Isaiah 50 6

Isaiah 50:6 kjv

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Isaiah 50:6 nkjv

I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

Isaiah 50:6 niv

I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

Isaiah 50:6 esv

I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

Isaiah 50:6 nlt

I offered my back to those who beat me
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
from mockery and spitting.

Isaiah 50 verses

Isaiah 50 6 meaning

Isaiah 50:6 describes the Servant of the Lord's complete and willing submission to profound physical violence, public degradation, and defilement without resistance. It portrays a deliberate act of presenting oneself to various forms of extreme abuse, including scourging, mutilation (beard plucking), and public shaming, signifying an unparalleled willingness to suffer for a divine purpose. This passage vividly foreshadows the suffering of Jesus Christ, who willingly endured the passion to fulfill God's redemptive plan.

Isaiah 50 6 Context

Isaiah 50 is part of the "Book of Comfort" (Isaiah 40-55), which primarily addresses Judah during and after their Babylonian exile, offering hope for restoration. Chapter 50 focuses on the second of the Servant Songs (following chapter 42 and preceding chapters 49 and 52-53). The chapter begins with God reminding Israel of their sin and His enduring love (v. 1-3). Then, from verse 4, the voice shifts to the Servant. The Servant declares His divine commissioning to speak God's word, His attentive ear to God's instruction, and His unwavering obedience, even to the point of suffering. Verse 6 specifically details this obedient suffering, showcasing the Servant's readiness to face the most profound humiliation and violence. This voluntary endurance stands in stark contrast to the rebellious and faithless attitude of the people of Israel, underscoring that true redemption will come not through power, but through humble, sacrificial obedience. Historically, this presented a challenging concept to an audience awaiting a triumphant, national deliverer.

Isaiah 50 6 Word analysis

• I gave (נָתַתִּי, natatti):

  • Meaning: Hebrew verb "natan" (to give, put, set). The perfect tense, first person singular ("I gave"), indicates a completed action initiated by the speaker.
  • Significance: Crucially emphasizes the Servant's agency and volition. This was not something forcibly taken from Him, but deliberately, actively offered. It highlights a purposeful, chosen act of self-giving, rather than a passive victimhood. This choice is key to understanding the redemptive nature of the suffering.

• My back (גַּוִּי, gawi):

  • Meaning: Refers to the physical back of a person, the area typically exposed during flogging.
  • Significance: Metonymy for the physical body presented for scourging or beating. Giving the back is an invitation for severe physical punishment.

• to those who strike Me (לְמַכִּים, lemakkim):

  • Meaning: Hebrew "nakah" (to strike, beat, smite). "Makkim" is a plural participle, "those who strike."
  • Significance: Denotes actual physical violence, likely flogging or scourging. The use of a plural "those" indicates a collective action of oppressors. The preposition "le-" can mean "to" or "for," intensifying the idea of deliberate exposure to the agents of violence.

• And My cheeks (לְלֶחֱיַי, lelechaiyai):

  • Meaning: Hebrew "lechi" (cheek). This refers to the side of the face.
  • Significance: Presenting the cheeks signifies readiness to endure a direct, personal, and publicly humiliating assault. The face is central to identity and honor; attacks on it are particularly degrading.

• to those who pull out the beard (לְמֹרְטִים, lemortim):

  • Meaning: Hebrew "marat" (to make smooth, pluck out hair). "Mortim" is a plural participle, "those who pluck."
  • Significance: In the ancient Near East, a man's beard was a profound symbol of honor, dignity, and masculinity. Plucking it out was an extreme act of public humiliation, defilement, and degradation, stripping a man of his public identity and rendering him an object of ultimate contempt and ridicule. This was more than mere physical pain; it was a deeply symbolic assault on one's very being.

• I did not hide (לֹא הִסְתַּרְתִּי, lo histarti):

  • Meaning: Hebrew "satar" (to hide, conceal). Negation "lo" (not) with "histarti" (I hid).
  • Significance: Reiterates the active volition. The Servant chose not to turn away, not to shrink from the humiliation. This reinforces His deliberate endurance, facing the shame directly and fully. It suggests an open and defiant posture in the face of ignominy, not defiance against God, but a refusal to cower before men.

