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ESV Isaiah 42:1 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.
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Matthew 12:14-20
This is the first of the “Servant Prophecies” in Isaiah, prophecies in which the Messiah is referred to as Yahweh’s Servant. They are four in number: Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12. The Servant of Yahweh is presented as the One through whom God will bring about a great deliverance, not only for Israel, but for all the nations.
In Isaiah 42:1-4, Yahweh speaks through Isaiah to an unnamed audience about the Servant/Messiah. In 42:5-7, Yahweh addresses the Servant/Messiah directly. In 42:8-9, Yahweh again addresses the people.
The Hebrew word for “servant” is db,[, (±ebed). Many before the Messiah were given this title: Abram (Gen 26:24), Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut 9:27), Moses (Numb 12:7), David (2 Samuel 3:18), and prophets (Amos 3:7). It is likely that Jesus had these “Servant prophecies” in mind when he said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The Book of Acts also likely has these passages in mind when they refer to Jesus as God’s “servant” in Acts 3:13,26; 4:27,30).
God declares that he “upholds” his servant, that is, he supports him in his entire ministry. Moreover, God calls him his “chosen” (ryxiB' (b¹µîr), a word used 13 times in the OT), one in whom he delights (hc'r' (r¹ƒâ) The word means to “find pleasure in,” to “accept,” or to “be favored by” someone. It is used about 56 times in the OT). God addressed Jesus with almost identical language in the New Testament, both at his baptism and the transfiguration in Luke 9:35, Matthew 3:17, 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22. As in Isaiah 11:2, God announces that he has put his Spirit upon the Servant to equip him for his work.
Next the Servant’s work is described: “he will bring forth justice (jp'v.mi (mishp¹‰)) to the nations. About the Hebrew word mishp¹‰ Leupold says, “The term implies all that the nations need for their salvation, the blotting out of their spiritual ignorance” (H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Isaiah One Volume edition (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,
1983) 60). Notice that the Servant’s work will not be limited to Israel but will extend to the nations.
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ESV Isaiah 42:2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
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Next God describes “how” the Servant will carry out his work. He will do it with gentleness and sensitivity. First, “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street.” Matthew sees this fulfilled in that Jesus told those whom he healed not to tell others how it happened (Matthew 12:16-20). Jesus did not loudly draw attention to himself.
Second, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” A “bruised (or “crushed” the Hebrew word is #c;r' (r¹ƒaƒ) reed” and a “faintly burning wick” refers to people who have guilty consciences, who have been crushed by God’s Law, and are burdened by the knowledge of their sin. Jesus did not “break” or “quench” such reeds by preaching more Law and driving them to despair. Rather, he preached the Gospel of forgivness to them. (See Matthew 11:28-30).
“He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth.” The Servant will not “grow faint” (hh'K' (k¹hâ) – the word means to grow weak, to fail, to falter, to grow dim, or to be inffective in any way) or “be discouraged” (#c;r' (r¹ƒaƒ) – the word means “to be crushed” or “be broken”). Nothing will deter the Servant from his mission of bringing salvation to the earth, though he too will be sorely tempted by discouragement to lose heart and give up.
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ESV Isaiah 42:5 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: 6 "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, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
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The God who has called the Servant to his work identifies himself in both vs. 5 and 6 as Yahweh and as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. (See Acts 17:25).
“I have called you in righteousness.” The word is qd,c, (ƒedeq). The Servant will be righteous and will uphold and proclaim righteousness. “I will take you by the hand and keep you.” Yahweh will both lead and guard (rc;n' (n¹ƒar)) the Servant. God will “give you as a covenant to the people.” A marvelous passage. The Servant will be a covenant (tyrIB. (b®rit)) to the people (Israel). Yahweh will also give the Servant as “light for the nations.” The New Testament understands this as referring to the Messiah in several places: Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47, 26:23. Also Jesus’ reference to himself as the “light of the world” (e.g., John 8:12) points back to this passage. The result of the Messiah’s work will be to “open the eyes of the blind,” both spiritually and physically (See John 9 and Matthew 11:5), “bring out the prisoners from the dungeon…” a beautiful picture of the work of redemption, setting free those who have been enslaved. See Hebrews 2:14-15.
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