doubt, in consequence of their
controversies with the Christians." We shall here collect, from the
existing Jewish writings, the principal passages in which this
interpretation occurs. The whole translation of the Chaldee Paraphrast,
_Jonathan_, notwithstanding the many perversions in which he indulges,
refers the prophecy to Christ. He paraphrases the very first clause:
[Hebrew: ha iclH ebdi mwiha] "behold my Servant Messiah shall prosper."
The _Medrash Tanchuma_, an old commentary on the Pentateuch (ed.
Cracov. f. 53, c. 3, l. 7), remarks on the words: [Hebrew: hnh iwkil
ebdi] (ed. Cracov. f. 53, c. 3, l. 7): [Hebrew: hmwiH irvM vgbh vnwa
mavd vriM mN abrhM vnwa mmwh vgdh mN mlaki hwrt zh mlK] ("this is the
King Messiah who is high and lifted up, and very exalted, more exalted
than Abraham, elevated above Moses, higher than the ministering
angels"). This passage is remarkable for this reason also, that it
contains the doctrine of the exaltation of the Messiah above all
created beings, and even above the angels themselves, and, hence, the
doctrine of His divinity,--a doctrine contested by the later Jews.
Still more remarkable is a passage from the very old book _Pesikta_,
cited in the treatise _Abkath Rokhel_ ([Hebrew: abqt rvkl], printed
separately at Venice in 1597, and reprinted in _Hulsii Theologia
Judaica_, where [Pg 312] this passage occurs p. 309): "When God created
His world He stretched out His hand under the throne of His glory, and
brought forth the soul of the Messiah. He said to Him: 'Wilt thou heal
and redeem my sons after 6000 years?'He answered Him: 'I will.'Then
God said to Him: 'Wilt thou then also bear the punishment in order to
blot out their sins, as it is written: '_But he bore our diseases_'
(chap. liii. 4)? And He answered Him: I will joyfully bear them." In
this passage, as well as in several others which will be afterwards
cited, the doctrine of the vicarious sufferings of the Messiah is
contained, and derived from Is. liii., although the later Jews rejected
this doctrine. In a similar manner, Rabbi _Moses Haddarshan_ expresses
himself on Gen. i. 3 (Latin in _Galatinus_, _De Arcanis Cath. ver._ p.
329; in the original in _Raimund Martini Pug. Fid._ fol. 333; comp.
_Wolf_, _Bibl. Hebr._ i. p. 818): "Jehovah said: Messiah, thou my
righteous One, those who are concealed with thee will be such that
their sins will bring a heavy yoke upon thee.--The Messiah answered:
Lord of the universe, I cheerful