Such an unselfish, holy life as His ought to have rendered Him, if it had been
possible, more beautiful every day.
Indulging such benevolence, abiding in such communion with God, surely the
face of Christ must, in the natural order of things, have more and more

astonishedall sympathetic observers with its transcendentcharms. But
sorrow came to engrave her name where sin had never made a stroke, and she
did her work so effectuallythat His visage was more marred than that of any
man, although the God of mercy knows there have been other visages that
have been worn with pain and anguish past all recognition. I need not repeat
even one of the many stories ofhuman woe:that of our Lord surpasses all.
Remember that the face of our Well-beloved, as well as all His form, must
have been an accurate index of His soul.
Physiognomy is a science withmuch truth in it when it deals with men of
truth. Men weanedfrom simplicity know how to controltheir countenances;
the crafty will appearto be honest, the hardened will seemto sympathize with
the distressed, the revengeful will mimic goodwill. There are some who
continually use their countenance as they do their speech, to concealtheir
feelings;and it is almost a point of politeness with them never to show
themselves, but always to go maskedamong their fellows. But the Christ had
learned no such arts. He was so sincere, so transparent, so child-like and true,
that whateverstirred within Him was apparent to those about Him, so far as
they were capable of understanding His greatsoul. We read of Him that He
was "moved with compassion."
The Greek wordmeans that He experienceda wonderful emotion of His
whole nature, He was thrilled with it, and His disciples saw how deeply He felt
for the people, who were as sheep without a shepherd. Though He did not
commit Himself to men, He did not concealHimself, but wore His heart upon
His sleeve, andall could see what He was, and knew that He was full of grace
and truth. We are, therefore, not surprised, when we devoutly considerour
Lord’s character, that His visage and form should indicate the inward agonies
of His tender spirit; it could not be that His face should be untrue to His heart.
The plowers made deep furrows upon His soul as well as upon His back, and
His heart was rent with inward convulsions, which could not but affectHis
whole appearance. Those eyes sawwhatthose around Him could not see;
those shoulders bore a constantburden which others could not know; and,
therefore, His countenance and form betrayed the fact. O dear, dear Savior,
when we think of You, and of Your majesty and purity, we are again

astonishedthat woes shouldcome upon You so grievouslyas to mar Your
visage and Your form!
Now think, dear friends, what were the causes ofthis marring. It was not old
age that had wrinkled His brow, for He was still in the prime of life, neither
was it a personalsicknesswhichhad causeddecay;much less was it any
congenitalweaknessand disease,which at length betrayed itself, for in His
flesh there was no possibility of impurity, which would, in death, have led to
corruption. It was occasioned, first, by His constantsympathy with the
suffering. There was a heavy wear and tear occasionedby the extraordinary
compassionofHis soul. In three years it had told upon Him most manifestly,
until His visage was marred more than that of any other man. To Him there
was a kind of sucking up into Himself of all the suffering of those whom He
blessed. He always bore upon Him the burden of mortal woe. We read of
Christ healing all that were sick, "thatit might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Elijah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses."Yes, He took those infirmities and sicknessesin some mystical
way to Himself, just as I have heard of certain trees, which scatterhealth,
because they themselves imbibe the miasma, and draw up into themselves
those noxious vapors which otherwise would poison mankind. Thus, without
being themselves polluted, they disinfect the atmosphere around them. This,
our Saviordid, but the costwas greatto Him. You can imagine, living as He
did in the midst of one vasthospital, how constantly He must have seensights
that grieved and pained Him.
Moreover, with a nature so pure and loving, He must have been daily tortured
with the sin, and hypocrisy, and oppressionwhich so abounded in His day. In
a certain sense, He was always laying down His life for men, for He was spent
in their service, tortured by their sin, and oppressedwith their sorrow. The
more we look into that marred visage, the more shall we be astonishedat the
anguish which it indicated. Do not wonderthat He was more marred than any
man, for He was more sensitive than other men. No part of Him was callous,
He had no searedconscience, no blunted sensibility, no drugged and deadened
nerve. His manhood was in its glory, in the perfection in which Adam was
when God made him in His own image, and therefore He was ill-housed in
such a fallen world. We read of Christ that He was "grievedfor the hardness

of their hearts," "He marveled because oftheir unbelief," "He sighed deeply
in His spirit," "He groanedin the spirit, and was troubled." This, however,
was only the beginning of the marring. His deepestgriefs and most grievous
marring came of His substitutionary work, while bearing the penalty of our
sin.
One word recalls much of His woe:it is, "Gethsemane." Betrayedby Judas,
His trusted friend, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "He that eats bread
with Me has lifted up his heel againstMe;" desertedeven by John, for all the
disciples forsook Him and fled; not one of all the loved ones with Him: He was
left alone. He had washedtheir feet, but they could not watch with Him one
hour; and in that garden He wrestledwith our deadly foe, until His sweatwas
as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground, and as Deer puts it,
He — "Bore all Incarnate God could bear, With strength enough, but none to
spare." I do verily believe that verse to be true. Herein you see what marred
His countenance, andHis form, even while in life. The whole of His manhood
felt that dreadful shock, whenHe and the prince of darkness, in awful duel,
fought it out amidst the gloom of the olives on that cold midnight when our
redemption beganto be fully accomplished.
The whole of His passionmarred His countenance and His form with its
unknown sufferings. I restrainmyself, lestthis meditation should grow too
painful. They bound Him, they scourgedHim, they mockedHim, they plucked
off the hair from His face, they spat upon Him, and at lastthey nailed Him to
the tree, and there He hung. His physical pain alone must have been very
great, but all the while there was within His soul an inward torment which
added immeasurably to His sufferings. His God forsook Him. "Eloi, Eloi,
lama, sabachthani?" is a voice enough to rend the rocks, andassuredly it
makes us all astonishedwhen, in the returning light, we look upon His visage,
and are sure that never face of any man was so marred before, and never
form of any son of man so grievously disfigured.
Weeping and wondering, astonishedand adoring, we leave the griefs of our
own dear Lord, and with loving interest turn to the brighter portion of His
unrivaled story. "Beholdyour King! Though the moonlight steals Through
the silvery sprays of the olive tree, No star-gemmed scepteror crownit

reveals, In the solemn shade of Gethsemane. Only a form of prostrate grief,
Fallen, crushed, like a broken leaf! Oh, think of His sorrow, that we may
know The depth of love in the depth of woe!"Beholdyour King, with His
sorrow crowned, Alone, alone in the valley is He! The shadows ofdeath are
gathering round, And the cross must follow Gethsemane. Darkerand darker
the gloommust fall, Filled is the cup, He must drink it all! Oh, think of His
sorrow, that we may know His wondrous love in His wondrous woe!"
II. There is an equal astonishment at His glories. I doubt not, if we could see
Him now, as He appeared to John in Patmos, we should feelthat we must do
exactly as the beloveddisciple did, for He deliberately wrote, "WhenI saw
Him, I fell at His feet as dead." His astonishmentwas so greatthat he could
not endure the sight. He had doubtless longed often to behold that glorified
face and form, but the privilege was too much for him. While we are
encumbered with these frail bodies, it is not fit for us to behold our Lord, for
we should die with excessofdelight if we were suddenly to behold that vision
of splendor. Oh, for those glorious days when we shall lie forever at His feet,
and see our exalted Lord! "Behold, My servant shall deal prudently, He shall
be exalted and extolled, and be very high." Observe the three words, "exalted
and extolled, and be very high;" language pants for expression. Our Lord is
now exalted in being lifted up from the grave, lifted up above all angels, and
principalities, and powers. The Man Christ Jesus is the nearestto the eternal
throne, ay, the Lamb is before the throne. "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst
of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stooda
Lamb as it had been slain."
He is in His ownstate and person exalted, and then by the praise rendered
Him he is extolled, for he is worshiped and adored by the whole universe. All
praise goes up before Him now, so that men extol Him, while "Godalso has
highly exalted Him, and given Him a name, which is above every name; that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Deepwere His sorrows,
but as high are His joys. It is said that, around many of the lochs in Scotland,
the mountains are as high as the wateris deep; and so our Lord’s glories are

as immeasurable as were His woes. Whata meditation is furnished by these
two-fold and incalculable heights and depths!
Our text says that He shall "be very high." It cannottell us how high. It is
inconceivable how great and glorious in all respects the Lord Jesus Christis at
this moment. Oh, that He may be very high in our esteem!He is not yet
exalted and extolled in any of our hearts as He deserves to be. I would we
loved Him a thousand times as much as we do, but our whole heart goes after
Him, does it not? Would we not die for Him? Would we not set Him on a
throne as high as sevenheavens, and then think that we had not done enough
for Him, who is now our all in all, and more than all? You notice what is said,
concerning the Christ, as the most astonishing thing of all: "So shall He
sprinkle many nations."
Now is it the glory of our risen Lord, at this moment, that His precious blood
is to save many nations. Before the throne, men of all nations shall sing, "You
were slain, and have redeemedus unto God by Your blood." Not the English
nation alone shall be purified by His atoning blood, but many nations shall He
sprinkle with His reconciling blood, even as Israelof old was sprinkled with
the blood of sacrifice. We readin the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the
Hebrews, at the twenty-secondverse, of"having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience," andthis is effectedby that precious blood by which we have
been once purged so effectually that we have no more consciousnessofsins,
but enter into perfectpeace. The blood of bulls and of goats, andthe ashes of
an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, and
much more does the blood of Christ purge our consciencefrom dead works, to
serve the living God. The sprinkling of the blood was meant also to confirm
the covenant:thus Moses "sprinkledboth the book and all the people, saying,
This is the blood of the testamentwhich God has enjoined unto you."
Our Lord Himself said, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed
for many for the remissionof sins." But is it not a wonderful thing that He
should die as a malefactoron the tree, amid scornand ridicule, and yet that
He is this day bringing nations into covenantwith God? Once so despised, and
now: so mighty! God has given Him "for a covenantof the people, for a light
of the Gentiles." Manynations shall by Him be joined in covenant with the

