Focused Passage

Isaiah 42:10-17

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

10 Sing to the LORD a new song—His praise from the ends of the earth—you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who dwell in them.

11 Let the desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops.

12 Let them give glory to the LORD and declare His praise in the islands.

13 The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:

14 “I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.

15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.

16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

17 But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 10

Original words

Sing שִׁ֤ירוּ H7891 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural to the LORD לַֽיהוָה֙ H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular a new חָדָ֔שׁ H2319 Adjective - masculine singular song שִׁ֣יר H7892 Noun - masculine singular His praise תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ H8416 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular from the ends מִקְצֵ֣ה H7097 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the earth הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular you who go down יוֹרְדֵ֤י H3381 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct to the sea הַיָּם֙ H3220 Article | Noun - masculine singular and all that is in it וּמְלֹא֔וֹ H4393 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular you islands אִיִּ֖ים H339 Noun - masculine plural and all who dwell in them וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶֽם׃ H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or coastlands; also in verse 12
Verse 11

Original words

Let the desert מִדְבָּר֙ H4057 Noun - masculine singular and its cities וְעָרָ֔יו H5892 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular raise their voices יִשְׂא֤וּ H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural [let] the villages חֲצֵרִ֖ים H2691 Noun - common plural תֵּשֵׁ֣ב תֵּשֵׁ֣ב H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular of Kedar [cry aloud] קֵדָ֑ר H6938 Noun - proper - feminine singular Let the people יֹ֣שְׁבֵי H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct of Sela סֶ֔לַע H5554 Noun - proper - feminine singular sing for joy יָרֹ֙נּוּ֙ H7442 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural let them cry out יִצְוָֽחוּ׃ H6681 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural from the mountaintops מֵרֹ֥אשׁ H7218 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . הָרִ֖ים H2022 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 12

Original words

Let them give יָשִׂ֥ימוּ H7760 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural glory כָּב֑וֹד H3519 Noun - masculine singular to the LORD לַֽיהוָ֖ה H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular and declare יַגִּֽידוּ׃ H5046 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural His praise וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ H8416 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular in the islands בָּאִיִּ֥ים H339 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 13

Original words

The LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular goes forth יֵצֵ֔א H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular like a mighty one כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר H1368 Preposition-k, Article | Adjective - masculine singular He stirs up יָעִ֣יר H5782 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular His zeal קִנְאָ֑ה H7068 Noun - feminine singular like a warrior כְּאִ֥ישׁ H376 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct . . . מִלְחָמ֖וֹת H4421 Noun - feminine plural He shouts יָרִ֙יעַ֙ H7321 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular yes אַף־ H637 Conjunction He roars יַצְרִ֔יחַ H6873 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular in triumph יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃ס H1396 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular over עַל־ H5921 Preposition His enemies אֹיְבָ֖יו H341 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

I have kept silent הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ H2814 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular from ages past מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם H5769 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular I have remained quiet אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ H2790 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular and restrained אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק H662 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - first person common singular But now I will groan אֶפְעֶ֔ה H6463 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular like a woman in labor כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה H3205 Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular I will at once יָֽחַד׃ H3162 Adverb gasp אֶשֹּׁ֥ם H5395 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular and pant וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף H7602 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular
Verse 15

Original words

I will lay waste אַחֲרִ֤יב H2717 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular the mountains הָרִים֙ H2022 Noun - masculine plural and hills וּגְבָע֔וֹת H1389 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural and dry up אוֹבִ֑ישׁ H3001 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct their vegetation עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם H6212 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural I will turn וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular the rivers נְהָרוֹת֙ H5104 Noun - masculine plural into dry land לָֽאִיִּ֔ים H339 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural and drain אוֹבִֽישׁ׃ H3001 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular the marshes וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים H98 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Or coastlands or islands
Verse 16

Original words

I will lead וְהוֹלַכְתִּ֣י H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular the blind עִוְרִ֗ים H5787 Adjective - masculine plural by a way בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ H1870 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular they did not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle know יָדָ֔עוּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural I will guide them אַדְרִיכֵ֑ם H1869 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural on unfamiliar לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . יָדְע֖וּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural paths בִּנְתִיב֥וֹת H5410 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural I will turn אָשִׂים֩ H7760 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular darkness מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ H4285 Noun - masculine singular into light לָא֗וֹר H216 Preposition, Article | Noun - common singular before them לִפְנֵיהֶ֜ם H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural and rough places וּמַֽעֲקַשִּׁים֙ H4625 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural into level ground לְמִישׁ֔וֹר H4334 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular These אֵ֚לֶּה H428 Pronoun - common plural things הַדְּבָרִ֔ים H1697 Article | Noun - masculine plural I will do for them עֲשִׂיתִ֖ם H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural and I will not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle forsake them עֲזַבְתִּֽים׃ H5800 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

But those who trust הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים H982 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural in idols בַּפָּ֑סֶל H6459 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and say הָאֹמְרִ֥ים H559 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural to molten images לְמַסֵּכָ֖ה H4541 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular You אַתֶּ֥ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural are our gods אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ס H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural will be turned נָסֹ֤גוּ H5472 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural back אָחוֹר֙ H268 Noun - masculine singular in utter בֹ֔שֶׁת H1322 Noun - feminine singular shame יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ H954 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third 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.