Changes To the Commentary

My commentary on John's Gospel from the Aramaic Peshitta seems to be the main attraction to the blog, or it was when I first started at least! Originally I was going to use James Murdock's translation of the Aramaic Peshitta but I have decided recently to use my own English grammar version of Paul Younan's masterful Interlinear of the Peshitta Gospels. The Younan Interlinear is quite possibly the best translation of the Gospels from the original Aramaic text, so I am using it. It follows the Eastern Peshitta, while James Murdock's translation mostly follows the Western Peshitto. At the time of writing this, I have updated the commentary on John chapter 1 to follow the Younan Interlinear. This translation transliterates a lot of Aramaic names for people and places (like "Yeshua" is used instead of "Jesus", "Urishlim" is used instead of "Jerusalem"), but they will be explained in the commentary. Lawrence Sheets has also made an English grammar version of the Younan Interlinear Gospels, and Andrew Gabriel Roth's Aramaic English New Testament utilizes an edited version of the Younan Interlinear from Matthew 1 to Acts 15. The Younan Interlinear will only be used for the Gospels, as only the four Gospels are completely translated. Paul Younan's Interlinear is in the public domain, so it can be quoted anywhere and in any form.

Read the Younan Interlinear online:

http://www.peshitta.org/

Read Lawrence Sheets's English-grammar version of the Younan Interlinear (see "English-only portions"):

http://aramaicpeshitta.com/AramaicNTtools/peshitta_interlinear.htm

Purchase a copy of the Younan Interlinear here:

http://www.aramaicbooks.com/product_info.php?products_id=47&osCsid=rr6lnbpj37tdd7r2bgn5rjsr50

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The True Meaning of Christmas

Over 2,000 years ago during the time in which the Roman empire was the world super power, the one God named Yahweh sent an angel named Gabriel to a small Galilean town called Nazareth to visit a young Jewish virgin of the Davidic line named Mary. She was promised that she would miraculously give birth to a son who would reign on David's throne and would be the Son of God: the Messiah. The angel told her to name Him "Jesus", which means "Yahweh saves" because He would save the humanity from their sins and give them eternal life. The little baby that was born to the Virgin Mary was no ordinary baby, this child was Emmanuel ("God with us") and the Word made flesh. This child lived a perfect life and literally never sinned, at His baptism by his relative John he was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with the power of God and he went about healing all of those who were oppressed by the devil. He showed us God's love and mercy, as well as how to please God and to walk in righteousness. This Jesus was rejected by the religious establishment who were expecting a political Messiah and was crucified under the authority of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Jesus did not die for His own sins, as He had no sins to die for. Jesus died, as prophesied, for our sins and became sin for us. God laid upon Him all of our sins and transgressions. This isn't the end of the story. After three days in the grave, Jesus came back from the dead and proved every claim He made. This Jesus ascended to the right hand of God and is interceding for us sinners as our everlasting High Priest and lives to this day, never to die again. He will give you eternal life if you will place your faith in Him and He will send His Spirit to live in you. This Christmas day, let us remember that all of the material gift that our families give us are nothing in comparison to the gift that God gave us by sending His Son into the world to die for our sins.

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Aramaic Vocabulary: Cities and Countries

