Isaiah Chapter 53

This is a continuation of the account that was began at the end of Isaiah 52.
The description concerns the Jewish people.
[Isaiah 53:1] WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM IS THE ARM OF THE LORD REVEALED?

 [Isaiah 53:2] FOR HE SHALL GROW UP BEFORE HIM AS A TENDER PLANT, AND AS A ROOT OUT OF A DRY GROUND: HE HATH NO FORM NOR COMELINESS; AND WHEN WE SHALL SEE HIM, THERE IS NO BEAUTY THAT WE SHOULD DESIRE HIM.

 [Isaiah 53:3] HE IS DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN; A MAN OF SORROWS, AND ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF: AND WE HID AS IT WERE OUR FACES FROM HIM; HE WAS DESPISED, AND WE ESTEEMED HIM NOT.
This is the Gentiles speaking about Judah and about how they despised and oppressed him.

 [Isaiah 53:4] SURELY HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS, AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS: YET WE DID ESTEEM HIM STRICKEN, SMITTEN OF GOD, AND AFFLICTED.
The Jew sufffered due to other people. He was the first victim, the eternal scape-goat for the faults and misfortunes of others.
He was considered accursed yet his affliction was due to our imposing upon him the results of our own calamities.

 [Isaiah 53:5] BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES: THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM; AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.
The Jew was punished for the sins of others.

 [Isaiah 53:6] ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.

 [Isaiah 53:7] HE WAS OPPRESSED, AND HE WAS AFFLICTED, YET HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH: HE IS BROUGHT AS A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND AS A SHEEP BEFORE HER SHEARERS IS DUMB, SO HE OPENETH NOT HIS MOUTH.

 [Isaiah 53:8] HE WAS TAKEN FROM PRISON AND FROM JUDGMENT: AND WHO SHALL DECLARE HIS GENERATION?  FOR HE WAS CUT OFF OUT OF THE LAND OF THE LIVING: FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WAS HE   STRICKEN.

 [Isaiah 53:9] AND HE MADE HIS GRAVE WITH THE WICKED, AND WITH THE RICH IN HIS DEATH; BECAUSE HE HAD DONE NO VIOLENCE, NEITHER WAS ANY DECEIT IN HIS MOUTH.

 [Isaiah 53:10] YET IT PLEASED THE LORD TO BRUISE HIM; HE HATH PUT HIM TO GRIEF: WHEN THOU SHALT MAKE HIS SOUL AN OFFERING FOR SIN, HE SHALL SEE HIS SEED, HE SHALL PROLONG HIS DAYS, AND THE PLEASURE OF THE LORD SHALL PROSPER IN HIS HAND.
“HE SHALL SEE HIS SEED”: He shall have children and numerous descendants, live a long life, and be succesful in his works.

 [Isaiah 53:11] HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL, AND SHALL BE SATISFIED: BY HIS KNOWLEDGE SHALL MY RIGHTEOUS SERVANT JUSTIFY MANY; FOR HE SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITIES.        
The Jew often succeeded in  dedicating himself to the Law when he could. When he was forced (by outsiders) or seduced  to abandon it he applied his energies in other directions: in jurisprudence, trade, science, philosophy, philanthropy. The Messiah shall come from Judah. The Jew has a natural instinct to reform things, to rectify the world. When the Jew is deprived of Torah this instinct can be misdirected. Sometimes it does good and on occasion it can do damage. Either way the Jew is hated by many Gentiles merely because he is active, is different and stands out.
The sins of others are transposed onto the Jew.
In the Middle Ages the host (holy wheat wafer used in Church services) was considered to become the body of Jesus. The Jews were often accused of stealing the host anddoing all kinds of tyhings to it in order to torture Christ. The Jews were also accused of killing Christian children to use the blood to make matzoth (unleavened bread) for the Passover service.
At that time it appears that a lot of unwanted children were put to death by their parents or neighbors sometimes after torture. Infanticide even in the 1800s was still a serious problem in Britain. The Christians were in fact blaming the Jews for their own sins.
Recently an international ring of child-murderers was uncovered centered on Belgium. Children from all over the world (especially Russia, ex-Iron Curtain countries, and Briain) would be obtained, sexually abused and tortured to death. The whole thing would be video-ttaped and made availabler sometimes over the Internet. The whole thing began to unravel about 1996: Belgian politicians and police officials were involved. Murders took place in an attempt to cover the traces.
“On October 20, 1998, 350,000 citizens of the tiny nation [Belgium] took to the streets of Brussels dressed all in white, demanding the reform of a system so corrupt that it would protect the abusers, rapists,
torturers, and killers of children. “
The case went on and on and revealed those who were involved in it all over Europe, the USA, Mexico.
< In Enslaved, Gordon
Thomas reported that: "At the start of the year [1991] Britain's
Scotland Yard was continuing to investigate reports that up to twenty
children in London had been murdered last year in [snuff films] and
the video tapes sold on the Continent."

