"The servant of Isaiah 53 is Israel"
The claim, stated fairly
Since Rashi (11th century), most Jewish commentators read the suffering servant as the people of Israel, suffering among the nations.
The servant is innocent and suffers for "my people". Isaiah calls Israel sinful, and Israel is the people he suffers for.
In the passage the servant "had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth" (53:9), yet Isaiah opens his book with "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity" (1:4). The servant is "cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people" (53:8): the people are the ones he suffers for.
Earlier Jewish sources read the passage of the Messiah: Targum Jonathan on 52:13 says "my servant the Messiah", and the Talmud names the Messiah from 53:4 (Sanhedrin 98b).
In 49:5-6 the servant's mission is to bring Jacob back to God, which makes him distinct from Jacob as a nation.
The text
8מֵעֹ֤צֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט֙ לֻקָּ֔ח וְאֶת־דּוֹר֖וֹ מִ֣י יְשׂוֹחֵ֑חַ כִּ֤י נִגְזַר֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים מִפֶּ֥שַׁע עַמִּ֖י נֶ֥גַע לָֽמוֹ׃ 9וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־רְשָׁעִים֙ קִבְר֔וֹ וְאֶת־עָשִׁ֖יר בְּמֹתָ֑יו עַ֚ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס עָשָׂ֔ה וְלֹ֥א מִרְמָ֖ה בְּפִֽיו׃
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away, And with his generation who did reason? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due. 9And they made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich his tomb; Although he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth.’
WEB/WMB: He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people? They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Isaiah 53:8-9 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
4ה֣וֹי ׀ גּ֣וֹי חֹטֵ֗א עַ֚ם כֶּ֣בֶד עָוֺ֔ן זֶ֣רַע מְרֵעִ֔ים בָּנִ֖ים מַשְׁחִיתִ֑ים עָזְב֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה נִֽאֲצ֛וּ אֶת־קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נָזֹ֥רוּ אָחֽוֹר׃
4Ah sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A seed of evil-doers, Children that deal corruptly; They have forsaken the LORD, They have contemned the Holy One of Israel, They are turned away backward.
WEB/WMB: Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
Isaiah 1:4 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
5וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה יֹצְרִ֤י מִבֶּ֨טֶן֙ לְעֶ֣בֶד ל֔וֹ לְשׁוֹבֵ֤ב יַֽעֲקֹב֙ אֵלָ֔יו וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לא [ל֣וֹ] יֵאָסֵ֑ף וְאֶכָּבֵד֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וֵאלֹהַ֖י הָיָ֥ה עֻזִּֽי׃ 6וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָקֵ֨ל מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥ לִי֙ עֶ֔בֶד לְהָקִים֙ אֶת־שִׁבְטֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב ונצירי [וּנְצוּרֵ֥י] יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהָשִׁ֑יב וּנְתַתִּ֨יךָ֙ לְא֣וֹר גּוֹיִ֔ם לִֽהְי֥וֹת יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃
5And now saith the LORD That formed me from the womb to be His servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, And that Israel be gathered unto Him— For I am honourable in the eyes of the LORD, And my God is become my strength— 6Yea, He saith: ‘It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be My servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, That My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.’
WEB/WMB: Now the LORD, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, says to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am honorable in the LORD’s eyes, and my God has become my strength. Indeed, he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:5-6 (Hebrew, JPS 1917, WMB)
In the New Covenant
22who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 23When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.
1 Peter 2:22-24 (WMB)
Where scholars disagree
Isaiah does call Israel "my servant" (41:8; 44:1; 49:3), and the national reading is ancient (Origen heard it in the 3rd century). The question is which servant fits chapter 53, not whether Isaiah ever uses the word for Israel.
Sources
- Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 52:13
- Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b
- Rashi on Isaiah 52:13
- Origen, Contra Celsum 1.55
- Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex. English: JPS 1917; World Messianic Bible (public domain).