Isaiah 53:8

He was taken from prison and from judgment: these words are understood either,

1. Of Christ's humiliation or suffering; and then the words are to be thus rendered, He was taken away (to wit, out of this life, as this word is used, Psalms 31:13 Proverbs 1:19, and elsewhere; he was put to death) by distress (or violence, or tyranny, as this word is used with this preposition before it, Psalms 107:39) and judgment; by oppression and violence, under a form and pretence of justice. Or rather,

2. Of Christ's exaltation, because of the following clause; which is not unseasonably mentioned in the midst of his sufferings, to take off the scandal which might have arisen from Christ's sufferings, if there had not been a prospect and assurance of his victoriousness over them, and his glory after them; and so the words may be rendered, He was taken up (or, taken away, freed or delivered) from prison (i.e. from the grave, which being called a house, Job 30:23, and a pit, in which men are shut up Psalms 69:15, may fitly be called a prison; or, from distress or affliction, or oppression, from the power and malice of his enemies, and from the torments of his own soul, arising from the sense of men's sins and God's displeasure) and from judgment, i.e. from all the sufferings and punishments inflicted upon him, either by the unrighteous judgment of men, or by the just judgment of God, punishing him for those sins which he had voluntarily taken upon himself; or, which is the same tiling, from the sentence of condemnation, and all the effects of it; for in this sense judgment is very commonly taken both in Scripture and other authors. Who shall declare? who can declare it? the future being taken potentially, as it is frequently; no words can sufficiently express it. His generation; either,

1. His age, or the continuance of his life. So the sense is, that he shall not only be delivered from death, and all his punishments, but also shall be restored to an inexpressible or endless life; and to an everlasting kingdom. Thus great interpreters understand it; with whom I cannot comply, because I do not find this Hebrew word to be ever used in Scripture of the continuance of one man's life. Or rather,

2. His posterity; and so this word is unquestionably used, Genesis 15:16 Exodus 20:5 Deuteronomy 23:2,3,8, and in many other places. And so the sense of the place is this, that Christ's death shall not be unfruitful, and that when he is raised from the dead, he shall have a spiritual seed, as is promised, Isaiah 53:10; a numberless multitude of those who shall believe in him, and be regenerated and adopted by him into the number of his children, and of the children of God, 1 Thessalonians 1:12 Hebrews 2:10,13,14. He was cut off, to wit, by a violent death. And this may be added as a reason, both of his exaltation, and of the blessing of a numerous posterity conferred upon him, because he was willing to be cut off for the transgression of his people; and, as it followeth, Isaiah 53:10, made his soul an offering for sin; Christ's death being elsewhere declared to be the only way and necessary means of obtaining both these ends. Luke 24:26,46 Joh 12:24,32,33 Php 2 8,9. But these words may be rendered, although he was cut off, to signify that his death should not hinder these glorious effects. For the transgression of my people was he stricken: this is repeated again, as it was fit it should be, to prevent men's mistakes about and stumbling at the death of Christ, and to assure them that Christ did not die for his own sins, but only for the sins and salvation of his people.