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Isaiah 53 describes a figure who bears physical illness and pain on behalf of others. The Greek Septuagint changes this to language about sin, and this difference may have influenced later traditions that rely on the Greek version of Isaiah 53.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
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: 740–450 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
LXX Isaiah 53:4
Septuagint
2 We brought a report as of a child before him; he is as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor glory; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty. 3 But his form was ignoble, and inferior to that of all men; he was a man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for his face is turned from us: he was dishonored, and not esteemed. 4 He bears our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction. 5 But he was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his bruises we were healed.
Date: 100–1 BCE (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 ..."
Christopher Winchester, “Thematic Association in the Gospel of Matthew: Situating Exegesis in the Gospel of Matthew in Its Second Temple Context” (PhD diss., University of Edinburgh, 2017), 240.
* 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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