King James Version

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

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Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

הִנֵּ֥הhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.יַשְׂכִּ֖ילyaskilconsiderשָׂכַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “consider”, an unfinished actionH7919to be (causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence, intelligentconsider, expert, instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent(-ly), (give) skill(-ful), have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand(-ing), wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise(-ly), guide wittingly.עַבְדִּ֑יavdiservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.יָר֧וּםyarumhighרוּםverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “high”, an unfinished actionH7311to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, ([idiom] a-) loud, mount up, offer (up), [phrase] presumptuously, (be) prom…וְנִשָּׂ֛אvenisaand lift upנָשָׂאconjunction, verb, niphal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and lift up”, a completed action in a sequenceH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…וְגָבַ֖הּvegavahand be haughtyגָּבַהּconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be haughty”, a completed action in a sequenceH1361to soar, i.e. be lofty; figuratively, to be haughtyexalt, be haughty, be (make) high(-er), lift up, mount up, be proud, raise up great height, upward.מְאֹֽדmeodespeciallyמְאֹדadverb — “especially”H3966properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), [idiom] louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ([phrase] much, sore), well.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

Translation Note

The servant of the LORD is introduced here. The King James says he “shall deal prudently” and “be very high.” The 1917 Jewish Publication Society says “My servant shall prosper” and “shall be very high.” Brenton says he “shall understand, and be exalted, and glorified exceedingly.”

The Jewish Publication Society reads a servant who prospers. Christians read the same servant as Jesus, exalted after the suffering in the next chapter. The servant is the Son, and the Son is God.

King James Version. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

Jewish Publication Society (1917). “Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.”

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English. “Behold, my servant shall understand, and be exalted, and glorified exceedingly.”

Septuagint, Brenton’s Greek (1851). Ἰδοὺ, συνήσει ὁ παῖς μου, καὶ ὑψωθήσεται, καὶ δοξασθήσεται σφόδρα.

Why don’t Jews believe Jesus is the Messiah?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

Young’s Literal Translation

Lo, My servant doth act wisely, He is high, and hath been lifted up, And hath been very high.

World English Bible

Behold, my servant will deal wisely. He will be exalted and lifted up, and will be very high.

Darby Translation

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and be lifted up, and be very high.

Douay-Rheims

Behold my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceeding high.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Behold, my servant shall understand, and be exalted, and glorified exceedingly.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἰδοὺ, συνήσει ὁ παῖς μου, καὶ ὑψωθήσεται, καὶ δοξασθήσεται σφόδρα.