ישעיהו, פרק נ״ג, פסוק ג׳

The servant of God, representing the nation of Israel during the exile, exists at the absolute lowest point of physical, social, and emotional life [רש״י, אבן עזרא, שד״ל]. Stripped of every positive trait, his intense suffering creates an impenetrable wall between him and the rest of humanity. He faces active disgust and total contempt, rather than a mere lack of interest in his company [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. This extreme isolation leads to two main understandings of his social standing. One approach views him as the most inferior and lowly of all mankind, utterly lacking in worth or strength [רד״ק, שד״ל, שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective focuses on his complete social detachment; people actively avoid associating with him, to the point where he simply ceases to be considered a part of human society [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].

The physical afflictions he endures serve as a metaphor for the continuous suffering and heavy burden of the exile [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. Commentators note a distinction in the types of agony experienced. He suffers from external torments, such as cruel beatings inflicted by others, alongside an internal breakdown of his physical health [מלבי״ם]. This suffering has become an inseparable part of his very essence. It is as if he and illness have become close friends, or that disease knows him so well it constantly returns to him, treating him as a permanent and welcoming host [שד״ל].

The social reaction to this misery is characterized by a deliberate averting of faces, though commentators differ on who is turning away from whom. The primary approach among commentators is that the onlookers hide their faces from the servant. His appearance is so vile and despised that people instinctively look away [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, שד״ל]. This reaction does not stem from pity or the emotional difficulty of witnessing pain, but rather from a deep, visceral disgust [מלבי״ם]. In some cases, the surrounding nations deliberately ignore the exiled Jew simply to avoid any obligation to save him [אבן עזרא]. Conversely, another interpretation suggests that it is the servant himself who hides his face from society. Overwhelmed by deep shame, lowliness, and a sense of impurity, he covers his face much like a person afflicted with leprosy [רש״י, שטיינזלץ].

Ultimately, society's attitude is one of complete dismissal. Because of his extreme degradation, onlookers view him as entirely worthless [רד״ק, שד״ל, שטיינזלץ]. They do not value him enough even to feel basic human empathy for his pain [מלבי״ם]. Instead, they simply conclude that God has rejected him, assuming that God Himself brought all these torments upon him as a sign of divine disgust [מצודת דוד].