April 7, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 1 of 16 Who Is the Suffering Servant in “Isaiah 53”? Part I – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? A Counter-Missionary Education Lesson by Uri Yosef, Ph.D., Director of Education Virtual Yeshiva of the Messiah Truth Project, Inc. [The article on this topic is located here - Copyright © Uri Yosef 2011 for the Messiah Truth Project, Inc. All rights reserved Counter-Missionary Education

April 7, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 2 of 16 Introduction Testing of our hypothesis continues in the Validation stage of the Scientific Method with the verse-by-verse analysis of Segment 4 – Isaiah 53:9-12. The scene in Segments 2 & 3 is set in the future, in the messianic era, a time when the leaders of the Gentile nations are realizing that what they are witnessing is very different from what they expected. The people who they persecuted and figured to be a nation that will not survive, have survived it all and have reached the “peak of the mountain”. Israel has become a successful and influential nation, exalted and revered by all other nations. A difference of opinions exists among the Jewish Sages concerning the "voice" as we begin the final segment. Some hold that Isaiah 53:9 is a continuation of the confession by the (Gentile) nations, and then the “voice” changes in verse 10. Others say that the "voice" is that of the narrator, Isaiah, who summarizes the impact that the (Gentile) nations' iniquities had on the servant, and then changes to the “voice” of God in verse 10. Still others maintain it is the "voice" of God as He starts to respond to the (Gentile) nations with a description of what happened to Israel because of their [the nations’] sins, letting them know what is in store for the servant in the future. This "voice“ then continues to the end of the chapter. We shall follow the latter point-of-view in the analysis. Hypothesis: Israel is the servant in the Fourth Servant Song (“Isaiah 53”)

April 7, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 3 of 16 Segment 3 – Isaiah 53:5-8

April 7, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 4 of 16 Segment 3 – Isaiah 53:5-8 Cross-referenced passages for the table on Slide 3

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 5 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 Verification Stage Who is speaking?The “voice” is that of God. What is the message?The historical record testifies that many Jews chose to die like common criminals rather than renounce their faith; and many wealthy Jews were wantonly slain, not because of any crimes or violent acts they committed, but for no reason other than to enable their killers to rob them of their possessions. In most cases, the Jews did not even put up any resistance to being murdered. Most died with the Sh’ma on their lips, and not with any form of deceit on them to accept doctrines and beliefs about gods that their Jewish forefathers had not known.

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 6 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) The disparity between the two translations of the highlighted Hebrew term בְּמֹתָיו (b e mo TAV ) has a significant impact on the context of the verse and how it fits into the rest of the passage. It must, therefore, be resolved.

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 7 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) As the information in the table shows, the correct translation of the Hebrew phrase בְּמֹתָיו is in his deaths, as the Jewish translations has, not in his death, as rendered in the KJV. The fact that both the singular and plural terms are used, interchangeably, in references to the servant here and, as we saw, in Isaiah 53:8 does not create a problem for the Jewish perspective. In fact, this enhances it, because it shows that the servant cannot be an individual; rather, the servant must be a compound entity, a plurality, which is entirely consistent with Israel as the servant.  Question: Does Israel (as God's servant) "fit" into Isaiah 53:9?  Answer: YES!

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 8 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) As the highlighted phrases indicate, there is a significant difference in the way the two translations render the first portion. This must be resolved in order to understand the correct context of the verse. Who is speaking?The “voice” is that of God. What is the message?God continues His response to the (Gentile) nations and affirms that some of Israel's suffering was, indeed, punishment for the nation's own sins. However, when Israel, as a nation, will acknowledge its iniquity and repent, the Jewish people will be redeemed and rewarded with growth in numbers, prolonged life, and achieve success in their divinely ordained mission, as God's light unto the nations.

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 9 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) A closer look at the structure of this verse helps in the understanding of its context. The part of the verse that follows the initial statement about God punishing Israel is constructed in the form of a conditional statement; namely, IF (A) THEN (B). In other words, if Condition A is satisfied, then Outcome B will occur, a construct that is not uncommon to the Hebrew Bible, as demonstrated by the following examples: Here is the case under consideration: It is evident that the two translations of “A” are incompatible. The KJV continues here to promote its message of a vicarious atonement, whereas the Jewish translation from the Hebrew is based on the applicable meaning of the highlighted term אָשָׁם (a SHAM ), which is used in two ways in the Hebrew Bible: אָשָׁם As a guilt offering brought by a sinner for the atonement of any one of a number of specific sins committed with intent (e.g., Leviticus 5:15; Numbers 6:12) As a transgression committed with intent (e.g., Jeremiah 51:5; Proverbs 14:9)

