“But he was wounded for our
transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
First
let’s get our base right. Everyone agrees that this
prophetic scripture of Isaiah Chapter 53 was referring to the future Jewish
Messiah that is Yeshua without any doubt whatsoever.
The above verse in particular is used by many
Christian Healing Groups who are claiming the exclusive rights of having the
power of PHYSICAL HEALINGS due to the completion and conclusion of Yeshua’s
Ransom Sacrifice on the Cross and hence by the physical torture stripes that
Yeshua suffered during his beatings by the Roman Soldiers and due to this, WITH
HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.
ISAIAH
53:1 (Restoration Study Bible 04th
Edition)
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is
the arm of Yahweh revealed?
53:2
For he shall grow up before him as a tender
plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and
when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
53:4
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of Elohim, and afflicted.
53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and Yahweh hath laid on him the iniquity of us
all.
53:7
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.
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.
53:9
And he made his grave with the wicked, and
with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any
deceit in his mouth.
53:10
Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him; he hath
put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall
see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh shall
prosper in his hand.
53:11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and
shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for
he shall bear their iniquities.
53:12
Therefore will I divide him a portion with
the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath
poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and
he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Let’s see by reading and re – reading the complete context before the verse Nos 5 and after it, plus reading the full chapter of Isaiah 53, where is there any direct reference that this healing is connected or concerned with PHYSICAL healing? Are we adding some thought or idea that is alien to this scriptural understanding?
Different Translations in English use different words for and by His stripes
וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ (ū·ḇa·ḥă·ḇu·rā·ṯōw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun -
feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's
2250: A stripe, blow
New
International Version
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he
was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on
him, and by his wounds we are healed.
New
Living Translation
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed
for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so
we could be healed.
NASB
1995
But He was pierced through for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our
well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging
we are healed.
Brenton
Septuagint Translation
But he was wounded on account of our sins,
and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was
upon him; and by his bruises we
were healed.
Contemporary
English Version
He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our
punishment, he made us completely well.
Good
News Translation
But because of our sins he was wounded,
beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment
he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.
ANOTHER GRAMMATICAL POINT
This cannot be denied that the Scripture both
in Hebrew and English uses the PAST TENSE when saying, “By his stripes we are
healed”. It does not say “By his stripes we will be healed”.
The Bible said, by His stripes, we are healed
(Isaiah 53:5). The words “we are healed”
are in past tense and meaning that our healing has been fully secured on
the cross by Yeshua ha Messiah 2,000 years ago.
What does Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon have to say about the Hebrew word, “Rapha” used as, “Heal” at Isaiah 53:5?
A primitive root; properly
to mend (by stitching), that is, (figuratively)
to cure: - cure,
(cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole. See H7503.
So Strong’s tells us that the word Rapha or
Heal has a FIGURATIVE AND NOT LITERAL application and understanding.
Let’s look into this more deeply by dividing
the word of Yah rightly: 2 Timothy 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto Elohim,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.”
What does “by his wounds you have been healed” mean?
Article
Source: https://georgesjournal.net/2017/02/03/what-does-by-his-wounds-you-have-been-healed-mean/
All anguages contain figures of speech where
words have a figurative meaning instead of the literal one. The same is true
for the Bible. It’s important to correctly recognize figurative language so we
don’t treat figurative language as though it were literal, or treat literal
language as though it were figurative.
The passage “by his wounds you have been
healed” is mentioned in Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24. What does it mean? From
the context, “his wounds” refers to Christ’s suffering on the cross. Does it
mean that through Christ’s death we can be miraculously healed from illness or
injury? Or does it mean something else?
This passage is also alluded to in
Deuteronomy 32:39NIV: “There is no god besides me. I (God) put to death and I
bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my
hand”.
This verse is a part of the song of Moses
which deals with the punishment of the nations which God used to punish Israel.
Here God is shown to be sovereign over the nations. He can destroy them (“put
to death”) and create them (“bring to life”). He can judge them (“wound”) and
restore them (“heal”). So in this context, the word “heal” is used as a figure
of speech for restoring the fortunes of a nation. It has nothing to do with
recovering from an illness or injury.
We will now look at Isaiah 53:5, followed by 1
Peter 2:24.
In
Isaiah
The Hebrew word nirpa (Strongs #7495), which
is translated “heal”, is mentioned in six verses in the book of Isaiah.
According to the Appendix, in 80% (4/5) of these verses, the word “heal” is
used as a figure of speech. So what does it mean in the other verse, Isaiah
53:5? Is it figurative or literal?