Urishlem (Oo-reesh-lehm)- Jerusalem

Natzrat (Nahtz-raht)- Nazareth

Yehuda/Yehud (Yay-hood-ah/Yay-hood)- Judah/Judea

Israel (Ees-rah-el)- Israel

Galila (Gah-lee-lah)- Galilee

Capurnakhum (Cah-poor-nah-khoom)- Capernaum

Beit-Anya (Bayt-ahn-yah)- Bethany

Beit-Tzaida (Bayt-tzah-eedah)- Bethsaida

Antiokia (Ahn-tee-oh-kee-ah)- Antioch

Surya (Soor-yah)- Syria

Ephesos (Eh-phay-sohs)- Ephesus

Galatia (Gah-lah-tee-ah)- Galatia

Roma (Roh-mah)- Rome

Italia (Ee-tahl-ee-ah)- Italy

Yawan/Helas (Yah-wahn/Heh-lahs)- Greece

Yordanan (Yohr-dah-nahn)- Jordan River

Aenyon (Ehn-yohn)- Aenon

Babil (Bah-beel)- Babylon

Tarsos (Tahr-sohs)- Tarsus

Qorinthios (Qor-een-tee-yohs)- Corinth

Pilipos (Pee-lee-pohs)- Philippi

Maqedonia (Mahq-eh-dohn-ee-ah)- Macedonia

Qiliqia (Qee-lee-qee-ah)- Cilicia

Tzor (Tzoor)- Tyre

Tzidon (Tzee-dohn)- Sidon

Sadom (Sah-dohm)- Sodom

Amorrah (Ah-moh-rah)- Amorrah*

Qolosos (Qoh-loh-sohs)- Colosse

Tesaloniqa (Tehs-oh-loh-nee-qah)- Thessalonica

*The English transliteration of Amorrah as Gomorrah is incorrect. George Lamsa theorized that it came from misreading ayin (ܥ) as gamal (ܓ). As you can see, the Aramaic letters could easily be confused. This could not have arose from the Hebrew Square script:

Ayin- ע
Gamal- ג

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My Opinion on Homosexuality

Just read that A&E suspended Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson from filming Duck Dynasty due to comments he made concerning homosexuality. He said, “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.” This is what sickens me about liberalism. They are all for "tolerance" until you disagree with them, after that they assault you're reputation and you are a person. The Bible clearly testifies that homosexuality is a sin:

"For this cause, God gave them up to vile passions: for their females changed the use of their natures, and employed that which is unnatural.And so also their males forsook the use of females, which is natural, and burned with lust toward one another; and, male with male, they did what is shameful, and received in themselves the just recompense of their error."- Romans 1:26-27

"Or do ye not know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God ? Do not mistake; neither whoremongers, nor idol-worshippers, nor adulterers, nor debauchers, nor liers with males, nor the avaricious, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, will inherit the kingdom of God."- I Corinthians 6:9-10

Under the Old Covenant, God ordered that those who slept with people of the same sex be stoned (Leviticus 20:13) and declares homosexuality to be an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). God established marriage to be between a man and a woman. Genesis 1:24 says, " For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

I have homosexual and bisexual friends and I love them as much as my heterosexual friends, but they should know where I stand on the issue. I am not homophobic; I have no fear or hatred of homosexuals. I just know that like us all, they are sinners in need of salvation. Our Lord Jesus hung out with people that the religious institutions would not even touch. Matthew 9:10-13 says, "And as they were reclining in a house, many publicans an sinners came and reclined with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw [it] they said to his disciples, Why doth your Rabbi eat with publicans and sinners? And as Jesus heard [it], he said to them: They who are in health have no need of a physician, but they that are very sick. Go and learn what that is: I require compassion, and not a sacrifice! For I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinful."

Nature itself testifies that homosexuality is not natural. The purpose of sexual intercourse is not pleasure, but for procreation. Homosexuals cannot naturally procreate. If all people were gay, the human race would be driven to extinction. Even the atheistic theory of evolution would say that they would be evolutionary dead ends.

Just like I would a drunkard, an adulterer, or even a murderer, I will minister to their needs and show them the love and mercy of God and pray for them. We all have "that one thing" that we struggle with. I believe with these people, homosexual desires are their "one thing". I don't know that God will always miraculously break the bondage of homosexuality in their life, but I know for sure that God will give them grace to resist that sin if they will repent and turn to God for salvation. Grace is not merely unmerited favor, but that divine power in your life that guides you into righteousness. Paul tells us in Titus 2:11-14, "For the all-vivifying grace of God, is revealed to all men; and it teacheth us, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live in this world in sobriety, and in uprightness, and in the fear of God, looking for the blessed hope, and the manifestation of the glory of the great God, and our Life-giver, Jesus the Messiah; who gave himself for us, that he might recover us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a new people, who are zealous in good works."

