Because his soul has labored, he will see and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my just servant will himself justify many, and he himself will carry their iniquities. (Is 53:11)
מֵעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשׁוֹ֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים וַעֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל׃
ἀπὸ τοῦ πόνου τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, δεῖξαι αὐτῷ φῶς καὶ πλάσαι τῇ συνέσει, δικαιῶσαι δίκαιον εὖ δουλεύοντα πολλοῖς, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ἀνοίσει.
Propter laborem animae eius videbit lucem, saturabitur in scientia sua. Iustificabit iustus servus meus multos et iniquitates eorum ipse portabit.
To be satiated (שָׂבַע śāḇaʽ), this verb in Hebrew contains the root śḇʽ, which occurs in all Semitic languages and whose basic meaning is “to be satiated and be/become satiated” in the sense of satisfying physical hunger. In the Old Testament, this verb is widely used metaphorically: in Prov 28:19 we read “He who tills the earth will be satisfied with bread; he who pursues deceit will be satisfied with poverty” and in Prov 18:20 “A man’s belly will be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth, and he will be fed with the increase of his lips.”
In today’s fragment of the Song of the Suffering Servant of the Lord (Is 53:10-11), the verb שָׂבַע (śāḇaʽ) expresses the glory that will come to the Servant: “After the anguish of his soul he will see the light and be satisfied” (v. 11). It is worth noting that the Hebrew text lacks an object for the verb “sees” and the text reads: “he will see and be satisfied in his knowledge…” (יִרְאֶה יִשְׂבָּע בְּדַעְתּוֹ), which allows us to ask what the Servant will be satisfied with? What will he see? One thing is certain, the experience of the Servant’s satisfaction is the opposite of the suffering that He took upon Himself. Often, after some time, a person discovers in a new light the fruit, effect, and meaning of his own experiences. It is worth noting, however, that the Servant took on suffering for the “justification of many” and bore the iniquities of others. Why? Perhaps out of love? I think that only love can satisfy us and give us a sense of completeness, regardless of the circumstances.
