READING FOR APRIL 14, 2026: ISAIAH 53, 1 CORINTHIANS 8, PSALM 31:14-24
ISAIAH 53 This chapter seems to portray the details and significance of the crucifixion more fully than even those accounts in the New Testament. Ever wonder how Jewish commentators address this chapter? Accord- ing to Rabbi Tovia Singer, “Despite strong objections from conservative Christian apologists, the prevailing rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 53 ascribes the “servant” to the nation of Israel who silently endured unima- ginable suffering at the hands of its gentile oppressors” (Outreach Judaism Website). This became especially pronounced with the work of Rashi (1075-1105), perhaps the most influential Jewish commentator.
| Verse | Rashi’s commentary on Isaiah 53 | Writer’s comments |
| 1 | So will the nations say to one another, were we to hear from others what we see, it would be unbelievable. | Isaiah asks his audience, “Who will believe this report?” His audience is clearly Judah, not different nations, as Rashi states. |
| 2 | This people, before this greatness came to it, was a very humble people, and it came up by itself like a sapling of the saplings of the trees. And when we saw him from the beginning without an appearance, how could we desire him? Now shall we desire him? This is a question. | Judah was not great during Isaiah’s ministry. Also, Rashi makes no sense implying that Judah could desire itself. Of course, it makes perfect sense as a reference to Jesus, whose appearance here is labeled as unimpressive. |
| 3 | So is the custom of this prophet: he mentions all Is- rael as one man, e.g., (44:2), “Fear not, my servant Jacob”; (44:1) “And now, hearken, Jacob, My ser- vant.” Here too (52:13), “Behold My servant shall prosper,” he said concerning the house of Jacob. יַשְׂכִּיל is an expression of prosperity. (I Sam. 18:14) “And David was successful (מַשְׂכִּיל) in all his ways.” Because of their intense shame and humility, they were as one who hides his face from us, with their faces bound up in concealment, in order that we not see them, like a plagued man who hides his face and is afraid to look. | Rashi is correct that Israel/Judah is the servant mentioned in Isaiah 44 because the text clearly says so. Rashi seems in error, though, about Isaiah 52 because verse 14 states he is man. In Isaiah 53:3 twice the reference is to a man. Jesus being despised and abandoned during the crucifixion fits this verse more than any imaginable description. Jesus did this for us! It makes no difference for us, though, if we don’t receive Him by faith. |
| 4 | But now we see that this came to him not because of his low state, but that he was chastised with pains so that all the nations be atoned for with Israel’s suffering. The illness that should rightfully have come upon us, he bore. We thought that he was hated by the Omnipresent, but he was not so, but he waspained because of our transgressions and crushed because of our iniquities. | Rashi says that Israel was punished as atonement for other countries. How could such a flawed country, as Rashi admits, a-tone for all other nations. Animal sacrifices had to be flawless. Later Rashi seems to suggest Israel atoned for itself. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all. Only He could pay the full price for sins. Receive His gift! |
| 5 | The chastisement due to the welfare that we enjoyed, came upon him, for he was chastised so that there be peace for the entire world. | Again, Rashi suggests the Israel received punishment for its own atonement. Jesus perfectly fulfills this prophecy. |
| 6 | Now it is revealed that all the heathens (nations [mss.]) had erred. He accepted his prayers and was appeased concerning the iniquity of all of us, that He did not destroy His world. | The text says all have sinned, not just heathen nations. It wasn’t Israel’s prayers that saved them. Jesus’s wounds/blood save those who believe Him. |
| 7 | Behold he was oppressed by taskmasters and people who exert pressure. He would suffer and remain silent like the lamb that is brought to the slaughter, and like the ewe that is mute before her shearers. | Rashi doesn’t explain when Israel re- mained silent during suffering. Jesus, called the lamb of God by John the Baptist, re- mained silent during His trial before Pilate. |
| 8 | The prophet reports and says that the heathens (nations [mss., K’li Paz]) will say this at the end of days, when they see that he was taken from the imprisonment that he was imprisoned in their hands and from the judgment of torments that he suffered until now. The tribulations that befell him, for from the beginning, he was cut off and exiled from the land of the living that is the land of Israel for because of the transgression of my people, this plague came to the righteous among them. | Rashi says Israel suffered exile for its own wrongdoing even though he includes righteous people within Israel—which is not in the text. The text actually says the servant experienced death for the wrong- doing of Israel. Again, this makes much more sense as the sinless Jesus dying in place of a sinful people. It highlights the oppression mentioned in the verse because it was so undeserved. |
| 9 | He subjected himself to be buried according to anything the wicked of the heathens (nations [mss., K’li Paz]) would decree upon him, for they would penalize him with death and the burial of donkeys in the intestines of the dogs. According to the will of the wicked, he was willing to be buried, and he would not deny the living God. And to the will of the ruler he subjected himself to all kinds of death that he decreed upon him, because he did not wish to agree to (denial) [of the Torah] to commit evil and to rob like all the heathens (nations [mss., K’li Paz]) among whom he lived. And there was no deceit in his mouth to accept idolatry (to accept a pagan deity as God [Parshandatha]). | Having not looked up all the references Rashi gives, this writer does not know if they refer to situations where the Jews were pressured to deny God and paid with the lives for not doing so. This is possible. Yet the standard is so high in this verse (i.e., no deceitful words or violent acts) that it would be difficult to prove for an entire nation. Certainly, Israel is not unassertive in its own defense today. On the other hand, we know for certain from the Gospel accounts that this description fits Jesus perfectly. |
