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===Arguments against the "nation of Israel" theory=== |
===Arguments against the "nation of Israel" theory=== |
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Christians argue that the "servant" could not have been the nation of Israel because of scriptural contradictions that would arise. Primarily, the servant is described as "innocent and guiltless," but Isaiah 1:4 declares the nation of Israel to be "...a people laden with iniquity. A brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters!"<ref name="Christian viewpoint 1">{{cite web | title=Christian viewpoint 1] | work=Chaim | url=http://www.chaim.org/nation.htm | accessdate=2006-07-05}}</ref>, along with countless other verses that declare Israel's iniquity including Isaiah 64:6. |
Christians argue that the "servant" could not have been the nation of Israel because of scriptural contradictions that would arise. Primarily, the servant is described as "innocent and guiltless," but Isaiah 1:4 declares the nation of Israel to be "...a people laden with iniquity. A brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters!"<ref name="Christian viewpoint 1">{{cite web | title=Christian viewpoint 1] | work=Chaim | url=http://www.chaim.org/nation.htm | accessdate=2006-07-05}}</ref>, along with countless other verses that declare Israel's iniquity including Isaiah 64:6. |
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In addition, Christians argue that if the "servant" ''were'' Israel, verse 10 ("It pleased the LORD to bruise him") would thereby be illogical because it entails God enjoying the sufferings of His elect people, whereas the suffering of Jesus would ultimately mean an absolution of sin and victory for mankind.<ref name="Christian viewpoint 1" /> |
In addition, Christians argue that if the "servant" ''were'' Israel, verse 10 ("It pleased the LORD to bruise him") would thereby be illogical because it entails God enjoying the sufferings of His elect people, whereas the suffering of Jesus would ultimately mean an absolution of sin and victory for mankind.<ref name="Christian viewpoint 1" /> It has also been argued that the nation of Israel, even through all of its suffering and torment can not have "atoned" for the sins of mankind because they were not guiltless.<ref name="Christian viewpoint 1" /> Christian theologians also point out that the verse 10 is not to be taken literally, where the "children" referred to are the [[Christian|Church]], and the "long life" refers to the [[Resurrection of Christ|Resurrection]].<ref name="Christian viewpoint 1" /> |
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Technically, it is reasonable to argue that the Suffering Servant is indeed "Israel," '''but''' it is '''not''' the nation of Israel to whom the name "Israel" is referring to. In Isaiah 49:3 KJV, the LORD states, "Thou art My servant, O' Israel, in whom I will be glorified." This may lead some to conclude that this particular verse is referring to the nation of Israel, but shortly thereafter, the scripture reveals that this servant called "Israel" would be responsible "to bring '''Jacob''' again to Him (the LORD), though '''Israel''' be not gathered..." (Isa. 49:5), and the LORD declares that the servant called "Israel" should be "My servant to raise up '''the tribes of Jacob''', and to restore '''the preserved of Israel'''..." Furthermore, the LORD states, "...I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6). |
Technically, it is reasonable to argue that the Suffering Servant is indeed "Israel," '''but''' it is '''not''' the nation of Israel to whom the name "Israel" is referring to. In Isaiah 49:3 KJV, the LORD states, "Thou art My servant, O' Israel, in whom I will be glorified." This may lead some to conclude that this particular verse is referring to the nation of Israel, but shortly thereafter, the scripture reveals that this servant called "Israel" would be responsible "to bring '''Jacob''' again to Him (the LORD), though '''Israel''' be not gathered..." (Isa. 49:5), and the LORD declares that the servant called "Israel" should be "My servant to raise up '''the tribes of Jacob''', and to restore '''the preserved of Israel'''..." Furthermore, the LORD states, "...I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6). |
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As the scripture states, the servant called "Israel" is responsible for raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the preserved of Israel; therefore, the servant called "Israel" in Isaiah 49 could not possibly be the nation of Israel itself, for the nation of Israel could not possibly raise (i.e., resurrect) nor gather itself. |
As the scripture states, the servant called "Israel" is responsible for raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the preserved of Israel; therefore, the servant called "Israel" in Isaiah 49 could not possibly be the nation of Israel itself, for the nation of Israel could not possibly raise (i.e., resurrect) nor gather itself. Rather, it is the Messiah who is called "Israel," just as he is called "David" elsewhere (cf. Ezek. 34:23-24, 37:24), who is responsible for raising Jacob and gathering Israel upon his second coming (Dan. 7:13; Isa. 27:13; 1 Thes. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:52-55; Matt. 24:29-31). |
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Many Jewish writings from antiquity refer Isaiah 52:13-53:12 to the Messiah rather than the nation of Israel. |
Many Jewish writings from antiquity refer Isaiah 52:13-53:12 to the Messiah rather than the nation of Israel. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
Revision as of 16:09, 11 March 2007
Isaiah 53 "The Suffering Servant" (KJV)
52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal 52:14As many were astonied at thee; 52:15So shall he sprinkle many nations; 1Who hath believed our report? 2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, 5But he [was] wounded 6All we like sheep have gone astray; 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: 10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, 12Therefore will I divide him [a portion] |
Isaiah 53, taken from the Book of Isaiah, is the last of the four Songs of the Suffering Servant, and tells the story of "The Suffering Servant". The passage is famous for its interpretation by many Christians to be prophesy of the coming of Jesus, being written over 700 years before his birth. This interpretation is strongly rejected by Jewish theologians, most of whom believe the servant to be the nation of Israel.[1][2] Many Christians view the entire chapter, and particularly this passage to refer to the suffering Jesus faced as well as the absolution of sins believed to be made possible by his death.[3]
- 5But he was pierced for our transgressions,
- he was crushed for our iniquities;
- the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
- and by his wounds we are healed.
