Isaiah 53:2
New International Version
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

New Living Translation
My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

English Standard Version
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Berean Standard Bible
He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

New American Standard Bible
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we would look at Him, Nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him.

NASB 1995
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

NASB 1977
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

Legacy Standard Bible
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should desire Him.

Amplified Bible
For He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant), And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majestic splendor That we would look at Him, Nor [handsome] appearance that we would be attracted to Him.

Christian Standard Bible
He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him.

American Standard Version
For he grew 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 see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Contemporary English Version
Like a young plant or a root that sprouts in dry ground, the servant grew up obeying the LORD. He wasn't some handsome king. Nothing about the way he looked made him attractive to us.

English Revised Version
For he grew 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 see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He grew up in his presence like a young tree, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him. He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him.

Good News Translation
It was the will of the LORD that his servant grow like a plant taking root in dry ground. He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him.

International Standard Version
For he grew up before him like a tender plant, and like a root out of a dry ground; he had no form and he had no majesty that we should look at him, and there is no attractiveness that we should desire him.

Majority Standard Bible
He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.

NET Bible
He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him.

New Heart English Bible
For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nor special appearance that we should desire him.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Indeed, He comes up as a tender plant before Him, "" And as a root out of dry land, "" He has no form or splendor when we observe Him, "" Nor appearance, that we desire Him.

Young's Literal Translation
Yea, he cometh up as a tender plant before Him, And as a root out of a dry land, He hath no form, nor honour, when we observe him, Nor appearance, when we desire him.

Smith's Literal Translation
He shall come up as a sucking child before him, and as a root out of a land of dryness: no form to him and no decoration; and we shall see him, and no appearance and we shall desire him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he will rise up like a tender plant in his sight, and like a root from the thirsty ground. There is no beautiful or stately appearance in him. For we looked upon him, and there was no aspect, such that we would desire him.

New American Bible
He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye, no beauty to draw us to him.

New Revised Standard Version
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For he grew up before him like an infant and like a root out of the dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness; and when we saw that he had no beauty, we denied him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He grew up as a child before him and like a root from the thirsty ground. He had no appearance or brightness, and we have seen him, and he had no appearance to him, and we denied him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For he shot up right forth as a sapling, And as a root out of a dry ground; He had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, Nor beauty that we should delight in him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
We brought a report as of a child before him; he is as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor comeliness; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Suffering Servant
1Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.…

Cross References
Philippians 2:7-8
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. / And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Matthew 13:55-56
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? / Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”

Luke 2:7
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

John 7:27
But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”

Mark 6:3
Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.

John 1:10-11
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. / He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

Hebrews 2:14
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

Romans 8:3
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,

Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Psalm 22:6
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”


Treasury of Scripture

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

he shall grow

Isaiah 11:1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Ezekiel 17:22-24
Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: …

he hath no

Isaiah 52:14
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

Mark 9:12
And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

John 1:10-14
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not…

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Appearance Attract Beauty Delight Desire Dry Form Forth Grace Grew Ground Grow Growth Majesty Parched Plant Pleasure Right Root Shoot Shot Stately Tender
Isaiah 53
1. The prophet, complaining of incredulity, excuses the scandal of the cross
4. By the benefit of his passion
10. And the good success thereof














He grew up before Him
This phrase indicates the presence and nurturing of God in the life of the servant, who is understood to be the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Hebrew root for "grew up" is "גָּדַל" (gadal), which conveys the idea of becoming great or strong. This growth is not merely physical but also spiritual and moral, under the watchful eye of God ("before Him"). Historically, this reflects Jesus' upbringing in Nazareth, where He was raised in a humble environment, yet under divine providence and purpose.

like a tender shoot
The imagery of a "tender shoot" suggests vulnerability and humility. The Hebrew word "יוֹנֵק" (yonek) refers to a young plant or sprout, emphasizing the Messiah's humble beginnings. This metaphor highlights the contrast between the expected grandeur of a king and the actual humble and unassuming nature of Jesus' earthly life. It also alludes to the prophecy of the "Branch" from the line of David (Isaiah 11:1), symbolizing new life and hope.

and like a root out of dry ground
This phrase underscores the unlikely and miraculous emergence of the Messiah. The "root" (Hebrew "שֹׁרֶשׁ", shoresh) signifies life and sustenance, while "dry ground" suggests barrenness and desolation. Historically, this reflects the spiritual dryness of Israel at the time of Jesus' birth, under Roman occupation and religious legalism. Despite these conditions, Jesus emerged as the source of life and salvation, fulfilling God's promises in an unexpected way.

