Isaiah 52:14-15

14, 15. The more specific details of his condition follow in these verses. The prophecy concerning him begins in the protasis, (Isaiah 52:14,) as an address, first to him, but passes in the apodosis (Isaiah 52:15) at once to remarks concerning him, a change quite common with Isaiah when under intense emotion.

Many were astonished at thee The appearance of such humility in the Messiah when he should come is, as the prophet foresees, to be a marvel and an astonishment to the Jews. He is wholly to disappoint carnal minds, who look for outward signs of royalty.

His visage was so marred This is an explanatory parenthetic sentence, giving reasons for the astonishment expressed in the first words, or protasis. “Marred,” not from injury as yet inflicted by man, but from sadness on account of man, more serious (and almost terror-struck) than any man is accustomed to exhibit. Part of this, namely, low birth, poverty, etc., was chosen, and partly, it was from ill treatment of man in refusing him as the true Messiah; also from unrelieved sensitiveness at the guilt of the world’s sins. These were sufficient to render his aspect that of a burdened, wearied man. Men of carnal ambitions reasoned thus: Was the Messiah to be of this appearance? Could the Messiah of Isaiah, pictured as a man of greatness, beauty, glory, be so disfigured? What more astonishing! Isaiah 52:15 silently admits it to be even so, yet declares (apodosis) so shall he sprinkle many nations. And this shall be the greater wonder (Septuagint) to many. That is, he shall rain his grace of purification upon them. Reacting mercy shall close the mouths of kings from uttering scorn of him, lowly though he be, deformed by suffering though he appear. For in even this, men shall discover more beauty and glory than ever prophetic words had revealed. By very reason of immaculate purity thus discovered, and of truth, goodness, and saving power, they shall see in him greatness in all dimensions far beyond the conceptions which prophetic words had shaped for them.