The Atonement in ’s Fourth Servant Song (:13-53:12)1 Peter J. Gentry

Peter J. Gentry is Professor of Old Many exegetes and theologians have mately seven major sections, the reader Testament Interpretation and Director of mined Isa 52:13-53:12 for biblical instruc- ends up with a full-orbed mental picture, the Hexapla Institute at The Southern tion on the death of the Servant and the equivalent of stereo surround-sound Baptist Theological Seminary. He has expounded its meaning in terms of a in the audio world.4 served on the faculty of Toronto Baptist penal substitutionary atonement, focus- Isaiah makes the first round of his Seminary and Bible College and also ing in particular on the contribution of theme in 1:2-2:5, beginning with the bro- taught at the University of Toronto, Heri- the third stanza (53:4-6). This exegetical ken covenant between God and — tage Theological Seminary, and Tyndale study will focus specifi cally on the fi rst excoriating the people for their sins—and Seminary. Dr. Gentry is the author of and fi fth stanzas (52:13-15 and 53:10-12) as concluding with the vision of a future many articles and book reviews and improved interpretations of these stanzas transformed . From 2:6 to 4:6 Isaiah is currently preparing a critical text of can provide a full-orbed understanding of makes the second round of his theme, Proverbs and Ecclesiates for the Göt- the meaning and signifi cance of the death moving again in a short treatment from tingen . of the Servant. sin and judgment in the present corrupt Zion to the vision of a future transformed Situating the Text in the Zion. Larger Work Chapters 5 to 37 comprise at least three Interpretation of the Fourth Servant sub-units that treat in detail the issues of Song2 should begin by situating the text failure to keep the Covenant/Torah and within the larger literary structure of the the threat of judgment. Isaiah focuses on book as a whole. Although recent studies of the failure of the people to practice social Isaiah have focused more on the canonical justice in spite of many, many acts of shape of the text rather than fragmen tary divine discipline. The covenant is broken sources adduced by critical scholarship, and irreparably violated. Everything is few have laboured to discover the larger in or der in their services of worship, but literary structure inherent to the work as the people have failed to demonstrate the a whole.3 Prophetic preaching and writing lifestyle required of them as God’s new certainly does not follow the patterns of humanity. The instruction in the covenant Aristotelian rectilinear logic so fundamen- can properly be summarized by the term tal to our discourse in the western world. social justice.5 As a community in cov- Instead, the approach in ancient Hebrew enant relationship to , they are literature is to take up a topic and develop called to mirror to the world the character it from a particular perspective and then of Yah weh in terms of social justice and to to stop and take up the same theme again be a vehicle of divine blessing and salva- from another point of view. This pattern tion to the nations. But the way that the is kaleido scopic and recursive. The book people of God have treated each other is of Isaiah is no exception to this technique. character ized by social injustice. The City After the topic is presented in approxi- of Truth has become a whore (Isa 1:21). 20 The Lord has no choice now but to fulfi ll of the Exodus so that the return from the the gravest curses and threats entailed in Babylonian exile will be nothing less than the Covenant in Deut 28. The fi nal threat a new Exodus—indeed a greater Exodus!7 is exile, and this theme is taken up in This new Exodus is also described by the chapters 5-37. term “redeem” (gā’al) which refers to the The Fourth Servant Song is found in the duties of the near est relative. Since by sixth section of thematic treatment (cover- virtue of the Mosaic Covenant Yahweh is ing chapters 38 to 55), which is focused in Israel’s nearest rela tive, he will “buy back” particular on comfort and redemp tion for his people from exile as he once delivered both Zion and the world. The following them from bondage and slavery in . outline, adapted from the commen taries The return from exile, however, is not a by Motyer,6 is effective in clarifying the simple task. The promises of redemption movement of thought in this cycle dealing are divided into two distinct sections: with the transformation of Zion in the old release (42:18-43:21) and forgiveness creation to Zion in the new crea tion: (43:22-44:23). Release refers to bringing the people physically out of exile in Baby- -55: The Book of the Servant lon and back to their own land; forgive- A. Historical Prologue: ’s Fatal Choice (38:1-39:8) ness entails dealing fully and fi nally with B1. Universal Consolation (40:1-42:17) their sin and the broken covenant. It has 1. The Consolation of Israel been neatly expressed that you can take (40:1-41:20) 2. The Consolation of the the people out of , but how do (41:21-42:17) you get Babylon out of the people?8 The 1 C . Promises of Redemption books of Ezra and Nehemiah show that (42:18-44:23) 1. Release (42:18-43:21) the people have returned from exile, but 2. Forgiveness (43:22-44:23) have not changed at all in terms of their C2. Agents of Redemption (44:24-53:12) relationship to God: the failure to practice 1. Cyrus: liberation (44:24-48:22) 2. Servant: atonement (49:1-53:12) social justice remains a central problem. 2 B . Universal Proclamation (54:1-55:13) That is why for a post-exilic like 1. The Call to Zion (54:1-17) 2. The Call to the World (55:1-13) Zechariah the return from exile is both a present reality and a future hope. The The larger literary structure is crucial exile will be over only when God deals to correct interpretation of the Fourth with their sin and renews the covenant, Servant Song in at least three ways. the temple is rebuilt and the Lord returns First, the outline of the literary struc- to dwell in the midst of his people as King. ture of Isaiah 38-55 shows that the return Zechariah 3:9 and 5:11 show that the for- from exile involves two distinct issues giveness of sins is still future. Indeed, the and stages. As already noted, Isaiah 38-55 major point of Daniel’s Vision of Seventy looks farther into the future, beyond the Weeks is that the exile will not be over in judgment of exile, to the comfort and seventy years, but rather in seventy weeks consolation of Israel, i.e., bringing them of years: “seventy sevens are decreed for back from exile. Then the Lord will estab- your people and your holy city to fi nish lish Zion as the people / place where all transgression, to put an end to sin, to nations will seek his instruction for social atone for wickedness, to bring in ever- justice. This is des cribed in the language lasting righteousness, to seal up vision 21 and prophecy and to anoint the Holy of their person is enslaved (Lev 25:39-55). Holies” (Dan 9:24). So there are two issues The Mosaic Covenant establishes Yahweh in the return from exile: physical return as Israel’s nearest relative (Exod 24) and from Babylon and spiritual deliverance the Exodus is a picture of this work. Thus from bondage and slavery to sin. And cor- the work of the Servant will bring about a responding to these two issues there are deliverance from bondage to sin. two distinct agents of redemption: Cyrus Second, the larger literary structure and the Servant. The former will bring clarifi es why there is a gap in the text about the fi rst task: physical return to the between the first of the servant songs land of Israel (44:24-48:22); the latter will (42:1-9) and the last three (49:1-13, 50:4- bring about the second task: the forgive- 9, 52:13-53:12). The first Servant Song ness of sins (49:1-53:12). belongs to the introductory opening sec- This fi rst point cannot be emphasised tion which is devoted to the theme of the suffi ciently. One’s doctrine of atone ment consolation of Israel and of the nations is an understanding of what God does as (40:1-42:17). The Abrahamic Covenant an answer to a problem.9 One’s under- undergirds this introductory section. At standing of the problem determines one’s the heart of the covenant with understanding of the solution. The literary is the promise that blessing will come to structure makes abundantly clear that the entire world through Abraham and the work of the Servant is to deal with his family, Israel. The arrangement in the sin of Israel (and it turns out, also of this section is important. The consolation the nations). Texts in the section entitled of Israel comes fi rst because at this time Promises of Redemption that address the Israel is under a curse; she is part of the issue most pointedly are 42:23-25, 43:22- problem and not part of the solution. 28, 44:21-23. The last of these is worth First God must console and restore Israel citation and a brief comment: and only then can he use Israel to be an instrument of consolation and restoration Remember these things, O , for you are my servant, for all the nations. After consolation is O Israel. defi ned in terms of redemption (1) from I have made you, you are my exile and (2) from sin in 42:18-44:23, Isaiah servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. describes in 44:24-53:12 the work of Cyrus I have swept away your offenses to accomplish the former before proceed- like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. ing to develop the work of the Servant of Return to me, for I have redeemed the Lord to accomplish the latter. At this you (NIV). point three passages on the Servant of the Lord are placed together to focus on This passage is programmatic for redemp tion from sin. Each passage con- showing that what will be involved is the sists of a fi rst presentation of the topic, a permanent removal of offenses and sins as comment as a second presentation of the an act of redemption. The Hebrew word topic, and a response section:11 “redeem”10 comes from the Torah and refers to the duty of the nearest relative to buy back their kin when either their property is mortgaged (Lev 25:23-38) or

22 is in dire need herself, not just of rescue Outline of :1-55:13 from exile and all that entails, but also of 1 A . The Servant’s Double a full reso lution of the problem of a bro- Mission: Israel and the World (49:1-6) ken covenant relationship (e.g., 43:22-28). B1. Comment: Mission Idolatry and social in justice are endemic in to World and Israel Israel. This is the dilemma: how can God Confi rmed (49:7-13) C1. Response: Zion keep his promises to Abraham when Israel Despondent and has completely failed as the Servant of the Unresponsive (49:14-50:3) Lord? Israel was to model three things to A2. The Servant Obedient and Responsive in Suffering (50:4-9) the rest of the nations: (1) faithfulness and B2. Comment: The Obedient and the loyalty in their relationship to God, (2) Self-Willed (50:10-11) C2. Zion Summoned to social justice in their human relationships, Respond (51:1-52:12) and (3) responsible stewardship of the 3 A . The Servant Successful, creation / environ ment. Sin-bearing and Triumphant (52:13-53:12) This matter is addressed immediately B3. Response: Invitation to Israel in the Second Servant Song which begins and the World (54:1-55:13) the detailed response to this question (49:1-13). At the beginning of this second Third, the literary structure sheds light song we hear again in 49:3 the affi rmation on the identity of the servant. Debate that Israel is the servant, as in 41:8. So the over the identity of the servant has liter- servant is the nation. Yet in vv. 5-6, the ally raged for centuries and con tinues to servant’s task is to bring the nation back. the present time unabated.12 One good This is a return from exile, both physically reason for this debate is in the text itself: and spiritually, as described earlier. How it is characteristic of Isaianic style to begin can the servant be both the nation and discussing a topic in an ambiguous and the deliverer of the nation? There is only mys terious manner and to add critical one pos sible solution that resolves this information bit by bit until the matter is conundrum fairly, and Isaiah has prepared plain.13 For example, in the oracle against us for this in the fi rst part of his work: the Babylon in 21:1-9, Isaiah begins by talking Servant must be the future king described about the wilderness by the