He had no stately form or majesty
This description challenges the expectations of a regal and majestic Messiah. The Hebrew words "תֹּאַר" (to'ar) for "form" and "הָדָר" (hadar) for "majesty" indicate outward appearance and splendor. Jesus did not possess the physical attributes or royal demeanor that people anticipated in a king. This aligns with the New Testament portrayal of Jesus as humble and approachable, emphasizing His mission to serve rather than to be served (Mark 10:45).

to attract us
The phrase "to attract us" suggests that Jesus' appeal was not based on physical appearance or worldly allure. The Hebrew root "חָמַד" (chamad) means to desire or take pleasure in. This highlights the spiritual nature of Jesus' mission, drawing people through His teachings, love, and sacrifice rather than through external beauty or charisma. It reflects the deeper, transformative attraction of His message and character.

no beauty that we should desire Him
This final phrase reiterates the theme of Jesus' unassuming appearance. The Hebrew word "מַרְאֶה" (mar'eh) for "beauty" refers to visual attractiveness. The lack of physical allure emphasizes the importance of inner beauty and spiritual truth. Jesus' life and ministry focused on the heart and soul, inviting people to look beyond the superficial and embrace the profound truth of God's love and redemption. This challenges believers to value spiritual depth over outward appearances, aligning with the biblical principle that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

(2) For he shall grow up . . .--The Hebrew tenses are in the perfect, the future being contemplated as already accomplished. The words present at once a parallel and a contrast to those of Isaiah 11:1. There the picture was that of a strong vigorous shoot coming out of the root of the house of David. Here the sapling is weak and frail, struggling out of the dry ground. For "before Him" (i.e., Jehovah) some critics have read "before us," as agreeing better with the second clause; while others have referred the pronoun "him" to the Jewish people. Taking the received text and interpretation, the thought expressed is that Jehovah was watching this humble and lowly growth, as a mother watches over her weakest and most sickly child.

He hath no form nor comeliness.--See Note on Isaiah 3:14. The thought which has been constantly true of the followers of the Christ was to be true of the Christ Himself.

"Hid are the saints of God,

Uncertified by high angelic sign;

Nor raiment soft, nor empire's golden rod,

Marks them divine. "

J. H. NEWMAN (Lyra Apostolica.)

Verse 2. - For he shall grow up; rather, now he grew up. The verbs are, all of them, in the past, or completed tense, until ver. 7, and are to be regarded as "perfects of prophetic certitude." As Mr. Cheyne remarks, "All has been finished before the foundations of the world in the Divine counsels." Before him; i.e. "before Jehovah" - under the fostering care of Jehovah (comp. Luke 2:40, 52). God the Father had his eye ever fixed upon the Son with watchfulness and tenderness and love. As a tender plant; literally, as a sapling, or as a sucker (comp. Job 8:16; Job 14:7; Job 15:30; Psalm 80:12; Ezekiel 17:4, 22; Hosea 14:6). The "branch" of Isaiah 11:1, 10 - a different word - has nearly the same meaning. The Messiah will be a fresh sprout from the stump of a tree that has been felled; i.e. from the destroyed Davidic monarchy. As a root (so Isaiah 11:10; Revelation 5:5). The "sapling" from the house of David shall become the "root" out of which his Church will grow (comp. John 15:1-6). Out of a dry ground. Either out of the "dry ground" of a corrupt age and nation, or out of the arid soil of humanity. In the East it is not unusual to see a tall succulent plant growing from a soft which seems utterly devoid of moisture. Such plants have roots that strike deep, and draw their nourishment from a hidden source. He hath no form nor comeliness; rather, he had no form nor majesty. It is scarcely the prophet's intention to describe the personal appearance of our Lord. What he means is that "the Servant" would have no splendid surroundings, no regal pomp nor splendour - nothing about him to attract men's eyes, or make them think him anything extraordinary. It is impossible to suppose that there was not in his appearance something of winning grace and quiet majesty. but it was of a kind that was not adapted to draw the gaze of the multitude. And when we shall see him. Some connect this clause with the preceding, and translate, "He hath no form nor comeliness, that we should regard him; no beauty, that we should desire him" (Lowth, Vitringa, Gesenius, Ewald, Knobel, Henderson, Urwick. But Stier, Delitzsch, Kay, and Mr. Cheyne prefer the construction found in the Authorized Version). No beauty; literally, no sightliness; i.e. nothing to attract the eye or arrest it. The spiritual beauties of holy and sweet expression and majestic calm could only have ben spiritually discerned.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He grew up
וַיַּ֨עַל (way·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

before Him
לְפָנָ֗יו (lə·p̄ā·nāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

like a tender shoot,
כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק (kay·yō·w·nêq)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3126: A young plant, sapling

and like a root
וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ (wə·ḵaš·šō·reš)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8328: A root

out of dry
צִיָּ֔ה (ṣî·yāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6723: Aridity, a desert

ground.
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

He had no
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

[stately] form
תֹ֥אַר (ṯō·’ar)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8389: Outline, figure, appearance

or majesty
הָדָ֑ר (hā·ḏār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1926: Magnificence, ornament, splendor

to attract us,
וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ (wə·nir·’ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

no
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

beauty
מַרְאֶ֖ה (mar·’eh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4758: Sight, appearance, vision

that we should desire Him.
וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃ (wə·neḥ·mə·ḏê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2530: To desire, take pleasure in


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 53:2 For he grew up before him as (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 53:1
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