Quite frankly, I don't care if you are angry with me for what I say. I'm speaking the Word of God and I'm not going to bring myself into judgment for holding back. God will hold me accountable if I do not speak His Word. I will not bow down to the world and call homosexuality a "beautiful" thing. There is no beauty sin and rebellion against God and His created order. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"

People all around the world are being persecuted for standing for what is righteous. Churches are losing tax-exempt status, businesses are being sued and shut down, and people are quite frankly being attacked on all sides by those who stand for wickedness. If you make friendship with the world by claiming that homosexuality and other sins are okay, then you are setting yourself as an ENEMY to God (James 4:4). You fools who say that I am being intolerant and judgmental, how about you take your own medicine and allow me to have my own opinion and don't judge me? Even if "Christians" stop speaking God's Word, the rocks would cry out and condemn this wicked generation!

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Websites That I Recommend

I spend quite a bit of time reading on the Internet. Thankfully, the people of God know how to use the technology that man has created using the tools given him by God in order to bring glory to the Creator. I read a lot of theology and apologetics, as well as Biblical scholarship. All of these are important topics about which Christians should have an understanding and knowledge.

http://www.carm.org- A very helpful Apologetics website. They follow a rather Calvanistic theology and I disagree with them on several areas, including in the area of Calvanism. Their apologetics articles on Bible difficulties and articles on other religious movements are very helpful and have been used by God to strengthen me in my walk.

http://www.gotquestions.org- A great site that answers various questions about the Bible, theology, and apologetics. Like CARM, I've found this site to be very helpful.

http://www.answersingenesis.org- This is probably the greatest website I've seen on Creationism. They have many articles on the Evolution vs. Creation debate that rages in society. These are not the only things they write about in their apologetics either. They follow a Young Earth view on Creatonism.

http://godandscience.org/- This is another very useful Creationism website that also discusses Bible difficulties and other difficult questions. They follow an Old Earth view on Creationism.

http://onenesspentecostal.com- This is quite possibly my favorite theological website. This is a defense of not only Apostolic Pentecostalism, but also Christianity in general. God has given me a lot of revelation from this site. I use a lot of their ideas in my writing.

http://theosophical.wordpress.com/- Apostolic theologian Jason Dulle's blog. I read him more than any other theologian and find him to have great insights into God's Word. He also writes on onenesspentecostal.com.

http://www.peshitta.org/- This website is ran by Assyrian scholar and native Aramaic speaker Paul Younan. This website has his Interlinear translation of the Aramaic Peshitta (which is incomplete, but goes all the way to Acts 16) and a forum that discusses the topic of Aramaic primacy (the belief that the New Testament was originally written in Aramaic). I post on here quite frequently. If you don't use it for anything else, use it to read and study Paul Younan's Interlinear.

http://aramaicnttruth.org/- Netzari Jewish scholar Andrew Gabriel Roth's website. This also contains articles on Aramaic primacy and Messianic theology. I disagree with him on quite a few things, but I find him to be a brilliant scholar. He is also the translator of the Aramaic English New Testament, which is definitely my favorite complete translation of the Peshitta that has been done in the last few years.

http://aramaicnt.com/- Reverend Glenn David Bauscher's website. Bauscher is the translator of The Original Aramaic New Testament in Plain English, The Aramaic-English Interlinear New Testament, and The Aramaic-English Interlinear Peshitta Old Testament (The Torah). I can definitely say that as a scholar, Dave Bauscher is top notch. As usual, I disagree with some of his theology, but find him to be one of the most intelligent people involved with the Aramaic Primacy movement. He has several articles which detail his evidence and findings that point towards Aramaic as being the original language of the New Testament writings.

http://aramaicnt.org/- Steve Caruso's website. He is an Aramaic linguist who is trying to reconstruct the Galilean Aramaic dialect of Jesus, which differs slightly from the Eastern Aramaic (Syriac) of the Peshitta. He has several articles giving details on the Galilean dialect and also teaches it on this website (for a fee). I disagree with him on the origin of the Peshitta, but find his information to be quite edifying.