sea. Only earlier (e.g., 11:1-10). As an individual, the at the end, in v. 9, does one realize that king can say, “I am Israel.” The king can the prophet is speaking about Babylon. represent the nation as a whole, yet he Isaiah’s presentation of the Servant of can be dis tinguished from Israel. This is Yahweh is similar. At the start in 41:8, diffi cult for Americans to grasp because the servant is Israel, who in the biblical we have no monarchy. In monarchies, theological scheme of the larger story has both ancient and modern, there is a sense inherited the Adamic roles of son of God in which the king is the nation. At the and servant king, and who in the covenant same time, the king is the deliverer of at Sinai in Exod 19:5-6 was called to be a the nation and fi ghts her battles for her. holy nation and a kingdom of priests. The Many Christians move too quickly to servant, however, seems to be deaf and identify of Nazareth as the Servant disobedient in 42:18-19. This contradicts of YHWH without following carefully the the picture of the servant in 42:1-9 and progression in the text. The main problem especially in 50:4-11. Israel as a servant 23 with the standard Jewish interpretation can we resolve this enigmatic contradic- of identifying the servant as the nation is tion? When the Servant is seen as a royal that the nation of Israel is, neither in the fi gure, we can propose a solution. There text nor in history, able to rescue itself, let is a sense in which the king is the nation in alone atone for its own sins. himself, and yet can also be the deliverer A detailed discussion of the identity of the nation. In the New Testament, the of the Servant is not possible here, but Servant is understood to be Jesus of Naza- several points in the text, especially in the reth because he is both the King of Israel Fourth Servant Song, show that a future and Servant of the Lord who accomplishes king descended from is uppermost the task of bringing back the exiles. To see in the author’s thought. First, D. I. Block’s how this works we must now turn our recent study “My Servant David: Ancient atten tion to the Fourth Servant Song. Israel’s Vision of the ” provides strong evidence that need not be repeated The Poetic Structure of the Fourth here that the fi gure of the Servant of Yah- Servant Song weh in Isaiah is both Davidic and royal.14 The literary structure of the Fourth To be called “the servant of Yahweh” is Servant Song is both clear and instructive. significant in itself and this title most The poem is a song in fi ve stanzas con- frequently refers to David. Second, the sisting of three verses each (although in ref erence to the root and shoot in Isa 53:2 the Hebrew text the fi ve stanzas number clearly connects the Fourth Servant Song 9, 10, 12, 13, and 13 lines respectively).18 to the vision of the future Davidic King The fi rst stanza forms a prologue for the and Kingdom in -37 by allusion poem as a whole where the main themes to the majestic, stately tree cut down in are adumbrated. After the prologue follow Isa 6:13 and to the root and shoot of four stanzas: the second and fourth stan- in Isa 11:1, 10. As J. Alec Motyer notes, zas describe the sufferings of the servant “the reference to Jesse indicates that the and the third and fi fth stanzas interpret shoot is not just another king in David’s the events described in the fi rst and third line but rather another David” (italics in stanzas respectively: original).15 The connection between the Outline of Fourth Servant Song19 future king of and 11 and the Ser- Stanza 1: Prologue (52:13-15) vant of Yahweh in Isaiah 53 in the history Stanza 2: Pains in Life (53:1-3) of interpretation is as old as the Septua- Stanza 3: For Us (53:4-6) gint. There the interpretive rendering of Stanza 4: Pains in Death (53:7-9) Stanza 5: For Us (53:10-12) yônēq (“tender shoot”) in 53:2 by paidi,on (“child” or “servant”) shows a clear con- An alternative analysis sees a chiastic nection with the “child” of 9:5 in the mind arrangement: of the Greek trans lator.16 Thus the Fourth Chiastic Outline of Fourth Servant Song20 Servant Song resolves the dilemma put in A1 The Servant’s Exaltation (52:13-15) sharp focus in Isa 49:3 and 6 in the Second 1 17 B The Rejection/Suffering of Servant Song. One text says the servant the Servant (53:1-3) is Israel; another text affi rms that the ser- C Signifi cance of the Servant’s Suffering (53:4-6) vant will restore the tribes of Jacob. The B2 The Rejection/Suffering of servant is Israel, yet restores Israel. How the Servant (53:7-9) A2 The Servant’s Exaltation (53:10-12) 24 The fi rst and last stanzas describe the chief priests, said “He saved others, but exaltation of the Servant, the second and he can’t save him self! Let this Christ, this fourth describe the rejection and suffer- King of Israel come down now from the ing of the Servant, and the centre stanza cross, that we may see and believe” (Matt provides the signifi cance of the suffer- 27:42). They saw him as a false King, a ing. Sometimes “discovery” of chiastic false Messiah. They saw him as a liar and patterns actually forces the details of the blasphemer who was getting the penalty text onto a Procrustean bed. Naturally justly due him. The women were there the resurrection in 53:10-12 constitutes who had supported Jesus in his ministry an exaltation of the servant, but this by and cared for his needs. No doubt they no means exhausts the content of this were thinking, “Here was a gentle, meek stanza. Moreover, the resurrection is part soul who was always kind and loving and of what stands as an interpretation of the now he’s been betrayed by the system.” Servant’s death. It demonstrates divine The bandits and insurrectionists were acceptance of the sacrifi ce (Rom 4:25b) as there, hanging on either side of him. One will be described later. Earlier the literary saw Jesus as a fellow bandit, the other structure of the section from 49:1-55:13 trusted him as Messiah. Roman soldiers revealed a pattern of topic, commentary, were there and the centurion in charge and response in the three passages on confessed, “Surely this was a righteous the Servant of the Lord. At fi rst glance man” (Luke 23:47). Mark records the cen- this pattern seems to break down for the turion as saying, “Surely this man was the Fourth Servant Song as the third pas- son of God!” (Mark 15:39). The dis ciples, sage in this sequence. Yet if the third and Jesus’ closest friends, did not know how fi fth stanzas are seen as commentary on to interpret the events as the debate on the second and fourth stanzas according the Emmaus Road revealed. But Paul, in to the fi rst outline of the Fourth Song, Rom 4:25 says, “he was delivered over to then the pattern of topic and comment death for our sins and was raised to life is indeed there, but is doubled. The pat- for our justifi ca tion.” Paul interprets the tern is then completed with the response, death of Jesus of Nazareth, and, as we will which is an invitation to Israel and the see, his interpretation is based upon that nations (54:1-55:13). of Isaiah 53. The structure of the Fourth The structure of the Fourth Song Servant Song indicates that Isaiah not only in terms of topic and commentary is foretells and predicts events in the future, in structive. Events are not self-interpret- but he interprets these events as well. This ing. If we consider, by way of illustration, is crucial for a proper understanding of the crucifi xion of Jesus and the people the death of the Servant. who actually witnessed it at the time, we Space and time do not permit an would fi nd a variety of different inter- exhaustive treatment of all that this text pretations.21 People passing by hurled teaches concerning the death of the Ser- insults at him: “So! You who are going to vant and its relevance for a doctrine of destroy the temple and build it in three penal substitutionary atonement. Since days, come down from the cross and save much has been made of stanza 3 in this yourself” (Matt 27:40). They saw Jesus as regard, the focus in this brief treatment a failed prophet. The Jewish leaders, the will be on the contribution of the Prologue 25 (stanza 1), where the essential teaching is (15bcd) note the astonishment of many, given “in a nutshell,” and the contribution including great leaders in the world. Three of stanza 5. lines in the centre (14bc-15a) describe what The Fourth Servant Song has more than in the servant’s role and work cause this its share of grammatical, lexical, and tex- aston ishment. tual diffi culties. Moreover some aspects of Three exegetical problems are crucial the evangelical exegetical tradition as seen to the interpretation of the Prologue: (1) in our commen taries and translations in the “as … so … so” structure governing the last one hundred years have obscured 14a-15a. (2) the meaning of the verb in to some degree the clear teaching of this 15a—should it be translated “sprinkle” text.22 As S. Lewis Johnson, Jr. said concern- or “startle”? (3) the meaning of the term ing Rom 5:12, so we may also say here of in v. 14b rendered “marred” by the KJV the exegetical issues: “to handle [them], (“his visage was so marred more than any we must retrace our steps a little, remem- man”). D. Barthélemy has offered excel- bering humbly that the terrain is wild, lent solutions to these issues,24 but they rugged, infested with exegetical booby are not widely known in North America traps, and dotted with the graves of inter- since Barthélemy’s work is in French. I preters who fell into them.”23 No apology hope in what follows to build upon the is given here for dealing with these issues proposals of Barthélemy. in depth as this is the only way forward to Let us begin by considering the “as … so a better understanding of the redemptive … so” grammatical structure. The clause work of the Servant. structures of vv. 14-15a are governed by the sequence of particles rvak … !k … First Stanza: The Prologue of the !k. The following literal translation high- Fourth Servant Song (52:13-15) lights these particles with italics: Between the Third and Fourth Servant (14a) just as many were appalled / Songs is a section calling upon Zion to astonished at you respond (51:1-52:12). It begins with three (14b) so his appearance was brief paragraphs marked by a command disfi gured (?) … to pay attention or listen (51:1, 4, 7). (15a) so he will sprinkle / startle (?) Then several sub-sections are marked many nations off by double commands or imperatives: The particles correlate the two affi rma- “Awake, awake!” (51:9), “Rouse yourself, tions of 14bc and 15a with that of 14a. It rouse yourself!” (51:17), “Awake, awake!” is diffi cult, however, to make sense of the (52:1), and “Depart, depart!” (52:11). These sequence of thought. Medieval Jewish literary structures tie the pieces of this sec- interpreters construed the fi rst “so” clause tion together and so the attention-getting as quoting what the “many” say to “you” particle, hinneh, in 52:13 is the literary (in spite of a rapid shift to 3rd person). The signal that marks the start of the Fourth Geneva Bible led Christian intepreters in a Servant Song. new direction by understanding the fi rst The Prologue consists of nine lines of “so” clause as a parenthesis. This solu tion poetry: the fi rst two describe the Servant was popularised by the KJV. In despera- achieving success and lofty status (13ab); tion, the commentator Duhm corrected the third line (14a) and last three lines the text from !k (“so”) to yk (“because”) 26 and was followed in the apparatuses of (Lev 4:17; 14:16). In Isa 52:15, however, Biblia Hebraica and by many scholars. Few no liquid is mentioned, and there is no modern translations, if any, faithfully preposition l[ (“upon”) before “nations” present the structure in Hebrew. The NIV to mark the object being sprinkled. This is representative: objection can be answered by a careful examination of all available occurrences 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his of the verb. There are instances where the appearance was so disfi gured liquid that is sprinkled is omitted if it can beyond that of any man and be assumed from the context (Exod 29:21; his form marred beyond human 25 likeness— Lev 14:7; Num 19:19). There are also 15 so will he sprinkle many cases where the object or person sprinkled nations, is the direct object of the verb instead of Note how the fi rst “so” is put immedi- being indicated by a