Isaiah 53 · KJV

Isaiah 53

He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions

Isaiah 53 describes a suffering servant who bears the sins of others — "wounded for our transgressions… and with his stripes we are healed." Written centuries before Christ, it is read as a prophecy of Jesus' sacrifice.

Isaiah 53 (KJV)

1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

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.

6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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What Isaiah 53 means

The chapter portrays one "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows," who suffers not for his own wrongdoing but for others': "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities." The wounds are substitutionary — punishment borne so that others might have peace.

"All we like sheep have gone astray," it admits, "and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." The servant is silent "as a lamb to the slaughter," yet the chapter ends in vindication. Written some seven hundred years before the crucifixion, it is the Old Testament passage Christians most associate with the cross — and a cornerstone reading for Good Friday and Easter.

Key verses

  1. 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.

    Isaiah 53:5 · KJV"With his stripes we are healed."

  2. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

    Isaiah 53:6 · KJV"The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

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A prayer from Isaiah 53

Lord Jesus, You were wounded for my transgressions and bore what I could not. Thank You that by Your stripes I am healed. Let me never take Your sacrifice for granted. Amen.

Themes in this passage

Jesusthe CrossSalvationSacrificeRedemption

Related passages

John 3:16Romans 10:9Psalm 51

Frequently asked

What does Isaiah 53 mean?

Isaiah 53 describes a suffering servant who bears the sins of others — "wounded for our transgressions… and with his stripes we are healed." Written centuries before Christ, it is read as a prophecy of Jesus' sacrifice.

What is Isaiah 53 about?

The chapter portrays one "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows," who suffers not for his own wrongdoing but for others': "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities." The wounds are substitutionary — punishment borne so that others might have peace.

What is the key verse in Isaiah 53?

Isaiah 53:5 — “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.”

Is Isaiah 53 in the King James Version?

Yes. The full text of Isaiah 53 on this page is the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain.