The Hebrew word for borne is nasa - this word is used of the undertaking of the responsibilities for sins of others by substitution and it means to lift up, carry or carry away, to take up, forgive or accept.

The Hebrew word for griefs is choliy - this word means sickness.

The Hebrew word for sorrows is makob - this word means pains.

So what is Isaiah really saying when he says: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... . To paraphrase, He is saying, Jesus literally took upon Himself all our sicknesses and pains by becoming our substitute and dying on the cross on our behalf. Jesus does not suffer with us, He suffered for us.

Now let’s take a closer look at verse five of Isaiah 53. If you look at verse 5 again, you will see three words. These words are transgressions, iniquities and chastisement. If you should look these words up in any dictionary, you will notice that the definitions of these words refer to sin or punishment for sin. Now let’s look at a couple of verses from the New Testament.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

We know that transgressions, iniquities and chastisement all refer to sin in some regard. We know from what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus, even though He knew no sin was made sin on our behalf. We also know that the wages of sin is death. Therefore, we know that Christ had to die on our behalf because God put all the sins of humanity on His shoulders so that sin may die to us because our sins died with Jesus on the cross.