Isaiah 53:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Though He endured immense suffering, He is still separated from the earthly realm. He resides with God, as declared: Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). He is taken up from the earthly existence. Who can be a man without being born? Let those who slander the prophet’s words feel shame. We should not speak of His eternal birth, as it remains obscure; instead, I refer to the birth that took place in the world. How can a man be born of a Virgin? How can conception happen without physical union? How can a child exist without a husband? Who can truly explain this? Before the two were united, it became evident that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). The act of conception isn’t depicted, rather it is conveyed: The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; therefore the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Yet, they may insist this is common knowledge. In response to such objections, let us consider: The Holy Spirit will find (Luke 1:35). They assert that the Holy Spirit made this happen. But in what manner did He do so? Was it like God creating Adam? This would be inappropriate. From human seed? Certainly not; to suggest this is profoundly impious. As with Eve—taken from a rib? No. Did He extract anything from her womb and fashion it? I cannot accept that either. But was it not without the Virgin? This is also incorrect; thus, one cannot claim He took flesh from her. How then? I admit my ignorance: I do not know. Do not probe the unfathomable. I affirm that He took flesh from the Virgin, and I affirm it was true flesh. The manner in which He received it from her eludes me; I am not wiser than the prophets or more enlightened than the Holy Spirit who spoke through them. The Spirit, which knows the deep things of God just as a man's spirit understands the things within him (cf. 1 Cor. 2:11), said nothing more than, ‘Who can explain His generation?’ I and you, who are we to search out the unsearchable and delve into the ineffable? If man cannot explain His earthly birth, which was witnessed by countless angels, prophets, and all of creation, being nearly akin to ours since He shared in our humanity in every way except for sin, who would be foolish enough to attempt to grasp the eternal birth that is beyond understanding? He is not of this world; He is severed from the earthly existence. How is this so? His death was certainly not like ours, for His body was not bound by the law of sin, hence He did not face death due to sin but suffered for the transgressions of others. Therefore, God exalted Him (Phil. 2:9). Can you see the grace in suffering for others? Yet one might wonder how we can be assured of this. If His birth remains unspeakable, and if He is distanced from the living, where is He then? The prophet reveals that the hard-hearted may understand that while He died in the flesh, He did not perish in His divine nature. He was not left among the dead but resides with God, as stated: His soul was not left in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption (Acts 2:31), which clearly pertains to His divinity. He died not for His own shortcomings but for the failings of others—bearing a mortal nature, yet not an anxious one. For the sins of My people, He faced execution. Symmachus states: for the iniquities of My people.

Isaiah asked: ‘Who shall declare His generation?’ (Isaiah 53:8). He did not merely ask ‘who shall declare,’ but rather posed it in a way that suggests the impossibility of anyone being able to do so. David reflects: ‘Thy mind is astonished at me’ (Psalms 138:6); and Isaiah proclaims this not only to him but to all humanity; such recognition eludes us all.

Thus, it is noted, "In His humility His judgment shall be taken up." To some of the Jewish leaders, or His adjudicators, He seemed insignificant, prompting the prophet to reflect on the majesty of His glory and the truth that God has dwelt among us in human form. He bows His head in sorrow for the unjust verdict rendered against Him and questions, "Who shall confess His generation?" He declares that they have acted as brutal and unfair judges, not against an ordinary individual as they presumed, but against Him whose lineage is beyond our comprehension. Here, the term God refers to the Only Begotten, born of God the Father, in a manner that defies explanation; His birth was not of flesh, but aligned with the spiritual and incorporeal nature: light emanated from light, life emerged from life. Our belief in His true birth from the essence of God the Father is without hesitation. Yet, how this was accomplished is beyond our articulation or understanding. As God, He humbly chose to experience humiliation for our benefit. He took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7) and underwent a fleshy birth from a woman, adhering to human nature’s laws, but not originating from a conventional marriage; it was a wondrous and mysterious conception, as relayed to the blessed Virgin: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, the holy offspring that is born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Given that the mystery of His incarnation transcends the norms of our nature, the prophet indicates: "Whosoever shall confess His generation, his life shall be taken up from the earth." His life will be exalted above that of humanity, reflecting His conduct and earthly existence; He is one of us, though He was without sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22), in contrast to all others on earth who fall short of such perfection. The being of the Only Begotten surpasses all who inhabit the earth, and even more so before He took on human form. His earthly birth is extraordinary and divine, and His actions and existence far exceed the capacities of all who dwell in the earthly realm. Should anyone inquire on this, questioning how He who is without sin faced death and was labeled as a transgressor, God the Father responds: "For the iniquity of my people He is led to death." This reveals that He submitted to the punishment of death due to the sins of His people, or it may imply that because His people had become exceedingly lawless, the net of their violence and murder ensnared Him, leading Him to death. Both interpretations hold truth. He died to eradicate the sin of humanity and the subsequent death it brought forth. His death also occurred due to the transgressions made against Him by the Jews; for although they knew Him to be the heir, they conspired among themselves, "Come, let us kill him, and seize his inheritance" (Matthew 21:38).