Isaiah prophesied and wrote in Judea in about 700BC when there was great wickedness and idolatry amongst the Judeans. There are four “servant songs” in the book of Isaiah in which the servant is the promised Messiah (Isa. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13 – 53:12). The fourth song describes a servant who would experience suffering and exaltation. Isaiah 53:5 is set in the following context.
4
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him
punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We
all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and
the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Here
the servant endured: pain, suffering, punishment,
striking, affliction, piercing, crushing, and wounding. This punishment was
from God and in this way the servant took the punishment that “we” deserve for
“our” transgressions, iniquities and sin (v.10, 12). In this context the “we”
and “our” were the faithful remnant of Judah (Isa. 10:20-23; 11:11; 37:31-32;
46:3). The result is that they experience peace and healing and justification
(v.11). Their problem was that they “had gone astray” (v.6). They had sinned
and transgressed the law of Moses. There is no mention of illness or injury. So
in this verse “healed” means forgiveness of their sins and transgressions, not
physical healing. According to the NET version, “Healing is a metaphor for
forgiveness here”. It’s a spiritual healing, not a physical one.
Brown-Driver-Briggs says that its figurative and addressing a nation or city
like Babylon (Jer. 17:14). This means that the word “heal” is used as a figure
of speech in 83% (5/6) of the verses where it is mentioned in the book of
Isaiah.
In
1 Peter
The Greek word iaomai (Strongs #2390), which
is translated “to heal”, is only mentioned once in the books written by Peter
(1 Pt. 2:24). Most of the other instances of this word in the New Testament
refer to physical healing. The exceptions are:
Acts 28:27, which is a quotation of Isaiah
6:10 in which the phrase “I (God) would heal them” is used as a figure of
speech for a spiritual revival (see Appendix).
Hebrews 12:13 “’Make level paths for your
feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed”. The context of
this verse is enduring hardship as God’s discipline (v.3-13). They are encouraged
to persevere instead of giving up. The desired outcome is to “share in His
(God’s) holiness” (v.10). This is a spiritual solution, not a physical one. So
it was a spiritual problem, not a physical one. The “lame” is a weak believer
(who had maybe drifted away, Heb. 2:1) and to be “healed” is to be built up,
strengthened and restored (instead of stumbled). The NLT says “Mark out a
straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall
but become strong”. So the words “lame”, “disabled” and “healed” are being used
metaphorically in this verse.
23 When they hurled their insults at Him
[Jesus], He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead,
He entrusted himself to Him [God the Father] who judges justly. 24 “He himself
bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live
for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep
going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your
souls.
After
dealing with submission to authorities, Paul gives
the example of Christ’s submission when He suffered for our sins. Then he
quotes from Isaiah 53:4-6 to encourage believers to live godly lives: “so that
we can be dead to sin and live for what is right” (v. 24, NLT). The verse is
referring to sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being
“healed” means to be forgiven and saved, not to be physically healed. According
to Thayers’ Greek Lexion “by His wounds you have been healed” means “to bring
about (one’s) salvation”. It’s a way of saying that Christ’s death brings
salvation to those who trust in Him. So, it’s spiritual healing. This is consistent
with the finding that Isaiah 53:5 is also addressing spiritual healing, which
should be the case as that is the source of the quotation in 1 Peter 2:24.
Discussion
This study has illustrated how to use the surrounding context to distinguish figurative language from literal language in the Bible. The verses and passages in each book of the Bible are set out in an order determined by God. Don’t try to understand a verse or passage in isolation. Look at the message in the whole book. Look at the message in the same chapter, in the previous chapter and in the following chapter. Look at the message in the verses before and in the verses after. Read it like any other book; don’t just read here and there. Proverbs is the only book of the Bible where the verses aren’t always related to each other. If a verse is quoted and explained without looking at the surrounding context, there is a danger of eisegesis (an interpretation that is imposed on the biblical text by the reader – it comes from the reader’s preconceived ideas) instead of exegesis (an interpretation that is obtained/derived from the biblical text). In our everyday language the meaning of the words we use is mainly given by the surrounding context. The same rule applies when interpreting Scripture. It’s not good practice to select verses elsewhere in Scripture (i.e. “cherry picking”) to derive the meaning of a particular verse. Who decides which selection is best? But once the meaning has been explained, it’s OK to look for other passages of Scripture that are consistent with the meaning.
