Isaiah 53:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

According to Aquila, He will lift up. Symmachus translates it as He will lead. For this reason, He shall inherit many and share the spoils with the mighty (Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and with the strong He shall divide the spoil), referring to the spoils of Satan. He triumphed and seized the armor of the strong. It is aptly stated that He shall divide, for He granted tongues to some of His apostles while ordaining others. His soul was submitted to death and He was numbered with the transgressors (Because He delivered His soul unto death, and was numbered with the wicked). One translator observes, He was counted among the wicked. (He was delivered) unto death, not without purpose, but to raise them up. Can you perceive the benefit of death and the fruit of the cross? It is said that death was not equivalent because it fully aligned with His nature, as through His death He became the Sovereign of all who live. This death was marked by disgrace. The Jews recall, that deceiver, while He was still living, proclaimed, ‘After three days I will rise again’ (Matthew 27:63). It is rightly said: and with the lawless He was considered lawless, although He Himself was without lawlessness. He bore the transgressions of many and was offered up for their iniquities (whereas He bore the sin of many). Others declare, He accepted (and He became an intercessor for the transgressors). Aquila suggests: He went to meet those who mocked Him; Symmachus: those who opposed Him. Theodotion remarks: and He would have dealt with the wicked. Notice how the prophet consistently warns against causing anyone to stumble. How could a lawless man bear and remove the sins of others? Was it not for this reason that He suffered death, as He opposed sin? To eradicate sin, He willingly laid down His life. But why is it said that He lifted or will lift up? It signifies the cross, for on it sin was affixed; through the cross, sins were atoned.

The same prophet (Isaiah) also foretold that Christ would cast out demons from humanity: ‘and he will divide the spoils of the strong' (and with the strong he will divide the spoils) (Isaiah 53:12).

All nations were effectively under Satan's dominion; however, He who inherited them divided them among the holy bearers of mystery: through the apostle Peter, some were called to the knowledge of Christ, our Savior, while others were enlightened by the teachings of the divine Paul and other sacred apostles. Thus, the Savior distributed to them what may be likened to the spoils of war—the conversion and calling of those who had previously strayed. And to affirm that Christ was to die for all and reign as Lord over all, he reassures them with the words, Because his soul was delivered unto death, and he was counted among the transgressors, and the sins of many were borne, and for their iniquities he was given up.

Additionally, this Prophet proclaims, “He shall be the root of Jesse, and He shall rule over the nations; in Him, the Gentiles will place their hope” (Isaiah 11:10).

These countless individuals were once held captive by a powerful enemy, represented as an ass and a donkey necessary under many masters, to whom the apostles remarked, “The Lord has need of them” (Matthew 21:3). They were formidable before Christ took on human form; however, upon His victory over the strong man, He ransacked his dwelling (Matthew 12:29). Consequently, He entrusted the spoils to His apostles, who were distributed leadership roles: Peter, James, and John became leaders of the circumcised, while Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Gentiles, serving under one Lord yet operating in different capacities to lead them triumphantly to salvation through their victories over various nations.

As a result, those who, to appease the blasphemer Porphyry, argue that the interaction between Peter and Paul (Galatians 2:11-21) was merely conflict and assert that the ceremonial practices of the Old Law should still be upheld in Christ's Church by believing Israel can only expect a golden Jerusalem in which to sacrifice, observe circumcision, entertain themselves on the Sabbath, and partake in drunkenness—activities that displease God. This ties back to what is foretold: “He shall divide the spoil with the mighty” (Isaiah 53:12), consistent with the declaration, “When the heavenly King distributes the spoils” (Psalm 67:15), and again, “The King of hosts, for the beauty of the house, divides the spoils” (Psalm 67:13).

Regarding the apostle Paul, from the tribe of Benjamin, the Hebrew text notes: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf: in the morning he shall eat his prey, and in the evening, he shall divide the spoils” (Genesis 49:27). Concerning them, we recall: “They shall rejoice before You, as one rejoices in the harvest, and as those who divide the spoils rejoice” (Isaiah 9:3), allocating among themselves the churches of Christ throughout the world. Therefore, the One who came to proclaim freedom to the captives and restore those held captive by the devil will gather many nations to Himself, having offered His soul to death, and being counted among the transgressors. If His apostle was as if without law to those outside the law, even though he was not lawless, but under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21); then, how could Christ not be perceived as lawless, allowing Him to redeem the lawless from sin, and to become everything to everyone in hopes of saving them all?

He bore our sins in His body (1 Peter 2:24), nailing them to the cross to abolish the decrees written against us by the devil and his angels—these decrees penned by our actions. The apostle Paul reflects upon this, stating, “And you who were dead in your trespasses and sins, He made alive together with Christ, forgiving us all trespasses, having erased the record that stood against us, taking it away by nailing it to the cross; He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them” (Ephesians 2:3, Colossians 2:13-15). When the Evangelist Mark mentions “robbers” aligned with Him, he clarifies that they were amongst those numbered with the lawless, as prophesied: “And with Him, they crucified two robbers, one on His right, and the other on His left” (Mark 15:27-28).

This understanding can also be deepened through the Lord’s own words about Himself: “You were added to those who went down to the pit; you were like a man without help, among the dead” (Psalm 88:5-6). For He was genuinely numbered with transgressors so that He would descend into hell, depicted in many scriptural uses as a prison, and liberate those bound in darkness. He was delivered for our transgressions and raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). In His immense mercy, He prayed for those who persecuted Him even while on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

This event, often deemed the most shameful aspect of His Passion, will evoke reverence among all. He was associated with the lawless. He not only bore the penalty designated for the lawless but was also crucified alongside criminals. The evangelist Mark records this truth. After stating that two criminals were crucified alongside Him, he notes, “The Scripture saith, ‘And with the lawless He shall be counted’” (Mark 15:28). Furthermore, He bore the sins of many and was given up for their transgressions. Simmachus rendered it as “He took away the sins of many and confronted those who rejected Him.” Likewise, Aquila and Theodotion provided a similar translation. He indicates that they betrayed Him along with the lawless criminals. Yet, as He removed the sins of all, He endured suffering and faced the demons who turned against Him.

Similar to this, the Lord expresses the Messiah's authority over the nations through the Psalmist's words: ‘And I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for Thy possession’ (Psalm 2:8). The following context of the verse reveals the nature of the Messiah's deeds, for which His reward is described in the text we are examining. Hence, His life was offered up—specifically, the life He surrendered for the sake of the world. He was counted among the rebellious—He was numbered with the transgressors. Christ Himself elucidates these prophetic statements regarding His own fate, foretelling His suffering and death and noting that He would be judged as a common criminal (Luke 22:37). Likewise, the Evangelist Mark references these words while recounting His crucifixion alongside thieves (Mark 15:28). He who bore the transgressions of many, and for their sins was delivered up: The One who stood in for many assumed responsibility before God's justice—not for all, as not everyone believed in Him, nor did all profit from His sacrifice on the cross.