http://aramaicpeshitta.com/- This website is ran by former Aramaic primacist Raphael Lataster, who is now a Greek primacist and an Atheist. He still keeps this website up for those who believe in Peshitta primacy. This has many interesting articles giving evidence for the originality of the Peshitta. My favorite feature though, is that you can read various Peshitta translations online here. The translations done by James Murdock, John Wesley Etheridge, George M. Lamsa, and Paul Younan are available for your viewing pleasure here.

http://dukhrana.com/- This is the best website to use for studying the Aramaic Peshitta itself and comparing the various translations and different ancient texts to what the Aramaic itself says. This website is ran by Lars Lindgren and Stephen Silver. You can use several different Aramaic-English Lexicons on here, do in-depth analysis of the Aramaic text. You can also download Peshitta and other important Aramaic New Testament manuscripts, including the Khabouris and Crawford codexes.

http://www.bible-geeks.com

The Way International's Aramaic-English Interlinear New Testament

Native Aramaic speaker and controversial Bible translator George M. Lamsa traveled all around the United States of America, lecturing about the Aramaic Peshitta text, its originality, and the importance of studying the Aramaic language. The people he spoke to had beliefs that ranged from Orthodox and Evangelical beliefs to heretical and occultist. One of these controversial groups was The Way International, founded by Victor Paul Wierwille (who allowed Lamsa to stay in his house while he was proofreading his Holy Bible From the Ancient Eastern Text).

The Way International's translation is simply titled Aramaic-English Interlinear New Testament (3 volumes: 1 includes Matthew-John, 2 includes Acts-Philemon, and 3 includes Hebrews-Revelation). I don't exactly know who the team consisted of. I've heard some say that it was a team of American scholars, including Janet M. Magiera (who translated the Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation and the Aramaic Peshitta New Testament: Vertical Interlinear) and I've also heard that it was a group of Assyrian scholars and that the work was edited by members of the Way. The Interlinear is a companion piece to The Concordance of the Peshitta Version of the Aramaic New Testament, The Aramaic New Testament, Estrangela Script, and English Dictionary Supplement to the Concordance to the Peshitta Version of the Aramaic New Testament.

I consider the Way International to be a cult. This group denies the deity of Jesus, which is clearly affirmed in the New Testament writings (John 1:1-14, 20:28; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9). They also teach that the Holy Spirit and what they call the gift of "holy spirit" are distinct and that the gift is something other than the Spirit of God coming to indwell in believers (Romans 8:9-11; I Corinthians 3:16; Galatians 4:6). 

The format of the Interlinear is great. When you open it up, on the left page the King James Version of the New Testament (to the left) and the Way International's Word-For-Word translation of the Aramaic text (to the right) are on it. On the page to the right, the Interlinear can be seen. It includes the Aramaic text, with a direct English translation of it, word for word, underneath it without changing the grammar. There are numbers by the words to tell you how to read it in proper English grammar (or you could just use the Word-For-Word Translation). Above each Aramaic word is a number that can be looked up in The Concordance to the Peshitta Version of the Aramaic New Testament, which shows the Aramaic word, a definition of it, and times in which it is used in the Peshitta text. The text itself is a mixture of Eastern and Western Peshitta readings, but mostly Western. This makes the translation mostly a translation of the Western Peshitto, rather than the Eastern Peshitta.

Amazingly, the Way International's translation of the Aramaic New Testament places accuracy and non-partiality in translation over their theological beliefs. The translation accurately translates every verse that shows the deity of Christ:

"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and God was the word."- John 1:1

Here is the Interlinear reading (read right to left):

1761      747   749a    112          135            135     1562   749a    112          1761     747    1761     749a    112           3012
ܒܪܫܝܬ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܡܠܬܐ ܘܗܘ ܡܠܬܐ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܠܘܬ ܐܠܗܐ ܘܐܠܗܐ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܗܘ ܡܠܬܐ
the                      was      and        God  with        was         the    and   the           was        In the
word                              God                                            word  <it> word                      beginning

