Isaiah 53:11-12
11. Jehovah is still speaking.
see of the travail—He shall see such blessed fruits resulting from His sufferings as amply to repay Him for them (Isa 49:4, 5; 50:5, 9). The "satisfaction," in seeing the full fruit of His travail of soul in the conversion of Israel and the world, is to be realized in the last days (Isa 2:2-4). his knowledge—rather, the knowledge (experimentally) of Him (Joh 17:3; Php 3:10). my . . . servant—Messiah (Isa 42:1; 52:13). righteous—the ground on which He justifies others, His own righteousness (1Jo 2:1). justify—treat as if righteous; forensically; on the ground of His meritorious suffering, not their righteousness. bear . . . iniquities— (Isa 53:4, 5), as the sinner's substitute.12. divide—as a conqueror dividing the spoil after a victory (Ps 2:8; Lu 11:22).
him—for Him. with . . . great—HENGSTENBERG translates, "I will give Him the mighty for a portion"; so the Septuagint. But the parallel clause, "with the strong," favors English Version. His triumphs shall be not merely among the few and weak, but among the many and mighty. spoil . . . strong— (Col 2:15; compare Pr 16:19). "With the great; with the mighty," may mean, as a great and mighty hero. poured out . . . soul—that is, His life, which was considered as residing in the blood (Le 17:11; Ro 3:25). numbered with, &c.—not that He was a transgressor, but He was treated as such, when crucified with thieves (Mr 15:28; Lu 22:37). made intercession, &c.—This office He began on the cross (Lu 23:34), and now continues in heaven (Isa 59:16; Heb 9:24; 1Jo 2:1). Understand because before "He was numbered . . . He bare . . . made intercession." His meritorious death and intercession are the cause of His ultimate triumph. MAURER, for the parallelism, translates, "He was put on the same footing with the transgressors." But English Version agrees better with the Hebrew, and with the sense and fact as to Christ. MAURER'S translation would make a tautology after "He was numbered with the transgressors"; parallelism does not need so servile a repetition. "He made intercession for," &c., answers to the parallel, "He was numbered with," &c., as effect answers to cause, His intercession for sinners being the effect flowing from His having been numbered with them. Hebrews 12:2
2. Looking unto—literally, "Looking from afar" (see on Heb 11:26); fixing the eyes upon Jesus seated on the throne of God.
author—"Prince-leader." The same Greek is translated, "Captain (of salvation)," Heb 2:10; "Prince (of life)," Ac 3:15. Going before us as the Originator of our faith, and the Leader whose matchless example we are to follow always. In this He is distinguished from all those examples of faith in Heb 11:2-40. (Compare 1Co 11:1). On His "faith" compare Heb 2:13; 3:12. Believers have ever looked to Him (Heb 11:26; 13:8). finisher—Greek, "Perfecter," referring to Heb 11:40. of our faith—rather as Greek, "of the faith," including both His faith (as exhibited in what follows) and our faith. He fulfilled the ideal of faith Himself, and so, both as a vicarious offering and an example, He is the object of our faith. for the joy . . . set before him—namely, of presently after sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God; including besides His own personal joy, the joy of sitting there as a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins. The coming joy disarmed of its sting the present pain. cross . . . shame—the great stumbling-block to the Hebrews. "Despised," that is, disregarded.
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