prepositional phrase ately before the verb instead of before using “upon” (Lev 4:6, 17). Since Isaiah the clause. This is problematic since !k is is poetry, the direct object marker ta is normally clausal in scope and does not normally omitted, and so “nations” can modify just the verb. In addition, the “as be construed as the object sprinkled, … so … so” is obscured to the reader. with the liquid (blood of a sacrifi ce) being There is no reason to correct the text as omitted. Duhm did, for the Septuagint and the A number of scholars who have found the fi rst option unacceptable have pro- (1Qa and 1Qb) support posed to derive the verb from a root the reading of the Masoretic Text (MT). related to an Arabic verb Moreover the structure in this poetic nazā¡that means text is well substantiated in prose (e.g., “to jump” or “leap up.” They then trans- Exod 1:12 and Josh 11:15), and the English late, “he will cause people to jump / versions faithfully represent it there. In leap up,” i.e., he will startle them. This sum, neither Christian nor Jewish inter- may yield a contextually suitable sense, pretations in the past adequately come to but support for this proposal is weak grips with the grammatical structure in because the verb in Arabic is not used of the text. This structure will affect how we being emotionally startled and then leap- deal with the disputed words in 14b and ing up. The appeal to Arabic, therefore, 15a. We must choose an interpretation that is linguistically suspect. Also, the verb honors this syntactic struc ture. hzn “to sprinkle” is well attested in MT First consider the verb yazzeh in 15a. as it occurs some twenty-three times. Two main options have held the fi eld of To suggest that Isaiah’s audience easily interpretion. The fi rst option analyzes the recognized an otherwise unknown verb form as Hiphil imperfect of nazah mean ing instead of a common one is not plausible. ‘to sprinkle’: “so he will sprinkle many Linguistically, then, “to sprinkle” has nations.” Objections have been raised to more to commend it if one can argue that this in terpretation because of the construc- it fi ts the context well. tion found in this verse. The normal con- The second disputed word is the noun struction for the verb nazah is to sprinkle mišHat which is rendered “disfigure” a liquid (e.g., blood) on a person or thing (NIV) or “marred” (KJV). Barthélemy (e.g. Lev 5:9; 8:11; 30) or before someone offers the most detailed and thorough 27 treat ment of the history of interpretation the bound member by the preposition min of this word, and this will be conveniently (= from) in between. This diffi culty must sum marized here.26 be resolved by all interpreters regardless Almost all interpreters from ancient of the solution preferred for the meaning times to the present have connected the of the noun. Although normally nothing word with the root txv (“to corrupt / comes between the bound and free mem- ruin / spoil”). Most interpreters also do ber of a construct phrase, this anomaly is not in dicate the analysis that supports attested elsewhere with the preposition their interpretation. This is the case with min (Gen 3:22; Isa 28:9(bis); Jer 23:23(bis); the Septu agint (a functional equivalence Ezek 13:2; Hos 7:5). These examples show translation in Isaiah) rendering avdoxh,sei, that the construction here is fastidious and with the Aramaic Targum ($wvx hwhd), refi ned rather than belonging to common and with the medieval Jewish scholars speech. Saadya and Yéfet ben Ely. Among exegetes Thus two translations are possible. who do give an analysis of the word, Either “his appearance is an anointing some treat it as a noun. Salmon ben Yeru- beyond that of men” or “his appearance ham, for example, gives the meaning as is a destruction beyond that of men.” The “corruption, ruina tion” and suggests a fi rst option is to be preferred for the fol- noun of the pattern jP'v.mi. Others such lowing reasons. as Abraham ibn Ezra, Radaq, Aaron ben (1) The noun hx'v.mi (“anointing”) is Joseph, and Shelomo ben Melek treat the well attested in the biblical text (sixteen word as an adjective. Finally, some have in stances in the absolute state and seven construed the word as a passive participle, instances in the construct state) whereas either like a Niphal Participle tx'v.nI (so cer- a noun tx'v.m i (“destruction”) is otherwise tain medieval Hebrew-French Glossaries unknown in the Hebrew Scriptures.27 and Tanhum. Yerushalmi) or as tx'v.m'—a (2) Regulations concerning a special Hophal parti ciple (Abuwalid, ibn anointing oil devoted strictly for parti- Balaam, Isaiah ben Mali). cular occasions and persons and not for If the Masoretic Text is respected in common use by any others is found in both consonantal text and vocaliza tion, Exod 30:30-33. The anointing of the high there are two possibilities: (1) a noun with priest with this oil to in stall him into his preformative mem (like jP'v.mi) derived offi ce set him above his fellow priests (Lev from the root txv (“to ruin”), or (2) a 21:10), and the anointing of the king to feminine noun derived from the root indicate his divine election for this offi ce xvm (“to anoint”) following a noun pat- set him above his fellow Israelites (Ps tern like hr'm.ai. The meaning of the noun, 45:8[7]). Such parallels show, then, that then, is either “ruining” or “anointing” an expression “an anointing above that of depending upon whether option (1) or men” is natural in biblical Hebrew while (2) is adopted. an expression “a destruction above that of Before weighing the merits of these men” is not and is otherwise unattested. two options, note that the grammatical To make the meaning “destruction” construction vyaime tx;v.mi is unusual: we work, one might better construe the min have a bound noun in a construct phrase as causal; hence “a destruction caused where the free member is separated from by men.” Yet this does not seem to be an 28 approach taken by commentators and In Isa 53:2 the same usage is found: “He exegetes. had no form or majesty to attract us to (3) Parallel to Whaer>m;, “his appearance” him, nothing in his appearance that we is Ara]Tooo, “his form.” A lexical study of should desire him.” This means that the this parallel term is instructive. In form, servant does not have a royal bearing in the noun is a (U-Class) Segholate pattern his appearance. He does not cut a fi ne which is frequently employed for infi ni- fi gure so that people will say, “We want tival nouns. The related verb has to do him for a king.” This stands in contrast with marking / sketching / tracing the to Israel’s choice of Saul in 1 Sam 9:1-2, form of something, i.e., its outline. Thus 10:23-24. Thus the word-pair “appearance the noun indicates the physical form or and form” are well suited to describe fi gure of an object: in one instance of fruit the dignity and social status of a high (Jer 11:16) and in two instances of animals offi ce like that of the High Priest or King (Gen 41:18, 19), but thirteen of the sixteen whose entry into offi ce is symbolized by occurrences are of humans. As in our text, anointing. the term is paired with ha,r>m;, “appear- (4) The meaning “anointing” suits the ance” also in 53:2 and Gen 29:17, 39:6, Esth progression of thought from the fi rst “so” 2:7. The term may be neutral, hence requir- clause to the second. According to the ing an adjective like hpy “beautiful” (e.g., Torah, a priest can only sprinkle or make Gen 29:17; 39:6), or it may indicate a good atonement when he is fi rst anointed as fi gure by itself (Judg 8:18). Only in Lam priest: 4:8 is the term used of a bad form, that of nobles or princes whose “form” is now no The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as longer what it once was. Many renderings high priest is to make atonement in English versions or other translations (Lev 16:32, NIV). focus on someone as physically beautiful or handsome, but the word has to do with The meaning “anointing” makes excellent “form” or “outline” like a silhouette that sense of the sequence in this text. The indicates the fi ne bear ing and dignity of a servant sprinkles because he is anointed. person. We have an expression in English: As we have already seen, the symbolism “he cut a fi ne fi gure.” This term is not just of anointing indicates that the High Priest indicating that a person may be beauti- was exalted above his fellow Israelites. ful or handsome, but also connotes their This anointing qualifi es him to atone for bearing, rank, and social status indicated the nation. In the same way in our text, by their form. At least fi ve or six of the the servant is exalted above all humans and thirteen instances referring to a human so atones for all the nations. This interpreta- have to do with a royal fi gure (Judg 8:18; tion also explains the exaltation of the 1 Kgs 1:6; Esth 2:7; Lam 4:8; Isa 53:2). The servant described in v. 13b better than any example in Judg 8:18 is instructive: other proposal.28 (5) The meaning resulting from constru- Then he [Gideon] asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did ing the term as anointing best honors the you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” “as … so … so” structure in the text. This they answered, “each one with the seems diffi cult for some to understand. Jan bearing of a prince” (NIV). Koole’s commentary is an excellent exam- 29 ple of a scholarly treatment that evaluates the Servant is opposite to the horror many Barthélemy’s proposal and rejects it for feel looking at him. The “so” clauses do the traditional view.29 It is worth quoting not need to explain what causes their Koole’s objections at length: horror. The fact that they are appalled is suffi cient anticipation of what comes All things considered, it seems that, generally speaking, we have to later in the poem. The “so” clauses show choose between a derivation from a different situation: the exaltation of the = “to anoint” and = “to xvm txv servant. His exalta tion in his anointing corrupt”. The fi rst possibility was considered by some medieval Jew- and sprinkling is proportional to the hor- ish exegetes (in Barthélemy, 388f.), ror they feel in looking at him. This has Foreiro, and L. De Dieu. But a posi- tive sense of txvm clashes with the already been alluded to in Isa 49:7. Koole previous stich, which does not talk violates the grammar and structure by about surprise but about aversion correlating v. 14b and v. 15 and by con- with regard to the Servant. The line should therefore not be con- struing the line as a paren thesis. The cor- nected with v. [14a] but with v. 15 relation is instead between 14a and 15bcd (Barthélemy, 390ff.). The advantage where the astonished horror of the many of this is that the 2.p. form of v. 14a can be related to the past and the is turned to astonished recognition of the 3.p. forms of the other lines to the greatness of the Servant. And by adopt- future, but the problem is that the ing the traditional view, Koole admits he nominal sentence structure does not yet suggest a future event and cannot explain the vocalisation of tx;v.mi also that one expects in this line an in our received text. explanation of the aversion of the The sense of “anointing” is the inter- “many” to the Servant. Apart from that, it is questionable whether hx'v.mi pretation that is easiest to support, which cani refer not to the anointment itself fi ts well with the meaning of nazah that but to its object. For the same reason a deliberate ambiguity of “destruc- is easiest to support, and which alone tion” and “anointment” (Koenig, loc. makes sense of the gram mar of the “as cit.) seems unlikely. In my view, most … so … so” structure. While the mean- exegetes and newer translations are right in believing that the line ing “des truc tion” does have the weight refers to the Servant’s contemptible of tradition behind it, tradition cannot be 30 appearance. equated with truth. Barthélemy discusses fi ve Jewish interpreters from the twelfth to It is true that the best translation of v. 14a ninteenth centuries who adopted “anoint- is “just as many were appalled at you.” ing” as the best interpretation, and two The action is one of horror at some object Christian inter preters from the sixteenth or person rather than surprise. But again, to seventeenth centuries who held such apparently Koole does not grasp the “as a view.31 In addition, this is clearly the … so … so” structure in the text. Note the un derstanding of