Isaiah 53:1-3
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The prophet isn't just lamenting a lack of belief; he's highlighting that the "arm of the LORD"—His power and divine intervention—is only made visible to those who have already been given the ability to see it. This isn't about human observation, but about God's active revelation, suggesting that belief is less a choice and more a divine unveiling.
The prophet Isaiah is introducing a profound and challenging prophecy about the Suffering Servant. He begins by questioning whether anyone will believe the message he is about to deliver, as it describes a figure who will be rejected and suffer greatly, which seems counterintuitive to God's power and salvation. This verse sets the tone for the entire chapter, highlighting the surprising and often disbelieved nature of God's redemptive plan through a suffering servant.
The prophet Isaiah opens with a startling question: Who has believed what they heard? This isn't just about news; it's about a divine revelation that few could grasp.
Isaiah 53:1 isn't a casual inquiry; it's a profound lament. The prophet, speaking for himself and other prophets, expresses deep sorrow that the message they've been entrusted with – a message about the Suffering Servant – is met with widespread disbelief.
A Divine Message, Human Doubt
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Isaiah 53:1-3 is available in the Sola app.
Isaiah uses the plural 'our report.' Why speak for a whole prophetic tradition? This verse shows a shared burden and a unified message across time.
Isaiah's use of the plural "our report" is significant. He isn't just speaking as an individual prophet but identifies with the entire line of prophets who bore witness to the coming Servant of the Lord.
A Shared Burden and Vision
Understand the original words
zeroa' YHWH · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew idiom referring to the manifestation of God’s saving power and intervention in human history. It signifies the exertion of divine strength to accomplish His sovereign purposes.
mak'ob · Hebrew Noun
Deep emotional, physical, or mental pain and distress. In Scripture, it often refers to the natural consequences of sin in a fallen world.
This prophecy was delivered centuries before the events it describes, highlighting the long-standing tension between God's redemptive plan and human skepticism. The 'report' Isaiah heard was about a suffering Messiah, a concept deeply counter to the people's expectations of a triumphant king.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Ministry
Isaiah the prophet delivers his oracles in the Kingdom of Judah during a time of political instability and looming Assyrian threat.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports some Judean nobility and skilled workers to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a massive deportation of the remaining population into exile.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Following the Persian conquest of Babylon, Cyrus the Great allows the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
c. AD 30-33
Ministry of Jesus
Jesus Christ begins his public ministry, proclaiming the Kingdom of God and fulfilling prophecies about the Suffering Servant. His message is largely rejected by the Jewish leadership.
c. AD 40s-60s
Apostolic Preaching
The apostles preach the Gospel, echoing Isaiah's message and quoting Isaiah 53:1-2 to explain the disbelief of many Jews in Jesus as the Messiah.
This passage directly quotes Isaiah 53:1 to highlight the disbelief of many Jews regarding Jesus' identity and ministry, emphasizing the prophetic nature of the rejection.
Romans 10:16Paul quotes Isaiah 53:1 to illustrate that not all Israelites accepted the message of salvation through Christ, underscoring the theme of widespread unbelief concerning God's saving power.
Isaiah 40:10This verse, like Isaiah 53:1, speaks of the 'arm of the LORD' being revealed, connecting the idea of God's powerful intervention in history with the prophetic message about the Servant.
Psalm 22:1This psalm echoes the sentiment of abandonment and suffering found in Isaiah 53, asking 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' which resonates with the prophet's question about who believes the message of such a suffering figure.
Jeremiah 17:9This verse states that 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?' which provides context for why people might struggle to believe the profound truths about God's redemptive plan revealed through the suffering servant.
bensonIsaiah 53:1: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?"
Isaiah 53:1 . Who hath believed our report? — The prophet having, in the last three verses of the former chapter, made a general report concerning the great and wonderful humiliation and exaltation of the Messiah, of which he intended to discourse more largely in this chapter, thought fit, before he descended to particulars, to use this preface. Who, not only of the Gentiles, but even of the Jews, will bel…
clarkeIsaiah 53:1: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?"
Who hath believed our report? - The report of the prophets, of John the Baptist, and Christ's own report of himself. The Jews did not receive the report, and for this reason he was not manifested to them as the promised Messiah. 'He came unto his own, but his own received him not.' Before the Father he grew up as a tender plant: but to the Jews he was as a root out of a dry ground. 'He hath no form nor com…
The prophet isn't just lamenting a lack of belief; he's highlighting that the "arm of the LORD"—His power and divine intervention—is only made visible to those who have already been given the ability to see it. This isn't about human observation, but about God's active revelation, suggesting that belief is less a choice and more a divine unveiling.
The prophet Isaiah is introducing a profound and challenging prophecy about the Suffering Servant. He begins by questioning whether anyone will believe the message he is about to deliver, as it describes a figure who will be rejected and suffer greatly, which seems counterintuitive to God's power and salvation. This verse sets the tone for the entire chapter, highlighting the surprising and often disbelieved nature of God's redemptive plan through a suffering servant.
The prophet Isaiah is introducing a profound and challenging prophecy about the Suffering Servant. He begins by questioning whether anyone will believe the message he is about to deliver, as it describes a figure who will be rejected and suffer greatly, which seems counterintuitive to God's power and salvation. This verse sets the tone for the entire chapter, highlighting the surprising and often disbelieved nature of God's redemptive plan through a suffering servant.
"Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should lo…" — The prophet isn't just lamenting a lack of belief; he's highlighting that the "arm of the LORD"—His power and divine intervention—is only made visible to those who have already been given the ability…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
