Isaiah42

Isaiah 42 introduces the Lord's chosen Servant, upon whom God's Spirit rests, who will gently bring judgment and truth to the Gentiles. God, the Creator, calls this Servant to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, promising to lead the blind. However, the chapter concludes with a sharp rebuke of Israel, God's own servant, for their spiritual blindness and disobedience, explaining their suffering as a consequence of forsaking His law.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Servant's Character and Mission

1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. ​
2
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. ​
4
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

The Lord Commissions the Servant

5
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: ​
6
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; ​
7
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. ​
9
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. ​

Call for Global Praise

10
Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. ​
11
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. ​
12
Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.

The Lord Acts as a Divine Warrior

13
The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. ​
14
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. ​
15
I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. ​
16
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. ​
17
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

Israel's Spiritual Blindness

18
Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. ​
19
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant? ​
20
Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
21
The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. ​
22
But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. ​
23
Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
24
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. ​
25
Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. ​

Study Notes for Isaiah 42

Verse 1

This verse opens the first of the four 'Servant Songs' in Isaiah (42:1–4). The Servant is God’s chosen agent, endowed with the Spirit, whose mission is to establish justice universally (to the Gentiles).

Verse 3

This powerful metaphor illustrates the Servant's gentleness and patience; he will not crush the weak or extinguish the faint flame of hope, but will bring true justice with compassion.

Verse 5

God establishes His identity as the sovereign Creator of the universe. This affirmation of divine power validates the reliability of the promises made concerning the Servant’s mission.

Verse 6

The Servant is commissioned to be the embodiment of the divine covenant and a 'light' (salvation and revelation) not only for Israel but specifically for the Gentiles.

Verse 8

A core monotheistic declaration. Yahweh emphasizes His exclusive identity and refuses to share His glory, contrasting Himself sharply with the powerless idols of other nations.

Verse 9

The 'former things' (likely prophecies already fulfilled, such as the rise of Cyrus or past judgments) confirm God’s reliability, thus guaranteeing the certainty of the 'new things' (the return from exile and ultimate salvation).

Verse 10

This section is a hymn, a call for universal worship in response to the 'new things' God is about to perform. The praise comes from the ends of the earth and the maritime regions ('isles').

Verse 11

The call extends to remote and desolate regions, including the tribes of Kedar (northern Arabia), symbolizing that God’s salvation reaches all people.

Verse 13

God is depicted as a warrior preparing for battle to rescue His people. He will actively intervene against the powers that hold Israel captive, displaying zeal and might.

Verse 14

God explains His previous silence during Israel's oppression. His sudden, forceful intervention is likened to the violent, unavoidable pangs of a woman giving birth.

Verse 15

A powerful image of divine judgment and transformation, where obstacles (mountains, rivers) are destroyed to clear the path for the return of the exiles.

Verse 16

Despite the people's spiritual blindness and ignorance of the way home, God promises to guide them personally, turning darkness into light and removing all difficulties.

Verse 18

The tone shifts sharply to an address to Israel, who is spiritually 'deaf' and 'blind,' unable to perceive God's actions or understand the meaning of their suffering.

Verse 19

This rhetorical question contrasts the ideal, obedient Servant introduced in verse 1 with the current, failed servant, Israel, who has been sent as a messenger but has proven spiritually dull.

Verse 21

God's motivation is His own righteousness; He will uphold the divine law and make it honorable, even if that requires punishing His own people for their disobedience.

Verse 22

This verse describes the condition of Israel during the Babylonian exile: stripped, imprisoned, and utterly helpless, with no human deliverer in sight.

Verse 24

The ultimate cause of Israel's calamity is revealed: it was not random fate or superior enemy power, but divine judgment resulting from their persistent sin and failure to obey the covenant.

Verse 25

The judgment (exile and destruction) was poured out like fire, yet Israel remained spiritually unaffected ('knew not' and 'laid it not to heart'), failing to learn from their punishment.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options