“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 53:6 Mean?
Isaiah delivers one of the most comprehensive descriptions of human sin and divine response in the Old Testament. All we like sheep have gone astray — the universality is total. All. Every person. Wandering from the path like sheep without a shepherd.
"We have turned every one to his own way" — the sin is not just wandering. It is self-direction. Each person choosing their own path rather than God's. The independence is the rebellion.
"And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" — the pivot. The sin that belonged to all was placed on one. The LORD — God himself — did the laying. The substitution is divine initiative, not human invention.
The verse moves from universal sin (all have strayed) to individual rebellion (every one to his own way) to substitutionary atonement (the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all). The problem is comprehensive. The solution is singular.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does 'all we like sheep' establish the universality of human sin?
- 2.What does 'every one to his own way' reveal about the nature of sin as self-direction?
- 3.What does it mean that the LORD laid the iniquity — that God initiated the substitution?
- 4.How do you personally receive the truth that your iniquity was 'laid on him'?
Devotional
All we like sheep have gone astray. All. Not some. Not the obvious sinners. All of us — like sheep, wandering, lost, following instinct instead of the shepherd.
We have turned every one to his own way. The universal wandering is individually expressed. Each person chose their own direction. The rebellion is personal, specific, and self-directed.
And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. The weight of every wandering. The guilt of every self-chosen path. All of it — gathered up and placed on one person. The LORD did the placing. The servant received the weight.
The verse is a complete gospel: universal sin (all have gone astray), personal rebellion (every one to his own way), and divine substitution (the LORD laid our iniquity on him). The problem and the solution in three clauses.
You have gone astray. You have turned to your own way. That is the honest diagnosis. But the LORD has laid your iniquity on someone else. That is the good news. The weight you cannot carry has been placed on shoulders strong enough to bear it.
The sheep wandered. The shepherd was struck. And the iniquity of us all — yours included — was laid on him.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
All we like sheep have gone astray,.... Here the prophet represents all the elect of God, whether Jews or Gentiles; whom…
All we, like sheep, have gone astray - This is the penitent confession of those for whom he suffered. It is an…
The Iniquity of us all - For עון avon, "iniquity," the ancient interpreters read עונות avonoth, "iniquities," plural;…
In these verses we have,
I. A further account of the sufferings of Christ. Much was said before, but more is said here,…
Looking back on their former irreligious condition the people see that their rejection of the Servant was the natural…
Cross References
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