the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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King James Version
Isaiah 53:1
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- EveryParallel Translations
Who has believed our report?And to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Who would have had faith in the word which has come to our ears, and to whom had the arm of the Lord been unveiled?
But who hath geuen credence vnto our preaching? or to whom is the arme of the Lorde knowen?
Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?
Who really believed what we heard? Who saw in it the Lord 's great power?
Who has believed our message? and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
Who hath beleeued our report? and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed?
Bvt who geueth credence vnto oure preachinge? Or to who is the arme of the LORDE knowne?
Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God 's saving power would look like this?
Who has believed [confidently trusted in, relied on, and adhered to] our message [of salvation]? And to whom [if not us] has the arm and infinite power of the LORD been revealed?
Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed?
Who has believed our message? and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Who would have believed what we heard? Who saw the Lord 's power in this?
Who would have believed what we just heard? When was the Lord 's power revealed through him?
Has anyone believed us or seen the mighty power of the Lord in action?
Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of Adonai revealed?
Who will beleeue our report? and to whom is the arme of the Lord reueiled?
WHO has believed our report. And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Who has believed our message? and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
'Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
Who has believed what we told them? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been shown?
O Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Who believed what we have heard? And, the arm of Yahweh, to whom was it revealed?
Who a hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
The people reply, "Who would have believed what we now report? Who could have seen the Lord 's hand in this?
Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to?
Who bileuyde to oure heryng? and to whom is the arm of the Lord schewide?
Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Who hath given credence to that which we heard? And the arm of Jehovah, On whom hath it been revealed?
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Who: John 1:7, John 1:12, John 12:38, Romans 10:16, Romans 10:17
report: or, doctrine, Heb. hearing
the: Isaiah 51:9, Isaiah 52:10, Isaiah 62:8, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 1:19
revealed: Isaiah 40:5, Matthew 11:25, Matthew 16:17, Romans 1:17, Romans 1:18
Reciprocal: Genesis 49:1 - Gather Psalms 71:18 - strength Isaiah 28:9 - doctrine Jeremiah 6:10 - To whom Habakkuk 3:2 - speech Matthew 2:23 - He shall Matthew 20:18 - and the Matthew 26:24 - Son of man goeth Matthew 26:54 - General Mark 4:15 - these Mark 9:12 - he must Mark 14:21 - goeth Mark 14:49 - but Luke 2:12 - General Luke 2:40 - the child Luke 9:22 - General Luke 13:19 - and it Luke 18:31 - and Luke 22:22 - truly Luke 24:26 - General Luke 24:27 - and all Luke 24:44 - in the prophets John 3:11 - ye John 3:32 - and no John 5:38 - for John 5:40 - ye will not John 9:18 - General John 15:20 - if they have kept Acts 3:18 - all Acts 5:24 - this Acts 11:21 - the hand Acts 26:23 - Christ 1 Corinthians 1:20 - is the wise 1 Corinthians 15:3 - according 1 Peter 1:11 - the sufferings 1 Peter 1:12 - it 1 John 5:10 - hath made
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Who hath believed our report?.... Or "hearing" a. Not what we hear, but others hear from us; the doctrine of the Gospel, which is a report of the love, grace, and mercy of God in Christ; of Christ himself, his person, offices, obedience, sufferings, and death, and of free and full salvation by him: it is a good report, a true and faithful one, and to be believed, and yet there are always but few that give credit to it; there were but few in the times of the Prophet Isaiah that believed what he had before reported, or was about to report, concerning the Messiah; and but few in the times of Christ and his apostles, whom the prophet here represented; for to those times are the words applied,
John 12:38, the Jews had the report first made unto them, and saw the facts that were done, and yet believed not; when Gentile kings, and their subjects, listened with the most profound silence, and heard with the greatest attention and reverence, as in the latter part of the preceding chapter, to which some think this is opposed; wherefore some begin the text with the adversative particle "but". According to the Septuagint and Arabic versions, the words are directed to God the Father, for they render them, "Lord, who hath believed", c. and so they are quoted in the above places in the New Testament:
and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? meaning either the Gospel itself, the power of God unto salvation, hidden from the generality of men; for though externally, yet not internally revealed and made known; which to do is the Lord's work, and is owing to his special grace: or Christ, who is the power of God, by whom all the works of creation, providence, grace, and salvation, are wrought; and by whom the blessings of grace are dispensed; and by whom the Lord upholds all things, and supports his people; and who was not revealed but to a very few, as the true Messiah, as God's salvation, and in them the hope of glory: or else the powerful and efficacious grace of the Spirit, and the exertion and display of it, which is necessary to a true and spiritual believing the Gospel, and the report of it; which, unless it comes with the power and Spirit of God, is ineffectual.
a לשמעתנו, τη ακοη ημων, Sept.; "auditui nostro", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who hath believed our report? - The main design of the prophet in all this portion of his prophecy is, undoubtedly, to state the fact that the Redeemer would be greatly exalted (see Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:12). But in order to furnish a fair view of his exaltation, it was necessary also to exhibit the depth of his humiliation, and the intensity of his sorrows, and also the fact that he would be rejected by those to whom he was sent. He, therefore, in this verse, to use the language of Calvin, breaks in abruptly upon the order of his discourse, and exclaims that what he had said, and what he was about to say, would be scarcely credited by anyone. Prelimmary to his exaltation, and to the honors which would be conferred on him, he would be rejected and despised. The word ‘report’ (שׁמוּעה shemû‛âh) denotes properly that which is heard, tidings, message, news. Margin, ‘Hearing’ or ‘doctrine.’ The Septuagint renders it, Ἀκοή Akoē - ‘Rumour,’ ‘message.’ It refers to the annunciation, message, or communication which had been made respecting the Messiah. ‘The speaker here is Isaiah, and the word ‘our’ refers to the fact that the message of Isaiah and of the other prophets had been alike rejected. He groups himself with the other prophets, and says that the annunciation which they had made of the Redeemer had been disregarded The interrogative form is often assumed when it is designed to express a truth with emphasis; and the idea is, therefore, that the message in regard to the Messiah had been rejected, and that almost none had credited and embraced it.
