Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors.

“For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. For He says, "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have declared [our message] in His presence: He is, as it were, a child, and like a root in thirsty ground; He has no form nor glory, yea, we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness; but His form was without eminence, yea, deficient in comparison with the [ordinary] form of men. He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, and acquainted with the endurance of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labour, and stripes, and affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the midst of His sufferings opens not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people was He brought down to death. And I will give the wicked for His sepulchre, and the rich for His death, because He did no iniquity, neither was guile found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If you make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding, to justify the Just One who ministers well to many; and He Himself shall carry their sins. On this account He shall inherit many, and shall divide the spoil of the strong; because His soul was delivered to death, and He was reckoned among the transgressors, and He bare the sins of many, and for their sins was He delivered." [Isaiah 53:1-12] And again He says, "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All that see me have derided me; they have spoken with their lips; they have wagged their head, [saying] He hoped in God, let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, since He delights in Him." [Psalm 22:6-8] You see, beloved, what is the example which has been given us; for if the Lord thus humbled Himself, what shall we do who have through Him come under the yoke of His grace?”

“Concerning the robbers who were crucified with him it is written, "And he was numbered with the transgressors." Both of them were before this transgressors, but one was so no longer. For the one was a transgressor to the end, stubborn against salvation; who, though his hands were fastened, struck with blasphemy by his tongue. When the Jews passing by wagged their head, mocking the crucified and fulfilling what was written, "When they looked on me, they shook their head," he also reviled with them. But the other rebuked the reviler; and it was to him the end of life and the beginning of restoration, the surrender of his soul a first share in salvation.”

“If you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up the cross and follow. If you are crucified with him as a robber, acknowledge God as a penitent robber. If even he was numbered among the transgressors for you and your sin, do you become law-abiding for his sake. Worship him who was hanged for you, even if you yourself are hanging; make some gain even from your wickedness; purchase salvation by your death; enter with Jesus into paradise, so that you may learn from what you have fallen.”

“Hear, at least, what God says to the Jews, "As my child Isaiah walked, naked and barefoot, so shall the children of Israel walk into captivity naked and barefoot." He wishes, therefore, to remind you by your appearance that the devil held sway over you, and he brings you to the recollection of how lowly born you were before regeneration. Hence, you stand not only naked and unshod, but you even stand with upturned hands to confess God's future sovereignty to which you draw near. You are all the spoils and booty of war. Isaiah mentioned these spoils long ago, before our release from troubles, when he prophesied as follows, "He shall divide the spoils of the strong."”

“Three men were crucified in the same place, the Lord in the middle, because "he was reckoned among the wicked." They placed the two robbers on either side, but they were not crucified for the same reason. They were flanking Christ as he hung there, but they were far removed from him in reality. They were crucified by their crimes, he by ours.”

“Therefore Because he did this, I will allot him an inheritance and a lot in public with the Patriarchs. he poured out his soul to death Heb. הֶעֱרָה. An expression like (Gen. 24:20), “And she emptied (וַתְּעַר) her pitcher.” and with transgressors he was counted He suffered torments as if he had sinned and transgressed, and this is because of others; he bore the sin of the many. and interceded for the transgressors through his sufferings, for good came to the world through him.”

