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Isaiah 42:1–7

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The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42:11 “Here is my servant whom I support,

my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.

I have placed my spirit on him;

he will make just decrees2 for the nations.3

42:2He will not cry out or shout;

he will not publicize himself in the streets.4

42:3A crushed reed he will not break,

a dim wick he will not extinguish;5

he will faithfully make just decrees.6

42:4He will not grow dim or be crushed7

before establishing justice on the earth;

the coastlands8 will wait in anticipation for his decrees.”9

42:5This is what the true God,10 the Lord, says—

the one who created the sky and stretched it out,

the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it,11

the one who gives breath to the people on it,

and life to those who live on it:12

42:6“I, the Lord, officially commission you;13

I take hold of your hand.

I protect you14 and make you a covenant mediator for people,15

and a light16 to the nations,17

42:7to open blind eyes,18

to release prisoners19 from dungeons,

those who live in darkness from prisons.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Verses 1–7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1–13; 50:4–11; and 52:13–53:12.
  2. 2 Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. , , ).
  3. 3 Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1–9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.
  4. 4 Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”
  5. 5 The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.
  6. 6 Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. , ).
  7. 7 For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.
  8. 8 Or “islands” (); “distant lands beyond the sea.”
  9. 9 Or “his law” (, , , ) or “his instruction” ().
  10. 10 Heb “the God.” The definite article here indicates distinctiveness or uniqueness.
  11. 11 Heb “and its offspring” (so ); “all that comes out of it.”
  12. 12 Heb “and spirit [i.e., “breath”] to the ones walking in it” (, , and all similar).
  13. 13 Heb “call you in righteousness.” The pronoun “you” is masculine singular, referring to the servant. See the note at .
  14. 14 The translation assumes the verb is derived from the root נָצַר (natsar, “protect”). Some prefer to derive it from the root יָצַר (yatsar, “form”).
  15. 15 Heb “a covenant of people.” A person cannot literally be a covenant; בְּרִית (bérit) is probably metonymic here, indicating a covenant mediator. The precise identity of עָם (’am, “people”) is uncertain. In v. 5 עָם refers to mankind, and the following reference to “nations” also favors this. But in 49:8, where the phrase בְּרִית עָם occurs again, Israel seems to be in view.
  16. 16 Light here symbolizes deliverance from bondage and oppression; note the parallelism in 49:6b and in 51:4–6.
  17. 17 Or “the Gentiles” (so , , ); the same Hebrew word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context.
  18. 18 This does not refer to literal physical healing of the blind. As the next two lines suggest, this refers metonymically to freeing captives from their dark prisons where their eyes have grown unaccustomed to light.
  19. 19 This does not refer to hardened, dangerous criminals, who would have been executed for their crimes in ancient Near Eastern society. This verse refers to political prisoners or victims of social injustice.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be discouraged

till he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his law.

Thus says God, the Lord,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people on it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;

I will take you by the hand and keep you;

I will give you as a covenant for the people,

a light for the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out,

or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

This is what God the Lord says—

the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,

who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,

who gives breath to its people,

and life to those who walk on it:

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“This is my servant; I strengthen him,

this is my chosen one; I delight in him.

I have put my Spirit on him;

he will bring justice to the nations.

He will not cry out or shout

or make his voice heard in the streets.

He will not break a bruised reed,

and he will not put out a smoldering wick;

he will faithfully bring justice.

He will not grow weak or be discouraged

until he has established justice on earth.

The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction.”

This is what God, the Lord, says—

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people on it

and spirit to those who walk on it—

“I am the Lord. I have called you

for a righteous purpose,

and I will hold you by your hand.

I will watch over you, and I will appoint you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light to the nations,

in order to open blind eyes,

to bring out prisoners from the dungeon,

and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.

He is my chosen one, who pleases me.

I have put my Spirit upon him.

He will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout

or raise his voice in public.

He will not crush the weakest reed

or put out a flickering candle.

He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.

He will not falter or lose heart

until justice prevails throughout the earth.

Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.

He created the earth and everything in it.

He gives breath to everyone,

life to everyone who walks the earth.

And it is he who says,

“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.

I will take you by the hand and guard you,

and I will give you to my people, Israel,

as a symbol of my covenant with them.

And you will be a light to guide the nations.

You will open the eyes of the blind.

You will free the captives from prison,

releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Look! here is my servant; I hold him,

my chosen one, in whom my soul delights.

I have put my spirit on him;

he will bring justice forth to the nations.

He will not cry out and lift up

and make his voice heard in the street.

He will not break a broken reed,

and he will not extinguish a dim wick.

He will bring justice forth in faithfulness.

He will not grow faint,

and he will not be broken

until he has established justice in the earth.

And the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says the God, Yahweh,

who created the heavens

and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and its offspring,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it.

“I am Yahweh; I have called you in righteousness,

and I have grasped your hand and watched over you;

and I have given you as a covenant of the people,

as a light of the nations,

to open the blind eyes,

to bring the prisoner out from the dungeon,

those who sit in darkness from the house of imprisonment.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

He shall not cry, nor lift up,

Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed shall he not break,

And the smoking flax shall he not quench:

He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged,

Till he have set judgment in the earth:

And the isles shall wait for his law.

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:

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;

To open the blind eyes,

To bring out the prisoners from the prison,

And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Public Domain