Isaiah 53:4-5
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
King James Version · the opening — all 2 verses are below
More of Isaiah 53 on this siteIsaiah 53:1 · Isaiah 53:2 · Isaiah 53:3 · Isaiah 53:5 · Isaiah 53:6 · Isaiah 53:7 · Isaiah 53:8 · Isaiah 53:9 · Isaiah 53:10 · Isaiah 53:11 · Isaiah 53:12
Vicarious suffering bearing our griefs and wounds, the cornerstone of Isaiah 53's substitutionary atonement theology.
Study this passage in depth Isaiah 53 — the Suffering Servant →
Read the whole passage — all 2 verses (KJV)
53:4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
53:5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Fulfillment References
Matthew 8:17 1 Peter 2:24 Romans 4:25
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe heart of the gospel in prophecy: 'he was wounded for our transgressions... with his stripes we are healed.' The Servant bears our griefs and sins — not His own. This is the Lord Jesus, God in flesh, suffering vicariously (1 Pet. 2:24; Matt. 8:17). The God we sinned against bore the wound Himself; the Judge took the place of the guilty.
JewishRead by many in Judaism as the vicarious suffering of righteous Israel among the nations; the medieval debate shifted the dominant reading toward a national interpretation.
CatholicThe vicarious atonement — Christ wounded for our sins, His stripes our healing; central to the theology of the Passion (cf. the Catechism).
ProtestantThe clearest Old Testament statement of substitutionary atonement, fulfilled in Christ (1 Pet. 2:24) — penal substitution's keystone text.
AcademicThe fourth Servant Song's vicarious-suffering language is much studied; whether it teaches substitution or representative suffering, and the servant's identity, are debated.
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Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.