Here, the Prophet continued the description of the reception accorded the Servant by the Jews. He was despised by them, and as their long-awaited Messiah, he was rejected. He was of sorrowful mien, and, plainly, One who carried many burdens. He came from Galilee, of a poor, contemptible family. They said that He was of no account, a law-breaker, one who broke the Sabbath.
Isaiah says, "He was oppressed." We may understand from these words that He was trampled down by abuse of power and authority vested in the Jewish Hierarchy. Seventy-one of its elders and wise men formed a council known as the Sanhedrin which, under their Roman conquerors, had complete jurisdiction over the religious, civil, and criminal affairs of the people. They sought to crush Him, and scatter His followers.
He was afflicted. This same Sanhedrin which oppressed Him, not only permitted Him to be abused, (-their duty was to protect Him-) but also, its members joined in the cries against Him, and suffered Him to be wounded. They heaped sorrows (pains) upon Him that amounted to physical calumny.
Yet, he openeth not his mouth. Notwithstanding the harsh treatment afforded Him by the Jews, and in spite of the many false accusations His enemies made against Him, He offered no excuses, no apologies, no pretexts, to extenuate His course or make it more pleasing to them, but calmly, and even joyously He went about teaching His Gospel of Salvation.
Notwithstanding the many attempts of Jewish scholars to mitigate and explain the actions of the Sanhedrin in the part it took in the trial and condemnation of Jesus, the legal benefits of the Jewish law of which He was deprived stand out more and more clearly as their arguments to free it from the consequences of its guilt are made known. The more they explain, the weaker becomes their position. They declare themselves to be, not the defenders of truth, the advocates of more light, but the purveyors of falsehood, the sowers of bad seed.
Dr. Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Old Testament previously cited, gives one example of the many customs to which Jesus had an appeal, but of it He had not benefit. Dr. Clarke says:
A learned friend has communicated to me the following passages from the Mishna,216 and the Gemara of Babylon, as leading to a satisfactory explication of this difficult place. It is said in the former, that before anyone was punished for a capital crime, proclamation was made before the prisoner by the public crier, in these words: col mi shioda lo zachoth yabo vayilmad alaiv, "Whosoever knows any thing of this man's innocence, let him come and declare it." Tract. Sanhedrim. Surenhus. Part iv, p. 233. On which passage the Gemara of Babylon317 adds, that "before the death of Jesus this proclamation was made for forty days; but no defence could be found." On which words Lardnet observes: It is truly surprising to see such falsities, contrary to well-known facts." Testimonies, Vol.. 1, p. 198. The report is certainly false; but this false report is rounded on the supposition that there was such a custom, and so far confirms the account given from the Mishna. The Mishna was composed in the middle of the second century according to Prideaux; Lardner ascribes it to the year of Christ 180.
Casaubon has a quotation from Maimonides which farther confirms this account:-Exercitat. in Baronii Annales, Art. lxxvi, Ann. 34. Num. 119: "It was customary when sentence of death was passed upon a criminal, and he was led out from the seat of judgment to the place of punishment, a crier went before, and spoke as follows:-'This man is going to suffer death by ........................ because he has transgressed by ........................ such a transgression, in such a place, in such a time; and the witnesses against him are ........................ He who may know any thing relative to his innocence, let him come and speak in his behalf.'
Now it is plain from the history of the Four Evangelists, that in the trial and condemnation of Jesus no such rule was observed; though, according to the account of the Mishna, it must have been in practice at that time, no proclamation was made for any person to bear witness to the innocence and character of Jesus; nor did anyone voluntarily step forth to give his attestation to it. And our Savior seems to refer to such a custom, and to claim the benefit of it, by his answer to the high priest, when he asked him of his disciples and of his doctrine: I spoke openly to the world;I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort in secret have I said nothing Why asketh me? ask them who heard me, what I have said unto them, behold, they know what I said." (John 18:20-21) This, therefore; was one remarkable instance of hardship and injustice, among others predicted by the prophet, which our Savior underwent in his trial and sufferings.
He was stricken. Ancient translators add to these words and render them, "He was smitten to death." (The Septuagint reads lemaveth, which, in the Greek into which the Old Testament was translated, means "to death.") The Coptic and Saidic versions of the Old Testament also include these words; however it may be that they are had from the Septuagint,418 which is the older.
And who shall declare his generation? This has been interpreted, "And his manner of life who would declare?" Although we quote concerning the meaning stated of the question that is asked, we prefer to believe that it refers to the growth of the numbers of Christ's followers. "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. (Luke 1:33)
Some, by His generation understand "His spiritual seed." Who can count the vast numbers of converts that shall, by the Gospel, be begotten to Him, like the dew of the morning?
When thus exalted he shall live to see
A numberless believing progeny
Of His adopted sons; the godlike race
Exceed the stars that heav'n's high arches grace.
Sir R. Blackmore.
(Quoted by Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Bible)