Appendix A: Hebrew Word Study
This appendix provides a comprehensive analysis of the key Hebrew words in Isaiah 53:4—5 that bear directly on the healing-in-the-atonement debate. For each word, the entry includes the Hebrew characters, transliteration, Strong’s number, literal meaning, full semantic range in the Old Testament, how it functions in Isaiah 53, how major translations render it, and what it contributes to the debate.
The analysis is presented without editorial verdict. The Hebrew evidence is genuinely capable of supporting multiple readings, and the reader should weigh it carefully.
1. חַבּוּרָה (chaburah) --- “stripes / wounds”
Section titled “1. חַבּוּרָה (chaburah) --- “stripes / wounds””Strong’s Number: H2250
Root: From חָבַר (chabar), related to binding or joining; the noun refers to the mark left by a blow --- a stripe, welt, wound, or bruise.
Definition: A wound or mark caused by a blow; a stripe or bruise on the body.
Semantic Range in the Old Testament
Section titled “Semantic Range in the Old Testament”The word chaburah appears only a handful of times in the Old Testament, always referring to physical marks from violence or injury:
| Passage | KJV Rendering | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 4:23 | ”a young man to my hurt” | Lamech’s boast about killing a man who wounded him |
| Exodus 21:25 | ”stripe for stripe” | The lex talionis (law of retaliation) --- physical injury for physical injury |
| Psalm 38:5 | ”My wounds stink and are corrupt” | David describes physical affliction as a consequence of sin |
| Isaiah 1:6 | ”wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores” | Metaphorical description of Israel’s spiritual condition as bodily wounds |
| Isaiah 53:5 | ”with his stripes we are healed” | The Servant’s wounds that produce healing for others |
| Proverbs 20:30 | ”The blueness of a wound” | Physical blows that cleanse away evil |
Usage in Isaiah 53:5
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:5”In Isaiah 53:5, the word appears in its singular construct form with a third-person masculine suffix: בַּחֲבֻרָתֹו (bachaburato), “by his stripe/wound.” The singular may emphasize the totality of the Servant’s suffering as a single redemptive act, or it may function as a collective singular (common in Hebrew) encompassing the full range of blows inflicted. The KJV renders it as the plural “stripes,” following the sense rather than the strict grammar.
Translation Comparison
Section titled “Translation Comparison”| Translation | Rendering |
|---|---|
| KJV | stripes |
| ESV | wounds |
| NASB (1995) | scourging |
| NASB (2020) | wounds |
| LSB | wounds |
| NIV | wounds |
| CSB | wounds |
| LXX | μώλωψ (molops) --- bruise, wound-mark |
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”The word chaburah is consistently physical in its Old Testament usage. It refers to the visible mark left by a blow on the body. In Isaiah 53:5, it describes the Servant’s physical suffering --- the wounds inflicted upon him. All interpreters agree on this point. The debate is not about what chaburah means (physical wounds) but about what the healing produced by those wounds includes.
Isaiah 1:6 provides an instructive parallel: Israel’s spiritual condition is described using chaburah in a clearly metaphorical sense. The wounds are not literal; they represent moral and spiritual corruption. This demonstrates that while chaburah itself refers to physical injury, the prophetic tradition could employ it metaphorically to describe spiritual realities. Both literal and metaphorical readings of chaburah in 53:5 have precedent within Isaiah’s own writing.
2. רָפָא (rapha) --- “healed”
Section titled “2. רָפָא (rapha) --- “healed””Strong’s Number: H7495
Root: The primary root meaning is “to heal, to cure, to restore to health, to make whole.”
Definition: To heal, to cure, to repair, to restore. Used of physicians healing patients, God healing the sick, and --- metaphorically --- God restoring spiritual, moral, or national wholeness.
This is the single most important word in the entire debate. The form in Isaiah 53:5 is נִרְפָּא (nirpa), the Niphal (passive) perfect: “we are healed” or “healing has been done to us.” The perfect tense points to completed action.
