Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 53:6 mean?

Isaiah 53:6 says that everyone has wandered away from the right path, like sheep that get lost, each person choosing their own way, but God has placed the wrongdoing of all people onto one figure. This verse highlights both the universal problem of people going astray and the idea that someone else bears the consequences for everyone’s mistakes.

Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel, describing their spiritual condition and using the image of sheep to show how easily people lose their way. The verse comes from a section often called the “Suffering Servant” passage, where a servant figure takes on the burden of others’ failures. The focus is on how everyone is included in this problem, and how the solution involves someone else taking on what they deserve.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 53:6

• The word for “sheep” is צֹאן (tso’n), which refers to a flock animal known for needing guidance and easily getting lost. This image helps the reader understand how people, like sheep, are prone to wander without direction.
• “Gone astray” is תָּעָה (ta’ah), meaning to wander or stray off the right path. This word emphasizes that the wandering is not just accidental but a real departure from where one should be.
• “Laid” is פָּגַע (paga’), which can mean to cause something to meet or to lay upon. Here, it carries the sense of God causing the iniquity (wrongdoing) of everyone to come upon the servant, not just passively allowing it.
• “Iniquity” is עָוֹן (avon), which means guilt, wrongdoing, or moral failure. This word covers not just mistakes but deep-seated wrongs that need to be dealt with.

Why Isaiah 53:6 matters

• Isaiah 53:6 makes clear that the problem of going astray is universal—no one is left out, and everyone is included in the need for help.
• The verse emphasizes that the solution is not self-correction but someone else taking on the consequences for everyone’s wrongdoing, which is a key theme in this part of Isaiah.
• This verse connects to the larger passage about the “Suffering Servant,” showing that the servant’s suffering is not random but purposeful, dealing with the collective failures of all people.