“Therefore will I divide him, etc. All commentators agree that in this verse the prophet speaks of those that die for the unity of God, explaining the expression ברבים with the great—comp. רב chief (Est. 1:8)—to signify the prophets, and understand by עצומים the strong the patriarchs. According to this explanation the meaning of the whole verse is, The merit of those that die for the unity of God, is equal to the merit of the prophets and patriarchs. We know that this is true, but the subject has no connection with the context of this chapter. I explain it as follows: I will certainly give to Israel a portion of the spoil and booty taken from many nations; מן עצומים = את עצומים of the strong; comp. את העיר from the city (Exod. 9:29). תחת For. The reward for having poured out, etc. הערה He poured out. Some render it, he has discovered; that is, he has done publicly. I think it is to be compared with ותער and she emptied (Gen. 24:20), though of a different conjugation, and especially with אל תער נפשי do not pour out my soul (Psalm 141:8), and to be rendered he poured out. ואת And with. פשעים Transgressors of the word of God. And with the transgressors he was numbered, etc. Israel was considered like people that transgress the will of God. And he bare the sin of many. In consequence of the troubles of Israel, the other nations had peace; the punishment which the latter deserved was inflicted upon the former. And made intercession for the transgressors. He prayed to God for the transgressors. Comp. Jer. 29:7. By the transgressors, the heathen nations are meant. I have thus explained the whole passage, on the supposition that it refers to Israel; but my opinion is, that my servant, mentioned here (52:13), is the same as that of 42:1, 49:3, 53:11, the same who says of himself, I gave my back to the smiters, etc. (50:6). In my commentary on chap. xl., I mentioned briefly the leading principle of my opinion, which considers all these chapters (from xl.) as connected with each other.”

“Who has believed? Here he begins to set down remedies against the obstacles spoken of: and first, against sin, he promises the passion of Christ; second, against dejection, he promises exaltation, chapter 54: Give praise, thou barren; third, against poverty, he promises the free enjoyment of things, (chapter 55), All you that thirst. On the first point, two things. First he shows the loftiness of the mystery, because it is not easily believed even by report. By report — of those things which we have heard from you concerning Christ. (Abdias): We have heard a report, etc.; Habacuc 3: Lord, I have heard your hearing, and I feared. Nor is it easily seen — and the arm, that is, the Son of God, the power of God. Job 40: If you have an arm like God. Second, he pursues the order of what came to pass: and first, setting forth a likeness as to his exaltation: and he shall ascend — being born from his mother's womb, rising again from death, ascending from the world into heaven, and into the faith of the nations — like a young shoot, which grows upward and multiplies broadly. Above, 11: There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise out of his root. And as to his humanity: and as a root out of thirsty ground — that is, out of ground without moisture, which by reason of its dryness appears unlovely; so too he himself was born of his mother without male moisture. Apocalypse, last chapter: I am the root of David. Second, he sets down the exposition of the likeness: there is not. And first as to his humiliation; second as to his exaltation, from anguish. On the first, two things. First he describes Christ's humility; second, the meekness of the humbled one, he was offered. On the first, three things. First he describes the office of humility; second, the contempt of the humbled one, and as it were hidden; third, the fruit of the humiliation, but he was wounded. On the first, two things. First his humility is shown as to the concealment of his majesty: there is not to him beauty — as to the abundance of interior goods — nor comeliness — as to the abundance of exterior goods: for beauty properly regards loveliness as to the proportion of the members, but comeliness regards the fittingness of color and of the other things surrounding it. He had, indeed, beauty, for he was beautiful in form beyond the sons of men (Psalm 44); but it lay hidden on account of the weakness he had assumed. He had comeliness, for strength and comeliness are his clothing, Proverbs, last chapter; but it lay hidden on account of the poverty he kept. Whence Canticles 2: Let your voice sound in my ears. And therefore we — who were then unbelieving and afterward converted, in whose person he speaks — saw him, bodily, and there was no — magnificent — appearance, according to what is said, that the beauty of Priam was worthy of empire. Second, his humility is shown as to the manifestation of weakness: and we desired him, awaiting him with desire as a great redeemer. Aggeus 2: Behold, the desired of all nations shall come. And in dignity, against which we saw him despised, inglorious, the most abject of men, on account of the most shameful kind of death. Wisdom 2: Let us condemn him to a most shameful death. Proverbs 30: I am the most foolish of men. Great also in prosperity; against which we find him a man of sorrows, as it were wretched, full of sorrows. Lamentations 1: O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow. Great also in power; against which we find him knowing infirmity, by experience. 