Berean Standard Bible
Isaiah 53:2
2He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.
Isaiah 53:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For 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.
- New International Version (NIV)He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
Context of Isaiah 53:2
1Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
Read all of Isaiah 53Isaiah 53:2 word by word
וַיַּ֨עַל כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק לְפָנָ֗יו וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה לֹא־תֹ֥אַר ל֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א הָדָ֑ר וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ וְלֹֽא־מַרְאֶ֖ה וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear
- He grew upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- before Himפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- like a tender shootיוֹנֵקyônêq · saplingH3126
- and like a rootשֹׁ֫רֶשׁsheresh · rootH8328
- out of dryצִיָּהtsîyâh · drynessH6723
- groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- He had noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- formתֹּ֫אַרtô'ar · appearanceH8389
- or majestyהָדָרhâdâr · gloryH1926
- to attract usרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- beautyמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
- that we should desire Himחָמַדchâmad · to desireH2530
Cross-references for Isaiah 53:2
- Isaiah 11:1Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
- Jeremiah 23:5Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Ezekiel 17:22This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
- Zechariah 6:12And you are to tell him that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Here is a man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build the temple of the LORD.
- Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.
- Luke 2:7And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
- Luke 9:58Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
- Romans 8:3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,
- Philippians 2:6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
- Isaiah 52:14Just as many were appalled at Him— His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—
- Mark 9:12He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected?
- John 1:10He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
- John 9:28Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.
- John 18:40“Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)
- John 19:5When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
- 1 Peter 2:14or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
Commentaries on Isaiah 53:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2For he shall grow up - Supposes something to have preceded; as it might be asked, what or who shall 'grow up before him,' etc. As the translation now stands, no correct answer can be given to this question. The translation then is wrong, the connection broken, and the sense obscured. זרוע zeroa, translated the arm, from the root zara. To sow, or plant; also seed, etc. The limb which reaches from the shoulder to the hand, called the arm; or more properly…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2For he shall grow up before him - In this verse, the prophet describes the humble appearance of the Messiah, and the fact that there was nothing in his personal aspect that corresponded to the expectations that bad been formed of him; nothing that should lead them to desire him as their expected deliverer, but everything that could induce them to reject him. He would be of so humble an origin, and with so little that was magnificent in his external appear…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2a tender shoot … out of dry ground: Such a plant is at risk of dying out (compare Isaiah 37:27). It struggles to survive, much less offer anything to others. no stately form or majesty: The servant seemed to lack greatness or obvious royal splendor (see Isaiah 52:13–15). to attract us: People prefer leaders who are good-looking and charismatic. The servant would be neither.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. tender plant--Messiah grew silently and insensibly, as a sucker from an ancient stock, seemingly dead (namely, the house of David, then in a decayed state) (see on Is 11:1). shall grow ... hath--rather, "grew up ... had." before him--before Jehovah. Though unknown to the world (Joh 1:11), Messiah was observed by God, who ordered the most minute circumstances attending His growth. root--that is, sprout from a root. form--beautiful form: sorrow had…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 53:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 53
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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