He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
What does Isaiah 53:3 mean?
No where in all the Old Testament is it so plainly and fully prophesied, that Christ ought to suffer, and then to enter into his glory, as in this chapter.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside Isaiah 53:1-3 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Isaiah 53:3
He is despised - This requires no explanation; and it needs no comment to show that it was fulfilled. The Redeemer was eminently the object of contempt and scorn alike by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Romans. In his life on earth it was so; in his death it was still so; and since then, his name and person have been extensively the object of contempt. Nothing is a more striking fulfillment of this than the conduct of the Jews at the present day. The very name of Jesus of Nazareth excites contempt; and they join with their fathers who rejected him in heaping on him every term indicative of scorn.
Key words
- the last of men
-
the last of men.
- despised
-
He is despised, and rejected of men,.
- rejected
-
He is despised, and rejected of men,.
Context in Isaiah 53
Show chapter context
Isaiah 53 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as new exodus, Zion, and new creation. Isaiah is one of Scripture’s grandest prophetic books, moving from holy judgment to consolation, servant imagery, and new-creation hope. Read this chapter with the wider themes of holiness, judgment, and remnant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.
Who quoted Isaiah 53:3?
Find out who used Isaiah 53:3 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted Isaiah 53:3?
Quotes found on Wikiquote (match for «man of sorrows»):
Albert Barnes · Annie Besant · Calvary · Catholic Church · Ecclesiastes · Frederic Farrar · Immaculate Conception · Isaiah · Michael Bruce · Moby-Dick · Queen of Heaven · Robert Hugh Benson · Son of God · Steve Kilbey · William Wilberforce