Isaiah 52:15 — "he shall sprinkle many nations" — uses sacrificial terminology (sprinkling blood on the altar). Multiple ancient translations confirm "sprinkle" over "startle." The Septuagint of Isaiah 53 is unreliable in several key places.

The Hebrew word in 52:15 is consistently used for ritual sprinkling (blood on altar) throughout the OT. The Septuagint translates it as "startled/astonished" — but Aquila, Theodotion, the Vulgate, and the Peshitta all translate as "sprinkle" or "purified." Goldingay and Payne conclude the versions worked out the distinctive usage correctly. The Septuagint of Isaiah 53 is suspect — it deviates significantly from both the Masoretic text and Dead Sea Scrolls in several places, apparently drawing from Aramaic rather than Hebrew. This matters because anti-PSA advocates rely on the Septuagint reading to avoid sacrificial terminology.