Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53 is the great Suffering Servant prophecy — written seven centuries before Christ, describing one wounded for our transgressions and bearing our iniquities. The clearest Old Testament portrait of the cross.
The Book of Isaiah · Old Testament · chapter 53 of 66.
Where this chapter sits
Isaiah's fourth servant song appears here, and the chapter division falls mid poem, since the song itself opens three verses earlier at the end of chapter fifty two. It sits well into the section of comfort and restoration begun at chapter forty, describing a servant who suffers and is despised. Interpreters have long debated whether the servant names Israel, a remnant, or an individual, and Christians have long read the passage as pointing toward Christ.
Key verses (KJV)
“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities... and with his stripes we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)
What to notice as you read
Pronouns shift from describing him to confessing our own part, we hid our faces, we esteemed him not, we like sheep have gone astray, a communal admission woven through the servant's suffering. The poem repeatedly pairs his affliction with a benefit granted to others, not himself.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does Isaiah 53 come in Isaiah?
It is chapter 53 of 66 in Isaiah, a book of Major Prophet in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Isaiah are linked further down this page.
Where can I read Isaiah 53?
Read the full text of Isaiah 53 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.