Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — A prophetic narrator describes the Servant of the LORD in the third person within the Servant Song (Isa 52:13–53:12), at the moment of his execution. The reader is positioned as a witness to what has been done to Him.

The words — נַעֲנֶה (na'aneh), Niphal of ענה, "to be afflicted," marks the Servant as one acted upon rather than acting. לַ/טֶּ֣בַח (la'tevach), "to the slaughter," carries the definite article, marking this as a specific, destined killing rather than a generic death.

The thread — The silence before the high priest (Matthew 26:63) and the refusal to retaliate (1 Peter 2:23) are the New Testament's concrete instances of this verse. Acts 8:32 quotes it directly as the passage being read.

Why it lands — The verse asks the reader to sit with the fact that the iniquity of all (v. 6) was paid by one who never once protested. There is no appeal to feel sorry for Him; the demand is to reckon with what His silence cost.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

נִגַּ֨שׂni.Gashe was oppressed וְה֣וּאve./Hu'and/ he נַעֲנֶה֮na.'a.Neh[was] afflicted וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not יִפְתַּח־yif.tach-he opened פִּיו֒pi/vmouth/ his כַּשֶּׂה֙ka./Sehlike <the>/ sheep לַטֶּ֣בַחla./Te.vach[which] to the/ slaughter יוּבָ֔לyu.Valit is brought וּכְרָחֵ֕לu./khe./ra.Cheland/ like/ a ewe לִפְנֵ֥יli/f.Nei[which] <to>/ before גֹזְזֶ֖יהָgo.ze.Zei./hashearers/ its נֶאֱלָ֑מָהne.'e.La.mahit is dumb וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not יִפְתַּ֖חyif.Tachhe opened פִּֽיו׃Pi/vmouth/ his

King James Version

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Cross-references

Acts 8:32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
Matthew 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
1 Peter 2:23 When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
Mark 14:61 But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
Matthew 27:12 And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.
John 19:9 and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
Luke 23:9 Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer.
Mark 15:5 But to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.