"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
— Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)
Isaiah 53:5 is the "by his wounds we are healed" verse (KJV "with his stripes we are healed"). This page gives the verse, where it sits in Isaiah 53, and a plain reading. For more verses on the theme, see Bible verses about the cross, Bible verses about healing, and Bible verses about the suffering servant.
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The verse
The King James says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
"Pierced" (KJV "wounded") is chalal (H2490), to pierce or wound. "Transgressions" is pesha (H6588), rebellion. "Crushed" (KJV "bruised") is daka (H1792), and "iniquities" is avon (H5771), guilt. "Punishment" (KJV "chastisement") is musar (H4148), and "peace" is shalom (H7965). "Wounds" (KJV "stripes") is chaburah (H2250), a welt or bruise, and "healed" is rapha (H7495).
Where it sits in Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53 is the fullest of the Servant songs. The verse before it says, "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4).
The verse after it says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). The New Testament reads the chapter as being about Jesus. Philip starts from Isaiah 53 to tell an Ethiopian official "the good news about Jesus" (Acts 8:35), and Peter quotes verse 5 (1 Peter 2:24).
What the verse is saying
Every line of the verse has the same shape: he suffers, we receive. He is pierced, crushed, and punished, and we get peace and healing. The wrong is ours; the wounds are his.
Peter applies it to the cross: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; 'by his wounds you have been healed'" (1 Peter 2:24). The first healing in view is from sin. For more, see Romans 5:8, John 3:16, Bible verses about atonement, and Love and the cross.
Questions people ask
What does Isaiah 53:5 say?
In the NIV it says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." The KJV says, "with his stripes we are healed."
Who is Isaiah 53:5 talking about?
It describes the Servant of the LORD in Isaiah's Servant songs. The New Testament identifies him as Jesus: Peter quotes the verse about Christ on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), and Philip uses Isaiah 53 to tell about Jesus (Acts 8:32-35).
What does "by his stripes we are healed" mean?
"Stripes" is the Hebrew chaburah, a welt or bruise from a beating. The Servant's wounds bring our healing. Peter applies it first to sin: we are healed so we can "die to sins and live for righteousness."
Is Isaiah 53:5 about physical healing?
The main healing in the verse is from sin and guilt, as 1 Peter 2:24 shows. Matthew 8:17 also links Isaiah 53:4 to Jesus healing the sick, so the chapter speaks to bodily healing too. See Bible verses about healing.
What verse goes well with Isaiah 53:5?
1 Peter 2:24 quotes it about the cross. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