| 10 | The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to crush him and to cause him to repent; therefore, he made him ill. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “I will see, if his soul will be given and delivered with My holiness to return it to Me as restitution for all that he betrayed Me, I will pay him his recompense, and he will see children, etc.” This word אָשָׁם is an expression of ransom that one gives to the one against when he sinned, amende in O.F., to free from faults, similar to the matter mentioned in the episode of the Philistines (I Sam. 6:3), “Do not send it away empty, but you shall send back with it a guilt offering. | Once again, it makes no sense that the people could be their own guilt offering. This is especially true if the offering is sacrificed unto death as were all animal sacrifices. If that were the case, there would be no nation left to live a long life and see their offspring. This is only explained by a perfect sacrifice who could atone for others through death and then rise again from death to live forever and enjoy His offsprings (i.e., believers) --in other words JESUS. |
| 11 | He would eat and be satisfied, and he would not rob and plunder. My servant would judge justly all those who came to litigate before him. He would bear, in the manner of all the righteous, as it is said (Num. 18:1): “You and your sons shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary.” | It seems as though Rashi suggests other nations will come before the entire nation of Israel for their cases to be litigated. Paul says in Rom. 3:26 Jesus is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Him—a much better fit for this verse! |
| 12 | Therefore, because he did this, I will allot him an inheritance and a lot in public with the Patriarchs. An expression like (Gen. 24:20), “And she emptied her pitcher.” He suffered torments as if he had sinned and transgressed, and this is because of others; he bore the sin of the many and interceded for the transgressors through his sufferings, for good came to the world through him. | Rashi suggests Israel has borne the sins for the world and prays for its transgressors and will be honored the Patriarchs. One wonders if this has happened or is it still to come? What other scriptures suggest this? Yet, as mentioned in the introduction, this reads as a perfect summary for the entire Passion story of Jesus. |
READINGS FOR APRIL 14, 2026 CONTINUED: 1 CORINTHIANS 8, PSALM 31:14-24 1 CORINTHIANS 8 In this chapter, Paul is addressing another question that has been asked by the people of Corinth. It concerns the eating of food that has been sacrificed to idols. To fully understand Paul’s teaching, we must first put it in its context. In the city of Corinth, there were at least twelve temples that where citizens could worship one of the “false gods” of Greek mythology. As was also the custom in the temple in Jerusalem, the temples in Corinth would offer up animal sacrifices to their “false god.” Any excess meat that was not consumed in sacrifice, eaten as part of the temple worship, or eaten by the temple priest’s family was taken to the city market to be sold. In fact, most of the meat sold in the city market could be traced to one of these temples. This brings us to the issue in the Christian church.
There was a disagreement in the Church about whether it was acceptable for Christians to eat the meat sold in the market which had probably been sacrificed to an idol (false god). On the one hand, there were those who believed it was acceptable. Their opinion was based upon the knowledge that since there was only one true God that the temples were sacrificing their meat to nothing. And since these “false gods” did not really exist, then there is no problem eating the meat. On the other hand, for those who were against eating the meat from the market, it is possible that while they were worshipping the right God, they may not have fully rejected the rest of the Greek/Roman Gods as nonexistent. In their opinion, the food had been sacrificed to an idol and therefore was not to be eaten.
Paul’s teaching on this disagreement kind of finds a middle ground. He agrees for the most part that eating the meat is not sinful. However, he cautions those with the knowledge to make sure that their actions do not cause others to sin. If someone who believes the meat is “off limits” and eats it, it may cause them to fall away from the faith. For us today, Paul’s words in verse 13 are worth discussing. “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” Even if we believe, due to our superior knowledge, that some action or behavior is not sinful, if that behavior causes another person to sin, then we should show caution when doing it (if at all). Maybe it is abstaining from alcoholic beverages in the presence of someone because they believe that drinking them is sinful. If engaging in an activity will lead another person into sin, then we should be willing to abstain while in their presence.
PSALM 31:14-24 This is the completion of the psalm of lament. In this section, we turn away from the event that led David to write the psalm and on to the resolution. David knows that his defense against his enemies is his unwavering reliance on God’s faithfulness. David calls on God to protect him against his enemies. David has given himself to God and is relying on God’s shelter. David calls God to save him by God’s power. The psalm wraps up by calling all who hope in God to give God praise. When we have faith in God, we can be strong. We can be assured that God is with us during trouble.