The passage actually begins with Isaiah 52:13, because the original Hebrew had no chapters. Jewish and Christian scholars both agreee that 52:13 is the natural beginning of the chapter, however.[4] The speaker from 52:13 to the chapter's end is God himself, whereas beginning with 53:1 it is considered to be Isaiah speaking, or more broadly the Jewish people. This is due to the use of the word "our" instead of "my" or any other possessive pronoun. The speaker switches again to the Lord in verse 11, when the servant is referred to as "my" servant. [5]
Isaiah 53 in the New Testament
Probably the first known claim of Isaiah 53 to be a prophecy of Jesus comes from the Book of Acts, in which its author, Luke, describes a scene in which God commands Philip the Apostle to approach an Ethiopian eunuch who is sitting in a chariot, reading aloud to himself from the Book of Isaiah. The man explains that he does not understand what he is reading, (Isaiah 53), and Philip explains to him that it is Jesus to whom the passage refers. "And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus."[6]
Israel theory
Citing a number of Biblical verses that refer to Israel as the "servant", many of them from the Book of Isaiah,[7] many scholars, particularly Jewish Scholars, have argued that the "servant" in question is actually the nation of Israel.[1] Scholars also argue that verse 10 is inconsistent with the actual life of Jesus. The verse states that the servant will live a long life and have many children, which, when taken literally, contradicts the short, childless life of Jesus.[1]
- 10he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days
The reason that the Servant is referred to in the third person is not readily known, but it is speculated that it is written from the point of view of Gentile nations amazed at Israel's restoration, or that it is mere figurative language.[8][1] Supporters of this theory argue that the reason for the use of past tense is based on the differences between Proto-Isaiah and Deutero-Isaiah. Chapters 40-55 of Isaiah are referred to as "Deutero-Isaiah" because the themes and language are different from the rest of the book, leading liberal scholars to believe it was written by another author. Deutero-Isaiah differs from Proto-Isaiah in that it refers to Israel as already restored, which could account for the past-tense of the passage.[1] However most ancient Jewish scholars believed that Isaiah 53 referred to the Messiah, and it was not until the 10th century that another view was offered.[9][10] The Babylonian Talmud is said to have offered the "earliest indisputable, firsthand evidence of a rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 53 which takes the servant as the Messiah, and attributes suffering to him"[11]
Arguments against the "nation of Israel" theory
Christians argue that the "servant" could not have been the nation of Israel because of scriptural contradictions that would arise. Primarily, the servant is described as "innocent and guiltless," but Isaiah 1:4 declares the nation of Israel to be "...a people laden with iniquity. A brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters!"[12], along with countless other verses that declare Israel's iniquity including Isaiah 64:6.
In addition, Christians argue that if the "servant" were Israel, verse 10 ("It pleased the LORD to bruise him") would thereby be illogical because it entails God enjoying the sufferings of His elect people, whereas the suffering of Jesus would ultimately mean an absolution of sin and victory for mankind.[12] It has also been argued that the nation of Israel, even through all of its suffering and torment can not have "atoned" for the sins of mankind because they were not guiltless.[12] Christian theologians also point out that the verse 10 is not to be taken literally, where the "children" referred to are the Church, and the "long life" refers to the Resurrection.[12]
Technically, it is reasonable to argue that the Suffering Servant is indeed "Israel," but it is not the nation of Israel to whom the name "Israel" is referring to. In Isaiah 49:3 KJV, the LORD states, "Thou art My servant, O' Israel, in whom I will be glorified." This may lead some to conclude that this particular verse is referring to the nation of Israel, but shortly thereafter, the scripture reveals that this servant called "Israel" would be responsible "to bring Jacob again to Him (the LORD), though Israel be not gathered..." (Isa. 49:5), and the LORD declares that the servant called "Israel" should be "My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel..." Furthermore, the LORD states, "...I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isa. 49:6).
As the scripture states, the servant called "Israel" is responsible for raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the preserved of Israel; therefore, the servant called "Israel" in Isaiah 49 could not possibly be the nation of Israel itself, for the nation of Israel could not possibly raise (i.e., resurrect) nor gather itself. Rather, it is the Messiah who is called "Israel," just as he is called "David" elsewhere (cf. Ezek. 34:23-24, 37:24), who is responsible for raising Jacob and gathering Israel upon his second coming (Dan. 7:13; Isa. 27:13; 1 Thes. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:52-55; Matt. 24:29-31).
Many Jewish writings from antiquity refer Isaiah 52:13-53:12 to the Messiah rather than the nation of Israel.
See also
Notes and references
- ^ a b c d e "Jewish viewpoint #1". Jews for Judaism. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
- ^ "Jewish viewpoint #3". Truthnet.org: The Messiah. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
- ^ "Christian viewpoint 2". grebeweb. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/4229/isaih.html
- ^ http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/m.sion/shul53-3.htm
- ^ Acts 8:34-35
- ^ Isaiah 41:8-9, Isaiah 44:1, [Isaiah 44:21, and Isaiah 49:3
- ^ as in Isaiah 52:15
- ^ http://www.amfi.org/ABOUTWHOM.htm
- ^ E. W. Hengstenberg, Christology of the Old Testament, Vol. 2 of 4 vols. (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1956), 260-342.
- ^ Sydney H. T. Page, “The Suffering Servant Between The Testaments,” New Testament Studies, 31 (1985): 491-492.
- ^ a b c d "Christian viewpoint 1]". Chaim. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
External links
- Isaiah 52:13–53:12
- A Jewish refutation of Christian interpretation
- Why the Suffering Servant cannot be Israel, but must be the Messaiah
- One Christian's interpretation of Isaiah 53
- A Christian examination of Isaiah 53
- A Jewish explanation of the text from Rabbi Dov
- A Christian person's website devoted to Isaiah 53