The beginning of Isaiah 53

Everyone knows he was afflicted. We see the word and we ignore it. The root is the same as the root for answered. What do you think? [warning - revisions without notice - thinking...]

Notice that verse 1 does not start on the tonic. (You can tell from the little sign under the letter in the Hebrew. It is not a silluq.) That tells us we are in the middle of a song. The chapter division is inconsistent with the content.

מִ֥י הֶאֱמִ֖ין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ

וּזְר֥וֹעַ יְהוָ֖ה עַל מִ֥י נִגְלָֽתָה 

Who believes what we heard?
And the arm of Yahweh to whom laid bare?

וַיַּ֨עַל כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק

לְפָנָ֗יו וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה

לֹא תֹ֥אַר ל֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א הָדָ֑ר

וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ וְלֹֽא מַרְאֶ֖ה וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ 

He grew up as a sapling,
in his presence as a root from arid earth.
Neither handsome he was, nor honoured.
And if we see him, there is no charisma to attract us.

נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ

מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי

וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ

נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ 

He is despised and set aside by everyone,
a sorrowful person, one who knows illness,
like someone from whom we would hide our faces.
He is despised and we did not consider him.

אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם

וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה 

Nevertheless our illnesses he himself lifts up and the burden of our sorrows he carries.
And we ourselves consider him contagion, stricken by God, answered.