Isaiah 53:6

Commentary on Isaiah 53:6

The Text (King James Version)

Isaiah 53:6:
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

1. Exegetical Commentary

1.1 Immediate Context: Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53[i] forms part of the “Servant Songs” in Isaiah, presenting the figure known as the Suffering Servant. The chapter describes his rejection, suffering, substitutionary death, and ultimate vindication. The Servant bears the sins of others, suffers willingly, and brings healing and justification.

Key surrounding verses include:

• Isaiah 53:4:
  “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…”
• Isaiah 53:5:
  “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…”
• Isaiah 53:7:
  “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth…”

These verses frame verse 6 as the theological centre of the chapter: humanity’s universal sin and the Servant’s universal substitution.

1.2 Phrase-by-Phrase Exegesis

“All we like sheep have gone astray”

The image of sheep is deliberate. Sheep are vulnerable, easily distracted, and prone to wander. The prophet includes himself (“we”), emphasising that no one is exempt.

This echoes other biblical descriptions of human lostness:

• Psalm 119:176:
  “I have gone astray like a lost sheep…”
• Matthew 9:36:
  “…because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

Theologically, this is a statement of universal sin. Every person is spiritually wayward by nature.

“We have turned every one to his own way”

Sin is not merely wandering; it is wilful self-direction. Each person chooses his or her own path, rejecting God’s rightful rule. This is the essence of sin in Christian theology: not merely breaking rules, but asserting autonomy against God.

This aligns with:

• Romans 3:12:
  “They are all gone out of the way…”
• Judges 21:25:
  “…every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

“And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Here lies the heart of the gospel: substitution.

The Hebrew verb translated “laid on” carries the sense of causing to meet, or striking against. God gathers the full weight of human sin and places it upon the Servant.

This anticipates the New Testament’s teaching:

• 2 Corinthians 5:21:
  “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin…”
• 1 Peter 2:24:
  “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…”

This is the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement:
Christ bears the penalty that sinners deserve, so that sinners may receive the righteousness he provides.

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2. Theological Teaching

2.1 Universal Human Sinfulness

Isaiah 53:6 teaches that sin is not limited to a particular group. “All we” includes every person. This aligns with the Christian doctrine of total depravity: not that every person is as evil as possible, but that every part of human life is touched by sin.

2.2 Human Autonomy as Rebellion

Turning “to his own way” is the essence of sin. It is self-rule instead of God-rule. This diagnosis remains accurate in modern life, where autonomy is often celebrated as the highest good.

2.3 Divine Initiative in Salvation

The Lord acts. The Lord lays sin on the Servant. Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. This reflects the Christian emphasis on grace alone.

2.4 Substitutionary Atonement

The Servant does not merely sympathise with sinners; he stands in their place. This is the foundation of Christian assurance. If Christ has borne our iniquity, then our iniquity is truly borne.

3. Meditation Guide

3.1 Reflect on Your Own Waywardness
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Sit quietly and consider the phrase:
“All we like sheep have gone astray.”
Where have you wandered? What “own way” have you chosen? Confess honestly before God.

3.2 Consider the Weight Christ Bore

Meditate on the words:
“The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Imagine the full burden of your sin — not to crush you, but to deepen your gratitude that Christ carried it.

3.3 Rest in the Completed Work of Christ

Let your heart settle into the truth that Christ has already borne your iniquity. You do not need to carry guilt that Christ has carried for you.

3.4 Pray for a Shepherded Heart

Ask God to keep you close to Christ the Shepherd, who seeks the lost and restores the wandering.

4. Application to Modern Christian Living

4.1 Humility in a Self-Focused Culture

Modern life encourages self-direction and self-definition. Isaiah 53:6 calls Christians to humility: acknowledging our tendency to wander and our need for God’s guidance.

4.2 Gratitude and Assurance

Christians often struggle with guilt or fear of not being “good enough.” This verse grounds assurance in Christ’s completed work, not our performance.

4.3 Compassion for Others

If “all we” have gone astray, then we share a common human condition. This should foster compassion rather than judgement.

4.4 A Life of Repentance and Faith

Turning from “our own way” is not a one-off event. It is a daily rhythm of repentance and renewed trust in Christ.

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[i] Isaiah 53

King James Version

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

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

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.