<<An account of the Italian case carried by the Guardian affirmed the
existence of snuff films: "police have discovered a massive
international paedophile network selling violent child-pornography
videos to clients in Italy, the US and Germany … (authorities are)
trying to identify 5,000 people who are suspected of attempting to
purchase the videos, some of which appear to contain images of
children being tortured and murdered."

<<The UK's Independent, in a follow-up published in November of 2000,
also confirmed that the seized materials did in fact include child
snuff films: "Horrified investigators gathered images of more than
2,000 children who were filmed while being abused, raped, and …
killed." By that time, close to 1,500 people had been charged in the
case, but not - as the Guardian noted - "those in high places who are
believed to form a `paedophile lobby.'"
 <Source: The Pedophocracy, Part I:>From Brussels ...By David McGowan July 2001.
Things like this also took place in the Middle Ages. Children would disappear, done to death by Christians but the Jews would beblamed and done to death in turn.

How did the people and establishment of Belgium divert their attention?  They began legal proceeding against Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel! What had Ariel Sharon done? In a war against Arab terrorists Christian soldiers had entered a Palestinian refugee camp and killed a great many people. Naturally the Jews were to blame. Ariel Sharon had commanded Israeli soldiers who were close by. It was falsely claimed by Time Magazine that Sharon had had knowledge of the Christain intentions and had not prevented them.  Sharon sued Time Magazine. There was an expensive court case and Sharon won but was not awarded damages.  And what then was Time Magazine? On the surface one of the most respectable and popular news magazines in the world. It had also hosted an Interview with the King of Saudia Arabia in which the King made a very intelligent recommendation of the Protocols of Zion. This is another forged document that pretends the Jewsare plotting to take over the world. Time Magazine had also presented in favorable light a description of a book and interview with the [French] author that romanticized Naziism [I kid you not. It is all there in most public libraries]. It published other items.  This means that at that time the magazine was ewither receiving money and direction from the Saudis or had at least one Nazi sympathizer on its editorial staff or both.


One of earliest cases of The Blood Libel against the Jews was in England. Some claim it began there.  We say that part of the English are descended from Joseph. A great Rabbi said that the Blood Libel was brought against the Jews due to the role of Judah in selling Joseph. In the 1860s French Catholic monks murdered a child in Damascus, Syria and blamed the Jews. Jews were seized, killed, imprisoned, tortured.   They were eventually released largely due to British and American pressure.  A few good men in France also assisted. Due to this case arousal grew amongst the British Gentiles to obtain Palestine in order to give the Jews a homeland. The eventual result was the Balfour Delcaration in 1917 and initial attempt by the British to help the Jews set up a nation. The fact that the British later reneged in part on this undertaking is another story.

 
“BY HIS KNOWLEDGE SHALL MY RIGHTEOUS SERVANT JUSTIFY MANY” Through the science, clear thought, and empathy for others of Judah  plus knowing the ways of God shall the remnant of mankind gain salvation.
FOR HE SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITIES: The Jew was a guest among the nations. All their problems and their rectification seemed to be cast on the shoulder of the Jew who tried to reform them. He was forced to do this by the situation the gentiles kept placing him in yet when things went wrong the Jews was blamed. When things went right the Jew was persecuted or exterminated.

