Bible passage: Isaiah 53:9
Prophet: Isaiah
Written: Between 701-681 BC
This article is contributed by Ray Konig, the author of Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Prophet, Jesus the Miracle Worker, and 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.
By Ray KonigPublished: Feb. 23, 2001Updated: April 30, 2024
In the broad-sweeping prophecy known as Isaiah 53, and as the Suffering Servant prophecy, the prophet Isaiah predicts many details about the ministry, death, resurrection and impact of the promised Messiah, all of which are fulfilled by Jesus, who lived about 700 years after Isaiah.
This prophecy is found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, and is recognized by many as the fourth of four Servant Songs prophecies in Isaiah’s Old Testament book. The other three are found in Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-6, 50:4-10.
Among the key details that Isaiah predicts in Isaiah 53 is that the Messiah would be assigned to the grave, even though he had committed no sin:
They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9, WEB)
Earlier in the prophecy, Isaiah predicts that the Messiah would be rejected (Isaiah 53:1-3), and that he would suffer for the sins of others (Isaiah 53:4-6). Here, though, in Isaiah 53:9, is one of many statements throughout Isaiah 53 that the Messiah would be put to death, as in executed.
The reason that the Messiah must die is because he is suffering for the sins of others. As the Old Testament explains, repeatedly, with its prophecies, with its pre-Messiah laws, and with its pre-Messiah sin-atonement ceremonies, is that the cost of sin is death, the price of sin is death, and the penalty of sin is death.
In fact, the problem of sin and the promise of a solution -- a savior who is commonly referred to as the Messiah -- are the two prevailing themes that run throughout the whole of the Bible.
Here, in Isaiah 53, the prophet Isaiah brings these two themes together and explains in detail that the promised Messiah would die for the sins of others. The Messiah would sacrifice himself as the solution to the problem of sin.
This is summarized in the New Testament Gospel of John, by Jesus, when he says:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16, WEB)
As explained throughout the New Testament, Jesus is the Suffering Servant who died for our sins when the Romans sentenced him to death and crucified him, about 700 years after the time of Isaiah. After Jesus’ body was removed from the cross, his body was taken to a tomb owned by a wealthy man. He was resurrected three days later.
As explained by a Bible scholar:
“Verse 9 turns to the burial of the Servant. The authorities judged this servant to be wicked and guilty of death. Capital punishment would be carried out, and it was. Ordinarily such a ‘criminal‘ would be buried with other criminals. Yet, even though the authorities would assign the Servant a grave with other criminals, God had other plans. The Servant was innocent. After his death, he did not receive a common and dishonorable burial reserved for criminals and enemies of the state. God overruled the customary practice. The Servant’s grave was among the rich. This description of the Servant begins with a note of triumph. Isaiah wrote, ‘He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted‘ (52:13). When Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus from the cross, they accorded him an honorable burial (Matthew 27:57–60; John 19:38–41). Matthew described Joseph as a wealthy man (verse 57).” - John A. Braun, Isaiah 40-66, The People’s Bible (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House, 2001), 233.
The reason we know that the servant of Isaiah 53 (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) is the Messiah is because this servant is unnamed and is described in Messianic ways. These are common features among the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament -- the Messiah is unnamed and is identified by description.
An example of this can be found in the book of Isaiah, in Isaiah 42:1-9, which is widely acknowledged as a Messianic prophecy. In that prophecy, Isaiah does not name the servant but gives a Messianic description. These things also are true for Isaiah 53 -- no names are given, but a detailed Messianic description is.
Isaiah speaks of many non-Messiah servants in his book, including David, Eliakim and himself, as well as the people of Israel. But when he does so, he specifically names them. In fact, when he speaks of the people of Israel as being a servant of God, such as in Isaiah 41:8-14, 42:19-24, 43:1-10, 44:1-23, 45:1-4, 48:1-22, he uses both of the terms Israel and Jacob, making it doubly clear that he is speaking of the people of Israel, as in the descendants of Jacob.
Another reason to understand, recognize and acknowledge that Isaiah 53 (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) is about the Messiah is to understand, recognize and acknowledge that this predicted servant of God is to be without sin (Isaiah 53:9), who would suffer and die for the sins of others (Isaiah 53:4-6), and who would achieve a far-reaching spiritual impact (Isaiah 52:15).
These are tasks that are repeatedly -- and uniquely -- assigned to the Messiah in several prophecies throughout the span of the Old Testament. Partial and full examples can be found in Genesis 3:15, 22:18, 26:1-5, 28:10-15, 49:10; Psalm 22, 72, 89; Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-6, 52:13-53:12; Micah 5:1-4; Daniel 9:24-27; Zechariah 9:9-11.
These prophecies and others are explained in more detail in the book Jesus the Messiah, by Ray Konig.
Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the Messiah, as established by the parameters set by the prophets of the Old Testament.
And the prophetic details of Isaiah 53:9 accurately revealed that the promised Messiah, Jesus, would be assigned to the grave, even though he was without sin.
© Ray Konig.
Ray Konig is the author of Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Prophet, Jesus the Miracle Worker, and 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.