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The Prophets · Old Testament

Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42: behold my servant, a new song, and the blind servant who does not see

General context

The Lord presents his servant, whom he upholds, his elect on whom he has put his spirit; he will bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, will not cry in the street, will not break a bruised reed or quench smoking flax, and will not fail until judgment is set in the earth. God the Lord, who created the heavens and gives breath to the people, says he has called thee in righteousness and will give thee for a covenant of the people and a light of the Gentiles, to open blind eyes and free prisoners. He is the Lord and will not give his glory to another; he declares new things before they spring forth. A new song is called for from the sea, the isles, the wilderness, Kedar and the inhabitants of the rock. The Lord will go forth as a mighty man and roar; he has long held his peace and will now cry like a travailing woman, waste mountains, make the rivers islands, dry up the pools, and lead the blind by a way they did not know. Those who trust graven images will be ashamed. The deaf are told to hear and the blind to look; the Lord asks who is blind but his servant, or deaf as his messenger, seeing many things but not observing. The Lord will magnify the law, but this is a people robbed and spoiled, hidden in prison houses, with none to say Restore. The speaker asks who among them will give ear, then who gave Jacob for a spoil, and answers: the Lord, against whom we have sinned, because they would not walk in his ways; so he poured on him the fury of his anger and set him on fire round about, yet he did not know it or lay it to heart.

Cited passages: Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 42:2, Isaiah 42:3, Isaiah 42:4, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 42:9, Isaiah 42:10, Isaiah 42:11, Isaiah 42:13, Isaiah 42:14, Isaiah 42:15, Isaiah 42:16, Isaiah 42:17, Isaiah 42:18, Isaiah 42:19, Isaiah 42:20, Isaiah 42:21, Isaiah 42:22, Isaiah 42:24, Isaiah 42:25, Isaiah 42:23

Isaiah 42 (KJV)

1Behold 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.

2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

3A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

5Thus 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:

6I 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;

7To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

9Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

10Sing 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.

11Let 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.

12Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.

13The 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.

14I 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.

15I 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.

16And 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.

17They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

18Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

19Who 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?

20Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

21The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

22But 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.

23Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

24Who 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.

25Therefore 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.

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Historical context

The servant of verses 1 to 4 is not named in those verses; the text calls him my servant, mine elect, and describes what he will do. The previous chapter has named the servant as Israel and Jacob in 41:8, and this chapter in verse 19 again speaks of my servant and my messenger that I sent as blind and deaf, and in verse 24 names Jacob and Israel as the people given for a spoil. The text of chapter 42 does not itself say whether the servant of verse 1 and the blind servant of verse 19 are the same. The thee addressed in verses 6 and 7, called in righteousness and given for a covenant of the people and a light of the Gentiles, is likewise unnamed. A later New Testament passage cites verses 1 to 4: Matthew 12:17 introduces it as that which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, Matthew 12:18 reads, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles, and Matthew 12:20 reads, A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory; its wording differs from this chapter's, and it is not part of this chapter's text. The only proper place name is Kedar; no king or date is given. The speaker changes: the Lord speaks in the first person through verse 9 and again in verses 14 to 16 and 19, a call to sing occupies verses 10 to 12, and verse 24 has a we, he against whom we have sinned, that includes the speaker among the people. The blind and deaf language recalls 6:9 and 10, 29:18 and 35:5.

Cited passages: Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 41:8, Isaiah 42:19, Isaiah 42:24, Isaiah 42:6, Matthew 12:18, Matthew 12:20, Isaiah 42:11, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 35:5, Matthew 12:17

Literary context

The chapter is organised around seeing and hearing. The servant of the opening is described by restraint, he shall not cry, shall not break, shall not quench, shall not fail, and the one called in verse 6 is given to open blind eyes. The middle calls for a new song from the ends of the earth, and then the Lord who has long held his peace breaks silence with a cry like a travailing woman, so the quiet servant and the roaring Lord stand in the same chapter. Verse 16 has the Lord lead the blind on unknown paths, and verse 18 commands the deaf to hear and the blind to look; verse 19 then turns the words back on the servant himself, who is blind and deaf, seeing many things but not observing. The chapter ends with a question and a confession, who gave Jacob for a spoil, and the answer is the Lord against whom we have sinned, so that the people's condition is explained from within. The last verse repeats yet he knew not and yet he laid it not to heart, matching the not observing of verse 20. The chapter's judgment to the Gentiles and light of the Gentiles widen the scope beyond Israel, while its final verses narrow to Jacob on fire. Chapter 43 opens with but now, answering this ending with fear not, for I have redeemed thee.

Cited passages: Isaiah 42:2, Isaiah 42:3, Isaiah 42:4, Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 42:10, Isaiah 42:14, Isaiah 42:16, Isaiah 42:18, Isaiah 42:20, Isaiah 42:24, Isaiah 42:25, Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 43:1

Key moments

  1. Behold my servant (Isaiah 42:1). The Lord presents the servant he upholds, on whom he has put his spirit.
  2. The bruised reed unbroken (Isaiah 42:3). The servant will not break a bruised reed or quench smoking flax.
  3. A light of the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). The Lord gives the one he called as a covenant of the people and a light to open blind eyes.
  4. Sing a new song (Isaiah 42:10). The sea, isles, wilderness and Kedar are called to praise the Lord.
  5. The Lord breaks his silence (Isaiah 42:14). After holding his peace, the Lord cries like a travailing woman.
  6. Who is blind but my servant? (Isaiah 42:19). The Lord calls his own servant and messenger blind and deaf.
  7. Jacob given for a spoil (Isaiah 42:24). The Lord gave Israel to the robbers because they would not walk in his ways.

For reflection

The one called in verse 6 is given to open blind eyes, and the servant named in verse 19 is the blindest of all, seeing much and observing nothing. What does the text ask a reader to do with a chapter that says both?

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