Isaiah 53:2

Isaiah 53:2

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

1. “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground…”

a. For he shall grow up [Strong: 5927 `alah aw-law'; a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.]

b. before him [Strong: 6440 paniym paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

c. [as a] tender plant [Strong: 3126 yowneq yo-nake'; active participle of 3243; a sucker; hence, a twig (of a tree felled and sprouting):--tender plant.]

d. [and as a] root [Strong: 8328 sheresh sheh'-resh; from 8327; a root (literally or figuratively):--bottom, deep, heel, root.]

e. [out of a] dry ground [Strong: 6723 tsiyah tsee-yaw'; from an unused root meaning to parch; aridity; concretely, a desert:--barren, drought, dry (land, place), solitary place, wilderness.]

1). These terms are agricultural and Messianic, in that they speak of Jesus.

a). Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

b). Jeremiah 23:5, 6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

c). Isaiah 4:2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

d). NIV Study Bible note: “…it was the Babylonian exile that brought the kingdom of Judah to an end in 586 B.C.. The Messiah will grow as a shoot from that stump of David’s dynasty.”

2. “…he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

a. [he hath] no [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

b. form [Strong: 8389 to'ar to'-ar from 8388; outline, i.e. figure or appearance:--+ beautiful, X comely, countenance, + fair, X favoured, form, X goodly, X resemble, visage.]  [AMG: royal looking person, a person with dignity.]

c. nor [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

d. comeliness [Strong: 1926 hadar haw-dawr'; from 1921; magnificence, ornament or splendor, beauty goodly, honour.]

1). AMG, The Complete Word Study of the Old Testament: “A noun meaning glory, splendor, majesty. It describes the impressive character of God in 1 Chronicles 16:27 and His thunderous voice in Psalms 29:4. Isaiah describes sinners fleeing from the [majesty of the LORD]“hadar” in Isaiah 2:10, 19….In Isaiah’s prophetic description of the Suffering Servant, he uses “hadar” to say that the Servant will have no splendor to attract people to Him (Isaiah 53:2).”

2). In Philippians 2:7 it is seen that when God became man in Christ Jesus, he laid aside all his Godlike characteristics and took the form of a servant. He laid aside his omnipotence, omnipresence, his omniscience, and the glory and majesty of the Godhead. When he healed the sick and cast out devils, he did so as a man filled with the Holy Ghost, not as God. See Notes on Philippians 2:7.

e. [when we shall] see [him] [Strong: 7200 ra'ah raw-aw'; a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]

d. [there is] no [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

e. beauty [Strong: 4758 mar'eh mar-eh'; from 7200; a view, an appearance (the thing seen), countenance, fair, favored, goodly, to look upon.]

e. [that we should] desire [him] [Strong: 2530 chamad khaw-mad'; a primitive root; to delight in:--beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).]

1). I believe that this verse is also saying that Jesus was and is not the handsome, good looking individual that some believe.  His attraction is the compassion, mercy and grace and inspiration that he demonstrated in His life.