the scribe of 1Q-a, the use of this structure in Exod 1:12: Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran (100 just as they [the Egyptians] mis- BC). The actual reading of 1Q-a is ytxvm, treated them [the Israelites], so they which may be a syntactic facilitation, but increased and so they spread. nonetheless, its reading shows the antiq- Clearly, in this structure, the “so” clauses uity of this interpretation.32 are the opposite of the “just as” clause. So There is a fi nal word that may be said here, too, the anointing and sprinkling of in support of the interpretation for which I 30 have argued. The idea of many being hor- ends where it started: the Servant will rifi ed at the Servant and of an anointing act with insight, prudence and skill. He and sprinkling that goes beyond that of will be successful. As a result he will be Israel so that it applies to all the nations exalted to the highest position. Many will best explains the exaltation of the Servant be utterly astonished; the greatest leaders and why so many in the end are told of the earth will be left speechless. something they have never before seen or understood. And it is natural in the Second Stanza: The Rejection / prologue of a poem to fi nd in germ form Suffering of the Servant (53:1-3) the ideas unfolded later. The idea that the As indicated at the outset, the focus servant is disfi gured more than others or of the present study is on the fi rst stanza beyond human recognition is both dif- (Prologue) and last stanza. Nonetheless, a fi cult to believe and not consonant with brief overview and summary treatment is the rest of the song. The rest of the song given here of stanza two to four in order affi rms that the Servant is despised, but to maintain the fl ow of thought necessary not that his appearance is disfi gured more to con nect the discussion of stanzas one than others or beyond human recognition. and fi ve. But the idea of a priest offering a sacri fi ce A believing remnant is speaking in that benefi ts the many is a major thought 53:1. They are bringing back a report developed later. This interpretation, then, concerning the act of deliverance brought shows best how 52:13-15 suits the rest of about by the servant of the Lord. The act the work as a Prologue. It fi ts the style of of deliverance is like the Exodus in its Isaiah well because frequently the intro- greatness, in its magnitude, so that these ductory part of a major poem or sec tion believers can say they have seen the arm of adumbrates cryptically the teaching to be the Lord.34 But the way that God brought unfolded within the section.33 about deliverance, the way in which he A final brief comment on v. 13 is rolled up his sleeves and did his mighty appropriate. The collocation of the terms work of salvation, was not at all in the “high” (~wr) and “lofty” (afn) which are way that they expected. And as they told ascribed to the Servant in this verse is people about it, they did not believe. It found elsewhere only as an attribution of was contrary to all expectations. It was not Yahweh (Isa 6:1, 57:15) although it is what only contrary to all expectations, the new the nations desire for themselves (2:12-14). Exodus is so much greater than the fi rst This is the basis for the Apostle John’s that one can say “Where has the power of identifi cation of the Servant with Yahweh, the Lord been seen at all except here in the and of both the Servant and Yahweh with sufferings of the servant?”35 In one sense, Jesus of Nazareth in John 12:36-41. The the arm of the Lord has not been revealed context in John’s Gospel for this equation at all until now. is the passage where Jesus talks about First, the servant who delivers is a being “lifted up” as a way of describing mighty king, but not recognized as one. his sacrificial death (John 12:32-33). It Verse 2 speaks of him as growing up seems that the exegesis of the Prologue before people like a little sapling or sucker, advocated here is consonant with that like a root out of dry ground. This is once of the Apostle John’s. Thus the Prologue more the image of a tree that is a meta phor 31 for kings and kingdoms both in Isaiah The problem is that Israel did not recog- and the Old Testament as a whole. In nise in the servant her own sorry state. In many passages, kings and kingdoms are Isa 1:5-6, this was the description of Israel, pictured as plants, as vines, and especially and it has been transferred to the servant. as majestic, stately, tall trees.36 In addition, This stanza, then, speaks of the humble the picture of the root from the dry ground and lowly bearing of the king and also directly recalls Isa 11:1, the passage that of pain and suffering so that others turn predicts not just a descendant of David, away from him. but a new David, not only someone better than bad king , but also someone far Third Stanza: Signifi cance of the greater than good king Hezekiah. He will Servant’s Suffering (53:4-6) bring into political reality the social justice In the third stanza Isaiah turns from of the Torah, the character of God himself describing the details and facts of the expressed in the Torah, and a paradise, a sufferings of the servant to the mean- new creation, will result. Isaiah intends a ing and signifi cance of these sufferings. connection between the servant of Isaiah Verse 4 shows that the general population 53 and the coming King of . The considered him to be punished by God Septuagint actually trans lates “sapling” for his own crimes and misdemeanors, by the word “child,” to in dicate that the but instead, he was paying the penalty of translators connected the Servant of Isa- the sins of the people in their place, as a iah 53 with the son given in Isaiah 9 who substitute for them. ends up as King in chapter 11. So this The predictions of the sufferings of the connection was not only really intended servant are fulfi lled in the death of Jesus by Isaiah, but also understood by the earli- of Nazareth by crucifi xion. It is interest- est commentary we have on this text, two ing to look at attitudes to crucifi xion in hundred years before Christ. the fi rst century of the Greek and Roman Second, having identifi ed the servant world.37 Crucifixion was considered as king, Isaiah reveals in his prophetic by the Romans to be a barbaric form of vision that this king will not look like execution of the utmost cruelty. It was the one. He will not be majestic and royal in supreme punishment. “Barbaric” meant his bearing and form. He will not look that not only was it cruel and inhuman, like royalty. As a matter of fact, he will but it was only for peoples who were not be the kind of person people look down Romans. This form of punishment could on, someone who is really insignifi cant not be given to a Roman citizen. It was as far as the human race is concerned. typically the penalty given to rebellious The description goes further. The servant foreigners, violent criminals, insurrection- is not only insignifi cant, he is subject to ists, and robbers. Above all, it was the much pain, sickness, and suffering. The slaves’ punishment, a penalty reserved for poetry hits us like a hammer as the word slaves. This gives a new meaning to the “despised” is repeated along with the term “servant” used in Isaiah. It can also notion of people turning their faces away mean slave. Jesus died the death of a slave. because of his sufferings. And the believ- Nowhere in Greek or Roman literature ing remnant acknowledge that they just and myth had anyone been crucifi ed and did not reckon him to be anybody special. become a hero. 32 From the Jewish point of view, a per- the animal would be put to death instead son put to death by hanging was cursed of them. by God. Paul brings this out in Gal 3:13. Verse 5 ends with the words, “by his This conception goes back to the Law of wounds we are healed.” Christians have Moses. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 indicates debated hotly the meaning of these words. that a person put to death by hanging Some have said that the death of Christ was cursed by God. It is interesting that guarantees physical healing while others this law is given next to the one about have argued that it is spiritual healing the rebellious son. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 that is the main thrust of the text. It is describes the procedure for dealing with a false to distinguish between physical rebellious son. This makes our text ironic. and spiritual healing. The cross of Christ The servant was given a death penalty brings healing in the fullest sense of the as if he were a rebellious son, but in fact, word. The ends with a it is Israel that is the rebellious son. The new Heavens and Earth, a new Creation. servant dies in Israel’s place. But the New Testament makes plain that There is an old story from England there is an “already” and “not yet” to our about how a fox gets rid of his fl eas.38 He salvation. If anyone is in Christ, he or she goes along the hedgerow and picks up is new creation (present tense).39 But it little bits of sheep’s wool. Next he rolls the begins inside, and only at the resurrection wool into a ball in his mouth. Then he goes will it include the outside. Pentecostals down to the river. Slowly he walks out who insist on full physical healing now are deeper and deeper until he is almost com- actually diminishing the work of Christ. pletely submerged—only his head and The healing will be much bigger than nose are showing with the ball of wool in they think. It will include a new body in his mouth. Last, he sinks below the surface a new creation. and lets the ball of wool go with all of the fl eas climbing onto it for safety. All of his Fourth Stanza: The Rejection / fl eas have been transferred to the sheep’s Suffering of the Servant (53:7-9) wool and the fox emerges clean. This is a The fourth stanza returns to the theme per fect picture of the suffering servant. of the second stanza: a description of the The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us sufferings of the servant. Here we reach all so that we might go free. This passage the climax: he suffers to the point of death. clearly teaches penal substitution. This These verses speak of his death and burial. creates problems for some. How can the It is amazing how many predic tions and servant take the sins of the world upon prophecies from these verses were ful- himself? One way to help us understand fi lled in the events of the life of Jesus of is to remember that he is the king. As king, Nazareth. he fi ghts the battle with evil for his people. Verse 8a is diffi cult to interpret. Several The next stanza brings forth the image of interpretations are possible and fi t the con- a lamb being led to slaughter. This would text. It may mean he was taken from arrest bring before the minds of Israel the sacrifi - and sentencing to execution, or it may cial system where a human person would mean he was taken without arrest and lay their hands on a sheep to symbolically justice, indicating he had no fair trial. transfer their sins to the animal and then The next sentence is also diffi cult. The 33 verb means “to complain,” or “to muse” ous problems in the text and we must not or “ponder,” “to speak meditatively,” “to shrink from care fully thinking through mutter about.” The word “generation” them if we desire an accurate and solid means his circle of contemporaries. “Who understand ing of the atoning work of the considered his contemporaries?” This servant. A literal translation is provided may mean that people no longer gave to give the reader help in following the consideration to the Davidic dynasty from discussion of the text by showing how which he came and thought that God had the lines of poetry are divided and how abandoned his promise of an everlasting decisions were made concerning diffi cul- dynasty and house to David. ties in the text: Verse 7 is easier to interpret. As he is 10 But Yahweh accepted the led away to death he is silent. Writers of crushing of him whom he had the New Testament see this fulfi lled in the made sick, trial of Jesus where he remained silent and If his soul makes a reparation offering did not defend himself before Pilate (Matt He will see offspring, he will 27:12-14; Mark 14:60-61; 15:4-5; John 19:8- prolong days What Yahweh wants will prosper 9) and before Herod (Luke 23:8-9). by his hand. In verse 9 we have a better text as a 11 Because of the labor