Charles Ellicott Commentary Isaiah 52:15

"so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand." — Isaiah 52:15 (ASV)

So shall he sprinkle many nations ... —The words have been rendered very differently: He shall cause to spring up (that is), shall startle; He shall scatter; He shall fling away; or Many nations shall marvel at him. On the whole, however, admitting the difficulty of the passage, the Authorised Version seems preferable.

The “sprinkling” refers to the action of the priest who cleanses the leper (Leviticus 4:6; Leviticus 4:17). This was to be done by Him who was Himself counted as a leper, smitten of God (Isaiah 53:4).

We may probably trace an echo of these words in the sprinkling clean water of Ezekiel 36:25, and in the blood of sprinkling mentioned in Hebrews 10:22 and Hebrews 12:24. Here it comes as an explanation of the paradox that the Servant of Jehovah was to bring in many nations into the holy city, and yet that the uncircumcised and unclean were not to enter it (Isaiah 52:1).

The kings shall shut their mouths ... —The reverence, as in Isaiah 49:7, Job 29:9, and Job 40:4, is that of silent wonder at the change which has passed over the suffering Servant. Wisdom of Solomon 5:1-5 presents an interesting parallel, the reference there being to the person of the ideal righteous sufferer. In that case, as in this, there was, so to speak, a transfiguration beyond all that men looked for.