2 Corinthians, last chapter: For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God. And as it were hidden. Here he shows the contempt of the humbled one: and first as to the majesty concealed in the withdrawal of honor, as it were hidden — majesty lying concealed beneath the weakness of the flesh. Whence we esteemed him not — not paying him the honor due. Above, 45: Truly you are a hidden God. Second, as to the weakness displayed, setting down the sign of that weakness: truly — as a true man — infirmities: weaknesses, such as hunger and thirst, he bore, he sustained; sorrows, sensible ones, in the passion; and sadness — or, taking infirmities as sins — he took away from us, or, in our place, he sustained the punishments. 1 Peter 2: He bore our sins upon the wood. Setting down also the contempt: and we esteemed him as it were a leper, unclean and a sinner, and therefore struck by God — for his own sins, as to the punishments — and humbled, as to the disgraces. Job 22: For your very great malice, and your infinite iniquities. And 39: They abhor, etc. Note on that word: And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? — that Christ is the arm, first, for scourging the demons. Psalm 88: With the arm of your strength you have scattered your enemies. Second, for supporting the weak. Above, 40: In his arm he will lift up the lambs. Third, for defending the faithful. Wisdom 5: His right hand shall rule them. Likewise on that word, young shoot — that Christ is the rod, first, for striking. Numbers 24: A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall spring up from Israel; second, for sustaining. Psalm 22: Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me. Third, for directing. Psalm 44: The rod of your direction. Likewise on that word, a root out of the ground — that Christ is the root, first, on account of its being hidden. Ecclesiasticus 1: To whom has the root of wisdom been revealed? Second, on account of the ministering of nourishment. Jeremias 17: He shall be like a tree that sends out its roots toward moisture. Third, on account of the sustaining of the whole tree. Romans 11: You do not carry the root. But he was wounded. Here he sets down the fruit of the humiliation, or of the passion: and first he assigns the moving reason: but he, not as we thought, was wounded — with thorns, nails, the lance — for our iniquities, to be taken away. Bruised — with scourges and blows. Or, wounded, as to what is said, struck; bruised, as to what is said, humbled. Lamentations 4: The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord. Second, he shows the benefit that follows, in the reconciliation of peace: the chastisement of peace — that is, he himself, for us, sustained the chastisement of correction; through which peace we have access to God. Romans 5: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son; and in the restoration of lost health, by his bruise, which he had from the rods. 1 Peter 2: By whose bruise you were healed. Psalm 102: Who is propitious to all your iniquities, who heals all your infirmities. Third, he shows the necessity impending on our part, because all were infirm: whence all need a physician, and no other could supply a sufficient remedy. Romans 3: For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek: for all have sinned, and need penance. All we like sheep — 1 Peter 2: You were once as sheep not having a shepherd. He was offered. Here he shows the meekness of the sufferer; and first he sets forth this meekness itself, and first as to his voluntary offering of himself: he was offered — to God the Father, for us, as a victim; Psalm 53: I will freely sacrifice to you. Second, as to his patient suffering: and he opened not his mouth — as one contradicting and contending: even before Herod he answered nothing, Luke 23. Lamentations 4: Out of the mouth of the Most High, etc. Second, he sets down a likeness: as a sheep to the slaughter — because he was killed without resistance — and as a lamb, suffering injury without contradiction. Jeremias 11: I am as a lamb that is carried to be a victim. Note on that word, the most abject — that Christ was the most abject, first on account of the bitterness of his sorrow. Lamentations 1: O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is sorrow like my sorrow. Second, on account of the shamefulness of his death. Wisdom 2: Let us condemn him to a most shameful death. Third, on account of the greatness of the crime laid upon him. Proverbs 30: I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me. Likewise on that word, a man of sorrows — that Christ was full of sorrows, first on account of the necessity of the malady. Above, 1: From the sole of the foot even to the crown there is no soundness in it. Second, on account of the outpouring of graces. John 1: Of his fullness we have all received grace. Third, on account of our obligation. 