Isaiah 52:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Now, let us compare Christ with one of those the Jews might consider applicable to this declaration, and assess to whom it more rightly pertains; we will leave the judgment to you. What does it mean to grasp or comprehend? To properly understand the scriptures, I believe, captures the essence of the term; Aquila also suggests, This shall my young man comprehend; the Hebrew text implies the same meaning as Aquila. I argue that the prophet intended this in reference to Christ, highlighting that all was accomplished according to His will, as exemplified by Christ’s own words: I was very eager to eat this Passover with you (Luke 22:15). Though the ordeal was arduous, it was undertaken in anticipation of what He was destined to fulfill.

This illustrates that He willingly embraced the cross out of love, not out of compulsion or reluctance; it was something He longed for, something He found delightful, as He stated: There is no greater love than this, that a man lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Observe how He discloses His desire, embracing the cross, which He even refers to as glory (John 12:28, 32). He shall be exalted and magnified. Some interpret this as He shall be lifted up. However, not everyone who is elevated experiences glory; in fact, scorn typically accompanies such elevation. He distinguishes His ascension from others, declaring: When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He (John 8:28); and further: When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself (John 12:32). What brought a curse upon others becomes a resolution for all curses. His exaltation signifies a profound elevation; thus, it is declared that He shall be lifted up. Now, who truly received exaltation and glory in His elevation? To whom do the Jews wish to assign these words—Zerubbabel, Daniel, the people, or to God, whom the entirety of creation honors?

The pinnacle of divine wisdom is found in the unique act of the only-begotten Word of God becoming flesh, that is, becoming human, experiencing poverty alongside earthly dwellers so that through His own poverty, we might find riches. By believing in Him, we are cleansed from sin's impurities, for the Mosaic law was incapable of eradicating sin. Furthermore, through the death of His body, He aimed to conquer death and corruption, restoring immortality to those under the grip of death, transforming earthly beings into citizens of heaven, uniting those once lost with God the Father, proclaiming freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, healing to the brokenhearted, emptying hell, and stripping Satan of his reign and cruel dominion over all. Hence, He will understand, as my child says; for His actions for our sake lack any folly or foolishness; it is by wisdom that He accomplishes all things, as noted by the Psalmist (Psalm 103:24). For this reason, He will be exalted and glorified immensely: God receives glory from us when we declare Him Lord, Savior, and Redeemer, and we hold these truths. To affirm the absolute truth of the Word of God the Father, He added, "As many as are astonished by you, so will your sight be viewed with contempt by men, and your glory will be criticized by men; for those who perceive His manifestation and can mentally grasp the enormity of His divine power marvel at His works. Such was the prophet Habakkuk, who stated, "Lord, I have heard your report, and I am afraid; I understand your deeds, and I am filled with dread" (Habakkuk 3:1). However, those who failed to recognize His glory and remained in disbelief and ignorance dishonored Him, casting aspersions and calling Him a Samaritan, a deceiver, a drunkard, one born illegitimately, and categorizing Him as a sinner. Thus, as many will be dismayed by you, so will your sight be disdained by men, and your glory will attract scorn from men. Conversely, many among the Gentiles will be astonished by you and will remain silent before kings. The vile Jews, despite their utter insignificance, dared to mock Him, often unleashing their unrestrained tongues against Him and hurling blasphemous accusations. In contrast, many kings, in reverence of Him as God, will praise Him as the Sovereign over all and will remain silent, meaning they will not utter any hateful words nor express disdain towards the glory of Christ. To ensure that the divine, holy, and saving message of the Gospel does not align with those who disparaged His presence, but rather with those who remain in awe of His glory, He clearly expressed, "They will witness it, and those who have not heard will comprehend it." Indeed, everything regarding Christ was foretold by the prophets to the Israelites, not to the Gentiles. Yet, these, he asserts, will experience complete salvation through Him, and those unaware of His mysteries will grasp them, as they will have believed in Him; for faith is the foundation and sustainer of knowledge, the beginning of godliness, and those who embrace it are brought to life. Therefore, the prophet Isaiah declares, "Unless you believe, you cannot understand" (Isaiah 7:9).