Semantic Range in the Old Testament
Section titled “Semantic Range in the Old Testament”The word rapha has a remarkably broad range, encompassing physical, spiritual, national, and comprehensive uses:
Physical Healing
Section titled “Physical Healing”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 20:17 | ”God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants” | God physically heals after Abraham’s prayer |
| Exodus 15:26 | ”I am the LORD that healeth thee” | Yahweh Rophe --- God’s self-revelation as healer; conditional on obedience |
| Numbers 12:13 | ”Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee” | Moses prays for Miriam’s leprosy to be healed |
| 2 Kings 5:3, 6, 7, 10, 11 | ”recover him of his leprosy” | Naaman’s physical healing from leprosy |
| 2 Kings 20:5 | ”I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up” | God heals Hezekiah’s terminal illness |
| 2 Kings 2:21—22 | ”I have healed these waters” | Elisha heals contaminated waters |
Spiritual / Metaphorical Healing
Section titled “Spiritual / Metaphorical Healing”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 3:22 | ”Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” | God heals spiritual rebellion |
| Hosea 14:4 | ”I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” | God restores Israel from apostasy |
| Isaiah 6:10 | ”lest they…convert, and be healed” | Spiritual restoration conditioned on repentance |
| Psalm 41:4 | ”LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned” | The soul healed from sin |
| Hosea 6:1 | ”Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us” | National spiritual restoration |
National Healing
Section titled “National Healing”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chronicles 7:14 | ”then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” | God heals the nation after repentance |
| Jeremiah 30:17 | ”I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds” | National restoration after exile |
| Jeremiah 33:6 | ”I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them” | Promise of Jerusalem’s restoration |
Comprehensive Healing (Physical and Spiritual Together)
Section titled “Comprehensive Healing (Physical and Spiritual Together)”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Psalm 103:3 | ”Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” | Forgiveness and healing paired as parallel benefits of God |
| Psalm 147:3 | ”He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” | Inner and outer healing together |
| Malachi 4:2 | ”the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” | Messianic healing using marpe, derived from rapha |
Usage in Isaiah 53:5
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:5”The Niphal passive perfect nirpa (“we are healed”) indicates that healing has been accomplished --- done to us by another. The agent is implied: the Servant’s chaburah (stripes/wounds) is the means. The immediate context of verse 5 is dominated by sin-language: transgressions (pesha), iniquities (avon), chastisement (musar). This pushes toward a spiritual reading.
However, the preceding verse (53:4) uses choliy (“sickness”) and makob (“pain”) --- words with strong physical connotations. And the word shalom (“peace/wholeness”) in the same verse encompasses total well-being. The literary context thus creates a tension between the sin-focused vocabulary and the broader healing/wholeness vocabulary.
Translation Comparison
Section titled “Translation Comparison”Every major English translation renders nirpa as “healed” in Isaiah 53:5. The debate is not about the translation of the word but about the scope of its referent.
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”Rapha is the key word because its semantic range is genuinely broad enough to support every major position:
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Those who see physical healing in the atonement point to rapha’s overwhelming use for physical healing throughout the OT (Genesis 20:17; Exodus 15:26; 2 Kings 20:5), its pairing with forgiveness in Psalm 103:3, and its use in the messianic prophecy of Malachi 4:2.
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Those who limit Isaiah 53:5 to spiritual healing point to rapha’s established metaphorical use for spiritual restoration (Jeremiah 3:22; Hosea 14:4; Isaiah 6:10) and note that the immediate context is saturated with sin-vocabulary.
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Those who hold the already/not yet view point to rapha’s comprehensive uses (Psalm 103:3; 2 Chronicles 7:14) and argue that the word encompasses total restoration --- spiritual now, physical ultimately.
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Those who hold the national restoration view point to rapha’s use for the healing of the nation (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 30:17).
The word itself does not settle the debate. It is the context, the canonical connections, and the New Testament applications that determine which dimension of rapha’s range is in view in Isaiah 53:5 --- and on that question, competent interpreters disagree.
3. חֳלִי (choli) --- “griefs / sicknesses”
Section titled “3. חֳלִי (choli) --- “griefs / sicknesses””Strong’s Number: H2483
Root: From חָלָה (chalah, H2470), “to be weak, to be sick, to be ill.”
Definition: Sickness, disease, illness, grief. BDB defines it as “sickness, disease.”
Semantic Range in the Old Testament
Section titled “Semantic Range in the Old Testament”The word choli is used predominantly for physical sickness in the Old Testament. The KJV renders H2483 as “sickness” (12 times), “disease” (7 times), “grief” (4 times), and “sick” (1 time). The physical-sickness usage significantly outnumbers the non-physical usage.
Physical Sickness
Section titled “Physical Sickness”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Deuteronomy 7:15 | ”the LORD will take away from thee all sickness” | Covenant promise: no disease in exchange for obedience |
| Deuteronomy 28:61 | ”every sickness, and every plague” | Covenant curse: disease for disobedience |
| 1 Kings 17:17 | ”his sickness was so sore” | The widow’s son falls fatally ill |
| 2 Kings 1:2 | ”whether I shall recover of this disease” | Ahaziah’s physical illness |
| 2 Kings 8:8 | ”Shall I recover of this disease?” | Ben-hadad’s illness |
| 2 Chronicles 21:15 | ”great sickness by disease of thy bowels” | Physical bowel disease |
| Isaiah 38:9 | ”when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness” | Hezekiah’s physical illness |
Non-Physical / Metaphorical Usage
Section titled “Non-Physical / Metaphorical Usage”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Ecclesiastes 6:2 | ”this is vanity, and it is an evil disease” | Metaphorical --- the “disease” of dissatisfaction |
| Hosea 5:13 | ”When Ephraim saw his sickness” | Metaphorical --- the spiritual sickness of the nation |
| Jeremiah 10:19 | ”Woe is me for my hurt” | Metaphorical --- the grief of national judgment |
Usage in Isaiah 53:4
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:4”The word appears as חֳלָיֵנוּ (cholayenu), “our sicknesses/griefs.” The KJV renders this as “griefs,” but most modern translations now recognize the primary meaning as “sicknesses” (NASB 2020, CSB) or retain “griefs” (KJV, ESV, NASB 1995, LSB). The NASB’s change from “griefs” (1995) to “sicknesses” (2020) is a significant shift reflecting increased scholarly attention to the word’s primary meaning.
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”Choli is one of the most consequential words in the entire discussion because the translation choice shapes the reader’s perception of the passage. If choli is rendered “sicknesses,” the reader naturally connects Isaiah 53:4 to physical illness. If rendered “griefs,” the reader gravitates toward emotional or spiritual suffering. Both translations are within the semantic range, but the word’s primary and most frequent OT usage is physical sickness.
Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew 8:17 uses the Greek word astheneia (“infirmity/weakness”), confirming that at least one inspired NT author understood choli as referring to physical condition.
4. מַכְאוֹב (makob) --- “sorrows / pains”
Section titled “4. מַכְאוֹב (makob) --- “sorrows / pains””Strong’s Number: H4341
Root: From כָּאַב (kaab, H3510), “to be in pain, to suffer.”
Definition: Pain, sorrow, suffering. BDB defines it as “pain” (physical or mental).
Semantic Range in the Old Testament
Section titled “Semantic Range in the Old Testament”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Job 33:19 | ”He is chastened also with pain upon his bed” | Physical pain from illness |
| 2 Chronicles 6:29 | ”shall know every man his own sore and his own grief” | The pain and grief of the people |
| Jeremiah 30:15 | ”thy sorrow is incurable” | National anguish --- can be physical or emotional |
| Jeremiah 51:8 | ”take balm for her pain” | Babylon’s metaphorical pain/wounds |
| Lamentations 1:12, 18 | ”Is it nothing to you…behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow” | Jerusalem’s grief and pain |
| Isaiah 53:3 | ”a man of sorrows” | The Servant described as a man of pain/suffering |
| Isaiah 53:4 | ”carried our sorrows” | The Servant bears our pain |
Usage in Isaiah 53:4
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:4”The form is מַכְאֹבֵינוּ (makhovenu), “our pains/sorrows.” Like choli, this word can refer to both physical pain and emotional anguish. The KJV’s “sorrows” leans emotional; the NASB (2020)‘s “pains” leans physical. Job 33:19 anchors the physical end of the spectrum; Lamentations 1:12 anchors the emotional end.
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”Makob functions in parallel with choli in Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he hath borne our griefs [choli], and carried our sorrows [makob].” If choli means “sicknesses,” then makob naturally means “pains” --- and the verse describes physical affliction. If choli means “griefs,” then makob naturally means “sorrows” --- and the verse describes emotional suffering. The two words form a hendiadys (two words expressing one concept) and should be read together.
5. נָשָׂא (nasa) --- “bear / carry”
Section titled “5. נָשָׂא (nasa) --- “bear / carry””Strong’s Number: H5375
Root: “To lift, to bear, to carry, to take away.”
