As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man ... So shall he sprinkle many nations - Summary of Messiah's history, which is set forth more in detail in Isaiah 53:1-12. 'Just as many were astonished accompanied with aversion, Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 19:8; literally, were dumb with astonishment, from shaamem (H8074), to be silent) at thee, his visage was so marred, etc.; so shall He sprinkle many nations. Israel in this answers to its Antitype, Messiah, now 'an astonishment and by-word' (Deuteronomy 28:37), hereafter about to be a blessing and means of salvation to many nations (Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 5:7).
At thee; his. Two, manuscripts, the Chaldaic and Syriac, read 'at Him;' but the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic read as the English version; and such changes of person are common in Hebrew poetry.
His visage was so marred - Hebrew, disfigurement; abstract for concrete: not only disfigured, but disfigurement itself.
More than any man. Castallio translates, 'so that it was no longer that of a man' (cf. Psalms 22:6) - literally, from being a man: meeish. Syriac, 'His visage was so changed from that of man.' The more perfect we may suppose the 'body prepared' (Hebrews 10:5), for Him by God, the sadder by contrast was the 'marring' of His visage and form.
Verse 15. So shall he sprinkle many. Gesenius, for the sake of the antithesis to "be astonished," from an Arabic root, translates, 'shall cause ... to exult.' But the word х yazeh (H5137), from naazah (H5137)] universally in the Old Testament means either to sprinkle (with blood); to atone for guilt-as the high priest makes an expiation (Leviticus 4:6; Leviticus 16:14; Leviticus 16:19); or to sprinkle (with water), as synonymous with purifying (Numbers 19:18; Numbers 19:21) or cleansing (cf. Ezekiel 36:25, where sprinkle (a different Hebrew word) means to cleanse). Compare as to the Spirit, Acts 2:33. Both atoning for guilt and purifying by the Spirit are appropriate to Messiah (John 13:8; Hebrews 9:13-14; Hebrews 10:22; Hebrews 12:24; 1 Peter 1:2). The antithesis is sufficient without any forced rendering. Many were astonished: so many (not merely men, but) nations shall be sprinkled. They were amazed at such an abject person claiming to be Messiah; yet it is He who shall justify and purify. Men were dumb with the amazement of scorn at one marred more than the lowest of men, yet the highest.
The kings shall shut their mouths at him - even kings (Isaiah 49:7; Isaiah 49:23) shall be dumb with awe and veneration ('shut mouths,' Job 29:9-10; Micah 7:16).
For that which had not been told them shall they see - the reason why kings shall an venerate them: the wonders of redemption which had not been before told them, shall then be announced to them, wonders such as they had never heard or seen paralleled (Isaiah 55:1). Romans 15:21 refers to this passage (cf. Romans 16:25-26). Though rejected by His own nation, He shall be confessed by many Gentile kings who had never before heard of Him.
Remarks: As the ancient people of God 'sold themselves for nought,' so 'shall they be redeemed without money.' Their 'howls' of anguish under oppression shall bring the Lord to their help. "They shall know in that day" the Lord Christ as their manifested Redeemer, who shall then deliver them from their gratuitous oppressor, even as He did from 'Egypt and the Assyrian' of old. The "good tidings" of "peace" published by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Messiah, were truly delightful to those who 'looked for redemption in Jerusalem.' Such they are still to every soul that experimentally appropriates them, in the hearing of them as announced by the ministers of the Gospel. They shall be especially so hereafter, when it shall be said unto the regenerated Zion, "Thy God reigneth!" The spiritual "watchmen shall lift up the voice" in joyful thanksgivings when their long-deferred prayers shall have been heard, and "eye to eye" they shall see their desire accomplished in the Lord's bringing again of Zion.