Isaiah 53:8
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.
Isaiah 53:8
Verse 8 portrays the Servant’s removal from life: “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.” This foresees execution and a sense of early death, with a question about legacy and lineage. The phrase “for the transgression of my people was he stricken” ties his death to collective sin. The Psalm-like lament integrates political and cosmic dimensions: the Servant is unjustly condemned, cut off from life, and yet there is a purpose—transgression carried for the people.
This verse emphasizes substitutionary atonement as a profound dimension of God’s mercy. The Servant’s death has cosmic implications—he bears the people’s sin and dies in their place. It invites readers to interpret suffering within God’s sovereign plan and to see death as a conduit for new life.
Contemplate the mystery of suffering in your own life and the world. When facing injustice or hardship, entrust outcomes to God, knowing that God can bring good from suffering. Reflect on the ways Christ’s death offers purpose to personal losses and to sorrow in the world. If you mentor or lead, consider how to invest in nurturing a legacy of faith that outlives you, pointing others to the Servant.
Cross-References: Acts 3:18; Romans 3:25–26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:15.