The words in the eleventh verse, "by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many," are, in the bishop's
version, "by the knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify
many."

It is natural to inquire what turn the Jews themselves give to this
prophecy.* There is good proof that the ancient Rabbins explained it of
their expected Messiah:+ but their modern expositors concur, I think, in
representing it as a description of the calamitous state, and intended
restoration, of the Jewish people, who are here, as they say, exhibited
under the character of a single person. I have not discovered that their
exposition rests upon any critical arguments, or upon these in any other
than in a very minute degree.

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* "Vaticinium hoc Esaiae est carnificina Rabbinorum, de quo aliqui
Judaei mihi confessi sunt, Rabbinos suos ex propheticis scripturis
facile se extricare potuisse, modo; Esaias tacuisset." Hulse, Theol.
Jud. P. 318, quoted by Poole, in loc.

+ Hulse, Theol. Jud. p. 430.
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The clause in the ninth verse, which we render "for the transgression of
my people was he stricken," and in the margin, "was the stroke upon
him," the Jews read "for the transgression of my people was the stroke
upon them." And what they allege in support of the alteration amounts
only to this, that the Hebrew pronoun is capable of a plural as well as
of a singular signification; that is to say, is capable of their
construction as well as ours.* And this is all the variation contended
for; the rest of the prophecy they read as we do. The probability,
therefore, of their exposition is a subject of which we are as capable
of judging as themselves. This judgment is open indeed to the good sense
of every attentive reader. The application which the Jews contend for
appears to me to labour under insuperable difficulties; in particular,
it may be demanded of them to explain in whose name or person, if the
Jewish people he the sufferer, does the prophet speak, when he says, "He
hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted; but he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of
our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." Again, the
description in the seventh verse, "he was oppressed and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her