A whole profile in just one verse (Is 53:3): the "novissimum virorum"

The verse Is 53:3 in the middle of the fourth Servant Song (Is 52:13-53:12) can hardly be surpassed in drama in the Hebrew version. Here the life situation of the maltreated and afflicted subject of the song is described. A look at Jerome's independent translation of the ambiguous Hebrew nif’al forms into a Latin superlative. A precise grammatical analysis makes it clear that these forms represent far more than reflexive or passive meanings and therefore they raise many grammatical and semantical questions, which not least determine how this key verse can be interpreted theologically. These are central motives for taking a closer look at the syntax and word choice of Is 53:3 in the different text versions and thus obtaining a clue to the subject of the entire poem.