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Isaiah 53:4 describes a figure who bears physical illness and pain on behalf of others. The Greek Septuagint translation changes this to language about sin, and this difference may have influenced later traditions that rely on Isaiah 53, as many follow the Hebrew version rather than the Greek.
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Isaiah 53:4
Hebrew Bible
2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 3 He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 4 But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 5 He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed.
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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LXX Isaiah 53:4
Septuagint
2 He grew up before him like a child, like a root in a thirsty land; he has no form or glory, and we saw him, and he had no form or beauty. 3 But his form was without honor, failing beyond all men, a man being in calamity and knowing how to bear sickness; because his face is turned away, he was dishonored and not esteemed. 4 This one bears our sins and suffers pain for us, and we accounted him to be in trouble and calamity and ill-treatment. 5 But he was wounded because of our acts of lawlessness and has been weakened because of our sins; upon him was the disciplined of our peace; by his bruise we were healed.
Date: 1st Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The LXX of Isaiah 53:4 differs considerably from Matthew 8:17. Unlike Matthew 8:17 and the Hebrew texts, the LXX does not refer to sicknesses. Instead, the LXX mentions ἁμαρτίας (“sins”). Matthew 8:17 does not include the rest of Isaiah 53:4, either. Thus, Matthew 8:17 is more similar to Isaiah 53:4 in the Hebrew texts than it is to the LXX. The introductory formula in Matthew 8:17 and terminology shared between Matthew 8:17 and the Hebrew versions of Isaiah 53:4 indicate that Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4 ..."
Winchester, Christopher
Thematic Association in the Gospel of Matthew: Situating Exegesis in the Gospel of Matthew in its Second Temple Context
(p. 240) University of Edinburgh, 2017
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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