Time after Pentecost · Proper 19 · Year B
Isaiah 50:4-10
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
September 12, 2027
Overview & Insights
“I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard.” (Isaiah 50:6)
In 50:4 the subject suddenly changes again—in two senses. The grammatical subject is once again a human “I” rather than a divine “I,” and the thematic subject is the pressure upon this human “I.” In both respects the passage parallels 49:1–6, and it will emerge that 50:4–52:12 forms a sequence parallel to 49:1–50:4, analogous to double sequences we have noted earlier in chapters 40–55. The arrangement of sections is not as tightly parallel as in earlier instances, but the parallelism again means that the second sequence develops issues raised in the first. Here, as there, that involves discussion of the role of Yahweh’s servant (50:4–11 as 49:1–6), but here the destiny of Zion and the way the destiny of the Babylonian community relates to it (51:1–52:12 as 49:7–50:3) receive more attention.
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Commentary
Working Preacher: Commentary on Isaiah 50:4-9a Working Preacher
Lutheran lectionary commentary on the Servant's obedient suffering.
Enduring Word: Isaiah 50 Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the whole chapter.
Precept Austin: Isaiah 50 Commentary Precept Austin
Detailed study page gathering many commentators on the Servant Song.
BibleHub: Commentaries on Isaiah 50:4 BibleHub
Parallel classic commentaries keyed to the Servant's taught tongue.
StudyLight: Isaiah 50 Commentaries StudyLight
Many complete commentaries on Isaiah 50 gathered on one page.
Background & Word Study
Enter the Bible: Isaiah Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary's scholarly introduction to Isaiah and its context.
BibleProject: Isaiah 1-39 Overview BibleProject
Animated overview of the design and message of Isaiah.
Sefaria: Isaiah 50 (Hebrew) Sefaria
Hebrew text with English and classical Jewish commentary on the chapter.
BibleHub: Isaiah 50 Interlinear BibleHub
Hebrew-English interlinear for word-level study of the chapter.
Questions preachers ask
How does the Servant respond to suffering?
Given the tongue of a teacher, the obedient Servant does not turn back but sets his face like flint, trusting the God who helps him, an image of Christ in his Passion.
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