{
  "id": "dict_005478",
  "term": "Suffering Servant",
  "slug": "suffering-servant",
  "letter": "S",
  "entry_type": "theological_term",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "The Suffering Servant is the servant figure most fully described in Isaiah, especially Isaiah 52:13-53:12, who suffers innocently and bears sin. Christians understand this passage to find its fullest fulfillment in Jesus Christ.",
  "simple_one_line": "",
  "tooltip_text": "",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [],
  "see_also": [],
  "lede_intro": "",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [],
  "description_academic_short": "The Suffering Servant is a major biblical theme drawn chiefly from Isaiah’s Servant Songs, especially Isaiah 52:13-53:12. The servant is portrayed as righteous, rejected, and suffering on behalf of others, yet afterward vindicated by God. While interpreters discuss how the servant relates to Israel and the faithful remnant in Isaiah’s larger context, conservative Christian interpretation sees the fullest and climactic fulfillment in Jesus’ atoning suffering, death, and exaltation.",
  "description_academic_full": "The term Suffering Servant refers primarily to the servant described in Isaiah, above all in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, where the servant is depicted as righteous, despised, afflicted, bearing the sins of others, and ultimately vindicated by God. In Isaiah as a whole, the identity of the servant is discussed in relation to Israel, the faithful within Israel, and an individual representative servant; interpreters differ on how these themes interrelate in the immediate context. Within historic Christian interpretation, however, the passage is understood to point decisively to Jesus Christ, whose innocent suffering, substitutionary death, and subsequent exaltation uniquely fulfill the servant’s role. The safest summary is that the Suffering Servant is an Isaianic servant figure whose fullest meaning is revealed in Christ and closely connected to His atoning work.",
  "background_biblical_context": "",
  "background_historical_context": "",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "",
  "key_texts_primary": [],
  "key_texts_secondary": [],
  "original_language_note": "",
  "theological_significance": "",
  "philosophical_explanation": "",
  "interpretive_cautions": "",
  "major_views_note": "",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "",
  "practical_significance": "",
  "meta_description": "The Suffering Servant is the servant figure most fully described in Isaiah, especially Isaiah 52:13-53:12, who suffers innocently and bears sin. Christians understand this passage to find its fullest fulfillment in Jesus Christ.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/suffering-servant/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/suffering-servant.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}