God of the whole earth. Do not fall into the erroneous idea that this world is
like a greatship-wreckedvessel, soonto go to pieces on an iron-bound coast;
but rather let us expectthe conversionof the world to the Lord Jesus. As a
reward for the travail of His soul, He shall cause many nations to "exult with
joy", for so some readthe passage;the peoples of the earth shall not only be
astonishedat His griefs, but they shall admire His glories, adore His
perfections, and be filled with an amazement of joy at His coming and
kingdom. I can conceive nothing in the future too great and glorious to result
from the passionand death of our Divine Lord.
Listen to this, "Kings shall shut their mouths at Him." They shall see such a
King as they themselves have never been; they speak freely to their brother-
kings, but they shall not dare to speak to Him, and as for speaking against
Him, that will be altogetherout of the question. "Kings shall fall down before
Him, And goldand incense bring." "Forthat which had not been told them
shall they see." Kings are often out of the reachof the gospel, they do not hear
it, it is not told to them. They would despise the lowly preacher, and little
gatherings of believers meeting togetherfor worship; they would only listen to
stately discourses, whichdo not touch the heart and conscience. The great
ones of the earth are usually the leastlikely to know the things of God, for
while the poor have the gospelpreachedunto them, princes are more likely to
hear soft flatteries and fair speeches.The time shall come, however, when
Caesarshallbow before a real Imperator, and monarchs shall behold the
Prince of the kings of the earth. "Forthe Lord Himself shall descendfrom
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God."
They shall see His majesty, of which they had not even been told. "That which
they had not heard shall they consider." Theyshall be obliged, even on their
thrones, to think about the kingdom of the King of kings, and they shall retire
to their closets to confess their sins, and to put on sackclothand ashes, and to
give heed to the words of wisdom. "Be wise now, therefore, O you kings:be
instructed, you judges of the earth." Today, the humble listen to Christ, but
by-and-by the mightiest of the mighty shall turn all their thoughts towards
Him. He shall gather sheaves ofscepters beneathHis arm, and crowns shallbe
strewn at His feet; and "He shall reign forever and ever," and "of the increase

of His government and peace there shall be no end." If we were astonishedat
the marring of His face, we shall be much more astonishedat the
magnificence of His glory. Upon His throne none shall question His
supremacy, none shall doubt His loveliness;but His enemies shall weepand
wail because ofHim whom they pierced; while He shall be admired in all
them that believe. Adorable Lord, we long for Your glorious appearing! We
beseechYou tarry not!
"Come, and begin Your reign Of everlasting peace;Come, take the kingdom
to Yourself, GreatKing of Righteousness!"
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Servant of Jehovah:His Wondrous Career
Isaiah52:13-53:3
E. Johnson
Behold! A new and remarkable objectcalls for attention. It is the "Servant of
Jehovah." He has been humiliated and rejected, but he is on his wayto
exaltation and honour.
I. HIS FELICITOUS WISDOM. There enters into the idea of the word here
used prosperity and good success,as in Joshua 1:8; Jeremiah10:21. For
wisdom, the devout wisdom, the wisdom of duty in obedience to the Divine
commands, alone canbring that good success.Compare whatis said of the
Righteous Branchin Jeremiah23:5; and see also for the word, 2 Kings 18:7;
Proverbs 17:8. Some render the words "shallbe intelligent; ' others, "shall be
prosperous." The description applies to any who are endued with the Divine
Spirit for practicalends.

II. HIS EXALTATION. There is a heaping up of verbs denoting exaltation -
he shall be high, and lifted up, and lofty exceedingly. The highestpitch of
honour, the loftiest possible rank, shall be his, and that in view of the universe.
The right hand of God - the subjectionof angels and authorities and powers,
and every name that is named - are similar images (Mark 16:19; Ephesians
1:20-22;Philippians 2:9; 1 Peter3:22). If the Servant be not the Messiah, at
leastvery similar language is used of him (Psalm 89:27). The exaltationbears
a direct relation to the previous humiliation. The lastwould become first; the
most despisedwould yet become the most honoured. Having volunteered for
the lowestplace on behalf of man's good, he would be exaltedby the Divine
hand to the highest possible. Once men were stupefied as they lookedon his
disfigured form, hardly bearing the semblance of a man. So did Job's friends
stand aghastas they beheld him from a distance in his misery. But there shall
be a magnificent contrast. Kings shall yet be dumb for admiration in his
presence - owning his superior dignity (Job 29:9; Job 40:4). They will be eye-
witnesses ofthings which had been previously inconceivable (cf. also Micah
8:16; Psalm 147:42;Job 5:16).
III. REVELATION IN THIS CONTRAST. The popular heart has everywhere
delighted in such contrasts, betweenprincely greatnessand lowly guise or
disguise. So the Greek Odysseus,on his return, is seensitting lowly amidst the
ashes ofhis hearth. And the Indians (Lyall, 'Asiatic Studies') relish in the
highest degree suchrepresentations. We not only love surprise, but we feel
that it is a Divine method to work by surprise. "Powerkeepsquite another
road than the turnpikes of choice and will, namely, the subterraneanand
invisible tunnels and channels of life. Life is a series of surprises. God delights
to hide from us the past and the future. 'You will not remember,' he seems to
say, 'and you will not expect.' Every man is an impossibility until he is born,
everything impossible until we see a success.The ardours of piety agree atlast
with the coldestscepticism, thatnothing is of ourselves orour works - that all
is of God. There is nothing at lastin success orfailure, but more or less of vital
force supplied from the Eternal. The results of life are uncalculatedand
incalculable" (Emerson).
IV. HUMAN INCREDULITY ABASHED. HOW few believed the prophecies
concerning the Servant! How few had eyes to see "suchsupramundane sights,

when nothing on earth seemedto suggestthem"!to discern the arm of
Jehovah, that mysterious Divine Power, in its secret working!They were
blinded by the evidence of the senses.He was as a slight and insignificant
plant - but a shootor suckerfrom the root brought up out of Egypt. Without
that winning grace orimposing majesty that might have been expected, he
failed to captivate men's hearts. He seemedisolated, sadsick, and men fled
from his presence as it he had been a leper. But the result shows how little
Providence reeks ofour poor logic of appearances,our connections ofcause
and effect. Life is not so plain a business as it appears. "Presentlycomes a
day, with its angel-whisperings, whichdiscomfits the conclusions ofnations
and of years!" We boast of our common sense and experience;yet there is a
Divine elementever at work to defeatour calculations and to astound us with
its operations. The lessonis to be ever waiting and expecting - ever looking up
for manifestations of that Divine wisdom which hides to revealitself, that
Divine powerwhich is energizing unspent when all our resources are at an
end, that Divine beauty which lurks beneath the dimmest forms and the
meanestdisguises. - J.

Biblical Illustrator
Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently.
Isaiah52:13-15
The humiliation and exaltationof Christ
A. Mason, M.A.
I. THE STATE OF CHRIST'S HUMILIATION. "As many were astoniedat
Thee," etc.
1. ConsiderHis outward or bodily sufferings.
2. His inward sorrows, the agonies ofHis mind, have no parallel.
II. OUR SAVIOUR'S EXALTATION. Behold, My Servant shall deal
prudently, etc. The exaltation of Christ may be consideredunder four
particulars.
1. His resurrection from the dead.
2. His ascensioninto heaven.
3. His glorification at the Father's right hand.
4. His coming againto judgment.Practicalimprovement:
1. What hath been said on the subject of the Redeemers sufferings, should
excite all our gratitude and love to Him, who readily enteredupon, and went
through, all this scene ofsorrow for our sake.
2. Let this excite us to greaterzealand diligence in His service; as the best
expressionof our gratitude and love.
3. The considerationof Christ's love and sufferings for us should inspire us
with the firmest fortitude and fidelity, in defending His cause and the honour
of His Gospelagainstall opposition, and in suffering for it.
4. Under every affliction of life let us turn our eyes to our suffering Redeemer,
as a perfect pattern of patience.

5. Let us triumph in the faith and views of a triumphant Saviour.
(A. Mason, M.A.)
The sure triumph of the crucified One
I. THE CHARACTER OF OUR LORD'S DEALINGS. He is called "My
Servant," a title as honourable as it is condescending, and it is said that He
deals prudently. He who took upon Him the form of a servantacts as a wise
servant in everything; and indeed it could not be otherwise, for"in Him are
hid all the treasures ofwisdom and knowledge."
1. This prudence was manifest in the days of His flesh, from His childhood
among the doctors in the temple on to His confessionbefore Pontius Pilate.
Our Lord was enthusiastic;but that enthusiasm never carried Him into
rashness. Our Saviour was full of love, and that love made Him frank and
open-hearted; but for all that He was ,everprudent, and "committed Himself
unto no man, for He knew what was in man." Too many who aspire to be
leaders of the people study policy, craft and diplomacy. The Friend of sinners
had not a fraction of that about Him; and yet He was wiserthan if diplomacy
had been His study from His youth up.
2. He who on earth became obedient unto death has now gone into the glory,
but He is still over the house of God, conducting its affairs; He deals prudently
still. Our fears lead us to judge that the affairs of Christ's kingdom are going
amiss, but we may rest assuredthat all is well, for the Lord hath put all things
under the feet of Jesus. All along through the history of the Church the
dealings of the Lord Jesus with His people have been very remarkable. The
wisdom in them is often deep, and only discoverable by those who seek it out,
and yet frequently it sparkles upon the surface like gold in certain lands
across the sea. Note how the Lord has made His Church learn truth by
degrees, andpurified her first of one error and then of another. The wise
physician tolerates disease until it shall have reachedthe point at which he can
grapple with it, so as to eradicate it from the system, so has the goodLord
allowedsome ills to festerin the midst of His Church, that He may ultimately

exterminate them. Study the pages ofecclesiasticalhistory, and you will see
how Jesus Christ has dealt wisely in the raising up of fitting men for all times.
I could not suppose a better man for Luther's age than Luther, yet Luther
alone would have been very incomplete for the full service neededhad it not
been for Calvin, whose calmintellect was the complement of Luther's fiery
soul.
3. Another translation of the passage is, "MyServant shall have prosperous
success."Letus append that meaning to the other. Prosperity will grow out of
our Lord prudent dealings.
4. In consequence ofthis the Lord shall he exalted and extolled.
II. THE STUMBLING-BLOCKIN THE WAY OF OUR LORD. It is His
Cross, whichto Jew and Greek is ever a hindrance. As if the prophet saw Him
in vision, he cries out, "As many were astoniedat Thee," etc.
1. He has risen from the grave and gone into His glory, but the offence of the
Cross has not ceased, forupon His Gospelthere remains the image of His
marred visage, and therefore men despise it. The preaching of the Cross is
foolishness to many.
2. The practical part of the Gospelis equally a stumbling-block to ungodly
men, for when men inquire what they must do to be saved, they are told that
they must receive the Gospelas little children, that they must repent of sin,
and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Very humbling precepts for human self-
sufficiency! And after they are saved, if they inquire what they should do, the
precepts are not those which commend themselves to proud human nature —
for they are such as these — "Be ye kindly affectionedone to another,"
"forbearing one another and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's
sake has forgiven you." To the world which loves conquerors, and blasts of
trumpets, and chaplets of laurel, this kind of teaching has a marred visage,
and an uncomely form.
3. Then, what seems evenmore humbling, the Lord Jesus Christ in His
prudent dealing sends this Gospelamong us by men who are neither greatnor
noble, nor even among the wise of this world.

4. Worse still, if worse canbe, the people who become convertedand follow
the Saviourare generallyof the poorer sort, and lightly esteemed.
III. THE CERTAINTYOF THE REMOVAL OF THIS STUMBLING-
BLOCK and the spread of Christ's kingdom. As His face was marred, so
surely "shall He sprinkle many nations;" by which we understand, first, that
the doctrines of the Gospelare to fall in a copious showerover all lands. This
sprinkling we must interpret according to the Mosaic ceremonies.There was a
sprinkling with blood, to setforth pardon of sin, and a sprinkling with water
to set forth purification from the powerof sin. The influence of His grace and
the powerof His work shall be extended not over the common people only, but
over their leaders and rulers. "The kings shall shut their mouths at Him;"
they shall have no word to sayagainstHim; they shall be so subdued by the
majesty of His powerthat they shall silently pay Him reverence, and prostrate
themselves before His throne.
IV. THE MANNER OF ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT. How will it come to pass?
Will there be a new machinery? Will the world be converted, and the kings be
made to shut their mouths by some new mode of operation? I do not think so.
Will the saints take the sword one day? No, the way which has been from the
beginning of the dispensation will last to its close. It pleases Godby the
foolishness ofpreaching to save them that believe.
1. According to this passage,these kings and nations are first of all to hear.
"Faith coming by hearing." If they are to hear, we must preachand teach, so
that our clearline of duty is to go on spreading the Gospel.
2. These people appearnot only to have heard, but to have seen. "Thatwhich
had not been told them shall they see." This seeing is not with their bodily
eyes but by the perceptions of their minds. Faith comes by the soul perceiving
what the Gospelmeans.
3. After they had seen, it appears from the text that they considered. "That
which they had not heard shall they consider." This is how men are saved:
they hear the Gospel, they catchthe meaning of it, and then they considerit.
When they had seenand consideredsilently, they acceptedthe Lord as their

Lord, for they shut their mouths at Him; they ceasedfrom all opposition; they
quietly resignedtheir wills, and paid allegiance to the greatKing of kings.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
The characterand work of the Messiah
G. T. Noel, M. A.
I. THE INTRODUCTIONOF CHRISTIANITYINTO THE WORLD, BY
THE MYSTERIOUS SUFFERINGS OF ITS DIVINE FOUNDER. "Behold,
My Servant!" The "astonishmentof many" evidently refers to the
inconsistencyapparent betweenthe high pretensions and the depressed
condition of this Servant of God. In truth, the plan of Christianity, with its
introduction into the world, is far above the calculations of human sagacity.
II. THE DECLARATION OF THE PROPHET WITH REGARD TO THE
UNIVERSAL DIFFUSION OF THE RELIGION OF CHRIST ON THE
EARTH. "My Servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted, and extolled,
and be very high."
1. The expression, "He shall deal prudently," is, in the margin, translated,
"He shall prosper;" and thus the whole clause is declarative of the same truth
— the triumph and successof the Son of God. If many were astonishedat His
humiliation, a far greaternumber shall be astonishedat His exaltation.
2. This grand and glorious achievementHe effectedby means that came not
within the range of mortal discernment. It was by death that He conquered
death. It was by a perfect obedience in actionand in suffering, that He became
the secondAdam — the spiritual Head of a new and happier race. He planted
His religion in the earth, opposedby hostile scornand relentless malice and
despotic power. The cause ofChrist achievedits victories by its own inherent
power. Its adherents were, indeed, strong; but it was in faith, and purity, and
charity. Thus the Servant of God prospered, and was extolled, and became
very high.
3. But His reign on the earth is yet very limited, and His conquests incomplete.

III. WHAT WE MAY GATHER FROM THIS PROPHETIC ACCOUNT
RESPECTINGTHE PROCESSBY WHICH THE KINGDOM OF THE
MESSIAH SHALL THUS BE FULLY AND FINALLY ESTABLISHED. "As
many were astoniedat Thee:so shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings,"
etc. We are led to infer —
1. That there shall be a wide dispersion of Divine knowledge overheathenand
Mohammedan nations; for men cannot see or considerthat which is not first
presentedto their notice.
2. The nations shall fix their anxious attention on the truths declaredto them.
3. Impressedwith holy awe, they shall assume the attitude of abasementand
submission. I apprehend that the expression, the "kings shallshut their
mouths at Him," implies the submission of whole nations, here representedby
kings;for, as the reception of Christianity on the part of the rulers of a
country requires the overthrow of every systemof religious polity previously
established, such a receptionpublicly made, implies, more or less, the
submission of the mass of the people.
4. He shall forgive their iniquities and sanctify their hearts. "He shall sprinkle
many nations;" that is, in allusionto the aspersions under the law, by which
the people were sanctified, the Son of God shall apply to the souls of
regeneratedmultitudes the blood of His greatatonement, and the sacred
influences of His Holy Spirit. Then, "a nation shall be born in a day."
(G. T. Noel, M. A.)
A threefold view of the Personand work of Jesus Christ
J. Stratten.
1. HIS WORKBELOW. He is calledthe "Servant" of the Lord. "As many
were astoniedat Thee," etc. The disciples saw Him on the Cross;they gazed
on Him with amazement, and scarcelyrecoveredthemselves by the third day.
The women who followed Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, stoodafar off, and
smote their breasts as they killed Him; and the thousands of men whom He

had healedand cured, lookedwith astonishmentat the ignominious
termination of such a life. Even the elements seemedto join in the universal
consternation;the sun refused to shine, and hid himself in darkness;the light
of the moon was clouded.
II. THINK OF HIM SITTING IN GLORY UPON HIS THRONE. "He shall
be exalted and extolled, and be very high."
1. He shall be exalted. This relates to His authority and power. Verily, a name
is written in His vesture and on His thigh, and that name is "KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
2. He shall be extolled. It has been the delight of every apostle, ofevery
evangelist, ofevery missionary, of every minister, of every Christian, to extol
Him; and when we have done our best, it is our grief and shame and humility
that we cannot extol Him more.
3. "He shall be very high," or, if you prefer the language ofthe apostle, "In all
things He shall have the pre-eminence."
III. The works of mercy which the Saviour is accomplishing IN HIS
EXALTED STATE. He sets forth His Gospelaccording to His promise. "He
shall sprinkle many nations." This denotes the office of Christ. "The kings
shall stop their mouths at Him. This text is best explained by quoting, a
passagein which Job, speaking ofhimself as the chief magistrate, says, "When
I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seatin the street!
the young men saw me," etc. (Job 29:7-10). Such was the respectfor the
dignity of this man of God, that in his presence the nobles and the elders
spake not, but imposed silence on their lips; so shall it be with the potentates
and monarchs of the earth in the presence ofHim "who is greaterthan all."
(J. Stratten.)
The face of Christ
Our Lord Jesus Christ bore from of old the name of "Wonderful," and the
word seems all too poor to setforth His marvellous personand character. It is

an astonishing thing that there should have been a Christ at all; the
Incarnation is the miracle of miracles;that He who is the Infinite should
become an infant.
I. HE WAS A GREAT WONDER IN HIS GRIEFS.
II. HE WAS A GREAT WONDER IN HIS GLORY.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high
The Saviour's exaltation
F. Delitzsch, D.D.
We obtain the following series of thoughts, "He will rise, He will be still more
exalted, He will stand high." The three verbs thus signify beginning, progress
and result, or the climax of the exaltation.
(F. Delitzsch, D.D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(13) Behold, my servant . . .—There is absolutely no connectionbetween
Isaiah52:12-13, absolutelyno break betweenthe close ofIsa Iii. and the
opening of Isaiah 53. The whole must be treated as an entirely distinct section
(all the more striking, from its contrastto the triumphant tone of what
precedes it), and finds its only adequate explanation in the thought of a new
revelation made to the prophet’s mind. That may have had, like other
revelations, a starting-point in the prophet’s own experience. He had seen
partially goodkings, like Uzziah and Jotham; one who almostrealisedhis
ideal of what a king should be, in Hezekiah. None of these had redeemedor

regeneratedthe people. So far as that work had been done at all, it had been
through prophets who spake the word of the Lord and were mockedand
persecutedbecause they spake it. Something like a law was dawning upon his
mind, and that law was the power of a vicarious suffering, the might of
martyrdom in life and death. Did it not follow from this that that ideal must
be wrought out on a yet wider scale in the greatwork of restorationto which
he was looking forward? The Servant of the Lord, in all the concentric
developments of the thought which the word implied, the nation, the prophetic
kernelof the nation, the individual Servant identifying himself with both,
must himself also be made perfect through suffering and conquer through
apparent failure. Granting that such a law exists, it will be no wonder that we
should find examples of its working both before and after the greatfulfilment,
in Isaiah himself, in Jeremiah, in the exiles of the captivity, in the heroes of the
Maccabeanstruggle, in the saints and martyrs of the Church of Christ. It
remains true that the Christ alone fulfils the idea of the perfectsufferer, as He
alone fulfils that of the perfect King. Measuring Isaiahfrom a purely human
stand-point, and by the standard of other poets, this manifold symbolism of
“the Servant,” will hardly seemstrange to the student of literature who
remembers the many aspects presentedby the Beatrice ofDante, the St.
George and Gloriana of Spenser, the Piers Plowman of Langland.
Shall deal prudently.—The words imply, as in Joshua 1:8; Jeremiah10:21,
the idea of prospering. The same verb is used of the “righteous branch” in
Jeremiah23:5, and is there so translated.
Shall be exalted.—Itis noteworthy that the phrase impressed itself, through
the LXX., on the mind of the Christ in reference to His crucifixion (John 3:14;
John 8:28; John 12:32), on that of the Apostles in reference to His ascension
(Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9). (Comp. Isaiah6:1; Isaiah 57:15;Psalm 89:27.)
BensonCommentary
Isaiah52:13. Behold, my servant, &c. — This is the beginning of a new
prophecy, continued from hence to the end of the next chapter, which, as has
been justly observed by many, both ancient and modern interpreters, should

