Isaiah 52:14 kjv
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Isaiah 52:14 nkjv
Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
Isaiah 52:14 niv
Just as there were many who were appalled at him? his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness?
Isaiah 52:14 esv
As many were astonished at you ? his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind ?
Isaiah 52:14 nlt
But many were amazed when they saw him.
His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
Isaiah 52 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 53:2 | "He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." | Foreshadows the servant's lack of outward comeliness. |
| Isaiah 53:3 | "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." | Directly describes the rejection and suffering that leads to the disfigurement. |
| Psalm 22:6 | "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people." | Expresses a similar feeling of utter degradation and worthlessness. |
| Psalm 22:7 | "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults at me; they shake their heads." | Details the public scorn and ridicule experienced during suffering. |
| Psalm 69:19-20 | "You know how I am scorned, how shamed and disgraced I am; my enemies are all before you. Insults have broken my heart and left me weakened; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none." | Highlights the intense emotional and social isolation accompanying suffering. |
| Mark 14:65 | "Then some began to spit at him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy." | Demonstrates the physical abuse and humiliation Jesus endured, aligning with disfigurement. |
| Mark 15:19 | "And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him." | Further evidence of physical abuse and mockery consistent with severe disfigurement. |
| Luke 23:11 | "Then Herod and his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. After putting a robe on him, they led him away to execution." | Describes Herod's mockery and the soldiers' mistreatment leading to the crucifixion. |
| John 19:1-3 | "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands." | Details specific acts of violence and humiliation that would cause severe physical disfigurement. |
| 1 Peter 2:23 | "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." | Shows Christ's quiet endurance of suffering and insult, consistent with the servant's experience. |
| Acts 8:32-33 | "The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb led to the slaughter before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was cut off from the earth.’" | Directly links the servant's suffering and unjust treatment to the prophecy. |
| Romans 4:25 | "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." | Connects the servant's death to atonement for sins. |
| Hebrews 12:2 | "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." | Explains Jesus' motivation and the outcome of his suffering. |
| Philippians 2:7-8 | "but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, by being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." | Describes the voluntary self-abasement of Christ, leading to suffering. |
| 1 Corinthians 1:23 | "but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles." | Highlights the offensive nature of the cross to many, which stems from its association with suffering. |
| 2 Corinthians 12:10 | "That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, I am strong." | Shows believers sharing in Christ's suffering. |
| Isaiah 53:4-5 | "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." | Provides the purpose of the servant's suffering, directly linked to healing. |
| Jeremiah 1:6 | "“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”" | Contrasts the prophet's self-perception with divine enablement. |
| Matthew 26:67 | "Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Some slapped him..." | Direct New Testament fulfillment of the suffering and mistreatment. |
Isaiah 52 verses
Isaiah 52 14 Meaning
The verse describes the extreme disfigurement of the suffering servant, rendering him almost unrecognizable as a human being due to the severity of his suffering. His appearance is so marred that people recoil from him, unable to discern his true form or identity.
Isaiah 52 14 Context
This verse appears in Isaiah chapter 52, part of the latter half of the book, which is often referred to as "Second Isaiah" or "Deutero-Isaiah." This section shifts from pronouncements of judgment to messages of hope and restoration for the exiled Israelites. Chapter 52 sets the stage for the presentation of the "Suffering Servant" song in chapter 53. The preceding verses (52:1-12) speak of Jerusalem awakening and being redeemed from her desolate state, with a call to the exiles to depart. Verse 13 of this chapter states, "See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted." Isaiah 52:14 is the immediate reaction to this exaltation, highlighting the preceding devastation. The overall context is the impending return from Babylonian exile, but interpreted theologically as a precursor and illustration of the ultimate redemption through the Suffering Servant.
Isaiah 52 14 Word Analysis
- "Surely": Hebrew: אָכֵן (akhen). Conveys certainty or affirmation. It introduces a statement that is unequivocally true.
- "he": Refers to the Suffering Servant.
- "has been": Hebrew: מָהַם (maham). Implies a state of being, a condition that has arrived.
- "marred": Hebrew: מְשַׁחֵת (mesḥeth). This verb relates to being corrupted, damaged, or spoiled. It suggests a loss of original form or integrity, indicating extreme distortion. This implies a severe physical violation.
- "his": Possessive pronoun.
- "form": Hebrew: מַרְאֶה (mar'eh). Refers to appearance, visage, or countenance. It's about how someone looks.
- "beyond": Hebrew: מִ (mi). Indicates a surpassing or exceeding of a limit.
- "that": Hebrew: הַ (ha). A demonstrative pronoun or article.
- "of": Preposition.
- "men": Hebrew: אֱנוֹשׁ (enosh). Refers to mankind in general.
- "and": Conjunction.
- "his": Possessive pronoun.
- "comeliness": Hebrew: יֹפִי (yophi). Means beauty, fairness, or attractiveness. This contrasts sharply with the servant's state.
Words/Phrases Group Analysis:
- "he has been marred": This entire phrase emphasizes a profound and completed state of damage or destruction to his appearance. It's not a temporary affliction but a substantial alteration.
- "his form beyond that of men": This idiom signifies an extremity of disfigurement, making him seem less than human, not necessarily by losing human characteristics entirely, but by suffering a corruption or degradation of appearance so severe it evokes repulsion.
Isaiah 52 14 Bonus Section
The extreme nature of the disfigurement described here evokes imagery of violent assault and mutilation. Scholars have drawn parallels between this prophetic description and the actual suffering Jesus endured, particularly the scourging (which could flay the skin and mangle the flesh) and the crowning with thorns (which would cause profuse bleeding and swelling). The utter lack of "comeliness" also recalls Isaiah 53:2, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him." This signifies that spiritual attraction, rather than physical appeal, is the basis of discipleship. The verse emphasizes that true worth and divinity were hidden beneath an appearance of abject suffering, forcing observers to look beyond the superficial. It sets the stage for the immense "well-pleasing" God finds in his servant's vicarious atonement, as described in the subsequent verse. The suffering here is so intense that it elicits a recoiling from observers, highlighting the public shame and dehumanization the Servant undergoes.
Isaiah 52 14 Commentary
This verse vividly portrays the depth of the Suffering Servant's humiliation and suffering. The language is not merely descriptive but emotionally charged, conveying horror and pity. The Servant's outward appearance is so mangled that he is rendered virtually unrecognizable as a human being. This extreme disfigurement underscores the magnitude of the suffering he has voluntarily endured on behalf of others. The text highlights a stark contrast: while his outward form is beyond human recognition and utterly unappealing, God's plan foresees his eventual exaltation. This paradox points to a suffering that is intrinsically linked to a redemptive purpose, a theme central to Isaiah 53. The "marring" and loss of "comeliness" reflect the physical abuse and torment prophesied, aligning with the crucifixion narrative where Jesus' face was likely obscured by blood, wounds, and the crown of thorns, rendering him unrecognizable to many, including his own disciples who expected a triumphant king. His suffering leads to his shame, yet it is this very suffering that ultimately brings about salvation and restoration.