John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 53:10

"Yet it pleased Jehovah 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 Jehovah shall prosper in his hand." — Isaiah 53:10 (ASV)

Yet Jehovah was pleased to bruise Him. This illustrates more fully what I previously stated briefly, that the Prophet, in asserting Christ’s innocence, aims for something more than defending Him from all blame. Therefore, the objective is for us to consider the cause, so that we may experience the effect; for God ordains nothing randomly, and therefore it follows that the cause of His death is lawful. We must also keep in view the contrast. In Christ there was no fault; why, then, was the Lord pleased that He should suffer? Because He stood in our place, and only by His death could the justice of God be satisfied.

When He has offered His soul as a sacrifice. אשם (asham) denotes both sin and the sacrifice offered for sin, and is often used in the latter sense in the Scriptures (Exodus 29:14; Ezekiel 45:22). The sacrifice was offered in such a way as to expiate sin by enduring its punishment and curse. This was expressed by the priests through the laying on of hands, as if they transferred the sins of the whole nation onto the sacrifice (Exodus 29:15). And if a private individual offered a sacrifice, he also laid his hand on it, as if he transferred his own sin onto it. Our sins were transferred to Christ in such a way that He alone bore the curse.

For this reason, Paul also calls Him a “curse” or “execration:” Christ has redeemed us from the execration of the law, having been made an execration for us (Galatians 3:13). He also calls Him “Sin;” For Him who knew no sin He made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). And in another passage, For what was impossible for the law, because it was weak on account of the flesh, God did, by sending His own Son in the likeness of flesh liable to sin, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us (Romans 8:3–4). What Paul meant by the words “curse” and “sin” in these passages is the same as what the Prophet meant by the word אשם (asham). In short, אשם (asham) is equivalent to the Latin word piaculum, an expiatory sacrifice.

Here we have a description of the benefit of Christ’s death: that by His sacrifice sins were expiated, and God was reconciled to humanity; for such is the meaning of this word אשם (asham). Therefore, it follows that only in Christ is expiation and satisfaction for sin found. To understand this better, we must first recognize that we are guilty before God, so that we are accursed and detestable in His presence.

Now, if we wish to return to a state of favor with Him, sin must be taken away. This cannot be accomplished by sacrifices devised according to human imagination. Consequently, we must come to the death of Christ, for in no other way can satisfaction be given to God.

In short, Isaiah teaches that sins cannot be pardoned in any other way than by resorting to the death of Christ. If anyone thinks this language is harsh and disrespectful to Christ, let him look within himself and, after close examination, ponder how dreadful God's judgment is, which could not be pacified except by this price. Thus, the immeasurable grace that shines forth in Christ being made a curse will easily remove any cause for offense.

He shall see His seed. Isaiah means that Christ's death not only can be no hindrance to His having a seed, but will be the cause of His having offspring; that is, because, by giving life to the dead, He will acquire a people for Himself, whom He will afterward multiply more and more; and there is no absurdity in calling all believers Christ's seed, who are also His brethren, because they are descended from Christ.

He shall prolong His days. To this clause some add the relative אשר (asher), “which:” “A seed which shall be long-lived.” But I explain it more simply: “Christ will not be hindered by His death from prolonging His days, that is, from living eternally.” Some people, when departing from life, leave children who will survive them and who will live to gain a name only when their fathers are dead. But Christ will enjoy the company of His children; for He will not die like other men, but will obtain eternal life in Himself and His children. Thus Isaiah declares that in the Head and the members there will be immortal life.

And the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand. The word “hand” often denotes “ministry,” as the Lord proclaimed the law by the hand of Moses (Numbers 36:13). Again, the Lord did this by the hands of David; that is, He used David as His minister in that matter (Ezra 3:10). So also, in the hand of Christ shall prosper the will of God; that is, the Lord will cause Christ's ministry to yield its fruit, so that it may not be thought that He exposed Himself fruitlessly to such terrible sufferings.

These few words contain a very rich doctrine, which every reader may draw from them; but we are satisfied with giving a simple explanation of the text. “Will” is taken in the same sense as before; for the prophet uses the word חפף (chaphetz), by which he means a kind and generous disposition. Two aspects of God’s kindness are presented for our admiration in this passage: first, that He did not spare His only-begotten Son, but delivered Him up for us, that He might deliver us from death; and secondly, that He does not allow His Son’s death to be useless and unprofitable, but causes it to yield very abundant fruit. For the death of Christ would be of no avail to us if we did not experience its fruit and efficacy.