have begun here. “The subject of Isaiah’s prophecy, from the fortieth chapter
inclusive, has hitherto been, in general, the deliverance of the people of God.
This includes in it three distinct parts: the deliverance of the Jews from the
captivity of Babylon, the deliverance of the Gentiles from their miserable state
of ignorance and idolatry, and the deliverance of mankind from the captivity
of sin and death. These three subjects are subordinate to one another, and the
two latter are shadowedout under the image of the former. Cyrus is expressly
named as the immediate agentof God in effecting the first deliverance. A
greaterpersonis spokenof as the agent who is to effectthe two latter
deliverances, calledthe Servant, the Elect, of God, in whom his soul
delighteth. Now these three subjects have a very near relation to one another;
for, as the agentwho was to effectthe two latter deliverances, that is, the
Messiah, was to be born a Jew, with particular limitations of time, family, and
other circumstances, the first deliverance was necessaryin the order of
providence, and, according to the determinate counselof God, to the
accomplishmentof the two latter deliverances;and the seconddeliverance
was necessaryto the third, or, rather, was involved in it, and made an
essentialpart of it. This being the case, Isaiahhas not treated the three
subjects as quite distinct and separate, in a methodical and orderly manner,
like a philosopher or a logician, but has takenthem in their connective view;
he has handled them as a prophet and a poet; he has allegorizedthe former,
and, under the image of it, has shadowedout the two latter; he has thrown
them all together, has mixed one with another, has passedfrom this to that
with rapid transitions, and has painted the whole with the strongestand
boldest imagery. The restorationof the Jews from captivity, the call of the
Gentiles, the redemption by Messiah, have hitherto been handled
interchangeablyand alternately. Babylon has hitherto been kept pretty much
in sight, at the same time that strong intimations of something much greater
have been frequently thrown in. But here Babylon is at once dropped, and
hardly evercomes in sight again. The prophet’s views are almost wholly
engrossedby the superior part of his subject. He introduces the Messiahas
appearing at first in the loweststate of humiliation, which he had just touched
upon before, (Isaiah 50:5-6,)and obviates the offence which would be
occasionedby it, by declaring the important and necessarycause ofit, and
foreshowing the glory which should follow it.” — Bishop Lowth. My servant

— That it is Christ who is here spokenof, is so evident, that the Chaldee
paraphrast, and other ancient, and some later Hebrew doctors, understand it
directly of him, and that divers Jews have been convincedand converted to
the Christian faith by the evidence of this prophecy. Shall deal prudently —
Shall manage the affairs of his kingdom with admirable wisdom. Or, shall
prosper, as it is in the margin; and as the word ‫,ׂשיכׂשי‬ here used, is frequently
rendered: which also agrees bestwith the following clause. And this
intimation concerning the future prosperity and advancementof the Messiah,
is fitly put, in the first place, to prevent those scandals which otherwise might
arise from the succeeding passages, whichdescribe his state of humiliation
and deep affliction. Shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high — Here
are three words signifying the same thing, to express the height and glory of
his exaltation.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
52:13-15 Here begins that wonderful, minute, and faithful description of the
office, character, and glory of the Messiah, whichhas struck conviction to
many of the most hardened unbelievers. Christ is Wisdom itself; in the work
of our redemption there appearedthe wisdom of God in a mystery. Those that
saw him, said, Surely never man lookedso miserable:never was sorrow like
unto his sorrow. But God highly exalted him. That shall be discoveredby the
gospelof Christ, which could never be told in any other way. And Christ
having once shed his blood for sinners, its powerstill continues. May all
opposers see the wisdom of ceasing from their opposition, and be made
partakers of the blood of sprinkling, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost;
obeying him, and praising his salvation.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Notes on Isaiah52:13-15 and Isaiah53:1-12
The most important portion of Isaiah, and of the Old Testament, commences
here, and here should have been the beginning of a new chapter. It is the
description of the suffering Messiah, andis continued to the close ofthe next
chapter. As the closing verses ofthis chapterare connectedwith the following
chapter, and as it is of greatimportance to have just views of the design of this

portion of Isaiah, it is proper in this place to give an analysis of this part of the
prophecy. And as no other part of the Bible has excited so much the attention
of the friends and foes of Christianity; as so various and conflicting views have
prevailed in regardto its meaning: and as the proper interpretation of the
passagemust have an important bearing on the controversywith Jews and
infidels, and on the practicalviews of Christians, I shall be justified in going
into an examination of its meaning at considerably greaterlength than has
been deemed necessaryin other portions of the prophecy. It may be remarked
in general:
(1) That if the common interpretation of the passage, as describing a suffering
Saviour, be correct, then it settles the controversywith the Jews, and
demonstrates that their notions of the Messiahare false.
(2) If this was written at the time when it is claimed by Christians to have
been written, then it settles the controversywith infidels. The description is so
particular and minute; the correspondencewith the life, the character, and
the death of the Lord Jesus, is so complete, that it could not have been the
result of conjecture oraccident. At the same time, it is a correspondence
which could not have been brought about by an impostor who meant to avail
himself of this ancientprophecy to promote his designs, for a large portion of
the circumstances are suchas did not depend on himself, but grew out of the
feelings and purposes of others. On the supposition that this had been found
as an ancientprophecy, it would have been impossible for any impostor so to
have shaped the course of events as to have made his characterand life
appear to be a fulfillment of it. And unless the infidel could either make it out
that this prophecy was not in existence, orthat, being in existence, it was
possible for a deceiverto create an exactcoincidence betweenit and his life
and characterand death, then, in all honesty, he should admit that it was
given by inspiration, and that the Bible is true.
(3) A correctexpositionof this will be of inestimable value in giving to the
Christian just views of the atonement, and of the whole doctrine of
redemption. Probably in no portion of the Bible of the same length, not even
in the New Testament, is there to be found so clearan exhibition of the
purpose for which the Saviour died. I shall endeavor, therefore, to prepare the

way for an expositionof the passage, by a considerationof severalpoints that
are necessaryto a correctunderstanding of it.
Section1. Evidence that It was Written Before
The Birth of Jesus of Nazareth
On this point there will be, and can be, no dispute among Jews and Christians.
The generalargument to prove this, is the same as that which demonstrates
that Isaiahwrote at all before that time. For a view of this, the reader is
referred to the Introduction. But this generalargument may be presentedin a
more specific form, and includes the following particulars:
(1) It is quoted in the New Testamentas part of the prophetic writings then
well known(see Matthew 8:17; John 12:38;Acts 8:28-35;Romans 10:16; 1
Peter2:21-25). That the passage wasin existence at the time when the New
Testamentwas written, is manifest from these quotations. So far as the
argument with the infidel is concerned, it is immaterial whether it was written
700 years before the events took place, or only fifty, or ten. It would still be
prophecy, and it would still be incumbent on him to show how it came to be so
accuratelyaccomplished.
(2) It is quoted and translated by writers who undoubtedly lived before the
Christian era. Thus, it is found in the Septuagint, and in the Chaldee - both of
which can be demonstrated to have been made before Christ was born.
(3) There is not the slightestevidence that it has been interpolated or
corrupted, or changedso as to adapt it to the Lord Jesus. It is the same in all
copies, and in all versions.
(4) It has never evenbeen pretended that it has been introduced for the
purpose of furnishing an argument for the truth of Christianity. No infidel has
ever pretended that it does not stand on the same footing as any other portion
of Isaiah.
(5) It is such a passageas Jewswouldnot have forged. It is opposedto all their
prevailing notions of the Messiah. Theyhave anticipated a magnificent
temporal prince and a conqueror:and one of the main reasons why they have

rejectedthe Lord Jesus has been, that he was obscure in his origin, poor,
despised, and put to death; in other words, because be has correspondedso
entirely with the description here. No passage ofthe Old Testamenthas ever
given them greaterperplexity than this, and it is morally certain that if the
Jews had ever forgeda pretended prophecy of the Messiah, it would not have
been in the language ofthis portion of Isaiah. They would have describedhim
as the magnificent successorofDavid and Solomon;as a mighty prince and a
warrior; as the head of universal empire, and would have said that by his
victorious arms he would subdue the earth to himself, and would make
Jerusalemthe capital of the world. They never would have described him as
despisedand rejectedby people, and as making his grave with the wickedin
his death.
(6) Christians could not have forged and interpolated this. The Jews have
always jealouslyguarded their own Scriptures; and nothing would have so
certainly excited their attention as an attempt to interpolate a passagelike
this, furnishing at once an irrefragable argument againsttheir opinions of the
Messiah, andso obviously applicable to Jesus of Nazareth. It is, moreover,
true, that no Jewishwriter has ever pretended that the passage has either
been forged, or changedin any way, so as to accommodate it to the opinions of
Christians respecting the Messiah. Theseremarks may seemto be
unnecessary, and this argument useless,to those who have examined the
authenticity of the sacred writings. They are of use only in the argument with
the enemies of Christianity. For, if this passagewas writtenat the time when it
is supposed to have been, and if it had reference to the Lord Jesus, then it
demonstrates that Isaiah was inspired, and furnishes an argument for the
truth of revelation which is irrefragable. It is incumbent on the unbeliever to
destroy all the allegedproofs that it was written by Isaiah, or, as an honest
man, he should admit the truth of inspiration and of prophecy, and yield his
heart to the influence of the truth of the Bible. In general, it may be observed,
that an attempt to destroy the credibility of this portion of Isaiah as having
been written severalhundred years before the Christian era, would destroy
the credibility of all the ancient writings; and that we have as much evidence
that this is the production of Isaiah, as we have of the credibility or the
authenticity of the writings of Homer or Herodotus.

continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
13. Here the fifty-third chapter ought to begin, and the fifty-second chapter
end with Isa 52:12. This section, from here to end of the fifty-third chapter
settles the controversywith the Jews, ifMessiahbe the person meant; and
with infidels, if written by Isaiah, or at any time before Christ. The
correspondence withthe life and death of Jesus Christis so minute, that it
could not have resulted from conjecture or accident. An impostor could not
have shaped the course of events so as to have made his character and life
appear to be a fulfilment of it. The writing is, moreover, declaredly prophetic.
The quotations of it in the New Testamentshow:(1) that it was, before the
time of Jesus, a recognizedpart of the Old Testament;(2) that it refers to
Messiah(Mt 8:17; Mr 15:28; Lu 22:37; Joh 12:38;Ac 8:28-35;Ro 10:16; 1Pe
2:21-25). The indirect allusions to it still more clearlyprove the Messianic
interpretation; so universal was that interpretation, that it is simply referred
to in connectionwith the atoning virtue of His death, without being formally
quoted (Mr 9:12; Ro 4:25; 1Co 15:3; 2Co 5:21; 1Pe 1:19; 2:21-25;1Jo 3:5).
The genuineness ofthe passageis certain; for the Jews wouldnot have forged
it, since it is opposedto their notion of Messiah, as a triumphant temporal
prince. The Christians could not have forgedit; for the Jews, the enemies of
Christianity, are "our librarians" [Paley]. The Jews try to evade its force by
the figment of two Messiahs, one a suffering Messiah(BenJoseph), the other a
triumphant Messiah(BenDavid). Hillel maintained that Messiahhas already
come in the person of Hezekiah. Buxtorf states that many of the modern
Rabbins believe that He has been come a goodwhile, but will not manifest
Himself because ofthe sins of the Jews. But the ancient Jews, as the Chaldee
paraphrast, Jonathan, refer it to Messiah;so the MedraschTauchuma (a
commentary on the Pentateuch); also Rabbi Moses Haddarschan(see
Hengstenberg, Christologyof the Old Testament). Some explain it of the
Jewishpeople, either in the Babylonish exile, or in their present sufferings and
dispersion. Others, the pious portion of the nation takencollectively, whose
sufferings made a vicarious satisfactionfor the ungodly. Others, Isaiah, or
Jeremiah[Gesenius], the prophets collectively. But an individual is plainly
described: he suffers voluntarily, innocently, patiently, and as the efficient

cause ofthe righteousness ofHis people, which holds goodof none other but
Messiah(Isa 53:4-6, 9, 11;contrastJer 20:7; 15:10-21;Ps 137:8, 9). Isa 53:9
can hold goodof none other. The objectionthat the sufferings (Isa 53:1-10)
referred to are representedas past, the glorificationalone as future (Isa 52:13-
15; 53:11, 12)arises from not seeing that the prophet takes his stand in the
midst of the scenes whichhe describes as future. The greaternearness ofthe
first advent, and the interval betweenit and the second, are implied by the use
of the past tense as to the first, the future as to the second.
Behold—awakening attentionto the striking picture of Messiahthat follows
(compare Joh 19:5, 14).
my servant—Messiah(Isa 42:1).
deal prudently—rather, "prosper" [Gesenius]as the parallel clause favors
(Isa 53:10). Or, uniting both meanings, "shallreign well" [Hengstenberg].
This verse sets forth in the beginning the ultimate issue of His sufferings, the
description of which follows:the conclusion(Isa 53:12)corresponds;the
section(Isa 52:13; 53:12)begins as it ends with His final glory.
extolled—elevated(Mr 16:19;Eph 1:20-22;1Pe 3:22).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
This is the beginning of a new prophecy, which is continued from hence to the
end of the next chapter; and therefore it is well observedby divers, both
ancient and modern interpreters, that the fifty-third chapter should have
begun here.
My servant.
Quest. Of whom doth the prophet here speak? It is apparent that these three
last verses ofthis chapter, and all the following chapter, speak of one and the
same person. And that that person is Christ is so evident, that the Chaldee
paraphrast, and other ancient, and some later Hebrew doctors, understand it

directly of him, and that divers Jews have been convincedand converted to
the Christian faith by the evidence of this prophecy. And there is not a verse
in this whole context which doth not afford a clearand convincing proof of
this truth, as we shall see. And there needs no other argument to confirm it,
than the variety and vanity of the pretended expositions of the Jews, who use
all possible wit and art to wrest all these passages to other persons. Those who
would seem wiserthan the rest, and confute the other expositions of their
brethren, understand it either of the Jewishpeople in general, or of the
prophet Jeremiahin particular. But both these conceits are so groundless and
absurd, that there is scarce a verse but confutes them, as we shall clearly
discern in the expositionof them. And therefore other Jews rejectthem both,
and understand it of Abraham, or Moses, orJosiah, orEzra, or Zorobabel;
and they might as well have named twenty persons more, to whom this place
might be applied upon as goodgrounds as to any of these. But there is not one
clause in all this context which is not most truly and fitly applied to Christ, as
I shall make apparent, step by step. And first this title of God’s servant is in
an eminent and peculiar manner given to Christ in this very prophecy, as
Isaiah42:1 49:6 53:11 Ezekiel34:23 Zechariah 3:8. Shall dealprudently; shall
manage his kingdom with admirable wisdom. Or, shall prosper, as it is in the
margin, and as this word is frequently rendered, and particularly in this very
case, andof this same person, Jeremiah23:5; which also seems bestto agree
with the following clause, and with Isaiah53:10,11:And this intimation
concerning the future prosperity and advancement of the Messiahis fitly put
in the first place to prevent those scandals which otherwise might arise from
the succeeding passages, whichlargelydescribe his state of humiliation and
deep affliction.
He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high: here are three words
signifying the same thing, to express the height and glory of his exaltation;
which agrees mostfitly to Christ, but cannotwithout greatforce be applied to
Jeremiah, who had no greaterhonour or favour done him by the Chaldeans at
the taking of Jerusalem, than to be left at liberty to go where he pleased,
Jeremiah40:4, and who after that time met with greatcontempt and hardship
from his owncountrymen, Jeremiah 42 Jer 43 Jer44.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently,.... Here properly a new chapter
should begin, these three lastverses treating of the same personand subject as
the following chapter; even of Christ, his person, offices, humiliation, and
exaltation, and the effects and fruits thereof; for of him undoubtedly the
whole is to be understood. The Jews sayit is a difficult prophecy; and so it is
to them, being contrary to their notions and schemes, orotherwise it is plain
and easy, respecting the Messiah;but rather than he should be thought to be
meant, the modern ones have invented a variety of interpretations. Some
apply this prophecy to Abraham; others to Moses;others to Ezra; others to
Zerubbabel; and others to any righteous person: the more principal and
prevailing opinions among them are, that it is to be understood either of the
whole body of the people of Israelin captivity, as Jarchi, Aben Ezra, and
Kimchi; or of King Josiah, slainby Pharaohnecho, as Abarbinel; or of
Jeremiah, as SaadiahGaon; all which are weak and impertinent, and, as they
disagree with eachother, show the perplexity they are under (r). The Targum
interprets it of the Messiah;and so did the ancient Rabbins, as Aben Ezra and
Alshech confess;and severalparts of the prophecy are applied to him, both by
ancient and modern ones, as will be seenin the exposition of it. Christ, as man
and Mediator, is the servant of God, of his choosing and calling, sending,
bringing forth, and supporting; see Isaiah42:1, from whom he had both his
work and his wages:the principal part of his service lay in working out the
redemption and salvationof his people, in which he willingly and cheerfully
engaged, andwhich he diligently and faithfully performed; in which he
showeda regardto his Father's will, love to his people, and great
condescension, as wellas wisdom; for, as it is here promised he would, so he
did deal "prudently": as in his infancy, when he disputed with the doctors in
the temple, so throughout the whole of his public life, in preaching the Gospel,
in answering the questions of his enemies, and in his behaviour at his
apprehension, arraignment, condemnation, and crucifixion: or "he shall cause
to understand (s)"; make others wise and prudent; he causedthem to
understand his Father's mind and will, the Scriptures, and the Gospelin
them; he made men wise unto salvation, and instructed in those things which
belong to their peace;and he still does by his spirit, through the ministry of

the word: or "he shall prosper" (t); the pleasure of the Lord prospered in his
hands; he rode forth prosperously, destroying his and our enemies was very
successfulin working out salvation, as he is in his advocacyand intercession
for his people, and in the ministration of his Gospel;and is the author of all
prosperity in his churches, and to particular believers. The Targum is,
"behold, my servant the Messiahshallprosper;''
and so another Jewishwriter says (u), that the sectionwhich begins with these
words is concerning the Messiah:
he shall be exaltedand extolled, and be very high; as he has been exalted by
his Father, by raising him from the dead, and giving him glory; by placing
him at his ownright hand, and giving him all powerin heaven and in earth;
by committing all judgment into his hands, that all men may honour him as
they do the Father: and he is "extolled" by his people, in his person and
offices, by giving him the glory of their salvation, in their hearts, thoughts,
and affections, with their mouths and lips; and so he is in his house and
ordinances, by his ministers and churches:and is made "very high"; higher
than the kings of the earth; higher than the angels of heaven; higher than the
heavens themselves. The Jews (w) sayof the Messiah, in reference to these
words, that he is exalted above Abraham, extolled above Moses,and made
higher than the ministering angels;and in another ancientbook (x) of theirs it
is said, the kingdom of Israelshall be exalted in the days of the Messiah, as it
is written,
he shall be exaltedand extolled, &c.
(r) See my book of the Prophecies ofthe Old Testament, &c. fulfilled in Jesus,
p. 160, &c. (s) "erudict, sive intelligere faciet", Morus. (t) "Prosperabitur",
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Calvin. So BenMelechinterprets it by "he
shall prosper." "Feliciteragit", Cocceius;"prospere aget",Vitringa. (u) Baal
Hatturim in Leviticus 16.14. (w)Tanchuma apud Yalkut in loc. (x) Pesikta
apud Kettoreth Hassammim in Targum in Numb. fol. 27. 2.
Geneva Study Bible

