“Rich” must mean “wicked,” just as “poor” often means godly.
(A. B. Davidson, D.D.)
The suffering Servant given a convict’s grave
Having conceived Him to have been lawfully put to death, they consistently gave Him a convict’s grave; “they made His grave with the wicked, and He was with the felon in His death,” though He was an innocent man--“He had done no harm; neither was guile in His mouth.” (Prof. G. A. Smith, D.D.)
“With the rich in His death:”
The meaning is, “His grave was assigned to Him with criminals, and with a rich man after He had actually died a painful death,” i.e. He was to have been laid where the bodies of dead criminals lie, but He came after His death to lie in a grave that had been intended for the corpse of a rich man. (F. Delitzsch, D.D.)
A prophecy of Messiah
I. SOMETHING FORETOLD CONCERNING THE MESSIAH, that is, that He shall make His grave, etc.
II. A REASON SUBJOINED, taken from His innocency. (J. Durham.)
Christ laid in the grave
In all the Evangelists it is clear that after death He was laid in the grave, and very particular notice is taken of it. Take here some reasons of this necessity.
1. That the unstaindeness and purity of Divine justice may appear, and that, therefore, the perfection of His satisfaction may be confirmed.
2. It is much for the manifestation of the great love of God, and of the rich condescending grace of the Mediator, who is not only content to die, but to be laid in the grave, and to suffer death to have a kind of dominion over Him for a time.
3. It is for the consolation of the believer and serves mightily to strengthen him against the fear of death and the grave. He may lie down quietly in the grave, because it was Christ’s bed, warmed, to say so, by Him.
4. It serves to confirm the truth of the resurrection of Christ. (J. Durham.)