of his life result of the discovery of the Dead Sea he will see light, he will be satisfi ed; Scrolls. He was assigned a grave with the By his knowledge, the just one my wicked, but his tomb (wtmwb) was with the servant will bring justifi cation to rich. Jesus was crucifi ed with bandits and the many and he will bear their offenses insurrectionists—those who led a group 12 Therefore I will apportion for of outlaws to defy the might of Rome. But him among the many in the end, he was buried in the tomb of a And he will divide spoil with the numerous rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, because he Because he bared his life to the had done no violence and did not deserve point of death and was numbered with to be classifi ed as a criminal. transgressors And he bore the sins of many The Final Stanza of the Fourth And interceded for their transgressions. Servant Song The fi fth and fi nal stanza turns attention Lines 10abcd and 11a describe the away from the details and facts reported intention and plan of both Yahweh and concerning the suffering of the servant the Servant in relation to the Servant’s to the interpretation and significance death as well as the benefi ts accruing to of these events. Here we learn the most the Servant from offering himself as a amazing and startling things concerning sacrifi ce. Lines 11bc-12abcdef detail the the suffering servant: his death is a guilt relation between the Servant and his many or reparation offering—not for his own offspring. sins, but for the sins of the many. And after First, in v. 10a, we see that the death of his death he lives. He is a conqueror and the Servant was no accident. It was part victor over death and evil. The power of of God’s plan. It was also intentional on his resurrection is such that his victory is the part of the Servant. God accepted shared with the many. There are numer- the crushing of his servant if he offered 34 himself as a guilt offering. For v. 10a the in 2 Sam 14:13) and show the pronominal Masoretic Text has the words #pex' hw"hyw: suffi x as agent (cf. ^yl,l'x] = “those whom ylix/h, AaK.D;. Let us consider the four words you have wounded” in Ps 69:27). Accord- in reverse order. ylix/h, can be analyzed as ing to this analysis AaK.D; = “his crushed a hiphil perfect 3 m.s. from the root hlx one,” i.e., “the one whom he crushed.” and can be construed syntactically as an When AaK.D; is taken as the direct object asyn detic relative clause, “whom he made of #pex', and #pex' understood in the sense sick.” The form actually corresponds to of “accepting a sacrifi ce” (cf. Isa 1:11; Hos the form of a III-a root, but verbs from 6:6; Ps 40:7; 51:18, 21) ylix/h, fi ts naturally III-h and III-a are confused at times.40 as an asyndetic relative sentence whose The Septuagint (th/j plhgh/j - “of the goal is to explicate the pronominal suf- plague”) as well as the later Jewish Revi- fi x on AaK.D;. None theless, in spite of the sors (Aquila to. avrrw,sthma - “the illness,” proposal of Gousset and Barthélemy, a and Symmachus evn tw/| traumatismw/| - bound infi nitive is much more likely. The “by wounding”) and Jerome in the Vul- suffi x may be subjective “his crushing,” gate (in infi rmitate - “in sickness”) all seem or objective “the crushing of him” = “his to have read a noun: ylix\h(,. These are being crushed.” The net result of the lat- surely syntactic facilitations. Since 4Q-d is ter option is identical in meaning to that unvocalized (ylxh) one cannot conclude achieved by Barthélemy without having whether a noun or a verb has been read. to explain rare words and problems in On the other hand, 1Q-a has whllxyw, vocalization since the reduction of the clearly substituting llx, “to wound,” vowel in the infi nitive is standard. for the verb in MT to create an agree- This exegesis not only handles well ment with verse 5.41 The Syriac Peshitta all the problems in the line, it makes bet- has interpreted the word as an infi nitive ter sense than that of the KJV and NASB like the preceding word and the midrash which translate “it pleased the Lord to of the Targum cannot serve as a textual crush him.” This makes it seem that God witness. It is possible, then, to construe took delight in making the servant suffer the form in MT from hlx and to see the and much popular preaching and teach- other textual witnesses as facilitations of ing has followed this point of view. This a diffi cult text. is not the meaning of the text at all. Here As Barthélemy notes, before coming to “delighted” is being used in the context of conclusions about the last word a satisfac- a sacrifi ce. God is delighted or pleased with tory understanding of AaK.D ; is necessary.42 the sacri fi ce in the sense that he accepts it as He observes that the medieval sages Abu- suffi cient to wipe away his indignation, his walid and Ibn Ezra construed the form as offense and his outrage at our sin. This text a bound infi nitive (piel) and understood contrasts with Isa 1:11 where the same verb the pronominal suffi x as direct object: “the is used, “I have no pleasure in the blood crushing of him.” He prefers, however, of bulls and lambs and goats” (NIV). God the proposal of Gousset in 1702 that the will not accept the sacrifi ces of a corrupt form is a nominal (adjective or noun) Zion, but here he is pleased with the death aK'D; found in Ps 34:19 and Isa 57:15. One of his servant, the king of the transformed must then explain why the long vowel is Zion. He accepts his sacrifi ce. Why? Verse reduced (cf. AvD>q.mi in Num 18:29 and AxD>nI 10b explains it for us. 35 This line is also four short words in ing in contrast to the others that makes Hebrew: Avp.n: ~v'a' ~yfiT'-~ai. Again it significant for Isaiah 53.45 First, this we are confronted by difficulties. The offering emphasizes making compensa- language is sacrifi cial as indicated by the tion or restitution for the breach of faith term guilt or reparation offering. Yet the or offense. Sin involves a breach of faith verb for bringing an offering in Leviticus against God as well as a rupture in human is nor mally the Hiphil of awb. Here the relationships and society. According to verb is ~yfiT', a Qal Imperfect from ~yf, Lev 5:15-16 an offender would offer a rep- “to put / place / set.” MT is well sup- aration sacrifi ce, usually a ram, in order ported here by 1Q-a and also probably to make restitution. Isaiah is explaining 4Q-d (~ft) and 1Q-b, although the last of here how restitution is made to God for these preserves only the last three letters, the covenant disloyalty of Israel and her while the versions (Greek, Syriac, Targum, many sins against God. According to the and Vulgate) have free renderings. In Gen Prologue, this sacrifi ce is suffi cient not 22:9 this verb is used for placing the victim only for the sins of Israel, but also for (i.e., Isaac) on the altar. It is natural here to those of the nations. Second, this offering take ~v'a' as the direct object, leaving “his provides satisfaction for every kind of sin, life/soul” as the subject: “if his soul offers whether inadvertent or intentional. That is a guilt offering.”43 The NASB translates why Isaiah in 54:1-55:13 can demonstrate this way, but the KJV and NIV construe that the death of the Servant is the basis of the verb as 2 m.s. in stead of 3 f.s. This is forgiveness of sins and a New Covenant possible, but not likely, since it involves not only for Israel but also for all the an awkward shift from third to second nations. Third, D. I. Block notes that in the person. The “you” might be an individual, regulations given by Moses the ’äšäm is Motyer thinks possible,44 but how could the only regular offering that required a the death of the servant be a guilt offering ram or male sheep. Since this same word if some individual construes it that way? for ram is often used metaphorically of Or Yahweh could be the “you,” but then community leaders, the ’äšäm is perfectly Yahweh is making an offering to him self. suited to describe a sacrifi ce where the This is not as straightforward as the Ser- king suffers the penalty on behalf of his vant offering himself. The Servant makes people.46 the offering, and at the same time he is Verse 10b begins with ~ai (“if”), indicat- the offering. He is both the priest and the ing that this is the protasis (“if” clause) of sacrifi ce. This line in dicates that the death a conditional sentence. Probably both 10a of the Servant is intentional on his part as and 10cd-11a should be considered as the well as on the part of Yahweh. apodosis (“then” clause) so that the posi- The use of the term ~v'a'’ is signifi cant. tion of the protasis separates the benefi ts The life of the servant is given as a “guilt” of the sacrifi ce to Yahweh in 10a on the or “reparation offering,” not a burnt or one hand from those to the Servant in purifi cation/sin offering. This is the fi fth 10c-11a on the other. offering described in Leviticus and is The three lines of poetry compris- detailed in 5:14-26[6:7] and 7:1-10. New ing 10cd-11a, then speak of the benefi ts studies have cast light on this offering and re ceived by the Servant if he offers his show what is emphasized by this offer- life as a reparation sacrifi ce. These lines 36 contain five short sentences that are the darkness and death of exile, hence the simple and straightforward apart from fi rst option is to be preferred. one problem in the textual transmission So the Servant conquers death and of v. 11a. There the first verb “he will lives again. Verse 10c speaks about seeing see” has no object in the Masoretic Text offspring in the context of a long life. This which is supported by the fi rst and sec- contrasts with verse 8 where the Servant ond century Greek revisions of Aquila, seemed doomed not to have any offspring Symmachus and Theodotion47 as well as at all because of an early, untimely death. the Vulgate, the Syriac, and the Aramaic Yet just as parents give life to others in off- Targum. Although this support seems spring, so the Servant gives life to others strong, diverse, and earlier, witnes ses who can be considered his offspring. The such as the Septuagint, 1Q-a, 1Q-b, and background to this text and, indeed, to all 4Q-d have the word rwa, “light” after the of -55 are the covenant promises verb. Since the reading in the Masoretic to Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, and 17.50 It Text may well be due to a scribal error is fundamental to the correct interpreta- or even a correction motivated by theol- tion of the text. God’s plan and purpose ogy, the reading “light” is superior both was to choose Abraham and his family in view of its textual witnesses and in as a means of bringing blessing to all terms of transcriptional probabilities.48 the nations. The fi vefold repetition of the The original text of Isaiah, then, is almost word “blessing” in Gen 12:1-3 matches the certainly “he will see light.” fi vefold use of the word “curse” from Gen Among the benefi ts given to the Ser- 1-11 (3:14; 3:17; 4:11; 5:29; 9:25). This prom- vant for his atoning death is no less than ise of seed or descendants seems in great resurrection. “There is no doubt,” says C. danger of being broken and unfulfi lled as Westermann, “that God’s act of restoring the judgment pas sages of Isaiah reduce the Servant, the latter’s exaltation, is an act Israel to a tenth, and then even the tenth done upon him after his death and on the is greatly wasted (Isa 6:13). Yet vv. 11-12 far side of the grave.”49 This must be the speak of many who will benefi t from the meaning of “he will see offspring, he will Servant’s life work. The fi rst will be Israel, prolong his days” granted this context and but the nations will also be included as is comes to clearest expression in the fourth clear from the fact that the many ( ~yBir;) sentence: “after the painful toil of his soul in 11b, 12a and 12e explicates the many in he will see light.” The expression “to see 52:14a and 15a, who are the nations.51 The light” generally refers to some kind of inclusion of the nations is clearly stated in renewal or restoration. When the context 49:6 and many parts of the Servant Songs. is (the death of) exile (Isa 9:1) or physical Isaiah has a special way of bringing this death (Ps 36:10[9], Job 33:28), a res toration out because the Servant who is the fi gure to life is indicated. The prepositional towering over 40-55 spawns the servants phrase Avp.n: lm;[]me may be translated in 54:17 (cf. 54:13). Even