Isaiah 53:1

Isaiah 53:1

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

a. This verse is quoted twice in the New Testament. It is partially quoted in Romans 10:16, and quoted fully in John 12:38. Both give us sound Hebrew commentary.

1. “Who hath believed our report…”

a. Who [Strong: 4310 miy me an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.]

b. hath believed [Strong: 539 'aman aw-man'; a primitive root; properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain; once (Isa. 30:21; interchangeable 541) to go to the right hand:--hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, + fail, be faithful (of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right.] [Gesenius: to prop, to sustain, to support; to bear in the arms, be founded, firm, to be faithful, trustworthy.]

c. our report [Strong: 8052 shmuw`ah sehm-oo-aw'; feminine passive participle of 8074; something heard, i.e. an announcement:--bruit, doctrine, fame, mentioned, news, report, rumor, tidings.]

1). The Apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans, thus beginning with other New Testament passages giving us a New Covenant perspective on faith, echoing and enlarging on the Old Covenant.

a). Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

b). obeyed [Strong: 5219  hupakouo hoop-ak-oo'-o from 5259 and 191; to hear under (as a subordinate), i.e. to listen attentively; by implication, to heed or conform to a command or authority:--hearken, be obedient to, obey.]

2). Obedience grows out of believing! This is confirmed by another witness in James.

a). James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew you my faith by my works.

3). If we truly believe, we will obey. The reason people do not obey is because they do not believe, no matter how strongly they declare their belief. There are two passages in Romans that bolsters the statement that faith is followed by obedience.

a). Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

a). Romans 16:25, 26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

4). Faith demands obedience!

2. “Who hath believed our report?And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”

a. [And to whom is the] arm [Strong: 2220 zrowa` zer-o'-ah or (shortened) zroao {zer-o'-ah}; and (feminine) zrowpah {zer-o-aw'}; or zrowah {zer-o-aw'}; from 2232; the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force:--arm, + help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength.]

b. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.

c. revealed [Strong: 1540 galah gaw-law' a primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal:--+ advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, X plainly, publish, remove, reveal, X shamelessly, shew, X surely, tell, uncover.] [AMG: to reveal. In 1 Samuel it is translated “told”; in Numbers 24:4 it is translated “open”.]

1). In the gospel of John we get an explanation of the meaning of this verse.

a). John 12:37, 38 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.

12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2). As the next verses in John reveal, there was a reason why they did not believe.

a). John 12:39, 40 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

3). John links Isaiah 53:1 with Isaiah 6:10. The implication is that God is the one blinding their eyes and hardening their heart.

a). Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears, heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

b). In the Hebrew translation the Hebrew scholars placed the responsibility on the people.

c). Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Isaiah 6:10 This people is fattening, hardening its ears, and sealing its eyes, lest it see with its eyes, hear with it ears and understand with its heart, so that it will repent and be healed.

4). God will never violate a person’s free will, even to the point of allowing them to go to hell. In Matthew’s gospel he quotes Jesus referring to Isaiah 6:10, but Jesus says it differently.

a). Matthew 13:14, 15 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

5). Scripture is clear about who hardens the heart. We harden our own heart through our disobedience to God’s word.

a). Hebrews 3:12, 13 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you and evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

6). The closest we could get to placing responsibility upon God is God is the Creator and the Administrator of this Universe and as such He created the law of sowing and reaping. That is as close as it gets. God has created this process and though human free will chooses a path to sin and destruction and reaping what they have sowed. I discovered  the Hebrew translators correctly placed the responsibility on the people. Looking at the Jewish translation and the Septuagint which is also a Jewish translation from Hebrew into the Greek, the blame for the condition of the people is squarely on them individually not on God.

3. “...and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”

a. [And to whom is the] arm [Strong: 2220 zrowa` zer-o'-ah or (shortened) zroao {zer-o'-ah}; and (feminine) zrowpah {zer-o-aw'}; or zrowah {zer-o-aw'}; from 2232; the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force:--arm, + help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength.]

b. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.

c. revealed [Strong: 1540 galah gaw-law' a primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal:--+ advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, X plainly, publish, remove, reveal, X shamelessly, shew, X surely, tell, uncover.] [AMG: to reveal. In 1 Samuel it is translated “told”; in Numbers 24:4 it is translated “open”.]

1). The term “the arm of the LORD” is used figuratively to denote the mighty power and work of God. This is clearly established in John 12:37, 38 [above]. It is used more than a few times in the Old Covenant. The following verse is prophetic not only of the Millennial reign but also of what God did through the preaching of the gospel throughout the earth.

a). Isaiah 52:10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

2). If you look up this term in a Concordance you will find that this phrase is only used three times in the New Testament in this sense. Luke 1:51; Acts 13:17 In Luke 1:51 Mary is referring to the fulfillment of prophecy regarding the birth of the Messiah. In Acts 13:17 Paul is referring to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and in John 12:38 describing Jesus working miracles [above].  I began to wonder why there was so few references in the New Testament compared to the Old and realized that if we are the body of Christ, then we are the extension of the arm of the Lord.

a). Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

3). If we are the “members of his body” then we are his arm. The mighty works of God are to be done in the earth through us, his body on the earth.

a). Mark 16:15-20 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

b). John 14:12, 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works  than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.