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.

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

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

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

5 This 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,

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

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

9 Behold, 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 is הֵ֤ן H2005 Interjection My Servant עַבְדִּי֙ H5650 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular whom I uphold אֶתְמָךְ־ H8551 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular My Chosen One בְּחִירִ֖י H972 Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular [in whom] My soul נַפְשִׁ֑י H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular delights רָצְתָ֣ה H7521 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular I will put נָתַ֤תִּי H5414 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular My Spirit רוּחִי֙ H7307 Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular on Him עָלָ֔יו H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular [and] He will bring יוֹצִֽיא׃ H3318 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular justice מִשְׁפָּ֖ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular to the nations לַגּוֹיִ֥ם H1471 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 2

Original words

He will not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle cry out יִצְעַ֖ק H6817 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular [or] וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle raise [His voice] יִשָּׂ֑א H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular nor וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle make His voice קוֹלֽוֹ׃ H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular heard יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ H8085 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular in the streets בַּח֖וּץ H2351 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

A bruised רָצוּץ֙ H7533 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular reed קָנֶ֤ה H7070 Noun - masculine singular He will not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle break יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר H7665 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and a smoldering כֵהָ֖ה H3544 Adjective - feminine singular wick וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה H6594 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular He will not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle extinguish יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה H3518 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular He will faithfully לֶאֱמֶ֖ת H571 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular bring forth יוֹצִ֥יא H3318 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular justice מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ H4941 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

He will not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle grow weak יִכְהֶה֙ H3543 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle or discouraged יָר֔וּץ H7533 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular before עַד־ H5704 Preposition He has established יָשִׂ֥ים H7760 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular justice מִשְׁפָּ֑ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular on the earth בָּאָ֖רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular In His law וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ H8451 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular the islands אִיִּ֥ים H339 Noun - masculine plural will put their hope יְיַחֵֽילוּ׃פ H3176 Verb - 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 what כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb God הָאֵ֣ל׀ H410 Article | Noun - masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֞ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular He who created בּוֹרֵ֤א H1254 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the heavens הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and stretched them out וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם H5186 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural who spread out רֹקַ֥ע H7554 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the earth הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular and its offspring וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ H6631 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular who gives נֹתֵ֤ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular breath נְשָׁמָה֙ H5397 Noun - feminine singular to the people לָעָ֣ם H5971 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular on it עָלֶ֔יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular and life וְר֖וּחַ H7307 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular to those who walk לַהֹלְכִ֥ים H1980 Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural in it בָּֽהּ׃ Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

I אֲנִ֧י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular the LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular have called you קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ H7121 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular for a righteous purpose בְצֶ֖דֶק H6664 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular and I will take hold וְאַחְזֵ֣ק H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - first person common singular of your hand בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular I will keep you וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ H5341 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular and appoint you וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular to be a covenant לִבְרִ֥ית H1285 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct for the people עָ֖ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular and a light לְא֥וֹר H216 Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct to the nations גּוֹיִֽם׃ H1471 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

to open לִפְקֹ֖חַ H6491 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the eyes עֵינַ֣יִם H5869 Noun - cd of the blind עִוְר֑וֹת H5787 Adjective - feminine plural to bring לְהוֹצִ֤יא H3318 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct prisoners אַסִּ֔יר H616 Noun - masculine singular out of the dungeon מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ H4525 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular and those sitting יֹ֥שְׁבֵי H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct in darkness חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ H2822 Noun - masculine singular out from the prison כֶּ֖לֶא H3608 Noun - masculine singular house מִבֵּ֥ית H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 8

Original words

I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular that ה֣וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is My name שְׁמִ֑י H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular I will not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle yield אֶתֵּ֔ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular My glory וּכְבוֹדִי֙ H3519 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular to another לְאַחֵ֣ר H312 Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular or My praise וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י H8416 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular to idols לַפְּסִילִֽים׃ H6456 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 9

Original words

Behold הִנֵּה־ H2009 Interjection the former things הָרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת H7223 Article | Adjective - feminine plural have happened בָ֑אוּ H935 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural and now I אֲנִ֣י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular declare מַגִּ֔יד H5046 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular new things וַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙ H2319 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine plural Before בְּטֶ֥רֶם H2962 Preposition-b | Adverb they spring forth תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה H6779 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural I proclaim them אַשְׁמִ֥יע H8085 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular to you אֶתְכֶֽם׃פ H853 Direct 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.