God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 53:2
2He grew up in his presence like a young tree, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him. He had nothing in his appearance that would make us 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? To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed? He grew up in his presence like a young tree, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him. He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn’t consider him to be worth anything. 4He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- For he shall grow upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- him as a tender plantיוֹנֵקyônêq · saplingH3126
- and as a rootשֹׁ֫רֶשׁsheresh · rootH8328
- out of a dryצִיָּהtsîyâh · drynessH6723
- groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- he hath no formתֹּ֫אַרtô'ar · appearanceH8389
- nor comelinessהָדָרhâdâr · gloryH1926
- and when we shall seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- no beautyמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
- that we should desireחָמַדchâmad · to desireH2530
Cross-references for Isaiah 53:2
- Isaiah 11:1Then a shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots will bear fruit.
- Jeremiah 23:5“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will grow a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who will rule wisely. He will do what is fair and right in the land.
- Ezekiel 17:22“ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I, too, will take hold of the top of a cedar tree. I will break off the highest twig and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
- Zechariah 6:12Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is the man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is, and he will rebuild the Lord’s temple.
- Mark 6:3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they took offense at him.
- Luke 2:7She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn.
- Luke 9:58Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
- Romans 8:3It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature.
- Philippians 2:6Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality.
- Isaiah 52:14Many will be shocked by him. His appearance will be so disfigured that he won’t look like any other man. His looks will be so disfigured that he will hardly look like a human.
- Mark 9:12Jesus said to them, “Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully?
- John 1:10He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him.
- John 9:28The Jews yelled at him, “You’re his disciple, but we’re Moses’ disciples.
- John 18:40The Jews shouted again, “Don’t free this man! Free Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a political revolutionary.)
- John 19:5Jesus went outside. He was wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cape. Pilate said to the Jews, “Look, here’s the man!”
- 1 Peter 2:14Also obey governors. They are people the emperor has sent 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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