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 10 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) The KJV rendition of “A” is in error. First, since, in the correct grammatical and contextual application of the Hebrew word אָשָׁם, and remaining faithful to what the Hebrew Bible teaches, it is impossible for the subject to bring himself (or herself) as a guilt offering. Second, there is also the issue of the reward that is promised to the subject here if he admits his (or her) guilt and repents. Of what use would the reward be to the recipient if he were to submit himself to be sacrificed? Having descendants and living a long life once he (or she) is dead would be meaningless! As it concerns the terminology used in stating the reward, two things are worth noting:  Question: Does Israel (as God's servant) "fit" into Isaiah 53:10?  Answer: YES! The Hebrew word זֶרַע ( ZE ra) is a collective noun that indicates progeny, i.e., physical (not spiritual) descendants The Hebrew phrase יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים (ya’a RICH ya MIM ) is an idiomatic expression that indicates a long (not an eternal) life

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 11 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) The two translations that correspond to the highlighted Hebrew phrase are incompatible and must be resolved in order to understand the correct context of this verse. Who is speaking?The “voice” is that of God. What is the message?Israel will eventually discover and understand that God has had a special purpose in allowing such wickedness by the (Gentile) nations, and will not challenge God's actions. In the end, Israel will vindicate mankind through the knowledge of God and Torah, a theme often encountered in the Hebrew Bible in terms of Israel being a light unto the (Gentile) nations and teaching them (e.g., Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 42:6, 60:3, 61:6-9; Zechariah 8:13, 23).

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 12 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) The Hebrew phrase is יַצְדִּיק צַדִּיק עַבְדִּי לָרַבִּים (yats DIQ tsa DIQ av DI lara BIM ). The first word, יַצְדִּיק, is the 3rd-person, masculine, singular, future tense conjugation in the hif’ IL stem of the root verb צדק. In this particular stem, which is the active causative form of the Hebrew verb, this verb is used in the Hebrew Bible in the context of to vindicate, to declare innocent, (e.g., Exodus 23:7, Job 27:5). The next word, צַדִּיק, means righteous, which appears in the Hebrew Bible both as a collective noun and as an adjective. The next word, עַבְדִּי, means my servant. The last word, לָרַבִּים, is a combination of a preposition - לְ (l e -), meaning to, for, the definite article - הַ (ha-), and the plural noun רַבִּים (ra BIM ), meaning many, multitudes. An almost literal translation of the phrase is, “he, My servant, will justify the righteous (ones) to the many”, which is consistent with the Jewish translation. It is not the servant who is described here as righteous. The phrase conveys the idea that the servant will vindicate the righteous people in the sight of the multitudes. Consequently, as the grammatical syntax of the Hebrew phrase indicates, the term righteous is out of place and misused in the KJV rendition “my righteous servant”. The Jewish rendition of the phrase is the correct one.  Question: Does Israel (as God's servant) "fit" into Isaiah 53:11?  Answer: YES!

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 13 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) The first of the two highlighted phrases is explained in detail in the article that corresponds to this lesson, and the two translations are reasonably close. In the second highlighted phrase, the difference in tenses has to be reviewed. Who is speaking?The “voice” is that of God. What is the message?The Jewish people, Israel, as God's servant, will be compensated for having had to carry the ills afflicted on them throughout the ages, yet still interceding and praying for those who ruled over them, and they will be rewarded for choosing this fate rather than abandon the Jewish faith and follow other gods their forefathers had not known.

April 15, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 14 of 16 Testing the Hypothesis: Segment 4 (continued) The last Hebrew phrase in the verse is וְלַפֹּשְׁעִים יַפְגִּיעַ (v e laposh’ IM yaf GI ’a), where the verb is יַפְגִּיעַ (yaf GI ’a), the root of which is פגע. As was noted in the analysis of Isaiah 53:6, this root verb is used in the Hebrew in two different contexts. Both translations agree on its application here, in Isaiah 53:12, but they differ on the tenses. The verb used here, יַפְגּיעַ (yaf GI 'a), is conjugated in the 3rd-person singular, masculine, future tense of the root verb פגע in the hif' IL stem (the active causative form of the Hebrew verb). The significance of the correct tense here is that, in His response to the (Gentile) nations, God expects Israel to continue in its role as intercessor on their behalf. Therefore, the Jewish rendition of the phrase is correct. This is, in fact, still the case today, as most Jewish congregations around the world recite a prayer for the government of the particular country in which they are located.  Question: Does Israel (as God's servant) "fit" into Isaiah 53:12?  Answer: YES!

April 7, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 15 of 16 Interim Summary – Segment 4: Isaiah 53:9-12 Our hypothesis: Results of the verse-by-verse testing: Hypothesis: Israel is the servant in the Fourth Servant Song (“Isaiah 53”)

April 7, 2011Isaiah 53 – The Jewish Interpretation: Valid or Not? Page 16 of 16 Final Summary & Conclusion The results obtained from testing the hypothesis confirm the validity of the Jewish perspective on the Fourth Servant Song of Isaiah, “Isaiah 53”. Conclusion: Israel is the servant in the Fourth Servant Song (“Isaiah 53”) IsaiahWhose “voice” is it?Israel = Servant? 52:13God 52:14God 52:15God 53:1Gentile Nations 53:2Gentile Nations 53:3Gentile Nations 53:4Gentile Nations 53:5Gentile Nations 53:6Gentile Nations 53:7Gentile Nations 53:8Gentile Nations 53:9God 53:10God 53:11God 53:12God