 [Isaiah 53:12] THEREFORE WILL I DIVIDE HIM A PORTION WITH THE GREAT, AND HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE STRONG; BECAUSE HE HATH POURED OUT HIS SOUL UNTO DEATH: AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS; AND HE BARE THE SIN OF MANY, AND MADE INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS.    
  “THEREFORE WILL I DIVIDE HIM A PORTION WITH THE GREAT”,  In the Last Days Judah shall be rich and powerful and a great nation. Amongst the greatest that exist.
AND HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE STRONG: Judah shall be a military might, an old lion who must dealt with carefully and with respect.
 AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS; Jews were accused and  still are of all the sins under the sun and still more and of being ctriminals and controlling all the crime and mischief of the world.
 AND HE BARE THE SIN OF MANY, Not only was Judah made responsible for the sins of others but he also took upon himself to m ake retribution for the faults of others.
AND MADE INTERCESSION FOR THE TRANSGRESSORS. Jews champion the oppressed and seek to help whoever needs help even when those who are in need were the cause of their own downfall.
I have interpreted this concerning the Jews in general especially from the secular side. Jews who study the Law and lead holy lives also atone for the sins of others and bring healing, health, and prosperity to the owlrd in general.

I have interpreted the above according to what I believe and my own understanding. Other interpretations are possible that do not necessarily contradict the above. The Sages said: “There are seventy faces to the Torah”. i.e. there are many different ways of interpreting Scripture all of which can be valid at one and the same time.


Reactions to Isaiah 53
The sages in the Talmud and in Rabbinical literature considered Isaiah 53
to speak of the Messiah.
It can be understood in this sense.
According to the simple meaning it does say that the subject concerned will see seed (have children) and live a long life.
Amos Chocham (Daat Mikra) opines that in Second Temple Times there was an opinion
that Isaiah 53 referred to the future Messiah and that this opinion was later adopted by the Christians.
Apparently they took the reference to children and a long life in a figurative sense.
We understood Isaiah to be speaking of Israel in general especially of Judah.
The famous commentator Rashi and others also understand Isaiah to be speaking
in this passage of the Jews.
Below are slightly edited comments by subscribers who wanted to say that Isaiah 53 is referring
to their belief.
We are here mainly to talk about the Lost Ten Tribes. Incidentally we also talk about the understanding of Scripture in general and Judah in particular. To a degree Joseph (the Ten Tribes) cannot be understood without the juxtaposition of Judah. Judah also has to be studied according to the Biblical message.
At any rate we are not here to debate belief systems.
I will answer a few of the ??? raised at the bottom of this message and then we will continue onwards into the rest of Isaiah.

1.
From: Messjewreb@
I'm sure that you not only expected some comments about your writings on
Isaiah 53, but that you are prepared to elaborate if necessary. So, here we
go;

in verse 5, is it true that the "He" is first person male? If so consider the
following,
(if not, please consider these things, anyway).

Where does the Bible, up to the writings of Yeshayahu,  speak of Israel being
 punished for the sins of others?

In 53:7, are you contending that Israel "opened not his mouth. Israel has
been anything but silent. Also, how can it be explained that Israel is often
called "her", referred to in the female as in Isaiah 62:5 where the writer
says " as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (female) so your Elohim
rejoices over you.

In 53:8, He was cutoff from the land of the living. Is this Judah, the
Northern tribes or Moshiach? Also, note the claim that "he" had  done no
violence, neither was there any deceit in "His" mouth. Of the three
possibilities in the previous verse's comments, which had no deceit in his
mouth. Was it the Northern tribes, who were worshipping idols, or Judah whose
kings were worse or Moshiach?

In verse 10, my brother, and make no mistake, I count you my Jewish brother,
although you may not at this time, count me the same, "His" soul is an
offering for sin. What is it that Adonai counts as a spotless sacrifice?  We
know Israel, Judah nor its people are or were spotless. Moshiach was and is.

Your brother, Rachmiel ben Label.

P.S. Your commentary about Jews being accused of everything (all the sins
under the sun) is primarily true, but cannot be used everytime we suffer, as
suffering for someone else.

 Shalom, Shalom.
2. From: Phuron777@
Subject: Re: Isaiah 52
THOSE WITHOUT FAITH ARE BLIND AND SIT IN DARKNESS; BUT WE HAVE SEEN HIS GREAT LIGHT; LET US REJOICE! FOR THE DAY IS COMING WHEN THE HOLY ONE OF YISRAEL WILL DESTROY ALL OF OUR ENEMIES. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME !!!!!!!!!!



3.
From: Dennis McGinlay <imys14847@>
Subject: Re: Isaiah 53
Dear Yair Davidi

I have to tell you that you are in error by regarding these prophecies in
Isaiah 53;2 onwards as pertaining to 'Judah' as a whole. The irony of it is
that Isaiah's prophecies are an indictment, not only on Judah but all nations
for their rejection of the Messiah. Of course that was part of the plan at
the time, because without the rejection, death and sacrifice of the Messiah
(Christ) there would be no hope for any of us. His death and sacrifice was
the only sacrifice that could pay for our sins. Judah still has those
blinkers on till this day as your interpretation of these prophecies
graphically shows. I respectfully ask you to read them again with this new
insight.

May God bless you
Dennis ginlay imys14847@
4.
From: Cherie Koch <paris_match@>
Subject: Re: Isaiah 53
Dear Rabbi Davidi:
Isaiah 53 is about Jesus, the Messiah, who was the scapegoat for all
mankind.  it is clear as anything, and there is no denying it.  being from
the tribe of Judah, he fits also your interpretation.  He is the Jew that
you speak of, and He is actually the only One who could uniquely fit this
scripture.  Because, no stripes ever given to the Jewish people have
resulted in a true and perfect healing for man.  The iniquity spoken of here
was also of the Jewish people... Isaiah is not identifying with the Gentiles
here.  He is speaking of the sacrifice of the Jew of Jews, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah, the Son of God (Psalm 2) ... who was the Passover Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the Jewish people and also the world.   To
read this accurately, you really have to see that it does not apply so
loosely as you have interpreted it.  It uniquely applies to Jesus (Jeshua).

[Even you have rightly mentioned 'Messiah' in your interpretation of this
passage].

I pray that the eyes of your understanding would be opened to see the truth
in this.. and the blessing of it also!
Very truly yours,
Cherie Koch
p.s.  I really like your teachings... I am not being critical of you!  I am
blessed by all that you share.
5.
From: Sharon Lindstrom <slindstrom@>
Subject: Re: Isaiah 53
Yair,

I truly appreciate where you're coming from with this article, but I differ
completely on it.

Yes, the Jews are, and have been persecuted severely over the centuries.
There have been unthinkable and horrendous atrocities against the tribe of
Judah. But there have also been unthinkable and horrendous atrocities
against the earliest believers in Yeshua (Jesus) too. However, it is my
belief that these atrocities against Judah have continued through present
day because Judah is the single tribe that has remained faithful to Torah.

Which brings me to the "true" body of God's children.

There are very few of us. AND there is a movement -- in the U.S. and
worldwide -- similar to the persecution of Jews, which stands especially
against biblical Christians who are particularly supportive of the tribe of
Judah.

I do not believe these passages of Isaiah 53 represent in any way at all the
tribe of Judah as a whole. I believe Isaiah 53 represents the Messiah alone,
who is/will COME from the tribe of Judah. You know that I believe Messiah
has already come and will return. I know that you believe Messiah has not
yet come but will come in the future.

Please understand that this letter is only my attempt to reconcile the fact
that we all -- the 12 tribes of Israel -- believe in the appearance and
salvation of a Messiah who will be from the tribe of Judah.

But I just want you to realize that just because there are Mennasehites that
believe Messiah has already come and will return does not mean in any way
that all of them are against Judah. On the contrary, we are a people (a
small one) that God has given the PRIVILEGE of understanding Torah and
uniting with our brother Judah. I take that very seriously.

