Isaiah does not say the servant is buried in a rich man's grave. Isaiah says the exact opposite. "He submitted himself to his grave like wicked men." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9 Wicked men -- not rich men. This claimed prophecy only is often mistranslated. Isaiah says that the servant suffers deaths (plural) -- more than one death means this cannot be about Jesus, a single person. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:8 Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:8 told us that the servant was more than one person -- and "an affliction upon them that was my people's (the gentile nation's) sin." Now, in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9 Isaiah tells us "בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav -- "in their executions." Plural. "He submitted himself. . .(like) the wealthy (submitted) to his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav) for committing no crime." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9. Most Christian translations including two favorites: the KJV and NIV, mistranslate these plural nouns as singular ("death" instead of "deaths" or "executions" and "he" instead of "they." Verse 53:9 is a natural continuation of 53:8, where the “servant” is more than one person (plural): ....כִּ֤י נִגְזַר֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים מִפֶּ֥שַׁע עַמִּ֖י נֶ֥גַע לָֽמוֹ׃ וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־רְשָׁעִים֙ קִבְר֔וֹ וְאֶת־עָשִׁ֖יר בְּמֹתָ֑יו" Translation: "he was removed far away from the land where they lived and a plague came upon them (לָֽמוֹ / lamo) through the transgression of my people (the gentile nations). He submitted to the grave with the wicked and joined with the wealthy in his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav)....” Jesus was not executed with the wealthy -- the Christian bible claims that Jesus was executed between two thieves. But Isaiah's servant is described as a plural - in his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav) in verse 9 is plural referring back to נֶ֥גַע לָֽמוֹ / nĕga lamo (“a plague came upon them”) at the end of verse 8 -- joined with the wealthy in those executions. Many times in history wealthy Jews had to choose between conversion to Christianity or the loss of all of their property, exile and even death. These Jews were innocent of any wrongdoing -- but they were "convicted" by the laws of these Christian countries even to the point of death. Their crime? Being Jewish. "He submitted himself to his grave like wicked men; and the wealthy (submitted) to his executions for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:9. Don't believe me? Here is just a partial list proving that the wealthy had their wealth and / or lives confiscated by Christians and Muslims:
Thus wealthy Jews had their property taken, were often exiled or killed even to modern times. For the sake of brevity I stop the list at 1188 CE but this continues -- most are familiar with the Nazi holocaust which killed some 6 million Jews -- their property was also taken -- including great wealth, some of which still sits in Swiss banks. Relatives have tried to reclaim the wealth to be stonewalled by the Swiss. This did not end with the Nazis. Many Jews (some 600-800,000) fled Arab lands in the 20th century -- being forced to leave behind land and wealth. In Libya, Iraq and Egypt many Jews lost vast portions of their wealth and property as part of the exodus because of severe restrictions on moving their wealth out of the country. For 2000 years Jews have "submitted to executions (PLURAL), for committing no crime" – killed so that wicked conquerors could confiscate their riches -- a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Here is a translation along with the Artscroll Stone Edition footnotes at the bottom of each response to aid in your understanding of the passage. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. 14 Just as multitudes were astonished over you (saying) "His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human, 15 so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths (in amazement) for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. 53:1 Who would believe what we have heard! For whom has the arm of HaShem been revealed? 2 In the past he grew like a sapling or like the root from dry ground; he had neither form nor beauty. We saw him, but without a desirable appearance. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of pains and accustomed to being sick. As one from whom we would hide our faces; he was despised and we had no regard for him. 4 But in truth it was our ills and he carried our pains -- but we had regarded him diseased, stricken by G-d and afflicted! 5 He was wounded as a result (because of) our rebellious transgressions, and oppressed as a result our iniquities. The chastisement upon him was for our benefit, and through his wounds we were healed. 6 We have all strayed like sheep each of us turning his own way and HaShem inflicted upon him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was persecuted and afflicted but did not open his mouth; like a sheep being led to the slaughter or a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 he was removed far away from the land where they lived and a plague came upon them (לָֽמוֹ / lamo) through the transgression of my people (the gentile nations). He submitted to the grave with the wicked and joined with the wealthy in his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav) 9 He submitted himself to his grave like evil men; and the wealthy (submitted) to his executions for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth. 10 HaShem desired to oppress him and He afflicted him; if his physical being would acknowledge guilt he would see offspring and live long days and the desire or HaShem would succeed in his hand. 11. He (he servant) would see (the purpose) and be satisfied with his life's (not immortal soul) distress. With his knowledge My servant will cause the multitudes to be righteous; it is their וַעֲוֹנתָם / iniquities (for impulsive, lustful wrongdoings) that he will carry. 12. Therefore, I will assign him a portion in public and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his life for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the many, and prayed for the wicked. Footnotes from Artscroll Stone Edition: Isaiah 52:13 i.e. G-d's servant the people of Israel (Rashi) 52:15 Just as Israel had once been astonishingly degraded, so it will astonish the nations by its exaltedness when the time of redemption arrives. 53:1-3 this is the prophecy foretelling what the nations and their kings will exclaim when they witness Israel's rejuvenation. The nations will contrast their former scornful attitude toward the Jews (vv. 1-3) with their new realization of Israel's grandeur (vv 4-7). 53:5 we brought suffering upon Israel for our own selfish purposes; it was not, as we had claimed, that G-d was punishing Israel for its own evil behavior. 53:6 We sinned by inflicting punishment upon Israel. Such oppression is often described as "Hashem's punishment" (see 10:5, Habakkuk 1:12), for He decreed that it should happen (Abarbanel). 53:8 When Israel's exile is finally ended the nations will marvel that such a generation could have survived the expulsion from "the land of the living, i.e. Israel, that the nations had sinfully inflicted upon it. 53:9 Ordinary Jews chose to die like common criminals, rather than renounce their faith; and wealthy Jews were killed for no reason other than to enable their wicked conquerors to confiscate their riches (Radak). 53:10 That is, Israel. G-d replies to the nations that Israel's suffering was a punishment for its own sins; and when the people realize this and repent, they will be redeemed and rewarded. 53:11 Israel will teach the nations of G-d's righteousness.
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5/14/2022 06:07:41 pm
My interpretation of Isaiah 53:9 is:
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