Definition: One of the most common Hebrew verbs, used over 650 times in the OT. Its core meaning is “to lift up” or “to carry,” but it carries a wide range of secondary meanings including to bear (a burden), to take away (sin), to forgive, and to exalt.
Key Uses Relevant to Isaiah 53
Section titled “Key Uses Relevant to Isaiah 53”| Passage | KJV Text | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Leviticus 16:22 | ”the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities” | The scapegoat carries away sin --- substitutionary bearing |
| Numbers 14:33 | ”your children shall…bear your whoredoms” | Bearing the consequences of others’ sin |
| Isaiah 53:4 | ”he hath borne our griefs” | The Servant bears our sickness/grief |
| Isaiah 53:12 | ”he bare the sin of many” | The Servant bears sin --- same verb, unambiguously sin-bearing |
| Psalm 32:1 | ”blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (nasa rendered “forgiven”) | Nasa as forgiveness --- lifting away of sin |
Usage in Isaiah 53:4
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:4”In the phrase “he hath borne [nasa] our griefs [choli],” the verb conveys substitutionary carrying. The Servant lifts up and takes upon himself what belongs to us. The same verb appears in 53:12 for bearing sin. This creates a lexical link between the bearing of choli (sickness/grief) in verse 4 and the bearing of sin in verse 12.
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”The use of nasa for both sickness-bearing (53:4) and sin-bearing (53:12) is significant. Those who see physical healing in the atonement argue that the same substitutionary verb governs both: the Servant bears our sicknesses and our sins. Those who hold the spiritual-only view argue that nasa in 53:4 should be read in light of 53:12 --- the “bearing” is substitutionary sin-bearing, and the “sicknesses/griefs” of verse 4 function as a metaphor for the consequences of sin that the Servant takes upon himself.
6. סָבַל (sabal) --- “carry / bear as a burden”
Section titled “6. סָבַל (sabal) --- “carry / bear as a burden””Strong’s Number: H5445
Root: “To bear, to carry a heavy load.”
Definition: To bear a heavy burden, to carry laboriously. A less common but more intense verb than nasa, emphasizing the weight and difficulty of the carrying.
Key Uses
Section titled “Key Uses”| Passage | KJV Text | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 46:4 | ”I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” | God carries Israel as a burden |
| Isaiah 46:7 | ”They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him” | Carrying an idol --- physical, weighty carrying |
| Isaiah 53:4 | ”carried our sorrows” | The Servant carries our pain/sorrow as a heavy burden |
| Isaiah 53:11 | ”he shall bear their iniquities” | The Servant carries iniquity |
| Lamentations 5:7 | ”we have borne their iniquities” | The children bear the consequences of their fathers’ sin |
Usage in Isaiah 53:4
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:4”Sabal intensifies the image of nasa. The Servant does not merely carry our sorrows/pains; he labors under them as one who bears a crushing weight. The combination of nasa and sabal in verse 4 creates a picture of exhaustive, complete, heavy burden-bearing.
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”Sabal reinforces the substitutionary nature of the Servant’s work: he takes our burdens upon himself. The word appears again in 53:11 for bearing iniquities, creating the same verb-link between sickness-bearing and sin-bearing that nasa creates. The Servant’s work is comprehensive and costly.
7. עָוֹן (avon) --- “iniquity”
Section titled “7. עָוֹן (avon) --- “iniquity””Strong’s Number: H5771
Root: From עָוָה (avah), “to bend, to twist, to distort.”
Definition: Iniquity, guilt, or the punishment for iniquity. The word encompasses the act of sin, the guilt it produces, and the consequences it brings. BDB identifies three overlapping senses: (1) perversity, depravity; (2) guilt of iniquity; (3) punishment for iniquity.
Usage in Isaiah 53:5—6
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:5—6”Avon appears twice in the immediate context:
- 53:5: “He was bruised for our iniquities [avon]” --- the Servant is crushed because of our moral crookedness
- 53:6: “The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity [avon] of us all” --- all human guilt is placed on the Servant
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”Avon is unambiguously about sin. Its presence in verse 5, in parallel with pesha (“transgressions”), anchors the verse in the vocabulary of moral transgression and its consequences. Those who hold the spiritual-only view argue that avon and pesha control the meaning of the entire verse: the Servant’s suffering addresses sin, and “healed” (rapha) must be read in that light. Those who see broader healing argue that avon and pesha identify the cause (sin), while shalom and rapha describe the comprehensive result (total restoration, including the physical).
