Difference between revisions of "The Suffering Servant in Yeshayahu 53/2/en"

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<opinion>Prophet
 
<opinion>Prophet
 
<mekorot>Opinion cited in <multilink><a href="RYehudaibnBalaamYeshayahu53-12" data-aht="source">R. Yehuda ibn Balaam</a><a href="RYehudaibnBalaamYeshayahu53-12" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53:12</a><a href="R. Yehuda ibn Balaam" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda ibn Balaam</a></multilink>, R. Saadia cited in <multilink><a href="IbnEzraYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13-14</a><a href="IbnEzraYeshayahu53" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="REliezerofBeaugencyYeshayahu52-13" data-aht="source">R. Eliezer of Beaugency</a><a href="REliezerofBeaugencyYeshayahu52-13" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13</a><a href="REliezerofBeaugencyYeshayahu53-4-11" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53:4-11</a><a href="R. Eliezer of Beaugency" data-aht="parshan">About R. Eliezer of Beaugency</a></multilink>,</mekorot>
 
<mekorot>Opinion cited in <multilink><a href="RYehudaibnBalaamYeshayahu53-12" data-aht="source">R. Yehuda ibn Balaam</a><a href="RYehudaibnBalaamYeshayahu53-12" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53:12</a><a href="R. Yehuda ibn Balaam" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda ibn Balaam</a></multilink>, R. Saadia cited in <multilink><a href="IbnEzraYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13-14</a><a href="IbnEzraYeshayahu53" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="REliezerofBeaugencyYeshayahu52-13" data-aht="source">R. Eliezer of Beaugency</a><a href="REliezerofBeaugencyYeshayahu52-13" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13</a><a href="REliezerofBeaugencyYeshayahu53-4-11" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53:4-11</a><a href="R. Eliezer of Beaugency" data-aht="parshan">About R. Eliezer of Beaugency</a></multilink>,</mekorot>
<point><b>"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?</b></point>
+
<point><b>"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?</b> R. Eliezer of Beaugency explains that the prophet was sick thinking about the tragedies that were to come on the nation.</point>
 
<point><b>"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When?</b> Yirmeyahu fits the description of a degraded servant of Hashem, as we have accounts of officers trying to kill and torture him.</point>
 
<point><b>"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When?</b> Yirmeyahu fits the description of a degraded servant of Hashem, as we have accounts of officers trying to kill and torture him.</point>
 
<point><b>"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?</b></point>
 
<point><b>"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?</b></point>
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<mekorot><multilink><a href="TargumYonatanYeshayahu52-13-15" data-aht="source">Targum Yonatan</a><a href="TargumYonatanYeshayahu52-13-15" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13-15</a><a href="TargumYonatanYeshayahu53" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53</a><a href="Targum Pseudo-Jonathan" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13-14</a><a href="RambanYeshayahu53" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53</a><a href="RambanSeferHaVikuach25-28" data-aht="source">Sefer HaVikuach 25-28</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>,<fn>Ramban writes that the true explanation is that the suffering servant is Yisrael, and he only explains it about the Mashiach according to the Midrash which says so.</fn> ,</mekorot>
 
<mekorot><multilink><a href="TargumYonatanYeshayahu52-13-15" data-aht="source">Targum Yonatan</a><a href="TargumYonatanYeshayahu52-13-15" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13-15</a><a href="TargumYonatanYeshayahu53" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53</a><a href="Targum Pseudo-Jonathan" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanYeshayahu52-13-14" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 52:13-14</a><a href="RambanYeshayahu53" data-aht="source">Yeshayahu 53</a><a href="RambanSeferHaVikuach25-28" data-aht="source">Sefer HaVikuach 25-28</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>,<fn>Ramban writes that the true explanation is that the suffering servant is Yisrael, and he only explains it about the Mashiach according to the Midrash which says so.</fn> ,</mekorot>
 
<point><b>"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?</b></point>
 
<point><b>"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?</b></point>
<point><b>"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When?</b></point>
+
<point><b>"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When?</b> Ramban explains that the Mashiach is upset about the sins of Israel which delayed his coming. Ramban also describes that when the Mashiach first appears, he will be poor and riding on a horse, and all the people will mock and curse him.</point>
 
<point><b>"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?</b></point>
 
<point><b>"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?</b></point>
 
<point><b>"כִּי נִגְזַר מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים"</b></point>
 
<point><b>"כִּי נִגְזַר מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים"</b></point>
 
<point><b>"וַיִּתֵּן אֶת רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ"</b></point>
 
<point><b>"וַיִּתֵּן אֶת רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ"</b></point>
<point><b>"עַבְדִּי"</b></point>
+
<point><b>"עַבְדִּי"</b> – According to this approach the servant is the Mashiach.&#160; The main motivation is that this prophecy comes in the midst of prophecies of comfort, which many say are talking about the days of the Mashiach.</point>
 
</category>
 
</category>
 
</approaches>
 
</approaches>
 
</page>
 
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Version as of 08:13, 5 July 2018

The Suffering Servant in Yeshayahu 53

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

The Nation of Israel

"עַבְדִּי" – Radak and Ramban cite other verses in Yeshayahu where he refers to Yisrael with the title of servant.2  For example, "‎וְאַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּי" ‎(41:8), "אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב" ‎(44:2), and "עַבְדִּי אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל" ‎(49:3).  Ibn Ezra suggests that the verse is referencing every worshiper of Hashem.
"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?
  • According to most of these sources these words represent the perspective of the other nations.  Since they felt that they had been the ones who sinned, they thought they deserved the suffering which was inflicted on Israel.  The nations therefore (mistakenly) concluded that Israel must have been suffering as an atonement for their sins.
  • Ibn Ezra, in contrast, understands that the nations are admitting that they inflicted suffering on Israel.  The hardships are referred to as "חֳלָיֵנוּ", as the nations are the ones who caused them.
"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When?
"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When? Rashi writes that in the end of days is when the righteous among Israel will succeed.
"כִּי נִגְזַר מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים"
"וַיִּתֵּן אֶת רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ" – Rashi asserts that the verse is describing all the times that people from the nation were willing to die in the hands of wicked people rather than transgress a commandment.

Historical Figure

King

"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?
"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When?
"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?
"כִּי נִגְזַר מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים"
"וַיִּתֵּן אֶת רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ"
"עַבְדִּי"

Prophet

"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment? R. Eliezer of Beaugency explains that the prophet was sick thinking about the tragedies that were to come on the nation.
"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When? Yirmeyahu fits the description of a degraded servant of Hashem, as we have accounts of officers trying to kill and torture him.
"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?
"כִּי נִגְזַר מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים"
"וַיִּתֵּן אֶת רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ"
"עַבְדִּי"
  • R. Saadia suggests that the servant is Yirmeyahu, since we have accounts of him being degraded and put in prison.
  • R. Eliezer of Beaugency maintains that the servant includes all of the prophets who rebuked the nation.
Context of the Prophecy – Ibn Ezra notes that there is no relationship between the surrounding chapter of comfort and Yirmeyahu's suffering.

Mashiach

"חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא" – Vicarious punishment?
"נִבְזֶה וַחֲדַל אִישִׁים" – When? Ramban explains that the Mashiach is upset about the sins of Israel which delayed his coming. Ramban also describes that when the Mashiach first appears, he will be poor and riding on a horse, and all the people will mock and curse him.
"הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי" – When?
"כִּי נִגְזַר מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים"
"וַיִּתֵּן אֶת רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ"
"עַבְדִּי" – According to this approach the servant is the Mashiach.  The main motivation is that this prophecy comes in the midst of prophecies of comfort, which many say are talking about the days of the Mashiach.