Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 53:11

11 He shall see of the travel of his soul , and shall be satisfied : by his knowledg shall my righteous servant justifie many : for he shall bear their iniquities .

He shall receive or enjoy, as this word commonly signifies.

The comfortable and blessed fruit of all his hard labours, and grievous sufferings.

He shall esteem his own and his Fathers Glory, and the Salvation of his People, an abundant recompence for all his Sufferings.

Either 1. Actively, by that knowledg of Gods Will, and of the way of Salvation, which is in him in its highest perfection, and which by him is revealed unto men, and by his Spirit is imprinted in the Minds and Hearts of his People, so as to produce Faith and Obedience in them. Or 2. Passively, by the knowledg of him, as my fear and thy fear are put for the fear of me and of thee, Psal. 5. 7. Ier. 32. 40. Knowledg being here, as it is most frequently in Scripture, taken practically for that kind of Knowledge which worketh Faith, and Love, and Obedience to him. So the sense is the same in both cases.

Which title is here given to Christ, partly to vindicate him from those false imputations of wickedness which were fastened upon him by his Adversaries, and which found the more belief because of his most grievous and unexampled Sufferings both from God and Men; and partly to shew his fitness for this great work of justifying sinners, because he was exactly holy, and harmless, and undefiled, Heb. 7. 26. and fulfilled all righteousness according to his duty, Mat. 3. 15. and therefore his person and performance must needs be acceptable to God, and effectual for the justification of his People, which was the great design of his coming into the World.

Acquit them from the guilt of their sins, and all the dreadful consequences thereof: For Iustification is here opposed to condemnation, as appears from the following clause, and from many other passages in this Chapter, and as it is used in all places of Scripture, one, or two at most, excepted, where it is mentioned. And Christ is said to justifie sinners meritoriously, because he purchaseth and procureth it for us; as God the Father is commonly said to do it authoritatively, because he accepted the price paid by Christ for it, and the pronunciation of the sentence of Absolution is referred to him in the Gospel Dispensation.

Which word is seasonably added, partly by way of Restriction, to shew that Christ will not justifie all, but only such as believe in him, and obey him: and partly by way of Amplification, to declare that this blessed priviledge shall not now be, as hitherto it had in a manner been, confined to Iudoea, and the Jews, but shall be conferred upon an innumerable company of all the Nations of the World.

For he shall satisfie the Justice and Law of God for them, by bearing the punishments due to their sins, and therefore by the principles of Reason and Justice they must be justified or acquitted, otherwise the same debt should be twice required and paid.

Marginal references: Ch. 42. 1. & 49. 3.