more astonishing “after his life’s painful work” or “because is 56:6 which makes plain that individu- of his life’s painful work.” The context als from the nations are included as the here is closest to that of Isa 9:1[9:2] where servants of the Lord (cf. 66:21). Then in “they have seen a great light” is con nected 63:17 the watchman on the walls of Zion to 8:20[9:1] and indicates a restoration after prays for God to show mercy on his ser- 37 vants. This prayer is answered in prospect of exile.” Where do these images come in as we see the blessings to be from? If we stop for a moment and think poured out on the servants of the Lord carefully, we will see that this is exactly (65:8, 9, 13 (ter), 14). the work God gave Joshua to do at the Satisfaction comes from a long life time of the Exodus when he brought the with many offspring. This is true of the people out of Egypt into , the land Servant. He will live a long life, and promised to the Israelites. His job was to “the will of Yahweh will prosper by his restore the land once belonging to Abra- hand” (53:10d). The noun #p,xe can mean ham, to Isaac, and to Jacob back to Israel. “delight” or “(good) pleasure,” and this His job was to apportion to them each an statement is sometimes rendered “the inheritance in the land. His job was to free (good) pleasure of the Lord shall prosper the captives from Egypt by bringing them in his hand” (KJV, NASB). Yet especially in into the freedom of the land of Canaan. Isaiah 40-55, the term refers to God’s plan We see then, that the Servant is a greater or will to be accomplished, fi rst through Joshua, a new Joshua, who is bringing Cyrus in releasing his people from Babylon about a greater Exodus, a new Exodus. (44:28; 46:10; 48:14) and now through his Micah, another prophet, speaks in exactly Servant in redeeming his people from their the same way. “As in the days when you sins.52 The divine intention, plan, and will came out of Egypt, I will show them my of God for the servant has been delineated wonders” (Mic 7:15). This is also a clear clearly in the First and Second Servant promise of a new Exodus. What kind of Songs. :4 declares, “he will not Exodus will it be? “Who is a God like falter or be dis couraged till he establishes you?” asks Micah three verses later, “who justice on earth. In his law [Torah] the pardons sin and forgives the transgres- islands will put their hope” (NIV). The sion?” The deliverance has to do with sin. vision in of the nations streaming Later he makes this even clearer. “You will to Zion to re ceive instruction or Torah from hurl all our iniquities into the depths of Yahweh is to be accomplished by Zion’s the sea” (7:19). In the fi rst Exodus, God King ac cording to 42:4 as the instructions cast the chariots of the Egyptians into the for the King in Deut 17:14-20 and the ful- sea. With the work of the Servant, who is fi lment of them by means of the Davidic also called Joshua, or Jesus in Greek, he Covenant (2 Sam 7:19) would lead us to will cast the wrongdoings of our broken expect. Isaiah 49:6 expands on God’s plan relationship with God to the bottom of the for the Servant: “It is too small a thing for sea and bring us into the land of a restored you to be my servant to restore the tribes of relationship with our Creator. Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have So the Servant cannot be confused with kept. I will also make you a light for the Israel; he is the new Joshua who brings Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to completion the new Exodus.53 “Why to the ends of the earth” (NIV). then is he called Israel?” asks H. Blocher The Servant’s job or task is described in his study of the Servant Songs. His in 49:8. “He will be a covenant for the answer is so crucial to the under standing peo ple. He will restore the land, he will of the atonement in Isa 53 it must be cited apportion out desolate inheritances, he in full: will announce to the captives to come out 38 There are two biblical concepts descendants: only Isaac and his line which can help us to understand the are chosen—Isaac, not Ishmael. strange relationship of the Servant Even among Isaac’s children, only to the people, his bearing their name one Jacob, not Esau, is chosen. And while being distinct from them. The then, getting narrower, the proph- fi rst is that of headship—covenantal ets make it clear that not all those headship. Many scholars today who descend from Israel (Jacob) are think that what they call “corporate truly Israel. Only a remnant will per sonality” is the key to Hebrew inherit the promise. But where is this mentality. It is much better to recog- remnant when we look for it. When nize that this is not just a structure of God looks for a man to intervene Hebrew mentality, but the teaching and establish justice in the land he of Scripture. Men are not merely fi nds none (Isa 59:16, Ezek 22:30). individuals, added to one another Ultimately only one person remains yet indepen dent of each other. No after the sifting process, only one is man is an island. We really belong truly Israel, in whom God is glori- together… God has created us in fi ed. And he said so. He said quite communities which must not be clearly, “I am the true Israel.” He thought of as accidental groupings used the Old Testament’s most com- of self-contained units. Communi- mon symbol for Israel; the vine: “I ties and the bonds that bind us are am the true vine” (John 15:1ff.; cf. essential dimensions of human life. Ps. 80:8-16; Is. 5:1-7; Je. 2:21; 6:9; Ho. A community has a real unity which 10:1; see also Mt. 21:33-43 and par- is expressed in its head. This applies allels). In him, the pyramid reaches especially to covenant communities. its apex. God’s covenant with Adam and thus The lines, however, do not stop with the whole human race; God’s there. Starting from Christ, there is covenant with Abraham and with a symmetrical broadening. In him, Moses and thus with Israel; a man’s the true Israel, the true vine, are the marriage covenant with a woman branches which feed on his life and too: all exhibit the same structure. are purifi ed by him. Those who fi nd They institute headed communities. salvation in him inherit the promise The head sums up or represents the which belongs to the true remnant. whole, yet it cannot be mistaken for To them also, in a secondary sense, the body, not even in a kind of vague the name Israel truly belongs (Rom fl uid dialectic between the two. It is 9:6-8; Gal. 3:6-9; 6:15, 16; Phil. 3:3). the head, not the body. And yet, at All the Gentiles who have faith in the same time, the body is nothing Christ are incorporated into this without the head, and the head truly community. So this new Israel, the expresses the body. Now the Servant Israel of God, is a new humanity, seems to be the head of Israel, the spreading over the whole earth. As head of that community which he the Second Song puts it, the Servant is to redeem and restore. is to be a “light to the nations, that The second concept is what is my salvation may reach to the end of known as Delitzsch’s pyramid. the earth”. What a perfect geometry Franz Delitzsch was not an ancient in God’s plan!54 Egyptian Pharoah but a German evangelical scholar in the nineteenth The plan and will of the Lord for the century. He showed from the Bible that as the history of salvation pro- Servant, then, resolves the issue of the ceeds, the scope of God’s redemptive broken covenant between God and Israel dealings with man seems to grow made at Sinai, and moreover, brings to ful- narrower and narrower. God starts, as it were, with the whole human fi lment the divine promises to Abraham race, fi rst at the time of Adam, and which are now to be accomplished in and then again after the Flood. Then one line of the human race is chosen: through the Davidic King. God makes his covenant with Abra- and 55 show a New Cov- ham and his descendants. But he enant issuing from the sacrifi cial death does not make it with all Abraham’s of the Servant. The theme of chapter 39 54 is bringing back the exiles, bringing Isaiah 53 must tie together the passages about recon ciliation between God and his in the cycles treating the same topics. This people, restoring the covenant relation- is the only accurate and effective way to ship, and rebuilding Zion since the city explain all that is meant in the statement of God in terms of people has been so “the will of the Lord will advance success- decimated. What ties together the diverse fully by his hand” in Isa 53:10d which is paragraphs and sections is a metaphor in now a shorthand reference to these other which the people of God are represented treatments. as a woman. In verses 1-3 the people of Lines 11b-12f now detail the benefi ts God are pictured as a barren woman who of the Servant’s death given to others now has more children than the married who are simply referred to as “the many” woman. In verses 4-10 the people of God (11b, 12a, 12e). Again we cannot shrink are portrayed as a deserted wife, some- from the problems in the text if we are one who has long borne the reproach to gain a full-orbed understanding of the of widowhood, but who is now recon- Servant’s work. ciled and married to her Creator God. Two problems in textual transmission Included in this section is a comparison in v. 12 can be handled quickly. First, in v. of the promise of the New Covenant to 12e I have translated “and he bore the sins the promise of the Noahic Covenant—just of many.” The plural yajx is supported by as God promised that never again would the Dead Sea Scrolls (1Q-a, 1Q-b, 4Q-d), he judge by a fl ood, so now he promises the Septuagint, Symmachus, the Syriac, never again to be angry with his people. and the Targum. The singular is only Finally, in verses 11-17, the woman is the supported by our Masoretic Text and the City of Zion, lashed by storms, but now Vulgate, where it seems to be an assimila- fortifi ed by redoubtable foundations and tion to the singular of vv. 6 and 8. Clearly battlements and rebuilt with stunning pre- the reading in MT is secondary. cious jewels and stones. Thus, in the brief In the next line, 12f the original text is span of 17 verses, this New Covenant is in probably ~h,y[ev.pil.W (“for their transgres- some way either compared or correlated sions”) rather than MT ~y[iv.Pol;w> (“for and linked to all of the previous major their transgressors”). The former reading covenants in the Bible: the barren woman is supported again by the three Dead Sea represents the Abrahamic Cove nant, the Scrolls and the Septuagint, while the lat- deserted wife the Mosaic Covenant, and ter by the Vulgate and the three Jewish the storm-lashed City of Zion the Davidic Revisors, Aquila, Symmachus, and Theo- Covenant.55 dotion. The text of MT may be explained It is important to realize that these as an assimilation to ~y[iv.Po in 12d or a are not digressions in explaining the correction motivated theologically. The last stanza of Isaiah 53. Isaiah’s Hebrew standard construction in Hebrew for the patterns of thought follow a cyclical and verb is “yl xb [gp” meaning to entreat recursive treatment of themes and topics someone (x) with respect to something rather than the Aristotelian rectilinear (y). Thus ~h,y[ev.pil.W fi ts the construction mode of discourse so entrenched in our that is normal, while the phrase ~y[iv.Pol;w> culture from our Greco-Roman heritage. is anomalous in the . As a result, the explanation of the text of A major misunderstanding of v. 12, 40 however, is due to bad exegesis persisting It is this same relationship that is being in the Christian tradition. The meaning is pursued in 12a and b. In fact, there may obscured by most modern translations; be a chiastic structure. The section begins the KJV, NASB, and NIV are all basically and ends by stating that the one bore the the same: “therefore I will divide him a sins of the many, and the middle affi rms portion with the great and he shall divide that the many receive the spoils of the the spoil with the strong.” The word being victory of the one. Here Isaiah draws out rendered “great” is ~yBir;. Exactly the same the relationship between the one and the term is also found in 11b and 12e where many, between the king and his people, all translate by “many” in English. Why, and shows that the work of the Servant then, should it be translated “great” here is to justify the many, to bring them into in 12a? Probably because the term in the a right