An Early Jewish Interpretation of Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Posted: December 16, 2005
“In Jewish synagogues in Palestine, it was frequently necessary to translate passages in the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) from Hebrew to Aramaic” (TNTEC:71). Aramaic, which is related to Hebrew, was a language spoken in Palestine during the time of Jesus. “The translations, which were also interpretations, were originally oral but were later written down and are known as Targums” (TNTEC:71).
The concept of a Jewish Messiah was present in these Targums. Isaiah 53 was one of the Hebrew Scriptures translated and paraphrased in Aramaic. Therefore the text, Targum Jonathan, below represents an early Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 52:13-53:12:
“Behold, My servant the Messiah shall prosper; he shall be exalted and great and very powerful. As the house of Israel, their appearance darkened among the nations, and their bright countenance darkened among the children of men, looked for him many days.
So shall he scatter many nations. Kings shall be silent concerning him, they shall place their hands on their mouths, for that which had not been related to them they have seen, and that which they had not heard they will understand. Who would have believed this, our good tidings, and the powerful arm of the might of the Lord, for whom is it now revealed?
The Righteous One shall grow up before Him, lo, like sprouting plants; and like a tree that sends its roots by the water-courses, so shall the exploits of the holy one multiply in the land which was desperate for him. His appearance shall not be a profane appearance, nor shall the awe of him be the awe of an ignorant person, but his countenance shall radiate with holiness, so that all who see him shall become wise through him.
Then he shall be contemptuous of, and bring to an end, the glory of all the kingdoms; they shall become weak and afflicted, lo, like a man in pain and accustomed to illness, and like us, when the Shekinah had departed from us, leaving us despised and without esteem.
Then he shall seek pardon for our sins, and our iniquities shall be forgiven for his sake; though we are considered stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. And he shall rebuild the Temple, which was profaned because of our sins, and which was surrendered because of our iniquities; through his instruction, his peace shall abound for us, and when we teach his words our sins shall be forgiven us.
All of us were scattered like sheep, we were exiled, each in his own direction, but it is the will of God to pardon the sins of all of us on his account. He asked in prayer and was answered, and it was accepted even before he could open his mouth; he shall deliver the mighty of the nations like a lamb to the slaughter; and like a lamb that is silent before its shearers there shall be none to open his mouth and say a word against him.
He shall gather in our exiles from their pain and punishment. Who shall be able to recount the wonders which shall be performed for us in his days, for he shall remove the domination of the nations from the Land of Israel. And the sins which my people have committed, he shall account unto them.
And he shall deliver the wicked into Gehenna, and those rich in possessions which we had lost, taken by force at death; so that those who commit sin shall not prevail and shall not speak deceitful things with their mouth. It is the will of the Lord to purify and to acquit as innocent the remnant of His people, to cleanse their souls of sin, so that they may see the kingdom of their Messiah, have many sons and daughters, enjoy long life, and observe the Torah of the Lord, prospering according to His will.
He shall save them from the servitude of the nations, they shall see the punishment of their enemies and be sated with the spoil of their kings. By his wisdom he shall vindicate the meritorious, in order to bring many to be subservient to the Torah, and he shall seek forgiveness for their sins.
Then I will apportion unto him all the spoil of great nations, and he shall divide as spoil the wealth of mighty cities, because he was ready to suffer martyrdom that the rebellious he might subjugate to the Torah. And he shall seek pardon for the sins of many and for his sake the rebellious shall be forgiven” (MAAI:63-66).
Conclusion:
This is not a direct translation, but a clear reworking of the Hebrew text in order to portray a mighty champion who intercedes for the suffering nation of Israel. However, the key point is that this early interpretation/reworking of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 refer to the servant as “the Messiah,” not the nation of Israel.