Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The most striking thing here is that God willed to crush His Son and deliberately brought Him to grief. This wasn't a cosmic accident or something God reluctantly allowed; it was His purposeful plan, all to make the Servant an offering for guilt and pave the way for His future joy and success.
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage shifts from describing the Servant's suffering and rejection to revealing the divine purpose behind it. It explains that God's will was for the Servant to be crushed, not because of any wrongdoing, but as a necessary sacrifice. The verse then promises that this sacrifice will lead to the Servant seeing his "offspring" (descendants or followers) and experiencing extended life, all while fulfilling God's plans.
The verse speaks of God's will to 'crush' His servant. How can God's will involve such intense suffering?
This verse reveals a profound truth: the crushing of the Servant was not a tragic accident, but a deliberate act of God's will. It wasn't that God was merely okay with the suffering; it was His plan to bring about salvation.
A Purposeful Pain
This concept challenges us to see suffering not as a sign of God's absence, but sometimes as part of His redemptive plan, orchestrated by His sovereign will for our ultimate good.
The verse mentions the Servant's 'soul making an offering for guilt.' What does this mean for us?
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This phrase points to the core of the Servant's mission: substitutionary atonement. The Hebrew word used for 'guilt offering' (or 'trespass offering') refers to a specific type of sacrifice.
The Sacrifice for Sin
How does the suffering Servant lead to the prosperity of God's will?
This verse culminates in a powerful declaration of victory: 'the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand' (v. 10e). Despite the immense suffering, the Servant's work is not in vain; it leads to the successful accomplishment of God's plan.
The Triumph of God's Plan
Understand the original words
ʾāšām · Hebrew Noun
A specific category of Old Testament sacrifice offered to make reparation for sins committed against God or others, requiring restitution and blood atonement.
ḥēpeṣ · Hebrew Noun
The purpose, desire, or intentional choice of God. It signifies His sovereign plan for history and redemption, which remains unthwarted by human action.
This prophecy was given during the Babylonian exile, a time of immense suffering and national trauma for the Jewish people. They were questioning God's faithfulness and their own identity. In this context, Isaiah offers a profound vision of a suffering servant who would bear their guilt and bring about a future restoration and redemption, giving them hope amidst their despair.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah Prophesies
Isaiah delivers his prophecies during a tumultuous period in ancient Judah, amidst the rising threat of the Assyrian Empire.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians, leading to the exile of its people and serving as a stark warning to Judah.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Jewish elites and skilled workers to Babylon, marking the start of the Babylonian exile.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport the majority of the population, leading to a period of profound grief and questioning for the Jewish people.
c. 540 BC— this verse
Second Isaiah Prophesies
This section of Isaiah, known as Second Isaiah, is written during the Babylonian exile, offering words of comfort, hope, and a vision of future restoration.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus conquers Babylon, initiating a policy that allows exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Many Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem and begin the process of rebuilding the Temple and their community, though facing significant challenges.
This Psalm deeply echoes the Servant's cries of abandonment and suffering, showing the prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah's anguish that is central to Isaiah 53.
Luke 22:42Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done!' directly mirrors the submission to God's will for suffering described in Isaiah 53:10.
2 Corinthians 5:21This passage explicitly states that the sinless Christ 'became sin for us,' directly explaining the concept of his soul making an 'offering for guilt' in Isaiah 53:10.
Philippians 2:8-11The passage describes Christ's humility and subsequent exaltation, showing the 'prolonging of his days' and the prosperity of God's will in his hand as a result of his obedience unto death.
Hebrews 10:14This verse explains that by one offering, Christ has perfected forever those who are being sanctified, highlighting the eternal efficacy of his 'offering for guilt' and the fruit he will 'see' (his spiritual offspring).
wesleyIsaiah 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."
53:10 He - God was the principal cause of all his sufferings, tho' mens sins were the deserving cause. When - When thou, O God, shalt have made, thy son a sacrifice, by giving him up to death for the atonement of mens sins. His soul is here put for his life, or…
clarkeIsaiah 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."
To grief "With affliction" - For החלי hecheli, the verb, the construction of which seems to be hard and inelegant in this place, the Vulgate reads בחלי bocholi, in infirmitate, "with infirmity." When thou shalt make his soul "If his soul shall make" - For תשי…
The most striking thing here is that God willed to crush His Son and deliberately brought Him to grief. This wasn't a cosmic accident or something God reluctantly allowed; it was His purposeful plan, all to make the Servant an offering for guilt and pave the way for His future joy and success.
This passage shifts from describing the Servant's suffering and rejection to revealing the divine purpose behind it. It explains that God's will was for the Servant to be crushed, not because of any wrongdoing, but as a necessary sacrifice. The verse then promises that this sacrifice will lead to the Servant seeing his "offspring" (descendants or followers) and experiencing extended life, all while fulfilling God's plans.
This passage shifts from describing the Servant's suffering and rejection to revealing the divine purpose behind it. It explains that God's will was for the Servant to be crushed, not because of any wrongdoing, but as a necessary sacrifice. The verse then promises that this sacrifice will lead to the Servant seeing his "offspring" (descendants or followers) and experiencing extended life, all while fulfilling God's plans.
"Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand." — The most striking thing here is that God willed to crush His Son and deliberately brought Him to grief. This wasn't a cosmic accident or something God reluctantly allowed; it was His purposeful pla…
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Last reviewed October 2026