If this passage from Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter
2:24 is not relevant to illness and injury, then what is a proper Biblical
response to such circumstances? Paul prayed about his health problems, but when
it was clear that that weren’t going to be taken away, he knew that God doesn’t
promise to remove our ailments and problems (2 Cor. 12:9). Instead God can give
us the strength to live with our ailments and problems, because human weakness
enables the display of divine power. Like a parent trains their children, God
uses suffering for our spiritual development (Heb. 12:4-13). It’s how our
self-reliance, pride, and earthly wisdom can be replaced with godliness and a
stronger faith. James taught that the purpose of such trials is to develop our
endurance, patience and perseverance (Jas. 1:2-3). Because our problems can
develop our Christian character, we should accept them joyfully instead of
getting angry, complaining, giving up, having self-pity, or believing that God
will take them away. That can be a challenge for us!
Conclusion
We have seen that the passage “by his wounds
you have been healed” mentioned in Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 doesn’t mean
that through Christ’s death we will be miraculously healed from illness or
injury. Instead it means that through Christ’s death our sins can be forgiven
and we can be spiritually healed and revived. However, physical healing is
promised in future when believers will be resurrected to experience no
sickness, pain, suffering, or death (Rev.21:1-4, 22:1-3).
Paul’s response to his “thorn in the flesh”
(2 Cor. 12:9), parental training of their children (Heb. 12:4-13), and James’
advice on trials (Jas. 1:2-3) are good examples on how to react to illness or
injury.
Appendix: Usage of the word “heal” in Isaiah
·
The Hebrew word nirpa (Strongs
#7495), which is translated “heal”, is mentioned in six verses in the book of
Isaiah. We now look briefly at the meaning of this word in five of these
verses.
· Isa. 6:10b: “Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed”. This verse is in a passage describing the results of Isaiah’s ministry to Judah. The people would be unresponsive (like being deaf and blind) and turn even further from God. It’s opposite to people turning back to God (being repentant). And opposite to a spiritual revival. And opposite to spiritual healing. So the phrase “be healed” is used in this verse as a figure of speech for a spiritual revival.
·
Isa. 19:22: “The Lord will strike
Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the
Lord, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them”. Here the Egyptians are
able to pray for deliverance from the plague like the Israelites (1 Ki.
8:35-40). In this verse, the word “heal” is used for physical healing from the
plague, which is a disease.
·
Isa. 30:26: “The moon will shine
like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of
seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the
wounds he inflicted”. This chapter describes Israel relying on political
alliances instead of on God, which results in suffering and sorrow. The
suffering and sorrow are referred to metaphorically as “bruises” and “wounds”.
But they are promised blessing if they repent. The end of their suffering and
sorrow is likened to a metaphorical healing. So the word “heals” is used as a
figure of speech for a spiritual revival when the Israelites repent to obey God
once again.
·
Isa. 57:18-19: “I have seen their
ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s
mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,”
says the Lord. “And I will heal them”. These verses are in a passage where God
promises to restore the Israelites who turn away from idolatry. The meaning of
the word “heal” is given as to “guide”, to “restore comfort to Israel’s
mourners” and to bring “peace”. There is no mention of illness or injury. So
the word “heal” is used here as a figure of speech for forgiveness and
restoration.
So
in 80% (4/5 of these verses, the word “heal” is used as a figure of speech.
The other verse that we haven’t considered here is: “But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed“ (Isa. 53:5). The meaning
of “healed” in this verse is discussed above under the heading “In Isaiah”.
Source
of Information and Article Credits: https://georgesjournal.net/2017/02/03/what-does-by-his-wounds-you-have-been-healed-mean/
Writer’s
Final Conclusions in points:
· At 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul who was a very active healer of sicknesses and diseases recommends to some person who is suffering from some stomach ailment to have some wine, it is good for the stomach. Here Paul could have easily taken this opportunity like modern day healers in many Christian groups to HEAL THE STOMACH OF ITS SICKNESS. But the Apostle Paul does not do healing here, but suggests drinking wine for its medicinal benefits to cure stomach problems.
·
Yeshua (Jesus) made Lazarus alive
from the dead. It was a physical healing. But even Yeshua’s healing in first
century Israel was temporary and to prove his Messiah ship to the Israelite
people. Lazarus finally grew old once again and naturally died. The healings of
Yeshua was like a movie TRAILER of what will be achieved in his future
Messianic Kingdom. Revelation 22:2
Revelation
22:1, 2
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of
life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit
every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
·
If modern day Christian healers
are supposed to cure and heal all people in the name of Yeshua, then what is
the need of praying for THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE? Is Yahweh not aware
that Christian Healers are healing all people on Earth, then why the need for
“Rivers of Waters of Life for physical healing” in the future Messianic Kingdom?
· Isaiah 53:5 is talking and referring to SPIRITUAL HEALING and not physical healing and curing of diseases.