Apr 15 2006
Isaiah 53:7-12
???????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ???????????????
????????? ????????? ??????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ???????
8 ???????? ??????????????? ??????? ?????????????? ???? ???????????
????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ???????
9 ?????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????????? ??????????
???? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?????????
10 ???????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????
????????????? ??????? ????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???????
???????? ??????? ????????? ?????????
11 ???????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? ????????????
?????????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ????? ??????????
12 ?????? ????????????? ?????????? ???????????????? ????????? ???????
??????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ????????????????? ????????
??????? ?????????????? ??????? ??????????????? ???????????? ?
Vocabulary
Verse 7
???? verb (Niphal participle ms): “be treated harshly” (BDB, 620)
??? verb (Niphal participle ms): “be afflicted”
??? “sheep, goat” (BDB, 961)
??? noun: “slaughter” (BDB, 370)
??? verb: “be led” (BDB, 384)
??? “ewe” (BDB, 932)
??? verb: “shear” (BDB, 159)
??? verb: “unable to speak” (BDB, 47)
Syntax & Miscellaneous
- The structure (and meaning) of the two lines is parallel. Clause one and two are similar in meaning with the third clause highlighted as new information. In typical Hebraic form, the second line expands on the meaning of the first, in this instance via a poignant analogy.
- Line one begins with two verbless clauses (P only & S-P) joined together by waw. The final clause is semantically similar to the final clause of line two.
- The second line is asyndetic (no connector, i.e. waw, to the first).
- Line two begins with two verbal clauses joined together by waw. The final clause is the same as line one (less the maqqeph).
- Notice the parallel components of the initial clauses: ????????? ????????? and?????????? ???????? ??????????, ??????? and ??????????.
Vocabulary
Verse 8
??? “oppression, restraint” (BDB, 783)
??? noun: “generation”
???? verb (Polel imperfect 3ms): “consider” (BDB, 967)
??? verb: “be separated” (BDB, 160)
Verse 9
??? “grave”
????? “rich” (BDB, 799)
??? noun: “violence”
???? “treachery” (BDB, 941)
Verse 10
??? verb (Piel infinitive construct with 3ms suffix): “crush” (BDB, 193)
??? verb (Hiphil infinitive construct): “bruise”
???? “substitute, trespass offering” (BDB, 79)
??? verb (Hiphil imperfect 3ms): “prolong” (BDB, 73)
??? “good pleasure, will, purpose” (BDB, 343)
??? verb: “prosper”
Verse 11
??? noun (construct): “trouble, toil of (his soul)”
???? verb: “be satisfied”
???? verb: “justify, vindicate, save” (BDB, 842)
??? verb: “bear” (BDB, 687)
Verse 12
??? verb (Piel imperfect 1cs): “divide”
???? “numerous” (BDB, 783)
???? noun: “spoil, plunder”
??? ???? idiom: “instead of that” (BDB, 1066)
??? verb (Hiphil perfect 3ms): “pour out (fig. slain)” (BDB, 788)
???? verb: “transgress” (BDB, 833)
??? verb (Niphal perfect 3ms): “be counted” (BDB, 584)
??? “punishment for sin” (BDB, 307)
??? verb (Hiphil imperfect 3ms): “make entreaty, intercession” (BDB, 803)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 8
- The ??? is the preposition “with.”
- The final clause is asyndetic and verbless (S-P).
- The ???? preposition is causal “for.”
Verse 9
- The second clause, ???????????? ??????????, is a verbless clause (P only) or the verbal idea from the first clause is gapped.
- The word ??? is used as an adversative transition “although” or “notwithstanding that.”
Verse 10
- The simplest way to interpret the two infinitives in the first clause, ?????????? ?????????, is conjunctively—“to crush him and bruise [him].” Another option would be that the second infinitive, ?????????, is adverbial—“to crush him through bruising.”
- The subject of the modal (possibly reflexive?) verb, ????????????? “if __ would put/give,” is the feminine noun ????????? and ??????? is functioning adverbially, “as a substitute.”
- The result of the conditional clause (if…) follows without a clause connector; however, the modal verb continues???????? ?????? “then he would see the seed.” This obscure clause is clarified by the following epexegetical (asyndetic) comment, ?????????? ??????? “that is, he would prolong [his] days.”
- The final clause completes the envelope figure (a.k.a. inclusio).
Verse 11
- The first clause declares that the messianic figure “will see” but the object is not explicated; however, the previous verse declared, “he would see the seed (??????).” The same object seems to be implied in this context.
- The second clause of the first line, ?????????? ????????????, follows without a clause connector. One could understand it as epexegetical or simply as a conjunctive.
- The first word of the phrase, ???????? ?????????, is functioning as a substantive, and the second is in apposition—“the Righteous one, my Servant.”
Verse 12
- The adverbial modifier, ???????, could be understood as “with the mighty” (cf. ESV, JPS 1917, KJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, LXX) or probably better “as spoil” (cf. JPS 1985).
- In the second line, ??? is the preposition “with.”