Acts 8:33 - In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” Isaiah 53:7,8
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "Acts 8:33" mean?
The verse you've quoted, Isaiah 53:7-8, is a key part of the suffering servant prophecy in Isaiah. Acts 8:33 is the Ethiopian eunuch reading this passage and being confused by it, prompting Philip to explain it to him as referring to Jesus. Let's break down the meaning within both its original context and its application in Acts:
Isaiah 53:7-8 - Original Context
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7)
This emphasizes the servant's (understood later by Christians to be Jesus) willingness to endure suffering without protest. He accepts his fate with humility and submission.
"In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. Who will declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth." (Isaiah 53:8)
"In his humiliation his judgment was taken away": This is where the most ambiguity lies, but these are the most common interpretations:
"His just cause was not heard": This interpretation suggests that the servant was unjustly condemned. He was humiliated (treated shamefully) and deprived of justice, a fair trial, or a proper defense. The phrase "judgment was taken away" means a just trial, due process, and a fair hearing to prove his innocence were denied.
"His ability to make judgments was taken": Another translation of the hebrew suggests that his discernment and ability to judge were taken from him, leading to him being unfairly punished.
"He humbled himself in judgement": A possible interpretation in line with Jesus Christ's acceptance of the cross could be that the servant humbled himself to accept judgement, because he knew it would provide salvation for others.
"Who will declare his generation?": This is a difficult phrase, and there are several interpretations:
"Who can describe his descendants/followers?": This asks who can declare/relate/account for all of this servant's generation, or how can he have any descendants if his life is taken so young? The impact of the servant's life and death are so significant, that it's almost impossible to measure.
"Who can understand the nature of his existence?": The New English Bible reads "who could have foreseen his fate", suggesting that the passage is lamenting that no-one could have foreseen this horrible fate for the servant.
"Who considered his plight, his suffering": This suggests that people would want nothing to do with his suffering, and would not want to associate themselves with his generation of people, his followers.
The ambiguity allows it to be understood as both: "How could someone treated this way have descendants?" and "The impact of this man will be so great that who can declare (or even measure) the impact of his future generation?"
"For his life was taken from the earth": This clearly indicates the servant's death. He is cut off from the land of the living. He dies a premature or violent death.
Acts 8:33 - Application to Jesus
Acts 8:26-40 describes Philip meeting an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading this very passage from Isaiah. The eunuch is confused and asks Philip for help in understanding it. Philip explains that the passage is a prophecy about Jesus.
How it relates to Jesus:
Humiliation: Jesus was humiliated through betrayal, false accusations, trials, mockery, torture, and crucifixion.
Judgment Taken Away: Jesus was denied justice. He was falsely accused, and his trial was a sham. Pontius Pilate, though recognizing Jesus's innocence, yielded to the crowd's demand for his crucifixion.
His Generation: This can be interpreted to mean that:
*His lineage was denied: The idea that Jesus has no lineage, because he was not born through normal means.
His suffering was so bad that people wanted nothing to do with him: A comment about people not wanting to be associated with a criminal being crucified on the cross.
His descendants will be so numerous that nobody will be able to count them: Jesus' spiritual descendants, believers in Christ, would spread throughout the world. The Christian church, His "generation," would be vast and impact the world in profound ways.
His Life Taken: This refers to Jesus' death on the cross.
In Summary
Isaiah 53:7-8 is a powerful prophecy describing the unjust suffering and death of a servant figure. Christians believe that this prophecy was perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In Acts 8, Philip uses this passage to help the Ethiopian eunuch understand the true nature of Jesus' ministry, suffering, and ultimate significance. The eunuch's belief in Jesus is a direct result of understanding the meaning of this passage.
Acts 8:33 - In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” Isaiah 53:7,8
What does "Acts 8:33" mean?
The verse you've quoted, Isaiah 53:7-8, is a key part of the suffering servant prophecy in Isaiah. Acts 8:33 is the Ethiopian eunuch reading this passage and being confused by it, prompting Philip to explain it to him as referring to Jesus. Let's break down the meaning within both its original context and its application in Acts:
Isaiah 53:7-8 - Original Context
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7)
This emphasizes the servant's (understood later by Christians to be Jesus) willingness to endure suffering without protest. He accepts his fate with humility and submission.
"In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. Who will declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth." (Isaiah 53:8)
"In his humiliation his judgment was taken away": This is where the most ambiguity lies, but these are the most common interpretations:
"His just cause was not heard": This interpretation suggests that the servant was unjustly condemned. He was humiliated (treated shamefully) and deprived of justice, a fair trial, or a proper defense. The phrase "judgment was taken away" means a just trial, due process, and a fair hearing to prove his innocence were denied.
"His ability to make judgments was taken": Another translation of the hebrew suggests that his discernment and ability to judge were taken from him, leading to him being unfairly punished.
"He humbled himself in judgement": A possible interpretation in line with Jesus Christ's acceptance of the cross could be that the servant humbled himself to accept judgement, because he knew it would provide salvation for others.
"Who will declare his generation?": This is a difficult phrase, and there are several interpretations:
"Who can describe his descendants/followers?": This asks who can declare/relate/account for all of this servant's generation, or how can he have any descendants if his life is taken so young? The impact of the servant's life and death are so significant, that it's almost impossible to measure.
"Who can understand the nature of his existence?": The New English Bible reads "who could have foreseen his fate", suggesting that the passage is lamenting that no-one could have foreseen this horrible fate for the servant.
"Who considered his plight, his suffering": This suggests that people would want nothing to do with his suffering, and would not want to associate themselves with his generation of people, his followers.
The ambiguity allows it to be understood as both: "How could someone treated this way have descendants?" and "The impact of this man will be so great that who can declare (or even measure) the impact of his future generation?"
"For his life was taken from the earth": This clearly indicates the servant's death. He is cut off from the land of the living. He dies a premature or violent death.
Acts 8:33 - Application to Jesus
Acts 8:26-40 describes Philip meeting an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading this very passage from Isaiah. The eunuch is confused and asks Philip for help in understanding it. Philip explains that the passage is a prophecy about Jesus.
How it relates to Jesus:
Humiliation: Jesus was humiliated through betrayal, false accusations, trials, mockery, torture, and crucifixion.
Judgment Taken Away: Jesus was denied justice. He was falsely accused, and his trial was a sham. Pontius Pilate, though recognizing Jesus's innocence, yielded to the crowd's demand for his crucifixion.
His Generation: This can be interpreted to mean that:
*His lineage was denied: The idea that Jesus has no lineage, because he was not born through normal means.
His suffering was so bad that people wanted nothing to do with him: A comment about people not wanting to be associated with a criminal being crucified on the cross.
His descendants will be so numerous that nobody will be able to count them: Jesus' spiritual descendants, believers in Christ, would spread throughout the world. The Christian church, His "generation," would be vast and impact the world in profound ways.
His Life Taken: This refers to Jesus' death on the cross.
In Summary
Isaiah 53:7-8 is a powerful prophecy describing the unjust suffering and death of a servant figure. Christians believe that this prophecy was perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In Acts 8, Philip uses this passage to help the Ethiopian eunuch understand the true nature of Jesus' ministry, suffering, and ultimate significance. The eunuch's belief in Jesus is a direct result of understanding the meaning of this passage.