And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? - The arm is that by which we execute a purpose, and is often used as the emblem of power (see the notes at Isaiah 33:2; Isaiah 40:10). Here it denotes the omnipotence or power of God, which would be exhibited through the Messiah. ‘The sense is, ‘Who has perceived the power evinced in the work of the Redeemer? To whom is that power manifested which is to be put forth through him, and in connection with his work?’ It refers not so much, as it seems to me, to his power in working miracles, as to the omnipotence evinced in rescuing sinners from destruction. In the New Testament, the gospel is not unfrequently called ‘the power of God’ Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18, for it is that by which God displays his power in saving people. The idea here is, that comparatively few would be brought under that power, and be benefited by it; that is, in the times, and under the preaching of the Messiah. It is to be remembered that the scene of this vision is laid in the midst of the work of the Redeemer. The prophet sees him a sufferer, despised and rejected. He sees that few come to him, and embrace him as their Saviour. He recalls the ‘report’ and the announcement which he and other prophets had made respecting him; he remembers the record which had been made centuries before respecting the Messiah; and he asks with deep emotion, as if present when the Redeemer lived and preached, who had credited what he and the other prophets had said of him. The mass had rejected it all. The passage, therefore, had its fulfillment in the events connected with the ministry of the Redeemer, and in the fact that he was rejected by so many. The Redeemer was more successful in his work as a preacher than is commonly supposed, but still it is true that by the mass of the nation he was despised, and that the announcement which had been made of his true character and work was rejected.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER LIII
This chapter foretells the sufferings of the Messiah, the end
for which he was to die, and the advantages resulting to
mankind from that illustrious event. It begins with a complaint
of the infidelity of the Jews, 1;
the offence they took at his mean and humble appearance, 2;
and the contempt with which they treated him, 3.
The prophet then shows that the Messiah was to suffer for sins
not his own; but that our iniquities were laid on him, and the
punishment of them exacted of him, which is the meritorious
cause of our obtaining pardon and salvation, 4-6.
He shows the meekness and placid submission with which he
suffered a violent and unjust death, with the circumstances of
his dying with the wicked, and being buried with the great, 7-9;
and that, in consequence of his atonement, death, resurrection,
and intercession, he should procure pardon and salvation to the
multitudes, insure increasing prosperity to his Church, and
ultimately triumph over all his foes, 10, 11.
This chapter contains a beautiful summary of the most peculiar
and distinguishing doctrines of Christianity.
NOTES ON CHAP. LIII
That this chapter speaks of none but JESUS must be evident to every unprejudiced reader who has ever heard the history of his sufferings and death. The Jews have endeavoured to apply it to their sufferings in captivity; but, alas for their cause! they can make nothing out in this way. Allowing that it belongs to our blessed Lord, (and the best men and the best scholars agree in this,) then who can read Isaiah 53:4-6; Isaiah 53:8; Isaiah 53:10, without being convinced that his death was a vicarious sacrifice for the sins of mankind? On the first and second verses of this chapter I have received the following remarks from an unknown hand.
"Verse Isaiah 53:1. Who hath believed our report? — The report of the prophets, of John the Baptist, and Christ's own report of himself. The Jews did not receive the report, and for this reason he was not manifested to them as the promised Messiah. 'He came unto his own, but his own received him not.' Before the FATHER he grew up as a tender plant: but to the JEWS he was as a root out of a dry ground. 'He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.'
"Verse Isaiah 53:2. For he shall grow up — Supposes something to have preceded; as it might be asked, what or who shall 'grow up before him,' c. As the translation now stands, no correct answer can be given to this question. The translation then is wrong, the connexion broken, and the sense obscured. זרוע zeroa, translated the arm, from the root zara.
1. To sow, or plant also seed, c.
2. The limb which reaches from the shoulder to the hand, called the arm or more properly beginning at the shoulder and ending at the elbow.
The translator has given the wrong sense of the word. It would be very improper to say, the arm of the Lord should grow up before him; but by taking the word in its former sense, the connexion and metaphor would be restored, and the true sense given to the text. זרע zera signifies, not only the seed of herbs, but children, offspring, or posterity. The same word we find Genesis 3:15, where CHRIST is the Seed promised. See also Genesis 22:17-18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14. Hence the SEED of the woman, the SEED promised to the patriarchs is, according to Isaiah, the Seed of the Lord, the Child born, and the Son given; and according to St. John, 'the Son of God, the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' זרע then, in this place, should be understood to mean JESUS CHRIST, and him alone. To speak here of the manifestation of the arm or power of God would be irregular; but to suppose the text to speak of the manifestation of Jesus Christ would be very proper, as the whole of the chapter is written concerning him, particularly his humiliation and sufferings, and the reception he should meet with from the Jewish nation.
"The first verse of this chapter is quoted John 12:38, and the former part of the same verse Romans 10:16. But no objection of importance can be brought forward from either of these quotations against the above explanation, as they are quoted to show the unbelief of the Jews in not receiving Christ as the promised Messiah."
He hath no form nor comeliness - "He hath no form nor any beauty"]
Ουκ ειδος αυτῳ, ουδε αξιωμα, ἱνα ειδωμεν αυτον· ουδε θεωρια, ἱνα επιθυμωμεν αυτον.
He hath no form, nor any beauty, that we should regard him; nor is his countenance such that we should desire him."
Symmachus; the only one of the ancients that has translated it rightly.
