The Root Mishhat (מִשְׁחַת) — The Face That Could Not Be Recognized

A companion word study to Unpacking #13

There is a word in Isaiah 52 that most readers skip over on the way to chapter 53.

That is a mistake.

The word is mishhat (מִשְׁחַת). It appears once, in verse 14, tucked inside a parenthetical that the text offers almost as an aside — as if to say: before you hear what the Servant accomplishes, you need to understand what was done to his face.

“Just as many were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being, and his form marred beyond human likeness.” — Isaiah 52:14 (NIV)