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.
from prison and from judgment; or.
Psalm 22:12-21 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round…
Psalm 69:12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
Matthew 26:65,66 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy…
who
Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Acts 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
cut off
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
John 11:49-52 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, …
was he stricken.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
and who can recount His descendants?
This phrase suggests the lack of physical descendants or a future generation for the suffering servant. In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, having descendants was a sign of blessing and legacy. The question implies that the servant's life was cut short, preventing him from having offspring. For Christians, this is seen as a reference to Jesus, who, according to the New Testament, did not have biological children. However, spiritually, His followers are considered His descendants, as they continue His mission and teachings.
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
The phrase "cut off from the land of the living" indicates a premature and violent death. In biblical terms, being "cut off" often refers to a sudden and untimely end. This is seen as a prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion, where He was executed at a relatively young age. The phrase also connects to Daniel 9:26, which speaks of the Messiah being "cut off." The imagery of being removed from the land of the living emphasizes the finality and severity of His death.
He was stricken for the transgression of My people.
This phrase reveals the purpose behind the suffering servant's affliction: it was for the transgressions of others. In the context of Isaiah, this is a substitutionary atonement, where the servant bears the punishment deserved by others. Christians interpret this as a prophecy of Jesus' sacrificial death, where He took upon Himself the sins of humanity. This concept is central to Christian theology, as seen in passages like 1 Peter 2:24, which states that Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. The phrase underscores the servant's role as a willing and innocent substitute for the guilty.
• “By oppression and judgment He was taken away” (Isaiah 53:8) pictures the Messiah swept off by an illegal process, not by due justice.
• The Gospels echo this: soldiers seized Jesus at night (John 18:12), religious leaders hurried Him through secret hearings (Matthew 26:57–68), and Pilate capitulated to mob pressure (Luke 23:13–25).
• Acts 8:32–33 cites this very line, confirming it points to Jesus.
• 1 Peter 2:23 highlights His silent submission—He “did not retaliate,” accepting the Father’s plan.
• The phrase reassures believers that God’s purpose can work through human injustice (Genesis 50:20).
• The apparent riddle underscores that, humanly speaking, Jesus left no physical heirs—crucifixion cut short any earthly line (Matthew 27:50).
• Yet Isaiah soon promises, “He will see His offspring” (Isaiah 53:10), revealing a deeper truth: all who believe become His spiritual children (John 1:12; Hebrews 2:13).
• The question also magnifies His uniqueness; no genealogy can fully trace an eternal Son who creates a worldwide family (Revelation 7:9).
• “Cut off” speaks of literal death, not mere suffering. Daniel 9:26 foretold the Messiah would be “cut off,” and the Gospel accounts confirm His actual death—He “yielded up His spirit” (Matthew 27:50).
• Separation from the living fulfills the sacrificial pattern: like the Passover lamb slain outside the camp (Hebrews 13:11–12).
• Peter preaches that God foresaw this death and reversed it by resurrection (Acts 2:23–24), proving the sacrifice accepted.
• The stroke fell not for His own sin (Hebrews 4:15) but “for the transgression of My people,” underscoring substitution.
• Earlier lines echo this theme: “He was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). Paul states the same exchange—Christ “was delivered over for our trespasses” (Romans 4:25).
• 1 Peter 2:24 draws the pastoral application: “by His wounds you are healed,” inviting every believer to rest in completed atonement.
Isaiah 53:8 layers four truths: the Messiah would be seized by unjust power, leave no earthly heirs yet create an innumerable family, truly die, and do so as a substitute for sinners. The verse, fulfilled in Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and atoning death, reassures us that even human injustice bows to God’s redemptive plan, securing salvation for all who trust in Him.
(8) He was taken from prison . . .--The Hebrew preposition admits of this rendering, which is adopted by many commentators, as describing the oppression and iniquitous trial which had preceded the death of the servant. It admits equally of the sense, through oppression and through judgment; and, on the whole, this gives a preferable sense. The whole procedure was tainted with iniquity.Who shall declare his generation?--The words are, perhaps, the most difficult of the whole section, and have been very differently explained: (1) "Who shall declare his life, the mystery of his birth, his eternal being?" (2) "Who shall count his spiritual offspring?" as in Psalm 22:30. (3) "As to his generation (i.e., his contemporaries, as in Jeremiah 2:31), who will consider rightly?" (4) "Who shall set forth his generation in all the intensity of their guilt?"--to say nothing of other renderings, which render the noun as "his dwelling," i.e., the grave, or his "course of life," or his "fate." Of these (3) seems most in harmony with the context, the words that follow pointing to the fact which ought to have been considered, and was not, that though the Servant of Jehovah was smitten, it was not for his own sins, but theirs.
Verse 8. - He was taken from prison and from judgment; rather, by oppression and a judgment was he taken away; i.e. (us Dr. Kay says) "by a violence which cloaked itself under the formalities of a legal process." The Septuagint Version, which is quoted by Philip the deacon in the Acts (Isaiah 8:33), must have been derived from quite a different text. It preserves, however, the right rendering of the verb, "was he taken away," i.e. removed from the earth. Who shall declare his generation? literally, his generation who considereth? The meaning is obscure. Dr. Kay understands by "his generation," his lifetime or his life, comparing Isaiah 38:12, "Mine age is departed," where the same word is used and accompanied by a pronominal suffix. Mr. Urwick suggests that it includes(1) his origin;
(2) his earthly life; and
(3) his everlasting reign in heaven. . . .
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