Man of Sorrows Bible Verses: Acquainted With Grief

"He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."

— Isaiah 53:3 (NIV)

Quick answer. "Man of Sorrows" names the servant who was despised and rejected, a man of suffering and familiar with pain (Isaiah 53:3). Christians see the title fulfilled in Jesus: his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (Matthew 26:38), and Hebrews 4:15 says he can empathize with our weaknesses. The New Testament applies that servant passage to him in Acts 8:32-35, Matthew 8:17, and 1 Peter 2:24.

People who search bible verses about man of sorrows want Scripture on Isaiah's "man of suffering / man of sorrows" title and the grief Christ bore — not only the full suffering servant Songs inventory, the broader Jesus or Christ lists, or the cross overview alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about the suffering servant, Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about Christ, Bible verses about the cross, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about grace, Bible verses about mercy, and Bible verse of the day. Man of sorrows here means the Isa 53:3 title and Gethsemane/grief lines that name his sorrow — distinct from the Servant Songs cluster alone or a general passion overview alone. Acts 4:27 names that servant as God's holy child Jesus in holy child Bible verses. Another title Scripture gives the Messiah is the Dayspring.

Word study (lead theme). In Hebrew, "man" is אִישׁ ish (Strong's H376; Bible Hub H376) — man, husband, male. "Sorrows / pains" is מַכְאֹב makob (Strong's H4341; Bible Hub H4341) — pain, sorrow, grief. Isaiah 53:3 calls the servant ish mak'ovot — a man of sorrows / a man of suffering, acquainted with grief. In the Greek New Testament, sorrow is often λύπη lypē (Strong's G3077; Bible Hub G3077) — sorrow, grief, pain. This list tracks that man-of-sorrows title and matching grief lines, not the whole Servant Songs inventory.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 53 presses that the Messiah was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, despised and rejected (Bible Hub MHC Isaiah 53; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Isaiah 53). Psalm 22 remembers the forsaken cry and scorn that surround the righteous sufferer (Bible Hub MHC Psalm 22; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Psalm 22). (Suffering-servant and cross lists live on those pages; this list centers the man-of-sorrows title.)

Who is the Man of Sorrows?

Isaiah 53:3 is the verse that uses this name. The text quoted above says "a man of suffering, and familiar with pain." The King James Version of the same verse says "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." The servant in that line is despised and rejected, and sorrow is what he is known for.

Isaiah 53:3 sits in the suffering servant passage, Isaiah 52:13–53:12. Isaiah 53:10, quoted on this page, says it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and that the Lord makes his life an offering for sin.

The New Testament applies that passage to Jesus. Acts 8:32-35 shows Philip starting from the servant passage and telling the good news about Jesus. Matthew 8:17 applies the servant passage to Jesus. 1 Peter 2:24 applies it to Jesus as well.

12 Bible verses about man of sorrows

1. Isaiah 53:3. "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem." Man of suffering / man of sorrows — acquainted with grief. See Bible verses about the suffering servant.

2. Matthew 26:38. "Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.'" Overwhelmed with sorrow — Gethsemane. See Bible verses about Jesus.

3. Mark 14:34. "'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,' he said to them. 'Stay here and keep watch.'" Sorrow to the point of death — watch with him. See Bible verses about prayer.

4. Lamentations 1:12. "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?" Any sorrow like my sorrow — the cry of deep grief. See Bible verses about hope.

5. Psalm 22:6. "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people." Scorned and despised — not treated as a man. See Bible verses about the cross.

6. Isaiah 53:10. "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand." Caused him to suffer — the Lord's will and the offering. See Bible verses about atonement.

7. John 12:27. "'Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour"? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.'" Soul troubled — this hour. See Bible verses about Jesus.

8. Luke 22:44. "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Anguish in prayer — earnest Gethsemane. See Bible verses about prayer.

9. Hebrews 5:7. "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." Fervent cries and tears — heard in reverence. See Bible verses about faith.

10. Isaiah 50:5-6. "The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Offered his back — did not hide his face. See Bible verses about humility.

11. Matthew 27:46. "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')." Forsaken cry — the depth of the man of sorrows. See Bible verses about the cross.

12. Hebrews 4:15. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." Able to empathize — tempted as we are. See Bible verses about the high priest.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need the man of sorrows — not twelve as a grind. If you need Isaiah's title, start with Isaiah 53:3. If you need Gethsemane sorrow, open Matthew 26:38 or Mark 14:34. If you need the forsaken cry, open Matthew 27:46. For the full Servant Songs cluster, open Bible verses about the suffering servant. For the cross overview, open Bible verses about the cross. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about man of sorrows?

Isaiah 53:3 (a man of suffering / man of sorrows), Matthew 26:38 (soul overwhelmed with sorrow), and Mark 14:34 (sorrow to the point of death) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about man of sorrows differ from suffering servant alone?

Suffering-servant pages often inventory the Servant Songs (Isaiah 42, 49, 50, 52–53) as a set. This page centers the Isa 53:3 ish mak'ovot title and matching grief/Gethsemane lines, then cross-links the servant list. See Bible verses about the suffering servant.

Where does "man of sorrows" appear in the Bible?

The classic phrase is Isaiah 53:3 (KJV "a man of sorrows"; NIV "a man of suffering"). The Gospels then show Jesus' soul overwhelmed with sorrow in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34).

What Hebrew words stand behind man of sorrows?

Ish (H376) "man" and makob (H4341) "pain / sorrow / grief" form ish mak'ovot in Isaiah 53:3. See the word study above and the Blue Letter Bible / Bible Hub lexicon links.

How can I use these verses in prayer or study?

Read Isaiah 53:3 slowly, then one Gethsemane verse. Thank God that Christ is familiar with pain. If you need mercy language alongside sorrow, open Bible verses about mercy. For grace in suffering, open Bible verses about grace.

Where does the Bible call Jesus a man of sorrows?

The words are in Isaiah 53:3. The King James Version says "a man of sorrows"; the NIV text on this page says "a man of suffering." The verse is about the servant. It does not use the name Jesus. The New Testament does not call Jesus "man of sorrows" in those words. It applies the servant passage to him in Acts 8:32-35, Matthew 8:17, and 1 Peter 2:24. Christian readers therefore speak of Jesus as the man of sorrows. Many Jewish readers understand the servant in Isaiah 52:13–53:12 as Israel, or as another figure, and do not treat the verse as a title for Jesus.

What does 'acquainted with grief' mean?

"Acquainted with grief" is the King James wording in Isaiah 53:3, in the same line as "a man of sorrows." The NIV text on this page says "familiar with pain." The phrase means the servant knows grief himself. The word study above ties that sorrow to Hebrew makob (pain, sorrow, grief). The verse sets it beside being despised and rejected.

Why is Jesus called the Man of Sorrows?

Isaiah 53:3 calls the servant a man of suffering and familiar with pain, and Isaiah 53:10 says the Lord made his life an offering for sin. In Gethsemane his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34). Christians use the title for Jesus because that servant passage is applied to him.

What comfort does the Man of Sorrows give people who grieve?

He knows grief himself: Isaiah 53:3 says he is familiar with pain, and Matthew 26:38 shows his own soul overwhelmed with sorrow. Hebrews 4:15 says he is a high priest who can empathize with our weaknesses, so people who grieve are not speaking to a stranger.

Sources

• Blue Letter Bible lexicons: H376, H4341, G3077 (links above).
• Bible Hub Hebrew/Greek entries and Matthew Henry Concise on Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 (links above).
• Cross-links: suffering servant, Jesus, Christ, the cross, hope, grace, mercy, high priest, prayer, faith, atonement, humility.