- Oct 28, 2006
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Just a quick clarification on a point here. The traditional Jewish reading is that it is the Kings of the World mentioned in 52 that are doing the speaking in 53 (at least until a point where HaShem is speaking, I think. Haven't reread it for this post and I'm a bit rusty).
So it would be more like:
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken."
Surely Israel has born our (the world) griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we (the world) esteemed Israel stricken.
You are free to disagree, but that is the traditional Jewish understanding.
Ok. Thanks for the additional comments for us to ponder. And just to be fair, I found the following article on the web from Outreach Judaism, so we can read it and mull over the extent to which we think it does a just job of explaining Isaiah 53 from a Jewish, non-Christian point of view.
https://outreachjudaism.org/gods-suffering-servant-isaiah-53/
In response, and just off of the top of my head at the moment, I thinking that of course the Rabbi's would give one of a handful of various interpretations that would defend the 'place' of Israel in Isaiah. But, being that the nation of Israel is characterized by the prophet(s) as spiritually in transgression, if we care to read the entire book of Isaiah (which I've done many times), it seems unlikely to me that the more typical Jewish reading is accurate, and we'd have to ignore all of the verses (sometimes entire chapters) which describe God's anger at Israel for their sins.
I could be wrong, but it seems unlikely that He would use a sinful nation in and of itself, without any kind of moral transformation and redemptive process, to be the light and sinbearer for the rest of the world. However, I can see God using a sinful nation, particular Israel since they were elect, through which to send a Redemptive Messiah who would then spark an actual spiritual reformation among the people of Israel.
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