He Bore Our Sicknesses

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4–5)

This translation is not literal, and it has consequently deprived millions of English-speaking believers of their physical rights in Christ. Still, there is no doubt as to the correct meaning of these words. “Griefs” should be “sicknesses”; “sorrows” should be “pains.” They are basic Hebrew root words, used with these meanings in the days of Moses and having the same meanings today. This is stated clearly in Scripture:

“[Jesus] cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’” (Matthew 8:16–17)

[He] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

We see that Matthew and Peter, Jews alike who knew Hebrew and were inspired by the Holy Spirit, gave the correct meanings to those words of Isaiah. If you combine these passages from Matthew and Peter, you get three statements taken from Isaiah 53:4–5 about the physical and spiritual realms.

Physical realm:

• He took our infirmities;
• He bore our sicknesses;
• We are healed.

Spiritual realm:

• He was wounded for our transgressions;
• He was bruised for our iniquities;
• The punishment that procured our peace was upon Him.