Behold, my {n} servant shall dealprudently, he shall be exalted and extolled,
and be very high.
(n) Meaning Christ, by whom our spiritual deliverance would be wrought of
which this was a sign.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
13. my servantshall deal prudently] A more appropriate rendering is that of
R.V. marg. my servant shall prosper, i.e. his careershallbe crownedwith
complete success. The primary idea of the verb used is no doubt “wisdom”
(not mere shrewdness, however, rather“insight,” see Genesis 3:6;Isaiah
44:18), but it also includes the successwhichis the normal result of wise
action, and sometimes this secondaryidea almostsupplants the original
meaning (Joshua 1:7 f.; 1 Samuel 18:5; 1 Samuel 18:14 f. etc.). This sense
seems to be required here by the parallelism with the next line, for there is
nothing in the whole prophecy to justify us in regarding the Servant’s
elevationas the effectof his wisdom. The verse is “a simple prediction of the
exaltation awaiting the Servant, in contrastwith his pastsorrows and
abasement” (Davidson).
he shall be exaltedand extolled] or “high and lifted up.” The same
combination used of Jehovahin ch. Isaiah57:15; of His throne in Isaiah 6:1.
14, 15 must be read as a single compound sentence. The protasis is the first
line of Isaiah52:14 (“According as many were astonied at thee”);the
corresponding apodosis follows in Isaiah52:15 (“so shall he sprinkle &c.”),
the intervening clauses being a parenthesis suggestedby the word “astonied.”
as many were astoniedat thee] The word “astonied” expressesthe blank
amazement, mingled with horror, excitedin the minds of beholders by the

spectacle ofthe Servant’s unparalleled sufferings (cf. 1 Kings 9:8; Jeremiah
2:12; Jeremiah18:16). It is natural to suppose that the “many” here referred
to are the same as the “many nations” who witness the Servant’s subsequent
exaltation (Isaiah52:15), but the point is not to be pressed, and on the
hypothesis that the Servant is an individual Israelite, the spectators ofthe
Servant’s abasementcould hardly be the nations of the world. Insteadof
“thee” the Targ. and Pesh. seemto have read “him,” thus avoiding an
embarrassing change of person. The LXX., on the other hand, preserve the
2nd pers. throughout Isaiah 52:14. The change of person may no doubt be
explained as causedby the parenthesis, but it is awkwardnevertheless,and
almost misleading, and many commentators prefer to alter the text in
accordancewith the Targ.
his visage was so marred, &c.] Render:
—so marred from that of man was his aspect,
and his form from that of the sons of men—
The sentence is inserted parenthetically to explain the repugnance felt by all
who beheld the Servant in his former abject condition. The meaning is that he
was so disfigured by disease (see ch. Isaiah53:3) as to be no longer human in
appearance. The word for “marred” is pointed as a noun (not found
elsewhere):“a marred object.” A participle (moshḥâth) would read more
naturally after the adverb “so,” althoughthe punctuators must have had some
reasonfor avoiding the more obvious form.
13–15.Jehovahutters a brief but pregnant announcement of the brilliant
destiny in store for His Servant. Known to many in his misfortunes as an

objectof aversionand contempt, he shall suddenly be revealedin his true
dignity; and the unexpected transformation will startle the whole world into
astonishment and reverence. The verses form a prelude to ch. 53, being a
summary of what is there describedin detail; and they indicate what is the
main idea of the whole passage, viz. the unexampled contrastbetweenthe
present (and past) degradationand the future glory of Jehovah’s Servant.
Ch. Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12. The Servant’s Sacrifice and His Reward
This is the lastand greatest, as wellas the most difficult, of the four
delineations of the Servant of Jehovah, and in severalrespects occupies a
place apart. In the previous passages the Servant has been described as the
ideal prophet or teacher, conscious ofa world-wide mission in the service of
God, which he prosecutes amid discouragementand persecutionwith
inflexible purpose and the unfaltering assuranceofultimate success. There
has been no hint that his activity was interrupted by death. Here the
presentationis quite different. The conceptionof the Prophet is all but
displacedby that of the Man of Sorrows, the meek and patient martyr, the
sin-bearer. The passageis partly retrospective and partly prophetic. In so far
as it is a retrospectthere is no allusion to the prophetic activity of the servant;
it is only after he has been raised from the dead that he is to assume the
function of the greatreligious guide and authority of the world. But the most
striking feature of the passage is the unparalleled sufferings of the Servant,
and the effect they produce on the minds of his contemporaries. The tragedy
of which they have been spectatorsmakes animpression far more profound
and convincing than any direct teaching could have done, compelling them to
recognise the mission of the Servant, and at the same time producing
penitence and confessionoftheir own sin. The whole conceptionhere given of
the Servantof the Lord makes the prophecy the most remarkable anticipation
in the Old Testamentofthe “sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow.”

The passagemay be divided into three parts:—
(1) An introduction, briefly stating the import of all that follows,—the coming
exaltation of the Servant in contrastto his past abasement(Isaiah 52:13-15).
(2) A historicalreview of the Servant’s career, as he had appeared to his
contemporaries in the days of his humiliation (Isaiah53:1-9).
(3) An announcement of the glorious future and the astonishing success in
store for him as the reward of his obedience unto death (Isaiah52:10-12).
The middle sectionmay be further subdivided into three strophes, yielding an
arrangement(recognisedby most commentators)of the whole in five strophes
of three verses each.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 13-15. -PRELUDE TO THE "GREAT PASSIONAL." It is generally
allowedby modern commentators that this passage is more closelyconnected
with what follows it than with what precedes. Some woulddetach it altogether
from ch. 52. and attachit to ch. 53. But this is not necessary. The passagehas
a completeness in itself. It is a connecting link. The exaltationof Israel, the
collective "Servantof the Lord" (Isaiah 44:1, 21), brings to the prophet's
mind the exaltationof the individual "Servant" (Isaiah42:1-7; Isaiah43:10;
Isaiah49:1-12), through which alone the full exaltationof Israelis possible.
He is bound to complete his accountof the individual "Servant" by telling of
his exaltation, and of the road which led to it. This is done in ch. 53, in what
has been calledthe "GreatPassional."Butthe "GreatPas-signal" needs a
"prelude," an "introduction," if only as indicative' of its greatness.And this
prelude we have here, in these three verses, which briefly note

(1) the fact of the exaltation;
(2) the depth of the humiliation preceding it; and
(3) the far-extending blessednesswhichshall result to the world from both.
Verse 13. - My Servant shall deal prudently; rather, shall dealwisely; i.e. shall
so act throughout his mission as to secure it the most complete success.
"Wisdomis justified of her children," and of none so entirely justified as of
him "in whom were all the treasures ofwisdom and knowledge hid away"
(Colossians2:3). Exalted and extolled; or, high and lifted up - the same
expressions as are used of the Almighty in Isaiah 6:1 and Isaiah57:15. Even
there, however, seems to the prophet rot enough; so he adds, "and exalted
exceedingly" (comp. Isaiah 53:10-12 and Philippians 2:6-9).
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament
The first two turns in the prophecy (Isaiah52:1-2, Isaiah52:3-6) close here.
The third turn (Isaiah 52:7-10)exults at the salvationwhich is being carried
into effect. The prophet sees in spirit, how the tidings of the redemption, to
which the fall of Babylon, which is equivalent to the dismissionof the
prisoners, gives the finishing stroke, are carriedover the mountains of Judah
to Jerusalem. "How lovely upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring
goodtidings, that publish peace, that bring tidings of good, that publish
salvation, that sayunto Zion, Thy God reigneth royally!" The words are
addressedto Jerusalem, consequentlythe mountains are those of the Holy
Land, and especiallythose to the north of Jerusalem:mebhassēris collective
(as in the primary passage,Nahum 2:1; cf., Isaiah41:27; Psalm68:12),
"whoeverbrings the gladtidings to Jerusalem." The exclamation"how
lovely" does not refer to the lovely sound of their footsteps, but to the lovely
appearance presentedby their feet, which spring over the mountains with all
the swiftness ofgazelles (Sol2:17; Sol8:14). Their feet look as if they had
wings, because they are the messengersofgoodtidings of joy. The joyful
tidings that are left indefinite in mebhassēr, are afterwards more particularly

describedas a proclamationof peace, good, salvation, and also as containing
the announcement"thy God reigneth," i.e., has risen to a right royal sway, or
seizedupon the government (‫ךימ‬ in an inchoative historicalsense, as in the
theocratic psalms which commence with the same watchword, or like
ἐβασίλευσε in Revelation19:6, cf., Revelation11:17). Up to this time, when
His people were in bondage, He appearedto have lost His dominion (Isaiah
63:19); but now He has ascended the throne as a Redeemerwith greaterglory
than ever before (Isaiah 24:23). The gospelof the swift-footedmessengers,
therefore, is the gospelofthe kingdom of God that is at hand; and the
application which the apostle makes ofthis passageofIsaiah in Romans 10:15,
is justified by the fact that the prophet saw the final and universal redemption
as though in combination with the close ofthe captivity.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Isaiah52:13 Behold, My Servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up
and greatlyexalted.
ESV Isaiah52:13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;he shall be high and
lifted up, and shall be exalted.
My Servant : Isa 11:2,3 42:1 49:6 53:11 Eze 34:23 Zec 3:8 Php 2:7,8
will prosper, Isa 53:10 Jos 1:7,8 *marg: Jer 23:5
He will be high and lifted up and greatlyexalted: Isa 9:6,7 Isa 49:6 Ps 2:6-9 Ps
110:1,2 Mt 28:18 John 3:31 5:22,23 Eph 1:20-23 Php 2:9-11 Heb 1:3 Rev5:6-
13
Isaiah53 Resources -Multiple Sermons and Commentaries