"And Thomas answered and said to him, My lord and my God."- John 20:28

Here is the Interlinear reading:

        135       1854   1510    172a          3311                  2387a
ܘܥܢܐ ܬܐܘܡܐ ܘܐܡܪ ܠܗ ܡܪܝ ܘܐܠܗܝ
and                 My      to        and             Thomas             And 
my God         lord     him     said                                       answered

"...and the fathers and from whom the Messiah was seen in the flesh. He who is God who is over all, to him be our praises and our blessings forever and ever. Amen."- Romans 9:5

Here is the Interlinear reading:
   166      2359        2359    343            3448   1510 1425 2347    135          112              408       1909         959b           1170        2  
 ܘܐܒܗܬܐ ܘܡܢܗܘܢ ܐܬܚܙܝ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܒܣܪ ܕܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܥܠ ܟܠ ܕܠܗ ܬܫܒܚܢ ܘܒܘܪܟܢ ܠܥܠܡ ܥܠܡܝܢ ܐܡܝܢ
Amen.          forever           and our    [be] our  to him all, who is   God        He who         in the       the         was          and from       and the
                 and ever          blessings    praises                  over                     is                flesh     Messiah    seen            whom         fathers

The Way's translation however, is not completely free of theological bias. Their theology on the gift of the Holy Spirit comes through in some places (I'm going to skip giving the Interlinear reading:

"I baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who comes after me is stronger than me, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire..."- Matthew 3:11

"Simon said to them, Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of the lord Jesus for the remission of sins, that you might receive the gift of holy spirit."- Acts 2:38

The Aramaic word that is translated here as "holy spirit" is Rukha d'Qudsha (ܪܘܚܐ ܕܩܘܕܫܐ). The letter alef (ܐ) at the end of both words shows that this word is in the emphatic state, therefore it should be translated as "the Holy Spirit" or more literally as "the Spirit of Holiness". While it is subtle bias, it is bias nonetheless. 

The Way International's translation of the New Testament from the Peshitta is very accurate and reliable. This small amount of bias does not keep its readers from getting the truth of the Word of God out there. The fact that they limited their "interpretiveness" even to the extent of contradicting their religious teachings. I do highly recommend purchasing this and the companion volumes that I mentioned earlier in the article. In order to purchase this translation, call 419-753-1018 from Monday-Friday during the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Eastern time). 

http://www.bible-geeks.com
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The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53: The Messiah or Not?

Even before Christianity had its inception, devout Jews believed that the Suffering Servant seen by the Prophet Isaiah was the Messiah, making atonement for the people's sins. After Jesus came and was rejected by the Jewish religious authorities, the Rabbinical commentators began to move from this interpretation. Now, modern Judaism usually interprets the prophecy of Isaiah 53 to be referring to either Israel or Isaiah himself. In this article, we will see why Isaiah 53 is a prophecy of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. This article will be a verse-by-verse commentary on the prophecy:

Who, believed what we have heard? And, the arm of Yahweh, to whom was it revealed?

"What we have heard" refers to the Gospel message about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Many people rejected the message of Christ and did not accept the testimony the Father bore of His Son, nor the testimony that the apostles bore when they spread the Gospel. John 12:37-38 says, "And though he did all these miracles before them, they did not believe in him. That the word would be fulfilled of Eshaya the prophet who said, My Lord, who will believe our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" The identity of the Messiah is not something you can discover through the fleshly, but only by revelation from the Father's Holy Spirit. Matthew 16:13-17 says, "And when Yeshua came to the region of Caesarea of Philippi, he was asking his disciples, "What do men say concerning men? That I am [merely] a son of man? And they said, Some say Yokhanan the baptizer but others Elia and others Aramiya or one of the prophets. And he said to them, "But you, who do you say that I am? Shimon Keepa answered and said,  You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Yeshua answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Shimon, the son of Yona; because flesh and blood has not revealed [this] to you, but my Father who is in heaven."

