King James Version

Isaiah 53:2

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיַּ֨עַלvayaaland ascend upעָלָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and ascend up”, the next action in the storyH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…כַּיּוֹנֵ֜קkayoneqas tender plantיוֹנֵקpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “as tender plant”, the ordinary formH3126a sucker; hence, a twig (of a tree felled and sprouting)tender plant.לְפָנָ֗יוlefanayvto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…וְכַשֹּׁ֨רֶשׁ֙vekhashoreshand as rootשֶׁרֶשׁconjunction, preposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and as root”, the ordinary formH8328a root (literally or figuratively)bottom, deep, heel, root.מֵאֶ֣רֶץmeeretsfrom earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “from earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.צִיָּ֔הtsiyahbarrenצִיָּהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “barren”, the ordinary formH6723aridity; concretely, a desertbarren, drought, dry (land, place), solitary place, wilderness.לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תֹ֥אַרtoarcountenanceתֹּאַרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “countenance”, the ordinary formH8389outline, i.e. figure or appearance[phrase] beautiful, [idiom] comely, countenance, [phrase] fair, [idiom] favoured, form, [idiom] goodly, [idiom] resemble, visage.ל֖וֹlvotoל֖וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toוְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…הָדָ֑רhadarbeautyהָדָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “beauty”, the ordinary formH1926magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendorbeauty, comeliness, excellency, glorious, glory, goodly, honour, majesty.וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּvenirehvand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and see”, an unfinished actionH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…וְלֹֽאveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מַרְאֶ֖הmarehvisionמַרְאֶהnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vision”, the ordinary formH4758a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks), or (mental) a vision[idiom] apparently, appearance(-reth), [idiom] as soon as beautiful(-ly), countenance, fair, favoured, form, goodly, to look (up) on (to), look(-eth), pattern, to see, seem, sight, visage, vision.וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּvenechmedehvand delightחָמַדconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and delight”, an unfinished actionH2530to delight inbeauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, ([idiom] great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

Jewish translation (JPS 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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

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.

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.

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

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:

Jewish Publication Society (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’s Septuagint (1851), English

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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἀνηγγείλαμεν ὡς παιδίον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ· οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ δόξα· καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος·