Commentaries:
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Isaiah 53:4-9
Jesus shows us that meekness is not a mere contemplative virtue; it is maintaining peace and patience in the midst of pelting provocations. In II Corinthians Paul realizes that the meek and gentle approach can easily appear as weakness to those unfamiliar with Jesus' example, so he calls it "the meekness . . . of Christ." True meekness is always measured by Christ's meekness. His humility, patience, and total submission of His own will to the will of the Father exemplifies meekness.
Martin G. Collins
MeeknessRelated Topics: Christ's Meekness | Humility | Meekness | Meekness of Christ | Patience | Peace | Self Control | Submission to God
Isaiah 53:4
When anah ("afflicted") is used in what is called the niphal stem, it means the pain, trouble, or discomfort is reflexive and thus self-inflicted. In English grammar, "reflexive" means the action of the verb is directed back at the subject. One of the things Isaiah 53:4 is saying, then, is that Christ voluntarily submitted Himself to this affliction.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Pride, Humility, and the Day of AtonementRelated Topics: Afflict | Affliction | Anah | Self-Affliction | Self-Infliction | Submission | Submission to God | Submission to God's Will | Voluntary SubmissionOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Isaiah 53:4:
Leviticus 23:26-32
Galatians 4:4
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What Does Isaiah 53:4 Mean?
In relation to Isaiah 53:4, Jesus embodies meekness, maintaining peace and patience amid provocations, reflecting a humility and total submission to the Father's will. This meekness, though sometimes seen as weakness, mirrors Christ's example of gentle strength. Additionally, the term "afflicted" in the verse, when understood through the niphal stem of the Hebrew word anah, indicates a self-inflicted pain or trouble. This suggests that Christ willingly submitted Himself to the affliction described, bearing griefs and carrying sorrows as an act of voluntary endurance, despite being perceived as stricken and smitten by God.