The "arm of Yahweh" refers to the Messiah. The Messiah is not a separate Person from Yahweh, but is Yahweh Himself in the flesh. Andrew Gabriel Roth, a Messianic scholar, brings out that the arm moves under the direction of the brain, so does the Messiah move under the direction of His Father. Jesus is essentially equal with God. John 5:17-18 says, "And because of this, all the more were the Yehudeans seeking to kill him. Not only because he [Jesus] had broken the sabbath, but also that concerning God he would say that he is his Father, and was equating himself with God." Jesus did however, humble Himself and function as a genuine human being, therefore operated in subjection to God. Verse 19 says, "But Yeshua answered and said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you: that the Son is not able to do anything by his desire, but what he sees the the things that he, the Father, does, for that the Father does, these things also the Son likewise does."

When he came up as a sapling before him, And as a root-sprout out of dry ground, He had neither beauty nor majesty,—When we beheld him, there was nothing to behold, that we should desire him;

This is clearly referring to an individual, not the corporate state of Israel. "We" is referring to Israel. Jesus did not look like much, He did not look like the king that they expected. In Isaiah 42:1-4 (which is quoted in Matthew 12:17-21), the prophet says concerning Yahweh's servant: "Lo! my Servant, I will uphold him, My chosen, well-pleased, is my soul,—I have put my spirit upon him, Justice—to the nations, will he bring forth: he will not cry out, nor will he speak loud,—Nor cause to be heard, in the street, his voice: cane that is crushed, will he not break, And wick that is fading, will he not quench,—Faithfully, will he bring forth justice: he will not fade, nor will he be crushed, Until he establish, in the earth, justice, And, for his instruction, Coastlands, wait."

This Servant was not going to even seek His own glory. In John 8:39 Jesus says, "And I do not seek my own glory. There is He who seeks and judges." All Jesus cared about was doing God's will and bringing glory to His name. This is speaking about how the Messiah humbled Himself, He did not come in the glory of a king, but in humility; He also was not born in a palace, but in a stable. Jesus did not look like a king apparently and he did not come with a military force like the Jewish people wanted Him to in order to overthrow the Romans.

When the Word became flesh (John 1:14), He could have become whatever He desired and whoever He desired. God, however, did not lay hold of His divine privileges and became like one of us (Philippians 2:6-8). He chose to be born in a stable in Bethlehem and was lying in a manger. He did not bow down to the devil in order to receive and earthly kingdom (Matthew 4:8-10), because His Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). 

Despised was he, and forsaken of men, Man of pains, and familiar with sickness,—Yea, like one from whom the face is hidden, Despised, and we esteemed him not.

The Servant of God is not a popular man. He was hated of all men and endured much persecution. The Gospels record several instances in which the people attempted to stone Him and accused Him of blasphemy for revealing who He truly was. Jesus was truly hated by the religious establishment, even his brothers did not believe in Him (John 7:3-5). Jesus was betrayed and forsaken even by most of His closest followers.

Yet surely, our sicknesses, he, carried, And, as for our pains, he bare the burden of them,—But, we, accounted him stricken, Smitten of God, and humbled.

Jesus bore our spiritual illness of sin and healed us of our physical illnesses. This is quoted in Matthew 8:17 after Jesus works miracles of healing and deliverance in the Galilean town of Capernaum. In John 16:2-3, Jesus said, "They will drive you out from their assemblies and a time will come that all who kill you will think that they offer an offering to God. And these things they will do because they do know neither my Father nor myself."

Those who had Jesus crucified were in ignorance and believed that they were doing the work of God. John 18:29-30 says, "And Peelatos went outside to them and said to them, What accusation do you have against this man? They answered and said to him, If [he] was not a doer of evil, not even to you we would have delivered him." Peter confirms that they had Jesus crucified in ignorance: "The God of Awraham, and of Iskhaq, and of Yaqub, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Son Yeshua; He whom you delivered up and whom denied before the face of Peelatos after he saw it fitting to let him go. But you denied the Just and the Holy, and you requested for yourselves a murderous man to be given to you. And that Prince of Life you killed, whom God raised from the dead, and we, all of us, are his witnesses. And in the faith of His name, this man that you see and you know, He has strengthened and healed and the faith that is in him has given him this wholeness before all of you. But now, our brethren, I know that in ignorance you did this, as did your leaders. And according to God, that beforehand He preached by the the mouths of all the prophets that His Messiah would suffer, in this manner has fulfilled [it]."