BEHOLD!
THE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH
GREATLY EXALTED
While critics attempt to apply Isaiah 52:13-53:12 to Israel, it clearly is a
Messianic prophecyand God is speaking throughout this section. As discussed
above, it would be far more appropriate to begin Isaiah 53 at this verse to
facilitate continuity of the teaching on the Servant.
The fascinating aspectofIsaiah 52:15-53:12 is that it begins with the Triumph
of our Lord before it explains the costHe paid to bring about the Triumph. It
is alike an old time fairy tale (but of course it is NOT a fairy tale) which ends
"and they lived happily ever after." Here Isaiahbegins the story of sorrow
with a "happily ever after" passage!In a word, the fourth Servant Song
begins with what is really the end of the song, the glorificationof the Messiah!
Charles Ryrie commenting on Isaiah52:13-53:12 writes that "This is one of
the most treasuredand important passagesin the OT. These verses present
the Servantsuffering vicariously for men's sins. Traditional Jewish
interpretation understood the passageto be speaking ofMessiah, as, ofcourse,
did the early Christians, who believed Jesus to be that Messiah(Acts 8:35).
Not until the twelfth century did the view emerge that the nation Israelis
referred to, a view that has since become dominant in Judaism. But the
Servant is distinguished from the "people" (Isa 53:8), and He is an innocent
victim, something that could not be said of the nation (Isa 53:9)." (Ryrie
Study Bible) (Bolding mine)
Targum Jonathanto the Prophets - Behold, My servant the Messiahshall
prosper; he shall be exalted and great and very powerful.
Fruchtenbaum comments - Among the earliestTargums are those of
Jonathanben Uzziel dating from the first century A.D. His Targums on this
passageofIsaiah begin with these words: “Beholdmy servant Messiahshall
prosper.…” The Targums of Jonathanben Uzziel were heavily quoted by the
early rabbis and he was certainly consideredan authority on the Jewishview
of Scripture. He definitely consideredthe Isaiah passageto speak of Messiah.

Jonathanben Uzziel could hardly be accusedofadopting the “Christian
interpretation.”
Fruchtenbaum adds that "ThatJonathan ben Uzziel was not alone in this
interpretation becomes clearfrom a quotation from Rabbi Don Yitzchak
Abarbanel from about 1500. While he himself did not acceptthe view that the
Isaiahpassage referredto the Messiah, he makes a dramatic admission:
The first question is to ascertainto whom (this scripture) refers:for the
learned among the Nazarenes expound it of the man who was crucified in
Jerusalemat the end of the secondtemple and who according to them was the
Son of God and took flesh in the virgin’s womb as it is stated in their writings.
Jonathanben Uzziel interpreted it in the Targum of the future Messiah;but
this is also the opinion of our learned men in the majority of the midrashim
(italics added). (Jesus Was A Jew).
Fruchtenbaum - In spite of Abarbanel’s personalview regarding this passage,
he freely admits that the majority of the rabbis of the Midrashim took the
passageto speak of the Messiah. He thus points out that Jonathan ben Uzziel
was not alone in his opinion but rather this was the Jewishview of the period
of the Targumim and the Midrashim....Among the most famous rabbis of this
period was MosesbenMaimon, better knownas Maimonides or the Rambam.
In his writings he, too, makes the Isaiah passagereferto the Messiah:
Regarding the mission by which Messiahwill presenthimself, … he will not
commend himself to our veneration by reasonof his notable extraction; but
the marvelous deeds he shall perform will show him to be the anticipated
Messiah… Isaiah states, “He grew like a tender plant, and as a root out of dry
land,” signifying, that his exact descentwill not be known, till his successful
careerwill direct people’s attention to it.… But a noteworthy circumstance
will be that crownedheads will stand amazed.… So they will remain in utter
silence, as Isaiahpredicts, “At him will kings shut their mouths, for what had
not been told unto them shall they see, and what they never heard shall they
understand.” The Rambam quotes from Isaiah53:2 and 52:15 respectively
and refers these passages to the Messiah’s person. This is his view regarding
the entire passage.

John Oswaltwrites "The basic thrust of these verses (Isa 52:13-15)is clear
enough: the nations will be shockedto speechlessnessby what they see in
God’s Servant, something they had not been prepared for....Most
commentators (e.g., Muilenburg) see a comparisonbetweentwo shocks:the
first (Isa 52:14)over the disfigurement of the servant, and the second(Isa
52:15)over his exaltation(resuming Isa 52:13)." (NICOT-Isaiah)
James Smith - "BEHOLD." At once our attention is invited and arrested. The
"Beholds" ofScripture are all impressive and important, and without
exception, challenge and merit our most careful attention. This "Behold"
excels all others, for it is the herald drawing attention to the only Begottenof
the Father.
God the Father is not ashamedto draw attention to His Son. "Hastthou
consideredMy servant Job?" God proudly drew Satan's attention to the
patriarch; "there is none like him;" and right nobly did Job bear up under his
crushing sorrows. He did not let God down. There yet was sin and also much
imperfection in this honoured and much tried servant. The fiery trial brought
to the surface the sin of self-righteousnessJobnever dreamt was present in
him. There is no such fear in our examination of the Lord Jesus. No one ever
detecteda flaw or blemish in His spotless character. The fiery trial only
brought out all the clearerHis perfections, as the fire from the Altar in
Tabernacle and Temple only revealed more than ever the wonderful
fragrance of the sacredincense.
There are four speciallyattractive "Beholds" connectedwith the Lord Jesus,
and they wondrously harmonise with the predominant message ofthe four
Gospels.
1. "Beholdthy King" (Zech. 9:9), agreeing with the Gospelof Matthew
wherein is drawn for us the portrait of the Lord Jesus as the King.
2. "BeholdMy Servant" (Isaiah52:13) agreeing with the portrait drawn of
our Lord in Mark's Gospel.
3. "Beholdthe Man" (Zech. 6:12) agreeing with Luke's portrait of the
Saviour, wherein the humanity of the Lord is emphasisedover and over again.

4. "Beholdyour God" (Isaiah 40:9) where attention is drawn to the Deity of
the Servant, as in John's Gospel. (Handfuls of Purpose)
Behold - God is saying to the Jews (we in the Church tend to forgetthat this
prophecy was originally addressedprimarily to the nation of Israel!) in
essence"Give whatfollows your full attention." DearJewish(and Gentile)
reader, take a serious look at My Servant! Readit "actively" (engaging with
it), not "passively" (as if uninterested or uninvolved). In fact, before you read
further in the notes, readIsaiah 52:13-53:12 asking the Spirit of Truth to open
your heart to understand the profound truths in this "mountain top" passage
in the Old Testament. It is worth noting that the "FirstServant Song" (Isaiah
42:1-4) also begins with "Behold, My Servant."
God introduces His Servant with "Behold" againin Zechariah -
Behold, I am going to bring in My Servantthe Branch." (Zechariah 3:8)
Behold, a Man whose name is Branch, (Zechariah 6:12)
Behold, your King is coming to you; (Zechariah9:9)
God is not begging Israelto pay attention but He is strongly encouraging them
to pay attention. How tragic that God has sentHis ChosenPeople an
invitation to receive the Messiahand eternallife but many (if not most)
modern Jews and Jewishteachers do not even read or teachthis majestic
Messianic passage.It is as if most Jews have responded to God's "Invitation"
in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 notwith a polite "Decline with regrets" but instead
actually showing contempt (kataphroneo in present tense = continually) for
"the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the
kindness of God leads (them) to repentance." (Ro 2:4+) As John wrote "He
(THE SERVANT OFJEHOVAH) came to His own (THE JEWS), and those
who were His owndid not receive Him." (John 1:11+)
David Thompson on Behold - This is God speaking and God basicallysays I
want you to take a serious look now at My Servant. This is God asking us to
take a serious, deep, consecratedlook atHis specialServant/Savior. This is
God’s Servant, this is God’s Messiah, this is God’s Savior and Godsays take
some time right now and take a serious look at what I have to sayto you about

Him right here and right now. If a persondoes this, if a personhonestly takes
a serious look at these 15 verses, there is no other conclusionthat you may
draw except this is an amazing prediction pertaining to Jesus Christ.
(Sermon)
Jennings on "Behold" - The Speakergiving this command is evidently God,
the very God Who in the opening words of Genesis appears as the Creatorof
the heavens and the earth. It is He Who here tells us to "behold," that is, to
considerwith deepest, most concentratedattentionOne whom He terms His
Servant. (Isaiah52:13-15-53:1-12)
Behold (02009)(hinneh) is an interjection meaning behold, look, now;if. "It is
used often and expresses strong feelings, surprise, hope, expectation,
certainty, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context."
(Baker)As C H Spurgeonsays "Beholdis a word of wonder; it is intended to
excite admiration. Whereveryou see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an
ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the
hands which solid readers have observedin the margin of the older Puritanic
books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I
would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an
especiallystriking or important text. It says in effect"Listen up, all ye who
would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!"
The Hebrew word servant describes one who does not have a will of his own,
but submits himself or herselfto the will of the master, seeking to obey the
master. Messiahas the Servant of Jehovahseeks notHis own will, but the will
of His Father, even as He agonized(over the fact that He would soonbear the
sin of the world and be separatedfrom fellowship with the Father for a time
on the Cross)in the Garden of Gethsemane declaring "yet not My will, but
Thine be done" (Lk 22:42+). The writer of Hebrews picks up on the will of the
Servant of Jehovahwriting...
Therefore, whenHe comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND
OFFERING YOUHAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODYYOU HAVE
PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices
FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. 7 “THEN I SAID,

‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLLOF THE BOOKIT IS
WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” 8 After saying above,
“SACRIFICESAND OFFERINGSAND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS
AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU
TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9
then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes
awaythe first in order to establish the second. (Heb 10:5-9+)
My servant(05650)('ebed)is a phrase which occurs 17x in 16v in Isaiah -
Context determines the identity of eachservant - Isaiah (Isa 20:3), Eliakim
(Isa 22:20), David (Isa 37:35), Israel(Isa 41:8,9, Isa. 44:1; Isa. 44:2; Isa. 44:21;
Isa. 45:4), Messiah(Isa 42:1, 19, 49:3, 6, 52:13, 53:11). Isaiah42:1 is the first
of four "ServantSongs" (Isa 49:1-13;Isa 50:4-11; Isa 52:13-53:12)that are
Messianic prophecies describing Jesus Christ. Isaiah42:1-3 is quoted in Mt
12:18-20 as applying to Jesus Christ.
The Name "My Servant" does not appear againuntil Isaiah53:11 and
nowhere in this fourth "ServantSong" does He Himself speak. Instead, except
for the secondpersonpronoun "You" in Isaiah 52:14, He is always spokenof
in the third person throughout the song.
David Baron on My Servant - Insignificant, fallen man ever aims at exalting
himself, but here is One who, though in the form of God counted not His
equality with God a prize ("to be grasped" at), but emptied Himself, taking
the form of a servant "and being found in fashionas a man, He humbled
Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the Cross." No
wonder, then, that the Fatherpoints with delight to Him, saying, "BeholdMy
Servant," and would have our eyes fixed on Him, not only as our Saviour, but
as our example, that we might follow in His footsteps. (ExpositionofIsaiah -
Main Menu)
Jennings on will prosper - He ever actedso wiselyas to insure success, hence
the very word rendered "actwisely" (will prosper) comes to mean, as in the
Authorized Version, to "prosper," and both meanings may well be seenin it
here: His wisdom and its prospering are united in the one word. His wisdom
led Him to infinite suffering, and by that suffering His purpose was attained.

This first line then takes us to that "wise" path of suffering only terminated
by the Cross. (Isaiah52:13-15-53:1-12)
Will prosper (07919)(sakal)means primarily to actwisely, to show prudence,
goodsense, insight and understanding. The natural fruit expectedfrom acting
wiselyis that this leads to prosperity or success. In Joshua 1:8+ we see this
pattern where meditation in the Word and obedience to that Word will result
in "success"whichis the same word sakal. Whatthis affirmative description
does is give us a generalstatementof the effective accomplishment of the great
work of the Servant." (Allan MacRae -The Gospelof Isaiah) Sakalis used in
2 Ki 18:7 which says of Hezekiahthat "the LORD was with him (read why in
2 Ki 18:3-6 espverse 6!); wherever he went he prospered." In short,
combining both sensesofsakal, prudence begets prosperity!
We see this associationofwise behavior and prosperity in 1 Sa 18:14 we see
why "David was prospering (sakal)in all his ways for the LORD was with
him." The 1 Sa 18:14KJV says "Davidbehaved himself wisely in all his ways
and the LORD was with him."
And so to prosper (sakal/sākhal)means Messiahwillact with insight and
prudence. NET Bible has "He will succeed." ESVhas "shallact wisely." So
He will prosper because He acts wisely. Jeremiahuses (sakal/sākhal)in his
description of the Messiah...
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “WhenI will raise up for
David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely
(sakal/sākhal -Jer 23:5KJV has "shall...prosper")And do justice and
righteousness in the land. (Jer 23:5).
David Thompson on will prosper - This is a sequential action;one acts in a
way that pleases Godand then God prospers the person. When a person
choosesto act wiselyfrom God’s perspective, the end result is always success
and prosperity. What is revealed here is that Jesus Christ would always think,
say, and do the things that would lead to the full blessings and prosperity of
God. This becomes staggering when one considers what is describedin these
verses, becausewhatHe would actually do is not what we would expect a
prosperous servant to do. There has been only one Personwho has ever

walkedon this earth who has always actedin a wise wayin the sight of God.
Every other human who has ever walkedon this earth has played the part of a
fool. (Sermon)
Notice the apparent paradox for verse 13 describes success,but in verse 14
God's Servant seems to be a failure. And yet God says He will be exalted,
similar to the description of Jehovahin Isaiah6:1 "I saw the Lord sitting on a
throne, lofty and exalted." In short in Isaiah 53:14 the Servant of Jehovah
looks like anything but "lofty and exalted," and yet Isaiah52:13 assures us
that the Servant's end is a successfulone!Do we not see a similar pattern in
Php 2:7-8+ in which Messiah
"emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant (cf "Servant of
Jehovah"), and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross."
This description of His humiliation parallels the picture of the Servant in
Isaiah53:14. But following the Servant's humiliation, comes the exaltation
which explains the startled reactionof the nations and of kings in Isaiah
52:15. Paul describes the Servant's final exaltation...
For this reasonalso (Php 2:8), God highly exaltedHim, and bestowedon Him
the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY
KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christis Lord, to the glory
of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11+)
Indeed, Christ's exaltation will not be universally recognizeduntil He returns
and rules over His Messianic Kingdom.
John MacArthur sums on My Servant noting that "There are four times in
the prophets where you have, “BeholdMy,” or “Behold,” referring to the
Messiah. Here, “BeholdMy Servant,” also in Zechariah3:8, “BeholdMy
servant,” referring to Messiah. In Zechariah 6:12, it’s “Beholdthe Man…the
Man,” which tells us Messiahwill be the Servant of God, He will also be a
Man. In Zechariah9:9, the prophet says, “Beholdyour King,” so the Messiah

will be the Servant of Jehovah, a Man and King. And in Isaiah40:9, it says of
Messiah, “Beholdyour God…Beholdyour God.” ("Here is [hinneh] your
God" is literally "Beholdyour God.") Messiahwillbe Man and God, and
Servant and King....He is all of that. “Behold,” look atHim. And that quartet
of titles, Man, God, Servant, King, become the theme of the four Gospels.
Matthew presents Him as King. Mark presents Him as Servant, Luke
presents Him as Man, and John presents Him as God. Look at Him. Look at
My Servant. The One whose foodis to do the will of Him who sent Him (Jn
4:24) and finish His work (Jn 17:4), the One Who said, “I always do the things
that are pleasing to My Father (Jn 8:29). My Servant – ” He says – “will
prosper.” (The Startling Servant of Jehovah)
My Servant will prosper - God says His Servantwill prosper or succeedand
then immediately describes what that successwill look like - He will be high
and lifted up and greatly exalted.
THREE DESCRIPTIONS
OF THE SERVANT'S PROSPERITY
He will be high and lifted up - Here we see Messiah's preeminence, and is the
very same description ("lofty and exalted") given of the Lord ('adonay) in
Isaiah6:1+ which John 12:41 explains as a Theophany, which I personally
believe was a Christophany, a manifestationof Jesus Christin the OT in His
glorious splendor. And so it seems that in Isaiah52:13 we see the "Crowning
of Christ," which follows the "Crucifixion of Christ." How many times we
have heard "There is no crownwithout suffering." First the sufferings, then
the crown. Peterdescribes the puzzlement of even the men God's Spirit used
to write these great Messianicprophecies...
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would
come to you made careful searchesand inquiries, seeking to know what
person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted
the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. (1 Peter1:10-11+)
Comment: Isaiah52:13-15 predicts the sufferings of Christ and the glories to
follow, in short, the suffering and the crowning of the King of kings!

Let's look at the three descriptions of the Servant's properity. A number of
expositors have pointed out that Isaiah's use of three words to describe the
Servant of Jehovahare a foreshadowing offuture events in Messiah's life.
At first reading He will be high and lifted up and greatlyexalted seems to be
somewhatredundant, but it is not. I like Delitzsch's comment that these three
verbs describe "the commencement, the continuation, and the result or climax
of the exaltation.”
As John MacArthur says "It’s high, higher, highest. Godis going to make
Him high, then higher, and then highest. High, I believe, looks atHis
resurrection. Higher looks at His ascension. And highest looks atHis
coronation. He is going to be so successfulthat God is going to raise Him
from the dead, God is going to take Him into glory, and God is going to sit
Him at His right hand, Philippians 2:9-11. Godis going to give Him a name
above every name, the name Lord. And at that name, every knee will bow.
God is going to make Him the ruler over everything in the universe. He’s
going to be the King of the universe, as well as the head of the church. The
astonishing revelation of the Servant of Jehovah is this, He will come, He will
succeed, He will accomplishthe purpose of God by His great effort, and God
will validate that by raising Him from the dead, taking Him into glory and
seating Him on His throne. That is an astonishing appearance ofthe Messiah.
(The Startling Servant of Jehovah)
To summarize:
(1) High (Rising up) - His Resurrection
(2) Lifted Up - His Ascension
(3) Greatly exalted - Seatedat the Right Hand of the Father
Jennings - First, He is raised up from the depths of humiliation, to which that
path had led Him, the tomb: then still higher does He rise, as from Olivet His
feet leave this earth, and the cloud hides Him from sight; till finally to Him is
given the highest place in all the universe, or, as a very literal rendering of
these last words would be, "High, Very." Thus are we told in these few words

the whole path of the Messiah, till He reaches, as Man, the Throne He had left
as the divine Son. (Isaiah52:13-15-53:1-12)
S Lewis Johnson - He shall be exalted, a verb ya’ruwm — that can mean “he
shall rise,” and then extolled, nasa, which means something like “to lift up,” to
bear awayin many contexts, and then shall be very high, a verb that means
essentiallythat. In fact, can it possibly be that these three verbs refer to the
commencementof our Lord’s exaltationin His resurrection, the continuation
of it in His ascensionandthe climax of it in His sessionat the right hand of the
throne of God? He shall be exalted, he shall be extolled, he shall be very high.
(The Astonishing Messiah)
(1) High (07311)(rum) is a verb which literally describes something raised up
high (waterin the global flood = Ge 7:17). Rum candescribe God as being
exalted (2 Sa 22:47, Ps 99:2, 108:5, Isa 33:10). In Isaiah 52:13 rum is in the
Qal which can signify either being high or rising up.
(2) Lifted up and is the verb nasa'which literally means to lift up which would
be compatible with the idea of ascensionfor Luke records that after the
resurrectionfrom the dead, Jesus "waslifted up while they were looking on,
and a cloud receivedHim out of their sight." (Acts 1:9+)
Nasa'also conveys the sense ofbearing and so the picture Isaiah presents is of
the Servantof God, the Messiah, lifted up (nasa') Who "surely our griefs He
Himself bore" (nasa') (Isa 53:4+)for "He Himself bore (nasa')the sin of
many" (Isa 53:12+)
Was it for crimes that I have done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
—Watts
We cannever sacrifice enoughfor the One

Jesus was an object of astonishment

Jesus was an object of astonishment

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Jesus was an object of astonishment