Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

divide--as a conqueror dividing the spoil after a victory (Psa 2:8; Luk 11:22). him--for Him. with . . . great--HENGSTENBERG translates, "I will give Him the mighty for a portion"; so the Septuagint. But the parallel clause, "with the strong," favors English Version. His triumphs shall be not merely among the few and weak, but among the many and mighty. spoil . . . strong-- (Col 2:15; compare Pro 16:19). "With the great; with the mighty," may mean, as a great and mighty hero. poured out . . . soul--that is, His life, which was considered as residing in the blood (Lev 17:11; Rom 3:25). numbered with, &c.--not that He was a transgressor, but He was treated as such, when crucified with thieves (Mar 15:28; Luk 22:37). made intercession, &c.--This office He began on the cross (Luk 23:34), and now continues in heaven (Isa 59:16; Heb 9:24; Jo1 2:1). Understand because before "He was numbered . . . He bare . . . made intercession." His meritorious death and intercession are the cause of His ultimate triumph. MAURER, for the parallelism, translates, "He was put on the same footing with the transgressors." But English Version agrees better with the Hebrew, and with the sense and fact as to Christ. MAURER'S translation would make a tautology after "He was numbered with the transgressors"; parallelism does not need so servile a repetition. "He made intercession for," &c., answers to the parallel. "He was numbered with," &c., as effect answers to cause, His intercession for sinners being the effect flowing from His having been numbered with them. Israel converted is compared to a wife (Isa 54:5; Isa 62:5) put away for unfaithfulness, but now forgiven and taken home again. The converted Gentiles are represented as a new progeny of the long-forsaken but now restored wife. The pre-eminence of the Hebrew Church as the mother Church of Christendom is the leading idea; the conversion of the Gentiles is mentioned only as part of her felicity [HORSLEY]. Next: Isaiah Chapter 54