It's commonly maintained that Isaiah 53 was never considered
messianic by rabbis and Jewish sages. Sometimes the statement
is phrased as, "Judaism teaches" that Isaiah 53 refers
to the nation of Israel.
The fact is that Isaiah 53 (more precisely, 52:13 to 53:12)
has been interpreted in messianic terms by a wide variety of
Jewish commentators over a long period of time. Other interpretations
have certainly been offered, including the view first popularized
by Rashi in medieval times that the prophet speaks of the nation
of Israel. Neverthless the messianic interpretation has a long
history in Jewish Bible exegesis, as shown by the quotations
below.
The Targum
Behold, My Servant the Messiah shall prosper.
Targum ("Targum Jonathan") to
Isaiah 52:13, various editions (such as Samson H. Levey, The
Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation; the Messianic Exegesis of
the Targum." Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1974, p.
63).
In the early cycle of synagogue readings
We know that messianic homilies based on Joseph's career (his
saving role preceded by suffering), and using Isaiah 53 as the
prophetic portion, were preached in certain old synagogues which
used the triennial cycle...
Rav Asher Soloff, "The Fifty Third
Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Commentators, to the
Sixteenth Century" (Ph.D. Thesis, Drew University,1967),
p. 146.
The addition of 53.4-5 [to the cycle of synagogue readings]
was evidently of a Messianic purport by reason of the theory
of a suffering Messiah. The earlier part of [the Haftarah] (52.7ff.)
dealt with the redemption of Israel, and in this connection the
tribulations of the Messiah were briefly alluded to by the recital
of the above 2 verses.
Jacob Mann, The Bible as Read and Preached
in the Old Synagogue (NY: Ktav, 1971, © 1940), p. 298.
Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b
The Rabbis said: His name is "the leper scholar,"
as it is written, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and
afflicted. [Isaiah 53:4].
Soncino Talmud edition.
Ruth Rabbah 5:6
The fifth interpretation [of Ruth 2:14] makes it refer to
the Messiah. Come hither: approach to royal state. And eat of
the BREAD refers to the bread of royalty; AND DIP THY MORSEL
IN THE VINEGAR refers to his sufferings, as it is said, But he
was wounded because of our transgressions. (Isa. LIII, 5).
Soncino Midrash Rabbah (vol. 8, p. 64).
The Karaite Yefeth ben Ali (10th c.)
As to myself, I am inclined, with Benjamin of Nehawend, to
regard it as alluding to the Messiah, and as opening with a description
of his condition in exile, from the time of his birth to his
accession to the throne: for the prophet begins by speaking of
his being seated in a position of great honour, and then goes
back to relate all that will happen to him during the captivity.
He thus gives us to understand two things: In the first instance,
that the Messiah will only reach his highest degree of honour
after long and severe trials; and secondly, that these trials
will be sent upon him as a kind of sign, so that, if he finds
himself under the yoke of misfortunes whilst remaining pure in
his actions, he may know that he is the desired one....
S. R. Driver and A. Neubauer, editors,
The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters
(2 volumes; New York: Ktav, 1969), pp. 19-20. The English translations
used here are taken from volume 2. The original texts are in
volume 1. Cf. Soloff, pp. 107-09.
Another statement from Yefeth ben Ali:
By the words "surely he hath carried our sicknesses,"
they mean that the pains and sickness which he fell into were
merited by them, but that he bore them instead. . . . And here
I think it necessary to pause for a few moments, in order to
explain why God caused these sicknesses to attach themselves
to the Messiah for the sake of Israel. . . . The nation deserved
from God greater punishment than that which actually came upon
them, but not being strong enough to bear it. . . God appoints
his servant to carry their sins, and by doing so lighten their
punishment in order that Israel might not be completely exterminated.
Driver and Neubauer, pp. 23 ff.; Soloff pp. 108-109.
Another statement from Yefeth ben Ali:
"And the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all."
The prophet does not by avon mean iniquity, but punishment for
iniquity, as in the passage, "Be sure your sin will find
you out" (Num. xxxii. 23).
Driver and Neubauer, p. 26; Soloff p. 109.
Mysteries of R. Shim'on ben Yohai (midrash, date uncertain)
And Armilaus will join battle with Messiah, the son of Ephraim,
in the East gate . . .; and Messiah, the son of Ephraim, will
die there, and Israel will mourn for him. And afterwards the
Holy One will reveal to them Messiah, the son of David, whom
Israel will desire to stone, saying, Thou speakest falsely; already
is the Messiah slain, and there is non other Messiah to stand
up (after him): and so they will despise him, as it is written,
"Despised and forlorn of men;" but he will turn and
hide himself from them, according to the words, "Like one
hiding his face from us."
Driver and Neubauer, p. 32, citing the
edition of Jellinek, Beth ha-Midrash (1855), part iii. p. 80.
Lekach Tov (11th c. midrash)
"And let his [Israel's] kingdom be exalted," in
the days of the Messiah, of whom it is said, "Behold my
servant shall prosper; he will be high and exalted, and lofty
exceedingly."
Driver and Neubauer, p. 36.
Maimonides, Letter to Yemen (12th c.)
What is to be the manner of Messiah's advent, and where will
be the place of his appearance? . . . And Isaiah speaks similarly
of the time when he will appear, without his father or mother
of family being known, He came up as a sucker before him, and
as a root out of the dry earth, etc. But the unique phenomenon
attending his manifestation is, that all the kings of the earth
will be thrown into terror at the fame of him -- their kingdoms
will be in consternation, and they themselves will be devising
whether to oppose him with arms, or to adopt some different course,
confessing, in fact, their inability to contend with him or ignore
his presence, and so confounded at the wonders which they will
see him work, that they will lay their hands upon their mouth;
in the words of Isaiah, when describing the manner in which the
kings will hearken to him, At him kings will shut their mouth;
for that which had not been told them have they seen, and that
which they had not heard they have perceived.
