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LXX Isaiah

Septuagint

About this book
Chapter 53

1 Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?⁠ 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. 6 All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins. 7 And he, because of his affliction, does not open his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth. 8 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death. 9 And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he practiced no iniquity, nor was craft found in his mouth.⁠ 10 The Lord also wishes to cleanse him from his stroke.⁠ If you can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: the Lord also wishes to take away 11 from the labor of his soul, to show him light, and to form him with understanding;⁠ to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. 12 Therefore he shall inherit many, and he shall divide the captured goods of the mighty; because his soul was delivered to death: and he was numbered among the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 53:11 and LXX Isaiah 53:11

Hebrew Bible · Septuagint

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Summary

The Hebrew version of Isaiah says the suffering servant will see the fruit of his anguish. The Greek Septuagint translation, agreeing with the Dead Sea Scrolls, instead says the servant will see light, adding a word missing in Hebrew.

Passages

Isaiah 53:11

Hebrew Bible
10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him. 11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. “My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins. 12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, because he willingly submitted to death and was numbered with the rebels, when he lifted up the sin of many and intervened on behalf of the rebels.”
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

LXX Isaiah 53:11

Septuagint
10 The Lord also wishes to cleanse him from his stroke. If you can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed: the Lord also wishes to take away 11 from the labor of his soul, to show him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins. 12 Therefore he shall inherit many, and he shall divide the captured goods of the mighty; because his soul was delivered to death: and he was numbered among the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Isaiah

References

"... Isaiah 53:11 the Masoretic Text: He shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul (Revised Standard Version). The Septuagint: from the travail of his soul, to show him light. The Septuagint reflects a Hebrew variant (אור, “light”) which is also found in the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa). This added word may reflect a gnostic tendency, but in that case the presumed tendency would reflect only the intention of the Vorlage of the translation, and not that of the translation. For a different view, see I. L. Seeligmann, “Δεῖξαι αὐτῷ φῶς”, Tarbiz 27 (1958). ..."
Emanuel Tov, The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research, 3rd ed. (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), 114.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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