8. שָׁלוֹם (shalom) --- “peace”
Section titled “8. שָׁלוֹם (shalom) --- “peace””Strong’s Number: H7965
Root: From שָׁלֵם (shalem), “to be complete, to be sound, to be whole.”
Definition: Peace, completeness, soundness, welfare, wholeness. Shalom is one of the richest and most comprehensive words in the Hebrew language.
Semantic Range
Section titled “Semantic Range”Shalom does not mean merely the absence of conflict. Its range includes:
| Dimension | Example Passage | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Physical well-being | Genesis 43:27 --- “he asked them of their welfare [shalom]“ | Health and physical condition |
| Relational harmony | Psalm 122:6 --- “Pray for the peace [shalom] of Jerusalem” | Peace between persons or nations |
| Spiritual wholeness | Isaiah 32:17 --- “the work of righteousness shall be peace [shalom]“ | Inner peace with God |
| Material prosperity | Psalm 73:3 --- “I saw the prosperity [shalom] of the wicked” | Material blessing and success |
| Comprehensive well-being | Numbers 6:26 --- “the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace [shalom]“ | The Aaronic blessing --- total wholeness |
Usage in Isaiah 53:5
Section titled “Usage in Isaiah 53:5”The phrase is מוּסַר שְׁלֹומֵנוּ עָלָיו (musar shelomenu alav), “the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him.” The chastisement (musar --- discipline, correction) that produces our shalom was placed on the Servant. The question is: how broad is the shalom that results?
Significance for the Debate
Section titled “Significance for the Debate”Shalom is the hinge word in the debate. If shalom in 53:5 means spiritual peace with God, then the verse describes the Servant’s suffering producing reconciliation --- a spiritual reality. If shalom carries its full comprehensive meaning --- total well-being of body, soul, and relationships --- then the verse describes the Servant’s suffering producing wholeness in every dimension, including the physical.
Those who see physical healing in the atonement emphasize that shalom is inherently a whole-person word. You cannot limit it to the spiritual without doing violence to its semantic range. Those who hold the spiritual-only view respond that context determines meaning, and the context of verse 5 (transgressions, iniquities) limits shalom to the peace that comes from sins forgiven. The already/not yet position argues that the shalom is comprehensive in scope but progressive in realization: spiritual peace now, physical wholeness ultimately.
Summary: What the Hebrew Evidence Shows
Section titled “Summary: What the Hebrew Evidence Shows”The Hebrew words of Isaiah 53:4—5, taken together, create a picture that is genuinely capable of encompassing both physical and spiritual dimensions:
| Word | Primary Meaning | Spiritual Use? | Physical Use? | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חַבּוּרָה (chaburah) | Physical wound/stripe | Yes (Isa 1:6) | Yes (Exod 21:25) | Predominantly physical; metaphorical use exists |
| רָפָא (rapha) | To heal | Yes (Jer 3:22) | Yes (2 Kgs 20:5) | Broad --- both physical and spiritual are well attested |
| חֳלִי (choli) | Sickness, disease | Some (Hos 5:13) | Yes (Deut 7:15) | Predominantly physical; KJV’s “griefs” is the minority rendering |
| מַכְאוֹב (makob) | Pain, sorrow | Yes (Lam 1:12) | Yes (Job 33:19) | Both physical and emotional are well attested |
| נָשָׂא (nasa) | To bear, carry | Yes (Lev 16:22 --- sin) | --- | Substitutionary bearing; used for both sin and sickness in Isa 53 |
| סָבַל (sabal) | To carry heavily | Yes (Isa 53:11 --- iniquity) | --- | Intensifies nasa; same dual use |
| עָוֹן (avon) | Iniquity, guilt | Exclusively | --- | Unambiguously sin-language |
| שָׁלוֹם (shalom) | Peace, wholeness | Yes | Yes | Comprehensive --- resists limitation to any single dimension |
The Hebrew does not settle the debate. It opens it. The words are broad enough to support a physical-healing reading, a spiritual-healing reading, a comprehensive-wholeness reading, and a national-restoration reading. The reader must bring additional evidence --- the New Testament applications, the witness of antiquity, and the theological framework of the atonement --- to determine which dimension of the Hebrew’s rich semantic range is most fully realized in Isaiah 53:5.