In His Love and Perfect Shalom,

Sharon
6.
From: Rabbi Moshe Joseph Koniuchowsky <ravmoshe@>
Subject: Re: Isaiah 53
please Yar you've gotta to be kidding since when did Yahweh call Israel
righteous and a he. Israel is Yahweh's bride a she. Israel cannot die for
Israel. you know full well this speaks of the one sent to breather Ephraim
Yahshua hamotzrei. be honest with yourself and then you can teach others
only the truth.
M

Answers: In the passages prior to this one Isaiah speaks of the Judah-aspect of Israel in the collective sense and he continues to do so straight afterwards.
“Israel” in Biblical terms usually can refer to both the northern tribes and Judah or it can refer only to the northern tribes or it can refer mainly to Judah. It all depends on the context employed. Sometimes Israel is referred to in the collective sense in the feminine form and sometimes in the masculine.
In our commentary we brought a long list of Isaiah employing the term “servant” or “my servant”, meaning “servant of God”. In at least some of the instances Isiah is speaking of collective Israel and he employs the masculine  forms of address:
e.g. [Isaiah 41:8] BUT THOU, ISRAEL, ART MY SERVANT, JACOB WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, THE SEED OF ABRAHAM MY FRIEND.
[Isaiah 41:9] THOU WHOM I HAVE TAKEN FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, AND CALLED THEE FROM THE CHIEF MEN THEREOF, AND SAID UNTO THEE, THOU ART MY SERVANT; I HAVE CHOSEN THEE, AND NOT CAST THEE AWAY.
As for being punished for the sins of others:
Moses WAS punished for the sins of Israel.
The point of punishment can also be understood from the point of view that punishment came for sin yet the agents of punishment justified it by referring to crimes that they themselves were guilty of but the Jews were not.
“In 53:8, He was cut off from the land of the living. Is this Judah, the Northern tribes or Moshiach?”
It means killed, many were killed. Even those who were not had no rights.
Nowadays when the Jews are oppressed they can at least usually make their voices heard but this is only due (like it or not) to the western nations especially the anglo-saxon ones. In the past they had nobody to protest to, nobody to even listen.
[ ZECHARIAH 1:15] AND I AM VERY SORE DISPLEASED WITH THE HEATHEN THAT ARE AT EASE: FOR I WAS BUT A LITTLE DISPLEASED, AND THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION.                      

Note: “THEY HELPED FORWARD THE AFFLICTION” in Hebrew “azru [helped] leRa [to make worse]”.
It means that because the Jews (Judah) had sinned God was angry at them and delivered them into non-Jewish hands as a punishment BUT the non-Jews took advantage of the situation and oppressed the Jews. Therefore God is angry at them.
Zechariah says that the Jews of Judah prior to their final redemption will have endured a long history
Of having been presecuted and treated with contempt. “AS YE WERE A CURSE AMONG THE HEATHEN, O HOUSE OF JUDAH, AND HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (Zechariah 8;13).

    Historically, the Jews of Judah were often senselessly hated, persecuted, and despised. Isaiah had predicted this situation:

 "He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows...he was despised and we esteemed him not...he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted..he opened not his mouth, as a lamb to the  slaughter...the LORD hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all"  (Isaiah ch.53).

In Psalm 44 a concrete body of people are spoken of in the same terms applied to the servant in Isaiah.
"...For thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter" (Psalm 44; 22).
"He will avenge the blood of his servants" (Deuteronomy 32;43).

  "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye" (Zechariah 2; 8): also understandable as meaning "He that touches you, touches the apple of His [i.e. God's] eye".

  "I am very sore displeased with the heathen...for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction"  (Zecharia 1; 15).  

"The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee" (Isaiah 60; 14).   

[Jeremiah 50:17] ISRAEL IS A SCATTERED SHEEP; THE LIONS HAVE DRIVEN HIM AWAY: FIRST THE KING OF ASSYRIA HATH DEVOURED HIM; AND LAST THIS NEBUCHADREZZAR KING OF BABYLON HATH BROKEN HIS   BONES.      
Chapter Fifty-Four
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