Isaiah 53 5

Isaiah 53:5 kjv

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.

Isaiah 53:5 nkjv

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 niv

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.

Isaiah 53:5 esv

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 nlt

But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

Isaiah 53 verses

Isaiah 53 5 meaning

Isaiah 53:5 delivers a powerful and profound declaration concerning the redemptive work of the Suffering Servant. It reveals that the severe suffering endured by the Servant—His being pierced, crushed, and scourged—was not due to His own faults, but was willingly undergone as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of humanity. His suffering paid the penalty for our willful acts of rebellion (transgressions) and our deep-seated moral perversity (iniquities), thereby securing genuine spiritual wholeness, true peace with God, and complete restoration (healing) for all who believe.

Isaiah 53 5 Context

Isaiah 53 is widely recognized as the fourth and climactic "Servant Song" (Isa 52:13–53:12) within the larger Servant poems of Isaiah. Earlier Servant Songs introduced the "Servant" initially as Israel, then a faithful remnant, but gradually reveal an individual, divine figure. This particular chapter meticulously details the sufferings, rejection, death, and ultimate exaltation of this Suffering Servant. Its historical context dates back to or references the Babylonian exile, a period of immense suffering for Israel due to their sins. During this time, the prevalent messianic expectation was for a victorious, conquering king who would restore Israel's political and national glory, not a humiliated, suffering servant. Isaiah 53, therefore, offers a revolutionary and counter-cultural revelation: salvation from sin would come not through human power or a triumphant military leader, but through the sacrificial, substitutionary suffering of one individual, the righteous Servant, to atone for the iniquities of many. This profoundly challenged and reshaped understanding of divine justice, human sin, and the nature of the Messiah's redemptive work.

Isaiah 53 5 Word analysis

• "But he was wounded" (מְחֹלָל - m'cholal): Derived from the root ḥālal, meaning to pierce, profane, or critically wound. The passive form indicates he suffered these wounds, emphasizing the intensity and intentionality of the piercing, often linked to ritual or sacrificial breaking. It denotes a deliberate, violent infliction for a specific purpose.
• "for our transgressions" (מִפְּשָׁעֵנוּ - mippisha'einu): From the root pāšaʿ, meaning rebellion, revolt, or to deliberately break faith with an authority. This word describes overt, willful acts of defiance against God's law. The preposition "for" (min) explicitly conveys a causal link: his wounding was because of or on account of our rebellion.
• "he was bruised" (מְדֻכָּא - m'dukka): From the root dākāʾ, meaning to crush, oppress, or utterly smite. This indicates severe, deep, and comprehensive internal injury or brokenness, often signifying extreme psychological as well as physical pain. It implies a thorough pulverization, extending beyond mere superficial wounds.
• "for our iniquities" (מֵעֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ - me'avonoteinu): From the root ʿāwōn, signifying crookedness, perversity, moral guilt, or sin as a deviation from the right path. This refers to the intrinsic bent toward sin, the moral failure or guilt inherent in human nature and actions. Similar to "transgressions," "for" indicates direct causation by our guilt.
• "the chastisement" (מוּסַר - musar): Meaning discipline, instruction, correction, or moral restraint, which often involves punishment. It refers to a severe judgment that serves a corrective purpose. Here, it denotes the full punitive consequence for sin, administered by divine decree.
• "of our peace" (שְׁלוֹמֵנוּ - sh'lomeinu): From šālōm, meaning not merely the absence of conflict, but complete wholeness, well-being, prosperity, harmony, and reconciliation, especially with God. It encapsulates total flourishing—spiritual, physical, and relational.
• "was upon him" (עָלָיו - 'alav): Literally "upon him." This phrase powerfully underscores the substitutionary nature of the suffering. The burden, the judgment, the disciplinary action meant for "us" was divinely placed and received by "him."
• "and with his stripes" (וּבַחֲבֻרָתוֹ - uvachaburato): From the root ḥābūrāh, specifically referring to the welts, livid marks, or disfigurations left by flogging, lashing, or a severe beating. It details the horrific physical torture endured.
• "we are healed" (נִרְפָּא - nirpa): From the root rāpāʾ, meaning to heal, to mend, restore, or repair. The Hebrew perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing, certain results. This healing is comprehensive, primarily spiritual (forgiveness, reconciliation), but extending to all forms of restoration—physical, emotional, and holistic.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities": This opening parallelism meticulously articulates the substitutionary principle and the scope of sin addressed. The Servant's severe physical agony ("wounded," "bruised") directly atoned for both our overt, rebellious acts ("transgressions") and our innate moral perversions ("iniquities"). This dual reference highlights the depth and breadth of human sin requiring a radical remedy, directly shifting the consequence from us to him.
• "the chastisement of our peace was upon him": This clause reveals the means of reconciliation. The "chastisement"—the corrective divine punishment rightly due to us for our broken covenant—was sovereignly and vicariously transferred "upon him." His suffering thus satisfied God's justice, enabling a state of shalom (wholeness, reconciliation, complete well-being) for us that we could not achieve ourselves.
• "and with his stripes we are healed": This concluding phrase unveils the restorative outcome of the Servant's suffering. The specific, violent physical torment of His "stripes" (lashing marks) is presented as the direct instrument through which "we are healed" (nirpa). This healing is primarily spiritual—forgiveness and renewed relationship with God—but implies a comprehensive restoration that addresses the entirety of human brokenness resulting from sin, securing our ultimate and complete well-being.

Isaiah 53 5 Bonus section

The Hebrew verbs used for "wounded" (m'cholal) and "bruised" (m'dukka) are passive, emphasizing that these sufferings were inflicted upon the Servant, rather than being self-generated. This highlights His innocence and status as the innocent victim of judgment intended for others. Furthermore, the certainty of "we are healed" (nirpa), expressed in the perfect tense in Hebrew, underscores the accomplished and irreversible nature of the work. It is not merely a hope or possibility but a definitive reality—the healing is already secured and perpetually effective due to the Servant's sacrifice. This passage thus shifts the burden of atonement entirely from human effort to the singular, all-sufficient act of God's Servant, emphasizing grace over human merit and portraying suffering as redemptive, not merely punitive when applied to the righteous Christ.

Isaiah 53 5 Commentary

Isaiah 53:5 serves as the heart of prophetic revelation concerning atonement, forecasting Christ's atoning sacrifice centuries before His arrival. It moves beyond superficial understanding of sin and its remedy by introducing the divine method: substitutionary suffering. The Suffering Servant—identifiably Jesus Christ in New Testament fulfillment—endured the specific, excruciating punishments deserved by humanity, namely being pierced (m'cholal), crushed (m'dukka), and flogged (chaburato). These inflictions were not for His own actions but directly for "our transgressions" (deliberate rebellion) and "our iniquities" (inherent guilt and moral failure). The "chastisement of our peace" clarifies that true shalom, a holistic state of peace and reconciliation with God, was attained by Him bearing the very judgment that was meant for us. Consequently, "with his stripes we are healed"—a guarantee of profound spiritual restoration through forgiveness, the repair of our broken relationship with God, and comprehensive well-being made possible by His finished work on the cross. This verse fundamentally declares that salvation is an unmerited gift, provided by a willing, sinless substitute who fully paid the ultimate price for humanity's reconciliation with a holy God.