פירוש על ישעיהו 53:2

And he came up like a sapling before it This people, before this greatness came to it, was a very humble people, and it came up by itself like a sapling of the saplings of the trees.

And he grew up, etc. That Israelite who is the servant of the Lord,¹That is, the prophet. or the whole nation of the Israelites, grew up²A. V., For he shall grow up.

and like a root he came up from dry land.

before him, that is, before the Lord,

neither form had he in the beginning, nor comeliness.

as a tender plant—comp., his branches shall spread (Hosea 14:7)—

and we saw him that he had no appearance. Now shall we desire him? And when we saw him from the beginning without an appearance, how could we desire him? Now shall we desire him? This is a question.

and as a root out of dry land, that neither produces fruit, nor distinguishes itself by its size.

He hath no form. This expression has the same meaning as the phrase ותארו מבני אדם and his form was marred more than that of the sons of men (52:14).

ולא מראה ולא נחמדהו ═ ולא מראה ונחמדהו there is no beauty, nor do we desire him; the negation לא before מראה, refers also to נחמדהו; comp. Prov. 21:14