Isaiah 53:6 is another passage that, when reading
through the lens of penal substitution, can sound like sins are imputed to
Christ. The ESV, for example, says: “[God] has laid on [Christ] the iniquity of
us all” (ESV). The Hebrew word used by Isaiah, however, is paga: [God] paga
[Christ] the iniquity of us all.” If Isaiah or another Hebrew author wanted
to communicate imputation or transference, they would have used the Hebrew word
for imputation (chashab–e.g., Lev 17:4, Gen 15:6). Chashab,
however, is never used in Isaiah 53 or in any text involving kaphar.
Rather than imputation, intercession is the primary meaning of the root verb paga.
Paga is in its Hifil perfect form in Isa 53:6 (see also Is 59:16; Jer
15:11; 36:25), which describes the Lord as causing His Servant to “make
intercession” for the iniquities of the people. Intercession is the primary
connotation of paga in Isaiah 53:12 as well. “Nasa [took away]
the sin of many” in v12 is paralleled by the second phrase “interceded [paga]
for the transgressors,” which does not communicate that the servant was imputed
with sins. IT denotes a priestly ministry of removing sin through the
intercession of God’s messiah. The ESV and NASB both interpret paga as
Christ “interceding for transgressors” in v12. This same interpretation should be
rendered for paga in v6. (Rosser Powitzky, Clean: How the
Jewish Roots of Atonement Unlock the Meaning of Christ’s Sacrifice [2025], 84-85)
The Greek LXX translates this
verse as “God gave [or delivered] him up (paredoken) for the sins of us
all,” which is intercessory in language, void of any mention of sin imputation.
This verb paredoken is also used by Paul: “He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him up [paredoken] for us all, how will He not also
with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32) (Ibid., 85 n. 77)
