Christianity & Judaism

Isaiah 53: Who Is the Suffering Servant?

Isaiah 53 describes a servant of God who is despised, suffers, and bears the sins of others. It is the most debated passage between Jews and Christians. Since Rashi in the eleventh century, the dominant Jewish reading is that the servant is the nation of Israel, suffering among the nations. Christians read the servant as one individual who suffers for others, and see him in Jesus. The actual history of interpretation is richer than either side often admits.

The text

The traditional Jewish reading

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi, 1040–1105) taught that the servant is the people of Israel, righteous sufferers bearing affliction among the gentile nations. This has become the dominant reading in Judaism, and it is a serious and coherent one: Israel as God’s servant (a title Isaiah uses elsewhere, e.g. Isaiah 41:8) suffering yet vindicated. We present it fully and fairly.

The fuller history, honestly

It is worth saying, without scoring a point, that the picture is more layered than either side often grants. A number of early Jewish sources, the Talmud, the Aramaic Targum, and various Midrashim, and some later sages, connected the servant with the Messiah. The reading of the servant as Israel was popularized by Rashi and emphasized especially in the modern period. Serious Jewish and Christian scholars debate the passage to this day. Honest people can read the same words and see different things.

The Christian reading

Christians read the servant as one individual who bears the sins of many, and see the passage answered in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is a Christian interpretation of a Jewish text, offered as such.

The most honest thing anyone can do with Isaiah 53 is read the whole chapter slowly, and ask who it sounds like.

Hebrew Bible quotations: King James Version; for the Jewish rendering, compare the JPS Tanakh at sefaria.org. Jewish interpretive positions (Rashi, Maimonides) are summarized from recognized Jewish sources. Every reference on this page was checked against its primary source.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the suffering servant in Isaiah 53?

There are two main readings. The dominant traditional Jewish view, following Rashi, is that the servant is the nation of Israel. The Christian view is that the servant is one individual, the Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus. Earlier Jewish sources also linked the servant to the Messiah.

Do Jews believe Isaiah 53 is about the Messiah?

Traditionally today, most Jewish interpretation (since Rashi) reads the servant as Israel, not the Messiah. But the Talmud, Targum, and some medieval sages did connect the passage to the Messiah, so the history is mixed.

Why do Christians say Isaiah 53 is about Jesus?

Because it describes one who is rejected, suffers, and bears the sins of others and is afterward vindicated, a pattern Christians see fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection. Christians offer this as an interpretation, and invite readers to weigh the text.