Yet, he, was pierced for transgressions that were ours, was crushed for iniquities that were ours,—The chastisement for our well-being, was upon him, And, by his stripes, there is healing for us.

This is one of three verses in the Tanakh that speak of the Messiah being pierced. Here are the other two:

"For dogs have surrounded me,—An assembly of evil doers, have encircled me, They have pierced my hands and my feet..."- Psalm 22:16

"But I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of favour, and of supplications, and they will look unto me, whom they have pierced,—and will wail over him, as one waileth over an only son, and will make bitter outcry over him, as one maketh bitter outcry over a firstborn."- Zechariah 12:10

The Messiah was not slain for His own sins, but for our own. Jesus is declared to have died for our sins in the New Testament. Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:3-4, "For I delivered to you from the first, according as I had received: That the Meshiha died for our sins, as it is written; and that he was buried, and arose the third day, as it is written." In another Epistle, Paul tells the Corinthian church that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, into sin for our sake (II Corinthians 5:21). Notice also how Isaiah distinguishes himself from the Servant of Yahweh.

Notice that this verses says that the Servant was pierced and chastised, resulting in stripes on His body. This perfectly fits in with the Roman punishment of crucifixion, which was the means of Jesus's death. Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, and John 19:1 all tells us that Jesus was flogged under the authority of Pilate. All four of the Gospels record Jesus's death by crucifixion (Matthew 27:35-50, Mark 15:25-37, Luke 23:33-46, John 19:23-30). 

We all, like sheep, had gone astray, Every man—to his way, had we burned,—And, Yahweh! caused to light upon him, The guilt of, us all!

Jesus is not recorded to have been physically crushed, as this would have resulted in a bone being broken and nullified the Word of God (John 19:31-36). Jesus was crushed with the weight of our sins and wickedness. The real pain of the crucifixion was not only physical, but spiritual. The sinless Messiah had all of the sins of the world laid upon Him as the Lamb of God.

Hard pressed—yet, he, humbled himself, Nor opened his mouth—As, a lamb, to the slaughter, is led, And, as a sheep, before her shearers, is dumb—Nor opened his mouth.

Jesus did not speak in lengthy discourse to defend Himself before the Jewish authorities, or Pilate while the Jewish authorities were making their accusations. All he said were the words, "You have said it." Pilate is said to have been amazed by Jesus's silence (Mark 15:5). Jesus did speak some, but not as much as I would if I was about to be crucified. In order to make Jesus speak at His trial before the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas had to command Him by the name of God (Matthew 26:63). Jesus did answer questions from Pilate when he took him to question him (John 18:33-38, 19:9-12) but still did not make a legal defense, He just stated the truth. He also did not directly answer the questions of Annas, merely telling him to ask His disciples what He taught (John 19:19-21). When one of Annas's servants hit Him, He merely ask them why they hit Him (John 19:22-23).

By constraint and by sentence, was he taken away, And, of his age, who considered, That he was cut off out of the land of the living, For my people's transgression, did the stroke fall on him?

This Servant seems to be a young man with no physical descendants. Again, this is referring to an individual who experiences death ("cut off out of the land of the living") and not to the nation of Israel. When the nation of Israel was punished by God, it was punished for its own sins. This Servant however, is punished for the sins of others.

And, appointed with lawless men, was his grave, And, with the wicked, his tomb,—Though, no violence, had he done, Nor was guile in his mouth.

The Servant was regarded as a criminal. Jesus is emphatically stated to have been viewed as an evildoer by the Jewish authorities (John 18:29-30). He was also crucified in between two thieves (Mark 15:27). Israel clearly did do wrong in its long history, but this Servant had done no wrong to deserve the punishment that He received.

