Isaiah 53:6 kjv
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 53:6 nkjv
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:6 niv
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:6 esv
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned ? every one ? to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:6 nlt
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God's paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
Isaiah 53 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned— | Chapter Context: Sinfulness |
| Romans 3:23 | For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, | Universal Sin |
| 1 Peter 2:25 | For you were like sheep going astray, but now have returned to the Shepherd | Sheep metaphor for wandering |
| Isaiah 53:5 | But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; | Suffering for transgressions |
| Romans 5:12 | Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, | Sin through one man |
| 2 Corinthians 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, | Made sin for our sake |
| Galatians 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us— | Redeemed from curse |
| 1 John 2:2 | and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. | Propitiation for sins |
| Micah 6:7 | Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? | Seeking atonement elsewhere |
| Psalm 119:176 | I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, | Lost sheep imagery |
| John 10:11 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. | Good Shepherd lays down life |
| Acts 8:32 | Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter; | Led like a sheep to slaughter |
| Romans 4:25 | who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. | Delivered up for trespasses |
| Leviticus 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. | Blood for atonement |
| 1 Peter 2:24 | He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. | Bore sins in his body |
| Romans 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Wages of sin is death |
| Jeremiah 50:6 | My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them aside on the mountains. | Lost sheep theme in Jeremiah |
| Zechariah 13:7 | Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the LORD of hosts! Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. | Strike the shepherd |
| Matthew 18:12 | What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that is lost? | Parable of the lost sheep |
| Mark 14:27 | And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ | Jesus quotes Zechariah |
| 1 Corinthians 15:3 | For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, | Died for our sins |
Isaiah 53 verses
Isaiah 53 6 Meaning
All of us, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. This verse describes humanity’s universal sinfulness and introduces the concept of vicarious suffering, where one bears the consequences for the transgressions of others. It highlights that sin is not an isolated act but a widespread deviation from God's path, affecting every individual. The divine action of placing sin upon the Suffering Servant is central, pointing to a propitiatory sacrifice.
Isaiah 53 6 Context
Isaiah 53 is part of the "Songs of the Suffering Servant" within the Book of Isaiah. This chapter prophetically describes a figure who suffers and dies on behalf of his people, bearing their iniquities. The historical context likely places Isaiah's prophecy in the 8th century BCE. For the original audience, likely Israelites in exile or post-exilic, this chapter offered a theological framework for understanding suffering, whether personal, national, or as a precursor to restoration. The universal declaration "All we like sheep" implies a deep awareness of communal and individual sinfulness that alienates them from God. It speaks to the inherent human tendency to wander from God's commands.
Isaiah 53 6 Word analysis
- All (Hebrew: כָּל – kol): Signifies entirety, totality, encompassing every single person without exception. Emphasizes the universal nature of human deviation.
- we (Hebrew: אֲנַחְנוּ – anachnu): Refers to the collective community, identifying with the prophet's people or all humanity. It expresses solidarity in shared sinfulness.
- like sheep (Hebrew: כַּצֹּאן – ka-tza’on): Sheep are symbolic of vulnerability, innocence (though fallen here), and a tendency to wander without a shepherd's guidance. Their inability to find their way back is central to the metaphor.
- have gone astray (Hebrew: תָּעִינוּ – ta’inu): Implies deviation, error, wandering off course. It denotes a conscious or unconscious departure from the right path, God's will.
- each of us (Hebrew: אִישׁ – ish): Further personalizes the sinfulness, confirming that the "all" and "we" includes individual responsibility and accountability. No one is exempt.
- has turned (Hebrew: פָּנָה – panah): Indicates a redirection of focus or effort, a conscious choice to face and move in a different direction, away from God.
- to his own way (Hebrew: לְדַרְכּוֹ – le-darcho): Highlights the root of sin as self-centeredness, prioritizing personal desires, preferences, and plans over God’s commands and path.
- and the LORD (Hebrew: וַֽיהוָה – v’Yahweh): The personal covenant name of God. This signifies God's direct involvement and sovereign will in the unfolding of this sacrificial act.
- has laid (Hebrew: שָׂת – sat): Means to place, impose, set. It's an active, intentional act of assigning burden.
- on him (Hebrew: עָלָיו – alav): Refers to the Suffering Servant previously described in the chapter.
- the iniquity (Hebrew: עָוֹן – avon): Refers to guilt, transgression, wickedness, and its consequences. It’s not just the act of sin, but the resulting moral corruption and accountability.
- of us all (Hebrew: כֻּלָּנוּ – kulanu): Reinforces the totality of the people whose sin is being transferred to the Servant. It emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the atonement.
Isaiah 53 6 Bonus section
The metaphor of sheep is rich in the Old Testament. Sheep are generally perceived as defenseless, needing constant care, and easily prone to getting lost or straying due to poor eyesight or stubbornness. This image effectively portrays humanity’s inability to save itself from sin, requiring external intervention. The active placement of sin ("laid on him") by God Himself underscores His sovereign plan for atonement, demonstrating that salvation is initiated by divine grace, not human effort. The transition from universal human failure ("All we... have gone astray") to divine provision ("the LORD has laid on him") is the pivotal movement of this entire chapter and a cornerstone of Christian theology. It’s a declaration of universal condemnation followed by specific, divinely ordained redemption.
Isaiah 53 6 Commentary
Isaiah 53:6 powerfully declares humanity's inherent sinfulness, likening us to sheep that have wandered from the shepherd’s care and pursued their own selfish paths. This widespread deviation from God’s intended way establishes the universal need for redemption. Crucially, the verse then pivots to divine action: "the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." This is the theological core – God Himself initiates a mechanism for covering and removing our collective sin through the sacrificial suffering of the Servant. This points forward to Jesus Christ, who, as the ultimate Suffering Servant, willingly bore the weight of all humanity's sin, suffering its just penalty in our place. The phrase "iniquity of us all" signifies the totality of sin – the deeds, the thoughts, the attitudes, and their inherent guilt – all transferred to the innocent Servant. This act is the foundation of the New Covenant, offering forgiveness and reconciliation to all who trust in Him.