Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 42 contains the FIRST SERVANT-SONG (vv. 1–4) — cited at Matthew 12:18–21 as fulfilled-in-Christ's-gentle-ministry. The four-Servant-Songs (42:1–4, 49:1–6, 50:4–9, 52:13–53:12) build-toward-the-Suffering-Servant of-chapter-53. Verse 6's 'covenant for the people, light for the nations' is cited at Luke 2:32 (Simeon's-Nunc Dimittis).
Notable Variants
42:1–4 FIRST SERVANT-SONG → Matthew 12:18–21 explicit-citation; 42:6 'covenant for the people, LIGHT FOR THE NATIONS' → Luke 2:32 Simeon's-Nunc-Dimittis + Acts 13:47; 42:7 'open the eyes of the blind' → Christ's-healing-ministry.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 42 = LXX Isaiah 42. 25 verses. FIRST SERVANT-SONG.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Masoretic (WLC)
הֵן עַבְדִּי אֶתְמָךְ־בּוֹ בְּחִירִי רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי נָתַתִּי רוּחִי עָלָיו מִשְׁפָּט לַגּוֹיִם יוֹצִיא
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
Septuagint (LXX)
Ιακωβ ὁ παῖς μου ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου ἔδωκα τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει
Jacob my servant, I will help him; Israel my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the nations
MATTHEW 12:18–21 EXPLICIT CITATION. Matthew cites the entire Servant-Song-1 (vv. 1–4) at Matthew 12:18–21 as fulfilled-in-Jesus' gentle-non-confrontational-healing-ministry: 'BEHOLD MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, MY BELOVED WITH WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL PLEASED. I will put my Spirit upon him, AND HE WILL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.' Matthew's-text matches-the-LXX with-some-modifications.
BAPTISMAL ECHO. Matthew 3:17 / Mark 1:11 / Luke 3:22 ('this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased') at-Jesus'-baptism Christologically-fulfills the divine-pleasure-with-the-Servant. The Spirit-anointing of-vv. 1 is-fulfilled at-the-baptism. The Servant-Christology baptismally-confirmed.
LXX-Vorlage explicitly-identifies the Servant as JACOB / ISRAEL — making-the-corporate-personality reading explicit. The MT is-ambiguous (could-be-Israel or-individual-figure). Matthew applies-it-Christologically to-Jesus-the-true-Israel.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street.
'He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street' tracks MT. NOT-CRY-ALOUD. Matthew 12:19 cites verbatim. The Servant's-non-confrontational-style — Christ-not-loud-political-figure.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
'A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice' tracks MT. BRUISED-REED / SMOKING-WICK. Matthew 12:20 cites verbatim. The Servant's-tenderness-to-the-broken. Pastoral-text — the gentle-Christ to-the-bruised-and-faintly-burning.
He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
'He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law' tracks MT. COASTLANDS-WAIT. Matthew 12:21 cites: 'and IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.' The Servant's-justice extends-to-the-Gentiles.
This is what the LORD says — He 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:
'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' tracks MT.
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,
Masoretic (WLC)
אֲנִי יְהוָה קְרָאתִיךָ בְצֶדֶק וְאַחְזֵק בְּיָדֶךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם
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
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν
I, the Lord God, have called you in righteousness, and I will hold your hand and strengthen you; I have given you as a covenant of a race, as a light of the Gentiles
LIGHT-FOR-THE-NATIONS / LIGHT-OF-THE-GENTILES. The most-Christologically-formative-phrase. LUKE 2:32 SIMEON'S-NUNC-DIMITTIS: 'a LIGHT FOR REVELATION TO THE GENTILES (phōs eis apokalypsin ethnōn) and for glory to your people Israel.' Simeon directly-cites this Isaiah-phrase recognizing-the-infant-Jesus as-the-Servant-Light. ACTS 13:47 — Paul applies-it: 'I have made you a LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' Acts 26:18 echoes.
COVENANT-FOR-THE-PEOPLE. The Servant himself becomes-the-covenant — astonishing identification of-person-and-covenant. Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, 12:24 (Christ-as-mediator-of-new-covenant) Christologically-extends.
to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
'To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness' tracks MT. OPEN-EYES-OF-BLIND / RELEASE-PRISONERS — Christ's-Messianic-ministry. Luke 4:18 (Jesus' Nazareth-citation of-Isa 61) Christologically extends.
I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
'I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols' tracks MT. GIVE-MY-GLORY-TO-NO-OTHER. The exclusivity-of-divine-glory.
The former things — behold, they have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
'Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them' tracks MT. NEW-THINGS — anticipating-the-new-covenant. 2 Cor 5:17 ('new creation') Christologically-extends.
Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.
'Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants' tracks MT. NEW-SONG — Pss 33, 96, 98, 144, 149; Rev 5, 14 family.
Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages where Kedar dwells; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
'Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains' tracks MT.
Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the coastlands.
'Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands' tracks MT.
The LORD goes forth like a mighty warrior; like a man of war He stirs up His zeal. He cries out, He shouts aloud; He shows Himself mighty against His foes.
'The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes' tracks MT. LORD-AS-MIGHTY-WARRIOR. Revelation 19:11–16 (Christ-on-white-horse, Word of God) extends.
For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.
'For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant' tracks MT. WOMAN-IN-LABOR — divine-self-imagery. Maternal-divine-image (cf. 49:15, 66:13).
I will lay waste mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
'I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools' tracks MT.
And I will lead the blind in a way they do not know, in paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.
'And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them' tracks MT.
They are turned back and utterly put to shame, those who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, 'You are our gods.'
'They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images: You are our gods' tracks MT.
Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!
'Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!' tracks MT.
Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD?
'Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD?' tracks MT. ISRAEL-AS-BLIND-SERVANT — paradox.
He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.
'He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear' tracks MT.
The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to magnify His teaching and make it glorious.
'The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious' tracks MT. MAGNIFY-HIS-LAW. Matthew 5:17–18 ('I have not come to abolish the Law … not an iota will pass away from the Law') Christologically-extends.
But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them, and spoil, with no one to say, 'Restore!'
'But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say: Restore!' tracks MT.
Who among you will give ear to this, will pay attention and listen for the time to come?
'Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come?' tracks MT.
Who gave Jacob over to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose teaching they would not obey?
'Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?' tracks MT.
So He poured out on him the heat of His anger and the fury of war; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.
'So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart' tracks MT.