Focused Passage

Isaiah 42:1-9

The Chosen Servant, New Song, and the Blindness of the LORD’s People

Isaiah 42 moves from the LORD presenting His chosen Servant who will bring justice to the nations with gentleness and faithfulness, to the LORD commissioning Him as covenant and light, to a new song of worldwide praise for the LORD’s coming victory, to the LORD declaring that He will act after long restraint, to His promise to lead the blind by ways they have not known, and finally to the indictment of Israel as a blind and deaf servant who has suffered judgment but has not taken it to heart.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1“Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.

3A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

4He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”

5This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:

6“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,

7to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

8I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.

9Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Here isהֵ֤ןH2005InterjectionMy Servantעַבְדִּי֙H5650Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularwhom I upholdאֶתְמָךְ־H8551Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularMy Chosen Oneבְּחִירִ֖יH972Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular[in whom] My soulנַפְשִׁ֑יH5315Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singulardelightsרָצְתָ֣הH7521Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularI will putנָתַ֤תִּיH5414Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularMy Spiritרוּחִי֙H7307Noun - common singular construct | first person common singularon Himעָלָ֔יוH5921Preposition | third person masculine singular[and] He will bringיוֹצִֽיא׃H3318Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularjusticeמִשְׁפָּ֖טH4941Noun - masculine singularto the nationsלַגּוֹיִ֥םH1471Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 2

Original words

He will notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlecry outיִצְעַ֖קH6817Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular[or]וְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleraise [His voice]יִשָּׂ֑אH5375Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularnorוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlemake His voiceקוֹלֽוֹ׃H6963Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularheardיַשְׁמִ֥יעַH8085Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularin the streetsבַּח֖וּץH2351Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

A bruisedרָצוּץ֙H7533Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularreedקָנֶ֤הH7070Noun - masculine singularHe will notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebreakיִשְׁבּ֔וֹרH7665Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand a smolderingכֵהָ֖הH3544Adjective - feminine singularwickוּפִשְׁתָּ֥הH6594Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularHe will notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleextinguishיְכַבֶּ֑נָּהH3518Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singularHe will faithfullyלֶאֱמֶ֖תH571Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singularbring forthיוֹצִ֥יאH3318Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singularjusticeמִשְׁפָּֽט׃H4941Noun - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

He will notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particlegrow weakיִכְהֶה֙H3543Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular. . .וְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleor discouragedיָר֔וּץH7533Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularbeforeעַד־H5704PrepositionHe has establishedיָשִׂ֥יםH7760Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularjusticeמִשְׁפָּ֑טH4941Noun - masculine singularon the earthבָּאָ֖רֶץH776Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularIn His lawוּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹH8451Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularthe islandsאִיִּ֥יםH339Noun - masculine pluralwill put their hopeיְיַחֵֽילוּ׃פH3176Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or bruised
  • Or In His teaching the coastlands will put their hope; LXX In His name the nations will put their hope; cited in Matthew 12:18–21
Verse 5

Original words

This is whatכֹּֽה־H3541AdverbGodהָאֵ֣ל׀H410Article | Noun - masculine singularthe LORDיְהוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֞רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularHe who createdבּוֹרֵ֤אH1254Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthe heavensהַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙H8064Article | Noun - masculine pluraland stretched them outוְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔םH5186Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralwho spread outרֹקַ֥עH7554Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthe earthהָאָ֖רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singularand its offspringוְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָH6631Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularwho givesנֹתֵ֤ןH5414Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularbreathנְשָׁמָה֙H5397Noun - feminine singularto the peopleלָעָ֣םH5971Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularon itעָלֶ֔יהָH5921Preposition | third person feminine singularand lifeוְר֖וּחַH7307Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singularto those who walkלַהֹלְכִ֥יםH1980Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralin itבָּֽהּ׃Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

Iאֲנִ֧יH589Pronoun - first person common singularthe LORDיְהוָ֛הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularhave called youקְרָאתִ֥יךָֽH7121Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularfor a righteous purposeבְצֶ֖דֶקH6664Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singularand I will take holdוְאַחְזֵ֣קH2388Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - first person common singularof your handבְּיָדֶ֑ךָH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularI will keep youוְאֶצָּרְךָ֗H5341Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularand appoint youוְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛H5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularto be a covenantלִבְרִ֥יתH1285Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular constructfor the peopleעָ֖םH5971Noun - masculine singularand a lightלְא֥וֹרH216Preposition-l | Noun - common singular constructto the nationsגּוֹיִֽם׃H1471Noun - masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

to openלִפְקֹ֖חַH6491Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructthe eyesעֵינַ֣יִםH5869Noun - cdof the blindעִוְר֑וֹתH5787Adjective - feminine pluralto bringלְהוֹצִ֤יאH3318Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructprisonersאַסִּ֔ירH616Noun - masculine singularout of the dungeonמִמַּסְגֵּר֙H4525Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singularand those sittingיֹ֥שְׁבֵיH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructin darknessחֹֽשֶׁךְ׃H2822Noun - masculine singularout from the prisonכֶּ֖לֶאH3608Noun - masculine singularhouseמִבֵּ֥יתH1004Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 8

Original words

Iאֲנִ֥יH589Pronoun - first person common singularam the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularthatה֣וּאH1931Pronoun - third person masculine singularis My nameשְׁמִ֑יH8034Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularI will notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleyieldאֶתֵּ֔ןH5414Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularMy gloryוּכְבוֹדִי֙H3519Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularto anotherלְאַחֵ֣רH312Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singularor My praiseוּתְהִלָּתִ֖יH8416Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularto idolsלַפְּסִילִֽים׃H6456Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 9

Original words

Beholdהִנֵּה־H2009Interjectionthe former thingsהָרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹתH7223Article | Adjective - feminine pluralhave happenedבָ֑אוּH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluraland now Iאֲנִ֣יH589Pronoun - first person common singulardeclareמַגִּ֔ידH5046Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singularnew thingsוַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙H2319Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine pluralBeforeבְּטֶ֥רֶםH2962Preposition-b | Adverbthey spring forthתִּצְמַ֖חְנָהH6779Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine pluralI proclaim themאַשְׁמִ֥יעH8085Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singularto youאֶתְכֶֽם׃פH853Direct object marker | second person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.