Isaiah 53:7-9

MSG, TNIV, NRSV, NASB A rich man's tomb? Do translation and interpretation matter? Depending on which version you read (I've given you links to four) verse nine discusses either the Suffering Servant's two possible tombs (with the wicked or the rich) or it points to the end he has in common with all people: burial. I like the Message. Peterson leaves this Jewish poetic device in place. The parallelism (two lines discussing the same topic) makes me think about my own end. The NASB, KJV and NKJV all give the impression that the Suffering Servant was rewarded with a rich man's tomb because of his innocence. The other versions imply that he died and was buried, in spite of his innocence. Would a messiah willing to suffer humiliation, torture and death be motivated by the hope that he would be buried in a rich man's tomb? The purpose of a tomb carved out of rock, covered with a large stone and guarded by soldiers seems to be about evidence of the resurrection power. What if that's the point? That Jesus really died and was really buried and was really raised? That thought made Paul write Philippians 3:10-11. Now when I go to the grave, one of the things I can't leave behind is faith in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ!