The servant willingly responds to Yahweh’s call, even though he will suffer shame and physical injury for his mission. Isaiah reveals his vision of the Atoning Messiah’s future mission, although it is not nearly as detailed as Nephi’s descriptions. These verses were literally fulfilled in the Passion.
The phrase “gave… my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair” refers to humiliation. In 2 Samuel 10:1–5 there is an account of Hanun shaming King David’s emissaries by shaving their beards. David allowed them to tarry in Jericho until their beards had grown again so that they would not return in visual shame. The Mediterranean cultures were based upon concepts of honor and shame, and one of the worst things one could do to a person was to shame him or her. In this case, Yahweh’s servant has done what Yahweh has required but is shamed by men. Even though the worldly shame is great, because he “was not rebellious, neither turned away back,” he is not shamed before God. He declares that his true honor comes from obeying Yahweh, not seeking approval (or honor) from men.
Variant: When Oliver copied this verse onto the printer’s manuscript, he misread opened as appointed. Joseph Smith restored the correct reading for the 1840 edition.