Isaiah 53:6

“All we like sheep have gone astray, &c.] Here the prophet represents all the elect of God, whether Jews or Gentiles; whom he compares to “sheep”, not for their good qualities, but for their foolishness and stupidity; and particularly for their being subject to go astray from the shepherd, and the fold, and from their good pastures, and who never return of themselves, until they are looked up, and brought back by the shepherd, or owner of them; so the people of God, in a state of nature, are like the silly sheep, they go astray from God, are alienated from the life of him, deviate from the rule of his word, err from the right way, and go into crooked paths, which lead to destruction; and…”

“Penitent confession of believers and of Israel in the last days (Zac 12:10). sheep . . . astray-- (Psa 119:176; Pe1 2:25). The antithesis is, "In ourselves we were scattered; in Christ we are collected together; by nature we wander, driven headlong to destruction; in Christ we find the way to the gate of life" [CALVIN]. True, also, literally of Israel before its coming restoration (Eze 34:5-6; Zac 10:2, Zac 10:6; compare with Eze 34:23-24; Jer 23:4-5; also Mat 9:36). laid--"hath made to light on Him" [LOWTH]. Rather, "hath made to rush upon Him" [MAURER]. the iniquity--that is, its penalty; or rather, as in Co2 5:21; He was not merely a sin offering (which would destroy the antithesis to…”

“All we, like sheep, have gone astray - This is the penitent confession of those for whom he suffered. It is an acknowledgment that they were going astray from God; and the reason why the Redeemer suffered was, that the race had wandered away, and that Yahweh had laid on him the iniquity of all. Calvin says, ‘In order that he might more deeply impress on the minds of people the benefits derived from the death of Christ, he shows how necessary was that healing of which he had just made mention. There is here an elegant antithesis. For in ourselves we were scattered; in Christ we are collected together; by nature we wander, and are driven headlong toward destruction; in Christ we find the way…”

“We - All mankind. Astray - From God. Have turned - In general, to the way of sin, which may well be called a man's own way, because sin is natural to us, inherent in us, born with us; and in particular, to those several paths, which several men chuse, according to their different opinions, and circumstances. Hath laid - Heb. hath made to meet, as all the rivers meet in the sea. The iniquity - Not properly, for he knew no sin; but the punishment of iniquity, as that word is frequently used. That which was due for all the sins of all mankind, which must needs be so heavy a load, that if he had not been God as well as man, he must have sunk under the burden. Isaiah 53:7”

“53:6 strayed away . . . left God’s paths: These are metaphors for sin (see also Rom 3:10-18).”

“All we: Psa 119:176; Mat 18:12-14; Luk 15:3-7; Rom 3:10-19; Pe1 2:25 his own: Isa 55:7, Isa 56:11; Eze 3:18; Rom 4:25; Jam 5:20; Pe1 3:18 laid on him the iniquity of us all: Heb. made the iniquities of us all to meet on him, Psa 69:4 Isaiah 53:7”

“Thus does the whole body of the restored Israel confess with penitence, that it has so long mistaken Him whom Jehovah, as is now distinctly affirmed, had made a curse for their good, when they had gone astray to their own ruin. "All we like sheep went astray; we had turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." It is the state of exile, upon which the penitent Israel is here looking back; but exile as being, in the prophet's view, the final state of punishment before the final deliverance. Israel in its exile resembled a scattered flock without a shepherd; it had lost the way of Jehovah ( Isa 63:17), and every one had turned to his own way, in…”