relationship to God. line parallel to this has ~ymiWc[] and the Central to the last section, 11b-12f, common equivalent in English for this is describing benefi ts of the Servant’s death “strong.” Hence “great” is chosen for ~yBir; is the corporate solidarity of the one and to make the parallelism work. But the the many, which it turns out, is the rela- Hebrew term ~ymiWc[] could also be trans- tion ship of the king and priest to his peo- lated “the numerous.” The root can mean ple. Here the priestly picture from the fi rst either “to be many” or “to be mighty.” The stanza and the kingly role of the servant relationship between these two meanings from the second stanza come together. is obvious: strength comes from numbers. First, according to the bookends in 11bc Amos 5:12 and Prov 7:26 are excellent and 12ef, the one has born the misdeeds examples where ~yBir; and ~ymiWc[] are (`äwôn, 11c), offences (Peša`, 12f) and sins paired in synonymous lines, and the clear (H놴, 12e) of the many. All the major words meaning is “the many” and “the numer- for sin in the Old Testament are here in the ous.” It is interesting to note that “great” plural, showing that the sacrifi cial death is not a common meaning for ~yBir; and of the Servant is all-encompassing, effec- that often ~ylidoG> is paired with ~ymiWc[] tively compensating for the guilt of the when the meanings “great” and “mighty” many. Moreover the Servant renders the should be selected (e.g., Deut 9:1; 11:23; verdict “not guilty” for the many. From a Josh 23:9). A better approach, then, is to negative perspective, the many are acquit- give ~yBir; the same value it has in 11b ted; from a positive perspective, the many and 12e, i.e., “many,” and then maintain are reckoned as righteous. The statements the parallelism by translating ~ymiWc[] as in Isa 53 assume the corporate solidarity “numerous.”56 We can then translate as of king and people. Why should the king follows: “therefore I will divide for him not fi ght the battle for and on behalf of his a portion among the many and he will people? Since the Enlightenment Period, share spoils with the numerous.” Not only various voices have com plained that the does this translation preserve a consistent one bearing the guilt of others is immoral. value for ~yBir; from 11b through 12a and In America, a worldview derived from 12e, but also preserves a consistency of the En lightment has idolized a rugged thought: this section begins in 11c focused individualism and fails to think in terms on the relationship of the one and the of corporate categories. And it is this many and ends in 12ef in the same way. worldview that fails the test of morality 41 when offence is taken at the teaching on the alternate approach creates problems penal substitution in this text. for analysis of the poetic structure.59 The Second, according to 12ab, God shares third m.s. pronominal suffi x may be inter- the Servant’s victory among the many and preted in two ways: “by his knowledge” the servant himself distributes spoils with or “by knowledge of him.” If the fi rst is the many. Thus the many share the the intended, then Isaiah is saying that by triumph and victory of the one: healing, means of the knowledge possessed by peace or reconciliation, righteousness, and the servant, he succeeds in justifying the resurrection. There can be no doubt that it many. This knowledge is the knowledge is this text that is the foundation of Paul’s he has of God and his ways. In this text teaching in Rom 5:12-21 where the central we see that instead of paying back evil thought is also the one and the many in the with evil, he bears the evil of others paid same way that we see in Isaiah 53. Specifi c to him and gives only love in return. It reasons given in the text as to what act of is this knowledge or way that jus tifi es the one made possible such a victory for the many. Or it could mean by knowing the Servant and for those asso ciated with him. That is, if we by faith come to know him is that he bared his soul to the point him, we become part of the community, of death and was counted as an offender part of his offspring who are justifi ed so (12cd). Those who do not understand why that our sins are exchanged for his long death is the penalty required to make res- life and success in advancing the will of titution have not understood from the fi rst God. Either statement is true according pages of the Scriptures that dis loyalty in to teaching elsewhere in Scripture. The a covenant relation ship results in death. fi rst meaning is probably what Isaiah had This is what the fi vefold curse of Genesis in mind. In the Third Servant Song, the 1-11 makes plain. And the fi vefold bless- Servant learns morning by morning and ing of Abraham’s family, coming now this knowledge results in him giving his through the King of Israel, will remove body, his back and his cheeks to those who this curse and bring salvation for both mistreat him, and trusting the results to Israel and the world.57 the Lord (Isa 50:4-9). The prepositional phrase AT[.d;B., “by R. N. Whybray has argued that it is his knowledge” is connected by the a heinous crime for the wicked to be jus- accents in MT to 11b and not to 11a as tifi ed by exploiting to the full the state- in the Septuagint and modern printed ment in Exod 23:7 where Yahweh says, Hebrew Bibles.58 The spacing in 1Q-a and “I will not justify the wicked.” Whybray 4Q-d supports this division of the text in concludes, “it is clear that such an action MT while 1Q-b has a lacuna and so cannot would never be performed or approved attest either way to this issue. The uncials by God.”60 Apparently in the Fourth Ser- of the Vulgate and Jerome’s Commentary vant Song this is exactly what Yahweh on Isaiah also support this interpretation. does and it is precisely because of the So exegesis and translations following our suffering Servant! The Servant entreats modern printed Hebrew texts should be God on behalf of the many, bears their disregarded. In addition, the division of penalty, and offers himself as a restitu- the stichometry adopted here results in tion sacrifice—vicarious suffering is 11a and b matching in line length, whereas the only way to resolve this dilemma! 42 Conclusion to all the nations. The “atonement theory”—to employ an anachronistic term—provided by ENDNOTES 1 Isaiah’s depiction of the work of the I acknowledge with gratitude Daniel Servant in the Fourth Servant Song is I. Block, Stephen G. Dempster, John multi faceted and variegated. The Servant Meade, Jim Rairick, and Jason Parry for is a fi gure both Davidic and royal. He is constructive criticism of earlier drafts. Israel and he restores Israel (Isa 49:5). He They not only rescued me from many endures enormous suffering as evil is mistakes, but stimulated my thinking in heaped upon him by his own people and signifi cant ways. 2 by the world. But the description is more The four songs were demarcated and specifi c than this generality. He dies as a labelled by Bernhard Duhm, Das Buch restitution sacrifi ce to pay the penalty for Jesaja (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Rupre- the offenses, sins, and transgressions of cht, 1892): 42:1-9, 49:1-13, 50:4-9, 52:13- the many.61 This brings the forgiveness of 53:12. 3 sins and a right relationship to God. This A notable exception is the commentary brings reconciliation with God resulting by Motyer. 4 in a new, everlasting covenant of peace The major recursive sections of Isaiah where faithful loyal love and obedience may be roughly delineated as follows: are maintained in our rela tionship to God. The Book of Isaiah: This also brings redemption in that just From Zion in the Old Creation to as the Exodus delivered Israel from years Zion in the New of slavery to Egypt, so the new Exodus (1) The Judgment and delivers the many from bondage to sin. Transformation of Zion Part 1 (1:2-2:5) The Servant is not only the sacrifi ce, he (2) The Judgment and is also the priest (also clearly expressed Transformation of Zion Part 2 (2:6-4:6) in Jer 30:21). He makes the offering. (3) The Judgment of the Moreover, he is a super-High Priest. The Vineyard and High Priest sprinkles only Israel, but (5:1-12:6) (4) The City of Man versus the City this priest sprinkles the nations who are of God (13:1-27:13) also included in the many. His ultimate (5) Trusting the Nations versus anointing leads to an ultimate sprinkling Trusting the Word of Yahweh (28:1-37:38) on an ultimate day of atonement! And as (6) Comfort and Redemption for King, the Servant fi ghts the battle for his Zion and the World (38:1-55:13) people and wins. He conquers not only (7) Keeping Sabbath in the New Creation (56:1-66:24) their sin, but death itself. The many share in the victory of the one just as the one has This outline is indebted in part to J. Alec borne the sins of the many. The broken Motyer. Discourse grammar markers Mosaic Covenant is re placed by a New demand a major break between 37:38 Covenant in which all the promises of the and 38:1 which considerations of space Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants come do not permit to be set forth here. 62 to fruition and fulfi llment. The Servant 5See Thomas L. Leclerc, Yahweh is Exalted does for the nation what it could not do for in Justice: Solidarity and Confl ict in Isaiah itself and at the same time brings blessing (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001) and 43 especially, Peter J. Gentry, “Speak- solution to keep both Christians and Brill, 1998), 545-75. Their proposed ing the Truth in Love (Eph 4:15): Life happy is implausible. Even resolution of exegetical problems in in the New Covenant Community,” during the last year discussion on 10a is not satisfactory and this led The Southern Baptist Journal of Theol- the Internet between Christians and them to include 10a wrongly with ogy 10, no. 2 (2006): 70-87. Jews was considerable. Stanza 3. See discussion below for 6See J. Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of 13Goldingay has noted this as well in a response to them. Isaiah: An Introduction and Commen- his study of Isaiah: “As is often the 19Adapted from Henri Blocher, Songs tary (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, case, the prophet begins by hinting of the Servant (London: Inter-Varsity, 1993) and idem, Isaiah: An Introduc- at something that will receive fur- 1975), 61. tion and Commentary (Tyndale Old ther explication” John Goldingay, 20Motyer, Isaiah, 423. Testament Commentaries; Downers The Message of Isaiah 40-55: A Liter- 21See S. Craig Glickman, Knowing Grove: InterVarsity, 1999). ary-Theological Commentary (Lon- Christ (Chicago: Moody, 1980), 89- 7For a discussion of Exodus language don: T & T Clark, 2005), 492. 129. and themes in Isaiah see Bernhard 14Daniel I. Block, “My Servant David: 22Note that the recent study of Barthé- W. Anderson, “Exodus Typology in Ancient Israel’s Vision of the Mes- lemy (see below) has not been dis- Second Isaiah,” in Israel’s Prophetic siah,” in Israel’s Messiah in the Bible seminated widely in North America Heritage: Essays in Honor of James and the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. Richard because it is in French. See my Muilenburg (ed. Bernhard W. Ander- S. Hess and M. Daniel Carroll R. review of John Oswalt, The Book of son and Walter Harrelson; New (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 17-56. Isaiah in The Baptist Review of Theol- York: Harper, 1962), 177-95. See also Ivan Engnell, “The ‘Ebed ogy 8 (1998): 150-55. 8The vision in Zech 5:5-11 of the Yahweh Songs and the Suffering 23S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., “Romans woman in a basket carried by fl y- Servant Messiah in ‘Deutero-Isa- 5:12—An Exercise in Exegesis and ing women back to Babylon seems iah’,” Bulletin of the John Rylands Theology,” in New Dimensions in to symbolize the task of removing Library 31 (1948): 93; and E. J. Kiss- New Testament Study (ed. Richard Babylon from the people. ane, The Book of Isaiah: Translated from N. Longenecker and Merrill C. 9See the emphasis in N. T. Wright, a Critically Revised Hebrew Text with Tenney; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Evil and the Justice of God (Downers Commentary (2 vols.; Dublin: Browne 1974), 300. Grove: InterVarsity, 2006) that the and Nolan, 1943), 2:179-80. 24See Dominique Barthélemy, Critique Bible is more about what God does 15Motyer, Isaiah, 121. Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, vol. 2, in response to evil than a descrip- 16This insight I owe to Stephen Isaïe, Jérémie, Lamentations (Göt- tion of its origins. Dempster. tingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 10The root is lag. Psalm 130:8 speaks 17I am painfully aware of the brev- 1986). of redeeming Israel from all her ity of my statement concerning the 25Some compare the use of nazah offense, but employs a different identity of the servant in con trast to constructions with yarah and root, hdp (“to ransom”). to the diffi culties in interpretation appeal to Ps 64:5 and 64:8 as exam- 11Once again I have adapted my out- and the voluminous literature on ples where the object is omitted, but line from Motyer, Isaiah, 383. this topic. this seems weak because these are 12See Murray Rae, “Texts in Context: 18This division into stanzas is essen- cases of gapping in Hebrew poetry. Scripture in the Divine Economy,” tially identical to the work of Korpel See Barthélemy, Critique Textuelle, Journal of Theological Interpretation and de Moor; although, I differ 387. 1.1 (2007): 1-21, for documentation in many details of exegesis—see 26See Ibid., 385-86. of recent discussion. His concern Marjo C. A. Korpel and Johannes 27The closest form is the noun tx'v.m' for a canonical interpretation is C. de Moor, The Structure of Classical (“corruption”) found only in Lev commendable, but his post-modern Hebrew Poetry: Isaiah 40-55 (Leiden: 22:25. 44 28Goldingay adds significant sup- Tradition has a lacuna at Isaiah 53, 12, 16) and later references to it (Isa port: “[t]he observation that, fol- see Amparo Alba Cecilia, Biblia Babi- 51:5, 9; 52:10). lowing his desolation, the servant lonica: Isaias (Madrid: CSIC, 1980). 35See D. J. A. Clines, I, He, We and is superhumanly anointed fi ts with Baltzer should have con sulted a They: A Literary Approach to Isaiah 53 the description of his superhuman better edition than BHS, e.g., M. (Sheffi eld: JSOT, 1976), 15. exaltation in v. 13. The reference H. Goshen-Gottstein, The Book of 36Examples of kings or kingdoms pic- to anointing (mišHat) parallels the Isaiah (Hebrew Univer sity Bible; tured as majestic, stately trees: king account of David’s anointing as a : Magnes Press, 1995). of Israel (Ezek 17), kings of Egypt person good in appearance and a The sole support for the Babylonian and (Ezek 31), Nebuchad- man of [good] looks (1 Sam. 16:12- Tradition is a frag ment from the nezzar of Babylon (Daniel 4:10-12). 13, 18; cf. *Grimm/Dittert). It also Cairo Genizah (Kb 13) in which a General instances: Isa 10:19 (#[e again parallels Ps. 89:19-20, 50-51 corrector has changed the vocaliza- r[;y:), cf. 10:33-34; cedars Isa 2:13; [20-21, 51-52], where Yhwh’s ‘ser- tion to tx;v.mu. This demonstrates an 14:08 (!Anb'L.h; yzEr>a;); fi rs Isa 14:08 vant’ David is ‘anointed’ as well exegetical tradition within medieval (~yviArB.); oaks Isa 2:13 (!v'B'h; ynEALa;). as ‘exalted’ and his successor as Judaism more than a witness to a Not only trees as a whole represent Yhwh’s ‘servant’ and ‘anointed’ is pristine text. kings or kingdoms, but also parts taunted by ‘many’ peoples. Further, 30Jan L. Koole, Isaiah III: Volume 2 / of trees as well: root (vr) Ezek ing in 52.13 as at 42.1” (Goldingay, pretation proposed by Barthélemy 17:04; shoot (rc,nE) Isa 11:01; 14:19; Isaiah 40-55, 491). and developed here is also that Isa 7:4 ~ynv[h ~ydwah twbnz ynvm 29Another recent scholar who main- expounded recently by John Gold- = from these two tails of smoking tains the traditional view is Klaus ingay, Isaiah 40-55, 490-92, although sticks; shade (lce) Isa 30:3. Baltzer, Deutero-Isaiah: A Commen- no reference is made to Barthélemy 37This paragraph summarizes the tary on Isaiah 40-55 (Hermeneia; and discussion of grammatical, lexi- important research in M. Hengel, Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001). He cal, and textual issues is extremely Crucifi xion in the Ancient World and renders the word “maltreated” and limited (these, however, are not the the Folly of the Message of the Cross proposes in a critical note reading focus of his work). (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1977). tx;v.Am on the basis of one manu- 32Again, Koole misses the import of 38Adapted from N. T. Wright, Follow- script or tx;v.mu as in the Babylonian this variant. See Jan L. Koole, Isaiah ing Jesus: Biblical Refl ections on Dis- Tradition (see p. 392). In terms of 49 - 55, 269. cipleship (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, principles of textual criticism, the 33E.g., 65:1 cryptically expresses the 1994), 48. appeal to one medieval manuscript idea of an offer of salvation to the 39Not “a new creature” or even “a new (Kennicott MS 612) is ludicrous. The nations which is developed more creation,” but “he / she is new cre- form given by Kennicott is unvocal- fully in 66:18-24 at the end of this ation” is what the grammar of the ized and probably is a plene spell- section. original text requires as the correct ing for the form in the Babylonian 34Although the use of “arm” or translation. Tradition (see B. Kennicott, Vetus “hand” to express power is common 402 Kgs 13:6 would be an example of Testamentum Hebraicum cum Variis ancient Near Eastern idiom, the yjxh from ajx and ~yailux]T; in 2 Lectionibus [Oxford, 1780] 2:68). The expression “the arm of the Lord” is Chron 16:12 shows hlx treated as critical edition of the Babylonian stereotypical of the Exodus (Exod 6, a III-a verb. 45 41So E. Y. Kutscher, The Language and ritual involves a common man 50Some passages in Isaiah directly Linguistic Background of the Isaiah who subsitutes temporarily for the related to the Abrahamic Covenant Scroll (1Q Isaa) (Leiden: E. J. Brill, king in order that evil omens and are as follows: 48:18-19; 51:2; 54:2; 1974), 236-37. threats may fall upon the commoner 60:12; 60:22; 61:9; 62:2-5; 63:16; 65:9; 42Barthélemy, Critique Textuelle, 400- instead of on the king. In Isaiah 53 65:15-16. 02. the king bears the offenses, sins, and 51The repetition of the word “many” 43Pace John T. Williams, “Jesus the trans gressions of his people. For is one feature that ties the Prologue Servant—Vicarious Sufferer: A the proposal, see John H. Walton, to the Epilogue in the chiastic Reappraisal,” in “You Will Be My “The Imagery of the Substitute King structure or as an inclusio (cf. John Witnesses”: A Festschrift in Honor of Ritual in Isaiah’s Fourth Servant Goldingay, Isaiah 40-55, 491). the Reverend Dr. Allison A. Trites on Song,” Journal of Biblical Literature 52G. Johannes Botterweck “#pex' the Occasion of His Retirement (ed. R. 122 (2003): 734-43. Isaiah 53 can Häpëc,” Theological Dictionary of Glenn Wooden, Timothy R. Ashley, be better ex plained by appeal to the Old Testament (ed. G. Johannes and Robert S. Wilson; Macon: Mer- the larger story of Scripture than Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren; cer, 2003), 53-80, this analysis of the to supposedly subtle connections Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), clause by no means obliterates the to this Mesopotamian ritual. In 5:105-06. aspect of vicarious suffering (see personal communication, however, 53Adapted from Henri Blocher, Songs esp. p. 69). D. I. Block has convincingly sug- of the Servant, 40. 44Motyer, Isaiah, 439-40. gested that Isaiah may well have 54Ibid., 40-42. For those wishing to 45See John E. Hartley, Leviticus (Word intended to provide a reversal of the consult Blocher’s source, see F. Del- Biblical Commentary 4; Dallas: Mesopotamian pattern. itzsch, Isaiah (Commentary on the Word, 1992), 72-86; Jacob Milgrom, 47The attribution is based on one Old Testament in Ten Volumes by Leviticus 1-16 (Anchor Bible 3; New source, i.e., manuscript Barberini C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, 7; Grand York: Doubleday, 1991), 319-78; Graeci 549 in Rome, Bibl. Vat. Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976), 174-175, idem, Leviticus: A Book of Ritual 48Korpel and de Moor follow A. 257-258. and Ethics (Minneapolis: Fortress, Gelston, “Some Notes on Second 55This approach to Isaiah 54 is out- 2004), 46-61, G. J. Wenham, The Isaiah,” VT (1971): 517-21, in argu- lined in William J. Dumbrell, The Book of Leviticus (New International ing that rwa is secondary due to End of the Beginning (Homebush Commentary on the Old Testament; either dittography or an explana- West: Lancer, 1985), 18. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979), tory gloss (so Korpel and de Moor, 56I arrived at this conclusion already 103-12. Hebrew Poetry, 549, n. 18). Yet surely in 1990. It is encouraging that a 46The following instances of “ram” haplography is more probable, and recent scholarly commentary is (’ayil) as a metaphor for a commu- the appeal to a gloss no more plau- also propounding a similar view: nity leader are listed by Block: Exod sible than a correction motivated Koole, Isaiah 49 - 55, 336-43. An 15:5; 2 Kgs 24:15; Jer 25:34; Ezek theologically in MT. The external earlier proponent of this view has 17:13; 30:13; 31:11, 14; 32:21; 39:18. support for rwa is earlier and much also come to my attention: John See Block, “My Servant David,” stronger than the evidence from the W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How is Isa 51-52 and n. 150. Block, however, is Jewish Revisors and Vulgate, Syriac 53,12a To Be Under stood?” Biblica wrong to follow John Walton’s pro- and Targum. See Jan de Waard, A 68 (1987): 330-56. posal that the Mesopotamian ritual Handbook on Isaiah (Winona Lake: 57See H. W. Wolff, “The Kerygma of the substitute king is the back- Eisenbrauns, 1997), 196-97. of the Yahwist,” Interpretation 20 ground to Isaiah 53. The situation 49Claus Westermann, Isaiah 40-66: A (1966): 131-58; and N. T. Wright, The in Isaiah 53 is completely opposite Commentary (Philadelphia: West- New Testament and the People of God to this ritual. The Mesopotamian minster, 1969), 267. (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992), 262. 46 58Korpel and de Moor place AT[.d:B. larger picture can be reductionistic with 11b citing the Septuagint and in terms of the actual emphasis in the Syriac for support, but not Scripture. Isaiah 53 talks about the mentioning that the evidence of Servant bearing offences, sins, and the Dead Sea Scrolls listed in their transgres sions, not just evil in a sources is against this division. See general sense. Korpel and de Moor, Hebrew Poetry, 62In general, the expression employed 557. by the indicate a New Cov- 59According to O’Connor’s method enant initiated which takes the place of analyzing poetry in Hebrew, of the Mosaic Covenant (tyrb trk). 11a and b would constitute “heavy Occasionally, this is also seen as a lines,” and this would appropriately renewal of the Mosaic Covenant function to articulate the division (tyrb ~yqh, e.g. Ezek 16:60). The in the stanza between benefi ts to distinction between these expres- the Servant and benefits to the sions estab lished by Dumbrell many associated with him. See M. in general holds up to careful O’Connor, Hebrew Verse Structure scrutiny and the attempt by Paul (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1980). Williamson to critique Dumbrell 60R. N. Whybray, Thanksgiving for a fails utterly; see W. J. Dumbrell, Liberated Prophet: An Interpretation Covenant and Creation (Nashville: of Isaiah 53 (Sheffi eld: University of Thomas Nelson, 1984), 16-26; and Sheffi eld, 1978), 67. See also John T. Paul R. Williamson, Sealed With an Williams, “Jesus the Ser vant—Vicar- Oath: Covenant in God’s Unfolding ious Sufferer: A Reappraisal,” 53-80. Purpose (Downers Grove: InterVar- Their approaches are well answered sity, 2007), 69-75. Jacob Milgrom, by Stephen G. Dempster, “The Ser- Leviticus 23-27 (Anchor Bible 3B; vant of the Lord,” in Central Themes New York: Doubleday, 2000), 2343- in Biblical Theo logy: Mapping Unity 46, supports Dumbrell’s thesis. in Diversity (ed. Scott J. Hafemann and Paul R. House; Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 128-78. 61N. T. Wright describes the work of Jesus Christ in terms of taking upon himself all the evil of the world and completely exhausting it, giv- ing only love in return. This ends the vicious cycle of paying evil for evil and shows the power of love instead of the love of power, e.g. N. T. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 89. While he does clearly speak of Jesus bearing the sins of Israel, his depiction of the 47