Yet, Yahweh, purposed to bruise him, He laid on him sickness:—If his soul become an offering for guilt, He shall see a seed, He shall prolong his days,—And, the purpose of Yahweh, in his hand, shall prosper:

It says that Yahweh did this thing to Him with the purpose of sin offering. Yet it says that this one who has died without descendants shall see His seed! Jesus's descendants are those who believe in His name. Therefore, this is not talking about descendants according to the flesh. This Servant who died is also said to prolong His days. Jesus prolonged His days by rising from the dead! For His suffering, Yahweh blesses His Servant. I believe Jesus was blessed by being given the name above every other name. Paul says in Philippians 2:5-11, "And feel this in yourselves, which Jeshu the Meshiha (did) also: who, when he was in the form of Aloha, considered this not to be robbery, (this, namely,) that he was the co-equal of Aloha: yet emptied he himself, and took the form of a servant, and was made in the form of men; and in fashion was found as a man, and humbled himself, and was obedient unto death, but the death of the cross. Wherefore also Aloha greatly exalted him, and gave him a name that is more excellent than all names, that at the name of Jeshu every knee should kneel, of those in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jeshu the Meshiha is the Lord, to the glory of Aloha his Father." Jesus, who laid aside His divine prerogatives and privileges, and obeyed God even to the point of dying on a cross, is exalted above all else for His obedience.   

Of the travail of his soul, shall he see, He shall be satisfied with his knowledge, A setting right, when set right himself, shall my Servant win for the Many, Since, of their iniquities, he, taketh the burden.

The Servant's suffering is not in vain and He will know it. Many people will be blessed by the Servant's suffering for their sins. This is clearly talking about the salvation that comes by way of Jesus's death and resurrection.

Therefore, will I give him a portion in the great, And, the strong, shall he apportion as spoil, Because he poured out, to death, his own soul, And, with transgressors, let himself be numbered,—Yea, he, the sin of Many, bare, And, for transgressors, interposeth.

Because of this Servant's unwavering obedience to Yahweh, He is blessed and exalted. He bore the sins of all mankind and makes intercession for sinners. Jesus is exalted by God for what He did on the cross. Even on the cross He prayed for His enemies. Luke 23:34 says, "And Yeshua was saying, Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Even today, Jesus sits at the right hand of the power of God and acts as our everlasting High Priest and as the sole Mediator between God and man. Hebrew 4:14-16 says, "Therefore having such a great High Priest, Jeshu Meshiha, the Son of Aloha, who hath ascended to heaven, let us persevere in the confession of him. For we have not an high priest who cannot suffer along with our infirmity, but (one) who, [having been] tempted in every thing as we, (was) separate from sin. Let us therefore approach with confidence to the throne of his grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace for help in the time of affliction." The Apostle Paul writes in I Timothy 2:5, "For one is Aloha, and one is the Mediator of Aloha and of men; the man Jeshu Meshiha..."

Surely now it must be apparent that Isaiah 53 is talking about none other than Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Messiah and the Son of God who is prophesied of in not only this passage, but all throughout the Tanakh. The Scriptures bear witness to Jesus being the Messiah. Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 5:39-40, "Search hte scriptures, because in them you think you have life that is eternal, and they testify concerning me. And you are not desiring to come to me, that you may have life that is eternal." 

The only thing keeping you from Jesus is you. If you search the Scriptures with an open heart, you will see that Jesus is exactly who He said He was. He is the Messiah, the Son of God, the living God, Yahweh, made flesh. He came to die for not only my sins, but yours also. If you accept this revelation that God is trying to give you, then you will be blessed in a greater fashion than you could ever imagine!

All Scripture quotations are taken from:

Rotherham's Emphasized Bible by Joseph Bryant Rotherham
Peshitta.org Aramaic-English Interlinear Gospels by Paul D. Younan
A Literal Translation of the New Testament From the Peschito by John Wesley Etheridge


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