Who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender plant, like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or splendor that drew us to Him, and when we beheld Him, there was nothing in His appearance that attracted us. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering; we hid our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him as nothing. Yet He bore our sicknesses and carried our pains, and we thought He was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned, each one, to his own way; and the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. He was taken away from oppression and judgment; and who can speak of His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was stricken for the transgression of My people. He was given a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit found in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to crush Him and cause Him to suffer; when His soul makes an offering for sin, He will see His offspring, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. He will look upon the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge, the Righteous One, My servant, will make many righteous, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors’ (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12). This speaks of Christ.

He, being the very image of God, willingly took on the form of a servant, obedient to the Father even unto death, and the most shameful death of the cross. Hence, God exalted Him and bestowed upon Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:6-9). The Psalmist declares, "I will bless the Lord who has instructed me" (Psalm 15:7); David sings of Him as the one "who created the heavens with understanding" (Psalm 135:5). For He embodies wisdom and discernment—He who excelled as a young boy in stature and wisdom (Luke 2:52). Peter also testifies: "The God of our fathers glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and denied before Pilate, who wished to release Him; but you rejected the Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 3:13-14). As quoted above, the Lord God declares, "I am the witness, says the Lord God, and My chosen Child" (Isaiah 43:10). Many will be astonished when they see His marvelous signs. However, from that moment forth, it will be a profound wonder that His appearance will be radiant among men—not due to the degradation of His form, but because He will arrive in humility and poverty. Though He was rich, He became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), and He invited those who believed, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29). Clement, the apostolic leader who succeeded Peter in the Roman Church, wrote to the Corinthians about Him: "The Lord Jesus Christ did not come with the ostentation of pride, even though all things are possible for Him, but in humility." So true was this that when He was condemned by the high priest's servant, He replied, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong; but if well, why do you strike Me?" (John 18:19-23), having command over more than a legion of angels (Matthew 26:53). He will purify many nations, redeeming them with His blood and sanctifying them for God through baptism. Before Him, the rulers and leaders of the age will be silenced, as their supposed wisdom is shattered by the proclamation of the cross; yet those who lacked the Law and the Prophets, and to whom He was not proclaimed, will see and understand. The Savior also proclaims, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). In contrast, the hardness of heart among the Jews is rebuked, for they saw and heard yet fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy, "With their ears they will hear, but will not understand; and seeing they will see, but will not perceive. For the hearts of this people have grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing" (Isaiah 6:9-10).

Who is this individual? By examining this prophecy alongside its fulfillment and considering the New Testament insights regarding its subject, we see that the only one fitting this description is Christ. This understanding is echoed by early Christian writers, who noted that the prophecy explicitly speaks of Christ, as if inscribed through His cross. Even the ancient Jews associated it with the Messiah, as illustrated in the Talmud which asks, "What is the name of the Messiah?" and answers, "The Sickly One, as noted in Isaiah (Isaiah 53:4): This one bears our sins and is sick for us." The Servant of the Lord understands; the term "servant" (παις) is not merely a generic term for service but indicates a unique calling to fulfill God's special purposes. In this context, figures like Moses and other prophets are identified as servants of the Lord (Num. 12:7, Ex. 20:3, Jer. 7:20). Similarly, in the writings of Isaiah, the Messiah is referred to as the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 22:1; cf. Matthew 12:15-22). He will possess understanding and wisdom in carrying out His divine mission, executing it with the discernment expected of a faithful servant, particularly the servant of the Lord—One who has been endowed with wisdom from His youth and upon whom the Spirit of wisdom, counsel, and knowledge abundantly rests since His baptism (Luke 2:52, Isaiah 11:1-4). A diligent and wise servant does not go unrewarded by his master. Therefore, in recognition of His accomplished works marked by zealous devotion to God's glory, the Messiah will be exalted and glorified within His humanity. The magnitude of His glory is highlighted in the subsequent verses by contrasting it with the state of humiliation that preceded it.