2 Corinthians 5: For this Christ has died, etc. From anguish. Having set down the humility of the passion, here he begins to set forth the glory of the exaltation, which is the reward of the passion, as is said, Philippians 2: For which cause God has exalted him. And first as to the escaping of dangers; second as to the vengeance upon his enemies, and he shall give the wicked; third as to the justification of men, if he shall lay down; fourth as to the victory over rebels, therefore will I distribute. On the first, two things. First he sets down the reward: from anguish — of the passion; from judgment — the unjust judgment by which he was judged by others — he was taken up, in the resurrection. Proverbs 11: The just man is delivered out of anguish. Second, he sets down the merit, setting forth the dignity of the sufferer, so that from the condition of the person the merit of the passion might be weighed: his generation — the eternal one, by which he is from the Father without a mother, or the temporal one, by which he is from a mother without a father — who? As it were no one, by natural reason, although in some measure by divine inspiration. Ecclesiasticus 43: Who has seen him, and shall declare? Setting down also the passion inflicted upon him: for he was cut off — by death, at the hands of the Jews — out of the land of the living — out of this life. Jeremias 12: Come, let us put wood into his bread, and root him out of the land of the living. Setting down also, on the part of God the Father, the acceptance of the passion: for the wickedness I struck — I permitted him to be struck. 1 Peter 3: Christ once for our sins, etc. And he shall give the wicked. Here he sets down the second point, namely the vengeance upon those who persecuted him: and first he sets down the reward: and he shall give the wicked — the Jews, into the hands of the Romans — for burial — because they had him guarded in the sepulcher. Proverbs 21: For the just shall be given, etc. Second, he sets down the merit as to the innocence of his life: because he did no iniquity — as to the sin of deed; in his mouth — as to the sin of the mouth. 1 Peter 2: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. And as to his obedience unto death: and the Lord — the Father — willed. And he himself was obedient to the Father even unto death. Philippians 2: Become obedient unto death. 1 Corinthians 1: That which is weak of God is stronger than men. If he shall lay down. Here he sets down the third point, namely that through him the justification of men was accomplished: and first he sets down the reward against the sorrow of death, if he shall lay down — of his own will. John 10: I lay down my life. He shall see a long-lived seed — unto the end of the world, sons being regenerated for him by the power of his death. John 12: Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground be dead, itself remains alone; but if it be dead, it brings forth much fruit. And the will shall be directed — shall be fulfilled — in his hand — in his work. 1 Thessalonians 4: This is the will of God, your sanctification. And against the labor of teaching: because he labored — in preaching and going about — he shall see — the nations converted to him — and shall be satisfied — as one having what he intends. John 4: I have food to eat which you know not. Second, he sets down the merit as to the exercise of preaching: by knowledge — that is, by teaching. Romans 5: Justified freely by faith. John 6: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And as to the torment of death: iniquities — that is, the punishments for iniquities. Above, 46: I have made, I will bear. Therefore will I distribute. Here he sets down the fourth point, namely the victory over enemies: and first he sets down the subjection of the enemies: therefore will I distribute — as it were, I will give him his portion — the many — who shall believe in him — and he shall divide the spoils of the strong — that is, of those held captive by the demons — to his disciples, setting different ones over different nations. Osee 13: He shall snatch away the treasure of every desirable vessel. Psalm 67: The king of powers, of the beloved, beloved, and of the beauty of the house, to divide the spoils. Second, he sets down the reason of the subjection: as to death, because he delivered — and as to the kind of death, and with the wicked. Luke 23: And there were crucified with him two malefactors. Psalm 87: I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit. Third, the salvation of those subjected. For he did not subject them to himself as a tyrant, to torment them, but to save them. And he himself bore the sin of many — efficiently, though of all sufficiently — took it away, and prayed for the transgressors. Luke 23: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,.... The great ones of the earth, the kings and princes of the earth: these are the words of God the Father, promising Christ that he shall have as great a part or portion assigned him as any of the mighty monarchs of the world, nay, one much more large and ample; that he would make him higher than the kings of the earth, and give him a name above every name in this world, or that to come; and all this in consequence of his sufferings, and as a reward of them; see Phi 2:8 and whereas the Lord's people are his portion, and with which Christ is well pleased, and greatly delighted, Deu 32:9, they may be intended here, at least as a part of the portion which Christ has assigned him. For the words may be rendered (e), "therefore will I divide, assign, or give many to him": so the Vulgate Latin version; and which is favoured by the Targum, "therefore will I divide to him the prey of many people;'' and by the Septuagint version, therefore he shall inherit many, or possess many as his inheritance; so the Arabic version. The elect of God were given to Christ, previous to his sufferings and death, in the everlasting council of peace and covenant of grace, to be redeemed and saved by him; and they are given to him, in consequence of them, to believe in him, to be subject to him, and serve him; and so it denotes a great multitude of persons, both among Jews and Gentiles, that should be converted to Christ, embrace him, profess his Gospel, and submit to his ordinances; and which has been true in fact, and took place quickly after his resurrection and ascension. And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; or "the strong as a spoil"; that is, he shall spoil principalities and powers, destroy Satan and his angels, and make an entire conquest of all his mighty and powerful enemies. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render the words, "he shall divide the spoil of the strong"; of Satan and his principalities; those they make a spoil of he shall take out of their hands, and possess them as his own. The best comment on this version is Luk 11:22. Or rather the words may be rendered, "he shall have or possess for a spoil or prey very many" (f); for the word for "strong" has the signification of a multitude; and so the sense is the same as before, that a great multitude of souls should be taken by Christ, as a prey out of the hands of the mighty, and become his subjects; and so his kingdom would be very large, and he have great honour and glory, which is the thing promised as a reward of his sufferings. Some understand, by the "great" and "strong", the apostles of Christ, to whom he divided the gifts he received when he led captivity captive; to some apostles, some prophets, &c. Eph 4:10, and others the soldiers, among whom his garments were parted; but they are senses foreign from the text. Because he hath poured out his soul unto death; as water is poured out, Psa 22:14 or rather as the wine was poured out in the libations or drink offerings; for Christ's soul was made an offering for sin, as before; and it may be said with respect to his blood, in which is the life, that was shed or poured out for the remission of sin; of which he was emptied, and made bare, as the word (g) signifies, when his hands, feet, and side, were pierced. The phrase denotes the voluntariness of Christ's death, that he freely and willingly laid down his life for his people. And he was numbered with the transgressors; he never was guilty of any one transgression of the law; he indeed appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was calumniated and traduced as a sinner, and a friend of the worst of them; he was ranked among them, and charged as one of them, yet falsely; though, having all the sins of his people upon him, he was treated, even by the justice and law of God, as if he had been the transgressor, and suffered as if he had been one; of which his being crucified between two thieves was a symbolical representation, and whereby this Scripture was fulfilled, Mar 15:28. and he bore the sin on many; everyone of their sins, even the sins of all those whose iniquity was laid on him, of the many chosen in him, and justified by him; See Gill on Isa 53:11 where this is given as the reason for their justification; and here repeated as if done, to show the certainty of it; to raise the attention of it, as being a matter of great importance; see Pe1 2:24. And made intercession for the transgressors; as he did upon the cross, even for those that were the instruments of his death, Luk 23:34 and as he now does, in heaven, for all those sinners for whom he died; not merely in a petitionary way, but by presenting himself, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; pleading the merits of these, and calling for, in a way of justice and legal demand, all those blessings which were stipulated in an everlasting covenant between him and his Father, to be given to his people, in consequence of his sufferings and death; see Rom 8:33. (e) "ideo dispertiam ei plurimos", V. L. "propterea ipsi attribuam (vel addicam) permultos", Bootius, Animadv. I. 4. c. 12. sect. 20. p. 251. "idcirco dispertiam ei sortem, multitudinem Gentium", Vitringa. (f) "et plurimos (seu innumeros) habebit loco praedae, vel plurimi obtingent ipsi pro praeda", Bootius, ibid. (g) "denudavit morti animam suam", Forerius. Next: Isaiah Chapter 54”

“Many. Even to the ends of the earth, Psalm ii. 8. — Strong. Demons, Jews, &c. Hebrew, “with the strong” apostles. — Wicked thieves. Barabbas, &c. — Transgressors. His executioners. The gospel could not speak plainer. (Calmet) Bible Text & Cross-references: A prophecy of the Passion of Christ. 1 Who *hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him: 3 *Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not. 4 *Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. 5 *But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. 7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, *and he shall not open his mouth. 8 He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him. 9 And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: *because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth. 10 And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand. 11 Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, *and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, **and hath prayed for the transgressors.”