If it pertains to the Divine, in which He is perpetually born and has always existed, how can one elucidate the emergence of Light from Light, both being one and the same? And how does God arise from God without an increase in the number of deities?

It follows that ‘Who shall declare His generation?’ This can be understood in two ways: the first pertains to His divine nature since the mysteries of His divine conception are beyond human comprehension, as He declares in Proverbs, ‘Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, was I brought forth’ (Proverbs 8:25). As recorded elsewhere, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?’ (Romans 11:34). No one can claim to know. The second relates to His virgin birth, which is difficult to explain. When the angel announced to Mary, ‘You will conceive in your womb and bear a Son,’ she replied, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ The angel continued, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you’ (Lk. 1:31, 34, 35). Thus, only the angel or the Evangelist broaches the mysteries of this birth, which is seldom recounted, leading one to ponder: ‘Who is wise and will understand these things?’ (Hos. 14:10).

If the discerning reader reflects quietly, they will recall: ‘No one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son will reveal Him’ (Mt. 11:27). Anyone who comprehends the Father and the Son may indeed convey the mystery of His birth; however, it is crucial to distinguish between knowing and explaining, for there are instances where we cannot articulate in words what we grasp in thought. Thus, even conjoined with the saints, who exist in the body, can perceive the divine birth's mystery through faith, but they can articulate it only to a limited extent. Meanwhile, even the Apostle who ascended to the third heaven and paradise has heard words inexpressible by human language (2 Cor. 12:1-4). Likewise, the Spirit intercedes on our behalf with groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26).

Therefore, the life of Him whom few can elucidate was removed from the earth, so He might not dwell among mortals but in heaven. Or rather, He was taken from the land of the living, fulfilling what is written in the Revelation of John: ‘I am the First and the Last; I am He who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore’ (Rev. 1:17-18). Following His earthly existence and sacrificial death, He lives eternally in heaven. The phrase, ‘Because of the iniquity of My people He was stricken,’ or as the LXX states, ‘Because of the sins of My people He was led to death,’ carries a dual significance. It indicates that either He afflicted the persecutors and offenders among His people through His death, or that due to the weight of the people's sins, whom He regarded as His own, He was led to death in order to restore them to life through His sacrifice.

The judgment that will condemn the unbelieving with fire will occur at the end of time. He also states, “His generation who shall expound it.” It is vital that we do not dismiss Him as insignificant or undignified due to the hardships He faced and the enemies He encountered; rather, this serves for our instruction. He who bore such trials comes from an immeasurable lineage, which refers to His origin—His Father, who is beyond measure and expression. Recognize, therefore, that a being of such divine origin experienced immense suffering, and do not scorn Him for the trials He undertook on your behalf; rather, revere Him for His divine lineage.

The people of Israel, urged on by their leaders who were antagonistic towards Jesus, sentenced Him to death, unaware that He was dying not for any wrongdoing of His own, for He had none, but for the transgressions of the people.

Before God’s judgment, He stood not as a criminal but as a willing sacrifice for the sins of humanity, bearing them at the behest of God the Father, or more appropriately, in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.’ Thus, the first part of verse 8 can be interpreted as: ‘He was taken from the bondage and judgment of man.’ What transpired to the Son of Man encompasses a profound mystery, devoid of any true human judgment or condemnation; for the Sanhedrin's verdict was a mockery of justice, Herod’s judgment acquitted Him, and Pilate acknowledged finding no fault in Him, yet condemned Him out of fear of Caesar. The subsequent phrase in verse 8, ‘Who shall explain His generation?’ implies that the origin of the Lord Jesus was hidden by divine will from the people. They knew Him merely as the son of a carpenter, with His siblings among them (Matt. 13:55-56). This pertains to the time of His ministry. At His birth, it was revealed to many that ‘the King of the world was born’ (Matt. 2), descending from the line of David through both His mother and father; it is assured that He came to save many (Luke 2). However, following their flight into Egypt, the Holy Family returned and settled in Nazareth, and thirty years passed before the Lord revealed Himself to the world, allowing the prophecies and revelations from His childhood to fade from the memory of the new generation around Him, particularly in the thoughts of His judges. The following words of verse 8, ‘for He was taken from the land of the living,’ appear to connect with our previous interpretation of the first expression regarding being taken from bonds and judgment. Consequently, the initial part of verse 8, as we perceive, conveys: Thus says the Lord, ‘It was not lawful for man to judge Him; who could explain His generation? He was removed from human judgment where He could not submit, unknown and misjudged by the people.’ ‘He is cut off from the land of the living.’ The concluding part of verse 8 reinforces the interpretation we proposed. The Lord Himself elucidates this profound mystery by stating, ‘For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.’ The next verse clarifies that despite human efforts to tarnish even the memory of the righteous one ‘offered for the sins of the people’ after His death, divine Providence decreed otherwise: His death was intended to glorify Him.”