Question 1

Who is the “man of sorrows” and why is he described this way?

Accepted Answer

The “man of sorrows” is God’s servant who comes in lowliness and suffering, not with outward beauty or power. His life is marked by pain, rejection, and grief. People turn their faces away from him and think little of him. He is called a man of sorrows because he enters fully into human suffering and carries the weight of sin’s consequences. His many sorrows are not for his own sins but for others, so that through his suffering they can find peace with God.

Question 2

What does it mean that he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, it means he takes on himself the pain, guilt, and punishment that belong to us. Our sins bring trouble, sadness, and judgment, but he willingly lifts that load and carries it. People looking on thought he was being punished for his own wrongs, but in truth he was suffering in the place of others. His burden-bearing love is at the heart of how God brings healing to broken people.

Question 3

What does “wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities” mean?

Accepted Answer

“Wounded for our transgressions” and “bruised for our iniquities” shows that his suffering is not random or deserved, but a payment for the sins of others. Transgressions and iniquities are our wrong thoughts, words, and actions, and the crookedness in our hearts. The blows and wounds that fall on him are really what our sins have earned. The punishment that should bring us peace with God is laid on him instead, and by his stripes, or wounds, we are healed and made right with God.

Question 4

What does “all we like sheep have gone astray” teach about us?

Accepted Answer

“All we like sheep have gone astray” pictures people as sheep wandering off from their shepherd. It shows that going our own way is our natural path. Each person turns to their own way, choosing their own will instead of God’s. This is not just about a few very bad people, but about everyone. The verse is honest about our shared guilt, yet it also gives hope, because in the same breath it says the Lord has laid on the servant the iniquity of us all, offering a way back.

Question 5

Why did people think he was stricken and smitten by God for his own sins?

Accepted Answer

People saw his suffering and came to a wrong conclusion. They thought he must have done something wrong and that God was striking him for his own sins. This is a common human way of thinking, to link visible suffering with personal guilt. But this passage explains that this judgment is mistaken. His pain is not for his own failings, but for the sins of others. What looks like shame and divine rejection is actually God’s plan to deal with sin by placing it on a willing, innocent sufferer.

Question 6

Why is the servant silent like a lamb led to the slaughter?

Accepted Answer

The servant is described as oppressed and afflicted, yet he does not open his mouth. Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter or a sheep before its shearers, he is quiet and does not resist. This shows his willing obedience to God and his patience in suffering. He does not defend himself or fight back, even though he is innocent. His silence is not weakness but submission to the path set before him, so that he can fully bear the punishment that brings peace to others.

Question 7

What does it mean that the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all?

Accepted Answer

This line explains how God deals with sin. Instead of leaving each person to carry the full weight of their own iniquity, God places that iniquity on his servant. This does not mean the servant becomes sinful in character, but that he takes on the burden and penalty that our sins deserve. Our wandering, disobedience, and guilt are treated as his responsibility. In bearing that load, he stands in our place, so that those who trust in him can be forgiven and brought back to God.

Question 8

What does “he was cut off out of the land of the living” mean?

Accepted Answer

“Cut off out of the land of the living” means that the servant truly dies, removed from life among people. This is not just near death or a passing injury, but a real, violent end. The verse also explains the reason: “for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” His death is tied directly to the sins of others. Even though he is innocent, he suffers the fate that guilty people deserve, showing the cost of sin and the depth of his work to bring them life.

Isaiah 53:1

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

The Suffering Servant

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Isaiah 53:1

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

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The Suffering Servant

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