Is "Seeing the Light" after "the suffering of His soul" a reference to the Resurrection of Jesus in Isaiah 53:11?

Question

It is acknowledged by nearly all Christian denominations that Isaiah 53 is a prophetic reference to the crucifixion and substitutionary Death of none other than Jesus Christ.

And verses 8-10 specifically state that He did die: "...He was cut off from the land of the living...He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death...the Lord makes His life a guilt offering...". But then the next verse (v. 11) reads:

After the suffering of His soul. He will see the light [of life], and be satisfied... (53:11)

The prepositional phrase, "of life" is added by the NIV. Is this so that the thought of a Resurrection is apparent? Is this a valid addition that is inherent in the Hebrew syntax? There is a footnote referring the reader to the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the LXX, for a justification of this.

The Jewish Masoretic text (500-1000 A.D.) is translated as "He will see the results of the suffering of his soul, and be satisfied...". Was this rendering by the Masoretic scribes in this later compilation of the Bible, an attempt to obscure the idea of a Resurrection? Should we stick to the older Dead Sea Manuscript text (and the pre-Christian LXX)?

Even with the Masoretic rendering, a person would have to be "alive" in some fashion, to be able to see. Is this "seeing" sufficient to build a case for His Resurrection?

Answer 1

Actually, the word "light" does not occur in Isa 53:11. Here is my literal rendering of the verse followed by other literal renderings:

• Of the labor of His soul He shall see [and] be satisfied ...
• ESV: Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied ...
• NKJV: He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied...
• LSV: Of the labor of His soul He sees—He is satisfied ...
• YLT: Of the labour of his soul he seeth -- he is satisfied ...

Thus, those versions that add phrases like "light" or "light of life" are adding to the text what is not explicit in the Hebrew. However, the word "light" does appear in the LXX which renders Isa 53:11 as:

ἀπὸ τοῦ πόνου τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, δεῖξαι αὐτῷ φῶς καὶ πλάσαι τῇ συνέσει, δικαιῶσαι δίκαιον εὖ δουλεύοντα πολλοῖς, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ἀνοίσει. = from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins.

[I also note that "light" is absent in the Latin Vulgate of Jerome, 400 AD.]

Now, Just what the suffering servant "sees" (if it is not light) to "be satisfied" is not clear; however, a few versions suggest, based on the context of V10, that it was the Father who both caused the Messiah to suffer and when He saw the suffering He (the Father) was satisfied. For example, the NASB:

10 But the LORD desired To crush Him, causing Him grief; If He renders Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; ...

That is, the LORD wanted to crush the Servant/Messiah and cause Him grief, and that suffering satisfied Him (the Father). This is an echo of the same ideas in V5, 6.

All this is quintessential Hebrew idiom that predicts that the sacrifice of Jesus was adequate to atone for sin. See John 1:29, 36, Rom 3:23-27, Matt 20:28, Rom 5:19, 2 Cor 5:21, Gal 1:4, 3:13, Heb 9:15.

Answer 2

Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. “My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins. (Isaiah 53:11 NET)

From the toil of his soul he would see, he would be satisfied; with his knowledge My servant would vindicate the just for many, and their iniquities he would bear. (Chabad's version)

No, this whole 53 is not about Jesus. Please read and see more translation versions to compare before arriving at any interpretation. Long story short, reading from chapters 43 up to 53 or even further until 56 will give you a better context that "who" is this servant God is referring to.