Isaiah 52:1-53:12

52:1-2 | Jerusalem is called the holy city (Rev. 21:2-27), a title that contrasts with what the invasion of the unclean and uncircumcised Babylonians had made it. Jerusalem could now adorn herself as what she was; the freed daughter of Zion.

52:6 | God revealed Himself to the redeemed exiles (My people) the same way He revealed Himself to Moses and the Israelites in Egypt: by His name (Ex. 3:13-14; 6;2).

52:7 | The prophet envisions someone who runs from the battlefield and across the mountains to deliver the good news of victory (2 Sam. 18:26), signaling God’s reign on earth. The messenger’s feet were beautiful because they carried God’s message of peace, happiness, and salvation (40:9; 61:1; Nah. 1:15; Rom. 10:15; Eph. 6:15).

52:13-53:12 | These verses comprise the fourth Servant Song in Isaiah. It has been described as the most influential poem in literature and the highest peak in Isaiah’s prophecy. Of the 12 verses in chapter 53, only one does not reappear, in whole or in part, somewhere in the NT.

53:7 | When the Servant was brought before His accusers, He opened not His mouth – no word of accusation or self-pity fell from His lips. The Servant preached a message in His stillness, and His innocent, dignified silence has echoed through history (Matt. 26:63; Acts 8:32-33).

53:10 | An offering for sin (guilt offering) is the one referenced in Leviticus 5:1-6:7 and fulfilled in Jesus, who became a sin offering for all who would believe in Him (Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:21).

53:12 | The song ends as it began, with the Lord announcing that He will elevate the Servant (I will divide him a portion with the great) because of His willingness to identify with and suffer for transgressors (Phil. 2:8-11).