• My face (פָּנַי, panay):

  • Meaning: Hebrew "panim" (face, presence).
  • Significance: Represents the totality of the person, one's presence, honor, and public persona. To not hide the face means to bear the full weight of the ensuing disgrace openly.

• from shame and spitting (מִכְּלִמּוֹת וָרֹק, mikklimmot varoq):

  • Meaning:
    • "Shame" (כְּלִמּוֹת, klimmot): Hebrew "kelimmah" (insult, disgrace, confusion). The plural form intensifies the sense of pervasive or repeated ignominy.
    • "Spitting" (וָרֹק, varoq): Hebrew "roq" (spittle). Spitting was considered an act of profound contempt and defilement, making one ritually unclean.
  • Significance: These are the direct results of the actions taken against the Servant's face. They are acts designed to humiliate, degrade, and render one ceremonially unclean. Spitting on someone in public was an ultimate expression of disgust and utter rejection, stripping the person of any perceived worth or dignity. The Servant willing received these.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "I gave My back... and My cheeks... I did not hide My face": This phrase shows a remarkable chiastic structure or progression of self-offering. From the back (physical beating), to the cheeks (specific, painful defilement), to the face (symbol of honor, openly accepting shame). It encompasses the entire upper body, representing a complete, whole-person submission to suffering. The repetition of "My" emphasizes the personal and possessive nature of this willing sacrifice.
  • "to those who strike Me / to those who pull out the beard / from shame and spitting": This creates a crescendo of suffering. It begins with general physical assault (striking), progresses to targeted mutilation and extreme personal degradation (beard-pulling), and culminates in total public disgrace and ritual defilement (shame and spitting). Each element deepens the severity and public nature of the abuse.

Isaiah 50 6 Bonus section

• Polemical Implication: The imagery presented in Isaiah 50:6 stands in stark contrast to popular messianic expectations of the time, which often envisioned a powerful, conquering king who would restore Israel's national glory through military might. The portrayal of a suffering, humiliated servant, rather than a triumphant hero, would have been profoundly counter-cultural and even scandalous to both Jewish and Gentile audiences. This text subverts conventional notions of power and glory, suggesting a different path to salvation through humble suffering.
• Theological Foundation of Suffering: While specific atonement theology is more fully developed in Isaiah 53, this verse lays crucial groundwork. The willingness of the Servant to undergo such pain and shame, when He clearly had the power to avoid it (as implied in v. 7, "The Lord GOD helps Me; therefore I am not disgraced"), points toward a suffering that is vicarious and purposeful, rather than simply punitive for personal sin. It highlights a unique divine love expressed through identification with humanity's suffering and disgrace.
• Embodied Prophecy: This verse offers a highly specific, tangible description of suffering that goes beyond general distress. The vivid detail (back, cheeks, beard-plucking, spitting) renders the prophecy extraordinarily potent, making its fulfillment in Christ's passion unmistakable. This makes it a deeply embodied prophecy where the message is conveyed through the physical experiences of the Servant.

Isaiah 50 6 Commentary

Isaiah 50:6 stands as a profound declaration of the Suffering Servant's ultimate commitment to God's will, prefiguring the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not passive victimhood, but an active, purposeful yielding to an array of brutal physical attacks and devastating public humiliation. The sequence—flogging, beard-plucking, facing spitting and shame—escalates from bodily assault to an assault on dignity, identity, and cleanliness itself. In ancient culture, such acts were designed to strip a person of all honor and render them contemptible. The repeated "I gave" and "I did not hide" powerfully convey the Servant's radical obedience and steadfast determination. This willingness to embrace utter disgrace and physical torment without resistance, in full trust of divine vindication, defines a redemptive path that reinterprets suffering as the very means of salvation and restoration. It is the epitome of love willing to suffer all for the beloved.