Isaiah 52:13–53:12 · read in full

The Suffering Servant

Isaiah’s song of the servant who is despised, wounded for our transgressions and numbered with the transgressors: the chapter the Gospels, Acts and Peter read as the suffering of Christ. Here it is whole, the King James beside the Book of Mormon, the Greek Septuagint and the Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran, with the one word Joseph Smith changed.

Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (CCE 19:1–3) ↗ OT 2 Old Testament Revision 2, p. 110 Bible Joseph’s marked Bible, p. 451

King James

Jesus quotes the song’s opening to the Nephites (3 Nephi 20:43–45), and Abinadi quotes all of Isaiah 53 to the priests of King Noah (Mosiah 14), beginning “Yea, even doth not Isaiah say.” The text is the Covenant Christian Edition’s. Highlighted words read differently from the King James; a struck word is one the Book of Mormon leaves out.

52:13
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
Book of MormonBehold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.3 Nephi 20:43 ↗
52:14
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Book of MormonAs many were astonished at thee — his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men —3 Nephi 20:44 ↗
52:15
So shall he ~~sprinkle~~ gather many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Book of Mormonso shall he sprinkle many nations. The kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.3 Nephi 20:45 ↗
53:1
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Book of MormonWho hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?Mosiah 14:1 ↗
53:2
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Book of MormonFor he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.Mosiah 14:2 ↗
53:3
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.
Book of MormonHe 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.Mosiah 14:3 ↗
53:4
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Book of MormonSurely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.Mosiah 14:4 ↗
53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Book of MormonBut he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.Mosiah 14:5 ↗
53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Book of MormonAll we, like sheep, have gone astray — we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.Mosiah 14:6 ↗
53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Book of MormonHe was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.Mosiah 14:7 ↗
53:8
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Book of MormonHe was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken.Mosiah 14:8 ↗
53:9
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Book of MormonAnd he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. Because he had done no evil, neither was any deceit in his mouth;Mosiah 14:9 ↗
53:10
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Book of Mormonyet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed; he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.Mosiah 14:10 ↗
53:11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Book of MormonHe shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.Mosiah 14:11 ↗
53:12
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Book of MormonTherefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong — because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.Mosiah 14:12 ↗

Sprinkle or gather?

Joseph Smith changed one word of this song, in its third verse. The other witnesses read it this way:

King James “So shall he sprinkle many nations” Isaiah 52:15
Joseph Smith Translation “So shall he gather many nations” Old Testament Revision 2, p. 110 ↗ His whole note on the verse is one word: “gather.”
Jesus, to the Nephites “so shall he sprinkle many nations” 3 Nephi 20:45 (CCE 9:10) ↗
Septuagint “Thus shall many nations wonder at him” Brenton, 1844

“‘He shall startle many nations’ (Isai.52.15); yazzeh, the apparently untranslatable verb means ‘sprinkle’ in the atonement ritual (Lev.16.19). The Servant figure does not ‘startle’ many peoples; the original Hebrew says he ‘sprinkles’.”
Margaret Barker, Atonement: The Rite of Healing (1994) ↗

“Isaiah’s fourth Servant Song continues: “He shall sprinkle many peoples” (Isa. 52:15), the term for the high priest cleansing the temple with blood. (This is often translated, “He shall startle many peoples.”)”
Margaret Barker, The Great High Priest (BYU Studies 42:3–4, 2003) ↗

A whole paper on this song

The Original Setting of the Fourth Servant Song ↗

Margaret Barker · Read to the Society for Old Testament Study, Cambridge, January 2000; published in the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 95 (2001) as “Hezekiah’s Boil.”

Barker reads the whole song against Isaiah’s account of King Hezekiah’s near-fatal illness and the deliverance of Jerusalem from Assyria, and against the high priest who bore the people’s sins on the Day of Atonement. Every verse of the song comes into it.

“Hezekiah’s illness and recovery, together with Isaiah’s interpretations of the affliction, are recorded in the Fourth Servant Song. Hezekiah’s illness did not give rise to the idea of a ‘suffering servant’, a sin bearer, a wrath interceptor like Aaron, but rather Isaiah’s second interpretation of the king’s illness was understood in the light of such a belief. In other words, the suffering figure, the wrath interceptor, was part of the ancient understanding of atonement and the role of the royal high priest.”

Read the paper ↗

Where scripture takes it up

c. 148 BC

Abinadi, to the priests of King Noah
Mosiah 14 (CCE 8:3–5) ↗
“Yea, even doth not Isaiah say, Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”
c. 148 BC

Abinadi, explaining it
Mosiah 15:10 (CCE 8:8) ↗
“And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you that when his soul has been made an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?”
c. AD 30

Matthew, of the healings at Capernaum
Matthew 8:17 (CCE 4:3) ↗
“that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
In the harmony: Authority at Capernaum: Healings & the Miraculous Catch →
c. AD 30

John, of those who would not believe
John 12:38 (CCE 8:4) ↗
“that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
In the harmony: The Greeks Seek Jesus (Saturday) →
c. AD 30

Jesus, at the Last Supper
Luke 22:37 (CCE 13:8) ↗
“For I say unto you, this that is written must yet be accomplished in me: And he was reckoned among the transgressors; for the things concerning me have an end.”
In the harmony: The Last Supper; the Betrayer; the Sacrament →
c. AD 30

Mark, at the cross
Mark 15:27–28 (CCE 7:24) ↗
“And with him they crucified two thieves, the one on his right hand and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which said: And he was numbered with the transgressors.”
In the harmony: The Crucifixion & the Seven Sayings; the Veil Rent →
c. AD 34

Jesus, to the Nephites
3 Nephi 20:43–45 (CCE 9:10) ↗
“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee — his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men — so shall he sprinkle many nations.”
c. AD 34

Philip, with the Ethiopian on the road to Gaza
Acts 8:32–35 (CCE 5:6–7) ↗
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb, dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth… Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
c. AD 57

Paul, to the Romans
Romans 10:16 (CCE 1:50) ↗
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report?”
c. AD 64

Peter, to the scattered saints
1 Peter 2:22–25 (CCE 1:9) ↗
“who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth… who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. For you were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

Scripture from the Covenant Christian Edition on scriptures.info, numbered traditionally with the CCE reference in parentheses; the King James from eBible.org; the Septuagint in Sir Lancelot Brenton’s English (1844). The scrolls’ readings are cited to the scholars who report them.