“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”

“The last reward of His thus working after this life for the salvation of sinners, and also of His work in this life upon which the former is founded, is victorious dominion. "Therefore I give Him a portion among the great, and with strong ones will He divide spoil; because He has poured out His soul into death: and He let Himself be reckoned among transgressors; whilst He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." The promise takes its stand between humiliation and exaltation, and rests partly upon the working of the exalted One, and partly upon the doing and suffering of One who was so ready to sacrifice Himself. Luther follows the lxx and Vulgate, and adopts the rendering, "Therefore will I give Him a great multitude for booty;" and Hvernick, Stier, and others adopt essentially the same rendering, "Therefore will I apportion to Him the many." But, as Job 39:17 clearly shows, this clause can only mean, "Therefore will I give Him a portion in the many." If, however, chillēq b' means to have a portion in anything, and not to give the thing itself as a portion, it is evident that hârabbı̄m here are not the many, but the great; and this is favoured by the parallel clause. The ideas of greatness and force, both in multitude and might, are bound up together in rabh and ‛âtsūm (see Isa 8:7), and the context only can decide which rendering is to be adopted when these ideas are separated from one another. What is meant by "giving a portion bârabbı̄m," is clearly seen from such passages as Isa 52:15; Isa 49:7, according to which the great ones of the earth will be brought to do homage to Him, or at all events to submit to Him. The second clause is rendered by Luther, "and He shall have the strong for a prey." This is at any rate better than the rendering of the lxx and Vulgate, "et fortium dividet spolia." But Pro 16:19 shows that את is a preposition. Strong ones surround Him, and fight along with Him. The reference here is to the people of which it is said in Psa 110:3, "They people are thorough devotion in the day of Thy power;" and this people, which goes with Him to battle, and joins with Him in the conquest of the hostile powers of the world (Rev 19:14), also participates in the enjoyment of the spoils of His victory. With this victorious sway is He rewarded, because He has poured out His soul unto death, having not only exposed His life to death, but "poured out" (he‛ĕrâh, to strip or empty, or pour clean out, even to the very last remnant) His life-blood into death (lammâveth like the Lamed in Psa 22:16), and also because He has suffered Himself to be reckoned with transgressors, i.e., numbered among them (niph. tolerativum), namely, in the judgment of His countrymen, and in the unjust judgment (mishpât) by which He was delivered up to death as a wicked apostate and transgressor of the law. With והוּא there is attached to נמנה ואת־פּשׁעים (He was numbered with the transgressors), if not in a subordinate connection (like והוא) in Isa 53:5; (compare Isa 10:7), the following antithesis: He submitted cheerfully to the death of a sinner, and yet He was no sinner, but "bare the sin of many (cf., Heb 9:28), and made intercession for the transgressors." Many adopt the rendering, "and He takes away the sin of many, and intervenes on behalf of the transgressors." But in this connection the preterite נשׂא) can only relate to something antecedent to the foregoing future, so that יפגּיע denotes a connected past; and thus have the lxx and Vulg. correctly rendered it. Just as בּ הפגּיע in Isa 53:6 signifies to cause to fall upon a person, so in Jer 15:11 it signifies to make one approach another (in supplication). Here, however, as in Isa 59:16, the hiphil is not a causative, but has the intensive force of the kal, viz., to press forward with entreaty, hence to intercede (with a Lâmed of the person on whose behalf it occurs). According to the cons. temporum, the reference is not to the intercession (ἔντευξις) of the glorified One, but to that of the suffering One, on behalf of His foes. Every word stands here as if written beneath the cross on Golgotha. And this is the case with the clause before us, which was fulfilled (though not exclusively) in the prayer of the crucified Saviour: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luk 23:34). "The prophetic view," says Oehler, who agrees with us in the general opinion that the idea of the Servant of Jehovah has three distinct stages, "ascends in these