We all like sheep have gone astrayThis phrase draws on the imagery of sheep, which are known for their tendency to wander and become lost without a shepherd. In biblical times, sheep were a common part of agrarian life, and their behavior was well understood by the audience. The metaphor highlights human nature's inclination to deviate from God's path. This concept is echoed in
Psalm 119:176, where the psalmist acknowledges straying like a lost sheep. The imagery underscores the need for divine guidance and the role of God as the shepherd, as seen in
Psalm 23.
each one has turned to his own way;
This part emphasizes individual responsibility and the universal nature of sin. It reflects the human tendency to pursue personal desires and self-interest, often in opposition to God's will. This idea is consistent with the narrative of the fall inGenesis 3, where Adam and Eve chose their own way over God's command. The phrase also aligns withProverbs 14:12, which warns that a way that seems right to a person can lead to death, highlighting the peril of self-directed paths.
and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
This statement is a prophetic reference to the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who is seen as the suffering servant inIsaiah 53. The concept of substitutionary atonement is central here, where the sins of humanity are placed upon Christ, fulfilling the sacrificial system outlined in Leviticus. This act of bearing iniquity is further explained in2 Corinthians 5:21, where Christ is described as being made sin for us. The phrase underscores the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and the redemptive plan of God through Jesus, as also seen in1 Peter 2:24, which speaks of Christ bearing our sins in His body on the cross.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
SheepSymbolically represents humanity in its tendency to stray from God's path, highlighting our vulnerability and need for guidance.
2.
The LORDRefers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, who orchestrates the redemptive plan for humanity.
3.
HimRefers to the Suffering Servant, understood in Christian theology as a prophecy about Jesus Christ, who bears the sins of humanity.
4.
IniquityRepresents the sin and moral failings of humanity that are placed upon the Suffering Servant.
5.
IsaiahThe prophet who delivered this message, providing a vision of the coming Messiah and His sacrificial role.
Teaching Points
The Universality of SinRecognize that all humanity is prone to stray from God's path, emphasizing the need for a Savior.
The Substitutionary AtonementUnderstand that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world, fulfilling the prophecy of the Suffering Servant.
God's Redemptive PlanAppreciate the depth of God's love and His plan for redemption through Jesus Christ.
Personal ReflectionEncourage self-examination of ways we may have turned to our own paths and the need to return to God's way.
Living in GratitudeLive a life of gratitude and obedience in response to the sacrifice made on our behalf.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 53:6?
2.How does Isaiah 53:6 illustrate humanity's need for Jesus' redemptive sacrifice?
3.What does "each has turned to his own way" reveal about human nature?
4.How does Isaiah 53:6 connect with the parable of the lost sheep?
5.In what ways can we acknowledge our "iniquity" and seek God's forgiveness daily?
6.How can Isaiah 53:6 inspire us to share the gospel with others?
7.How does Isaiah 53:6 relate to the concept of sin and redemption in Christianity?
8.Why is Isaiah 53:6 considered a prophecy about Jesus in Christian theology?
9.What historical evidence supports the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:6 in the New Testament?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 53?
11.What does "All we like sheep have gone astray" mean?
12.What does it mean Jesus became sin for us?
13.How does God value the lost and found?
14.Have all people committed sins?What Does Isaiah 53:6 Mean
We all like sheep have gone astrayThe prophet opens with a vivid picture everyone can grasp. Sheep are famous for wandering without noticing the cliff’s edge, and Isaiah says we do the same.
• Universal problem: “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3).
• Sin isn’t limited to obvious rebels; Paul echoes Isaiah when he writes, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
• Our helplessness: Like sheep, we cannot rescue ourselves; we need a Shepherd (John 10:11).
each one has turned to his own way;Isaiah moves from the collective to the individual. The wandering is personal.
• Personal responsibility: “Each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
• Self-direction without God: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
• The deadly illusion: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
Together these verses underline that my choices, not just humanity’s in general, put me at odds with God.
and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.Here comes the astonishing remedy: God transfers our guilt to a substitute.
• The voluntary Servant: Jesus “gave His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
• Divine initiative: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Prophetic fulfillment: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), a direct echo ofIsaiah 53.
• Complete coverage: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). No one is excluded who comes to Him.
summaryIsaiah 53:6 tells the whole gospel in a single verse: all of us wander, each of us is personally guilty, and yet God has placed every ounce of that guilt on His perfect Servant. Our Shepherd sought us, our Substitute saved us, and our stories are rewritten by His grace.
(6)
All we like sheep have gone astray . . .--The confession of repentant Israel (
Psalm 119:176), of repentant humanity (
1Peter 2:25), was also the thought present to the mind of the Servant, as in
Matthew 9:36;
John 10:11.
Hath laid on him.--Better, as in the margin,hath made to light on him.The words express the fact, but do not explain the mystery, of the substitutive satisfaction. The two sides of that mystery are stated in the form of a seeming paradox. God does not punish the righteouswiththe wicked (Genesis 18:25). He accepts the suffering of the righteousforthe wicked (Mark 10:45). . . .
Verse 6. -
All we likesheep have gone astray. "All we" means either the whole nation of Israel, which "went astray" in the wilderness of sin (
Psalm 107:4;
Psalm 119:176;
Ezekiel 34:6), or else the whole race of mankind, which had wandered from the right path, and needed atonement and redemption even more than Israel itself
We have turned every one to his own way. Collectively and individually, the whole world had sinned. There was "none that did good" absolutely - "no, not one" (
Psalm 14:3). All had quitted "the way of the Lord" (
Isaiah 40:3) to walk in their "own ways" (
Isaiah 66:3).
The Lord hath laid on him; literally,
the Lord caused to light upon him. God the Father, as the primary Disposer of all things, lays upon the Son the burden, which the Son voluntarily accepts. He comes into the world to do the Father's will. He prays to the Father, "Let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but
as thou wilt" (
Matthew 26:39). So St. John says that the Father "sent the Son to be the Propitiation for our sins" (
1 John 4:10). And St. Paul tells us that God (the Father) "made him to be sin for us who knew no sin" (
2 Corinthians 5:21). It does not lessen the Son's exceeding mercy and loving-kindness in accepting the burden, that it was laid upon him by the Father.
The iniquity of us all (compare the initial "All we"). The redemption is as universal as the sin, at any rate potentially. Christ on the cross made "a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice
... for the sins of the whole world."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
We allכֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙(kul·lā·nū)Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everylike sheepכַּצֹּ֣אן(kaṣ·ṣōn)Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629:Small cattle, sheep and goats, flockhave gone astray,תָּעִ֔ינוּ(tā·‘î·nū)Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 8582:To vacillate, reel, strayeach oneאִ֥ישׁ(’îš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376:A man as an individual, a male personhas turnedפָּנִ֑ינוּ(pā·nî·nū)Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 6437:To turn, to face, appear, lookto his own way;לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ(lə·ḏar·kōw)Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1870:A road, a course of life, mode of actionand the LORDוַֽיהוָה֙(Yah·weh)Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelhas laidהִפְגִּ֣יעַ(hip̄·gî·a‘)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6293:To impinge, by accident, violence, by importunityon Himאֵ֖ת(’êṯ)Direct object marker
Strong's 853:Untranslatable mark of the accusative casethe iniquityעֲוֺ֥ן(‘ă·wōn)Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5771:Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquityof us all.כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃(kul·lā·nū)Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, every
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OT Prophets: Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray (Isa Isi Is) 