Driver and Neubauer vol 1: p. 322. Edition
is Abraham S. Halkin, ed., Igeret Teman (NY: American Academy
for Jewish Research, 1952). See Soloff pp. 127-128.
Zohar II, 212a (medieval)
There is in the Garden of Eden a palace named the Palace of
the Sons of Sickness. This palace the Messiah enters, and He
summons every pain and every chastisement of Israel. All of these
come and rest upon Him. And had He not thus lightened them upon
Himself, there had been no man able to bear Israel's chastisements
for the transgressions of the law; as it is written, "Surely
our sicknesses he has carried."
Cited in Driver and Neubauer, pp. 14-15
from section "va-yiqqahel". Translation from Frydland,
Rachmiel, What the Rabbis Know About the Messiah (Cincinnati:
Messianic Literature Outreach, 1991), p. 56, n. 27. Note that
this section is not found in the Soncino edition which says that
it was an interpolation.
Nachmanides (R. Moshe ben Nachman)(13th c.)
The right view respecting this Parashah is to suppose that
by the phrase "my servant" the whole of Israel is meant.
. . .As a different opinion, however, is adopted by the Midrash,
which refers it to the Messiah, it is necessary for us to explain
it in conformity with the view there maintained. The prophet
says, The Messiah, the son of David of whom the text speaks,
will never be conquered or perish by the hands of his enemies.
And, in fact the text teaches this clearly. . . .
And by his stripes we were healed -- because the stripes by
which he is vexed and distressed will heal us; God will pardon
us for his righteousness, and we shall be healed both from our
own transgressions and from the iniquities of our fathers.
Driver and Neubauer, pp. 78 ff.
Yalkut ii: 571 (13th c.)
Who art thou, O great mountain (Zech. iv. 7.) This refers
to the King Messiah. And why does he call him "the great
mountain?" Because he is greater than the patriarchs, as
it is said, "My servant shall be high, and lifted up, and
lofty exceedingly" -- he will be higher than Abraham, .
. . lifted up above Moses, . . . loftier than the ministering
angels.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 9.
The same passage is found in Midrash Tanhuma to Genesis (perhaps
9th c.), ed. John T. Townsend (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1989), p. 166.
Yalkut ii. 620 (13th c.), in regard to Psalm 2:6
I.e., I have drawn him out of the chastisements. . . .The
chastisements are divided into three parts: one for David and
the fathers, one for our own generation, and one for the King
Messiah; and this is that which is written, "He was wounded
for our transgressions," etc.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 10.
R. Mosheh Kohen ibn Crispin (14th c.)
This Parashah the commentators agree in explaining of the
Captivity of Israel, although the singular number is used in
it throughout. . . .As there is no cause constraining us to do
so, why should we here interpret the word collectively, and thereby
distort the passage from its natural sense?. . . As then it seemed
to me that the doors of the literal interpretation of the Parashah
were shut in their face, and that "they wearied themselves
to find the entrance," having forsaken the knowledge of
our Teachers, and inclined after the "stubbornness of their
own hearts," and of their own opinion, I am pleased to interpret
it, in accordance with the teaching of our Rabbis, of the King
Messiah, and will be careful, so far as I am able, to adhere
to the literal sense.
Driver and Neubauer, pp. 99-100.
Another comment from R. Mosheh Kohen ibn Crispin
If his soul makes itself into a trespass-offering, implying
that his soul will treat itself as guilty, and so receive punishment
for our trespasses and transgressions.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 112.
R. Sh'lomoh Astruc (14th c.)
My servant shall prosper, or be truly intelligent, because
by intelligence man is really man -- it is intelligence which
makes a man what he is. And the prophet calls the King Messiah
my servant, speaking as one who sent him. Or he may call the
whole people my servant, as he says above my people (lii. 6):
when he speaks of the people, the King Messiah is included in
it; and when he speaks of the King Messiah, the people is comprehended
with him. What he says then is, that my servant the King Messiah
will prosper.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 129.
R. Elijah de Vidas (16th c.)
Since the Messiah bears our iniquities which produce the effect
of His being bruised, it follows that whoso will not admit that
the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and
suffer for them himself.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 331.
Rabbi Moshe Alshekh (El-Sheikh) of Sefad (16th c.)
I may remark, then, that our Rabbis with one voice accept
and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King
Messiah, and we ourselves also adhere to the same view.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 258.
Herz Homberg (18th-19th c.)
The fact is, that it refers to the King Messiah, who will
come in the latter days, when it will be the Lord's good pleasure
to redeem Israel from among the different nations of the earth.....Whatever
he underwent was in consequence of their own transgression, the
Lord having chosen him to be a trespass-offering, like the scape-goat
which bore all the iniquities of the house of Israel.
Driver and Neubauer, p. 400-401.
The musaf (additional) service for the Day of Atonement, Philips machzor (20th c.)
Our righteous anointed is departed from us: horror hath seized
us, and we have non to justify us. He hath borne the yoke of
our iniquities, and our transgression, and is wounded because
of our transgression. He beareth our sins on his shoulder, that
he may find pardon for our iniquities. We shall be healed by
his wound, at the time that the Eternal will create him (the
Messiah) as a new creature. O bring him up from the circle of
the earth. Raise him up from Seir, to assemble us the second
time on Mount Lebanon, by the hand of Yinnon.
A. Th. Philips, Machzor Leyom Kippur /
Prayer Book for the Day of Atonement with English Translation;
Revised and Enlarged Edition (New York: Hebrew Publishing Company,
1931), p. 239. The passage can also be found in, e.g., the 1937
edition. Also, Driver and Neubauer, p. 399.