discourses step by step, as it were, from the one broad space covered by the foundation-walls of a cathedral up to the very summit with its giddy height, on which the cross is planted; and the nearer it reaches the summit, the more conspicuous do the outlines of the cross itself become, until at last, when the summit is reached, it rests in peace, having attained what it desired when it set its foot upon the first steps of the temple tower." There is something very striking in this figure. Here, in the very centre of this book of consolation, we find the idea of the Servant of Jehovah at the very summit of its ascent. It has reached the goal. The Messianic idea, which was hidden in the general idea of the nation regarded as "the servant of Jehovah," has gradually risen up in the most magnificent metamorphosis from the depths in which it was thus concealed. And this fusion has generated what was hitherto altogether strange to the figure of the Messiah, viz., the unio mystica capitis et corporis. Hitherto Israel has appeared simply as the nation governed by the Messiah, the army which He conducted into battle, the commonwealth ordered by Him. But now, in the person of the Servant of Jehovah, we see Israel itself in personal self-manifestation: the idea of Israel is fully realized, and the true nature of Israel shines forth in all its brilliancy. Israel is the body, and He the head, towering above it. Another element, with which we found the Messianic idea enriched even before Isa 53:1-12, was the munus triplex. As early as chapters 7-12 the figure of the Messiah stood forth as the figure of a King; but the Prophet like unto Moses, promised in Deu 18:15, was still wanting. But, according to chapters 42, 49, Isa 50:1-11, the servant of Jehovah is first a prophet, and as the proclaimer of a new law, and the mediator of a new covenant, really a second Moses; at the close of the work appointed Him, however, He receives the homage of kings, whilst, as Isa 53:1-12 clearly shows, that self-sacrifice lies between, on the ground of which He rules above as Priest after the order of Melchizedek - in other words, a Priest and also a King. From this point onward there are added to the Messianic idea the further elements of the status duplex and the satisfactio vicaria. David was indeed the type of the twofold state of his antitype, inasmuch as it was through suffering that he reached the throne; but where have we found, in all the direct Messianic prophecies anterior to this, the suffering path of the Ecce Homo even to the grave? But the Servant of Jehovah goes through shame to glory, and through death to life. He conquers when He falls; He rules after being enslaved; He lives after He has died; He completes His work after He Himself has been apparently cut off. His glory streams upon the dark ground of the deepest humiliation, to set forth which the dark colours were supplied by the pictures of suffering contained in the Psalms and in the book of Job. And these sufferings of His are not merely the sufferings of a confessor or a martyr, like those of the ecclesia pressa, but a vicarious atoning suffering, a sacrifice for sin. To this the chapter before us returns again and again, being never tired of repeating it. "Spiritus Sanctus," says Brentius, "non delectatur inani battologi'a, et tamen quum in hoc cap. videatur βαττολόγος καὶ ταυτολόγος esse, dubium non est, quin tractet rem cognitu maxime necessariam." The banner of the cross is here set up. The curtain of the most holy is lifted higher and higher. The blood of the typical sacrifice, which has been hitherto dumb, begins to speak. Faith, which penetrates to the true meaning of the prophecy, hopes on not only for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but also for the Lamb of God, which beareth the sin of the world. And in prophecy itself we see the after-effect of this gigantic advance. Zechariah no longer prophesies of the Messiah merely as a king (Isa 5:13); He not only rules upon His throne, but is also a priest upon His throne: sovereignty and priesthood go hand in hand, being peacefully united in Him. And in Zac 12:13 the same prophet predicts in Him the good Divine Shepherd, whom His people pierce, though not without thereby fulfilling the counsel of God, and whom they afterwards long for with bitter lamentation and weeping. The penitential and believing confession which would then be made by Israel is prophetically depicted by Isaiah's pen - "mourning in bitter sorrow the lateness of its love."”