Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42 introduces the Lord's chosen Servant, whose gentle yet effective ministry establishes divine justice, serving as a direct contrast to the spiritual blindness of the nation of Israel who failed in their mission as witnesses.

• The prophet introduces the Servant (עֶבֶד, H5650), marked by the Spirit, who will establish justice (מִשְׁפָּט, H4941) without resorting to worldly power.
• God declares His identity as the Creator of the heavens and earth, commissioning the Servant to be a covenant for the people and a light to the Gentiles.
• The chapter transitions to a hymn of praise and a description of God's shift from patient endurance to the decisive action of a warrior against idols.
• The final section turns to the paradox of the 'servant' (Israel), who, despite having eyes and ears, is spiritually blind and deaf due to disobedience, ultimately facing the consequences of God's judgment.

• The Servant (עֶבֶד, H5650) is chosen (בָּחִיר, H972) and upheld.
• The bruised reed (קָנֶה, H7070) and smoking flax (פִּשְׁתָּה, H6594) metaphors represent the weak whom the Servant sustains.
• The contrast between the true Servant and the 'deaf' messenger (Israel).
• The 'coastlands' (אִי, H339) or islands await the law (תּוֹרָה, H8451) of the Lord.

This passage provides the first of the 'Servant Songs' in Isaiah, which is explicitly identified by the New Testament as fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ, providing a definitive Christological lens for the text.

True success in God's mission is defined not by human power or coercive authority, but by humble, Spirit-filled faithfulness in establishing God's justice.

The chapter functions through a juxtaposition of two 'servants': the ideal Servant who perfectly fulfills the Lord's mission (vv. 1-9) and the actual servant (Israel) who is blind and failing (vv. 18-25).

• I will hold thine hand, and will keep thee (v. 6)
• I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not (v. 16)
• I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight (v. 16)
• I will not forsake them (v. 16)

• Sing unto the Lord a new song (v. 10)
• Let them give glory unto the Lord (v. 12)
• Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind (v. 18)

• Do not give glory to another nor praise to graven images (v. 8)
• They who trust in graven images shall be turned back and ashamed (v. 17)
• Judgment comes upon those who will not walk in the Lord's ways (v. 24-25)

• The passage speaks into a context of exile, where Israel is tempted to doubt Yahweh's power compared to the gods of their captors, necessitating a reminder of His identity as Creator.
• The reference to 'coastlands' (אִי, H339) anticipates the wider reach of the gospel beyond Israel to the Gentile world.

• The concept of 'justice' (מִשְׁפָּט, H4941) in the Ancient Near East involved kingly or divine decrees that established order and social equity for the vulnerable.
• Servant language (עֶבֶד, H5650) was used both for prophetic messengers and for the nation as a whole, creating a dual layer of meaning.

• Isaiah 42 is the first of the four 'Servant Songs' (42:1–9, 49:1–6, 50:4–9, 52:13–53:12) which describe a figure distinct from the nation, yet uniquely tasked with its restoration.
• The passage follows the courtroom scenes of Isaiah 40–41.

• Matthew Henry observes regarding verses 1-4 that this prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (Matt 12:17-21).
• The text links the Servant's mission of giving breath (v. 5) to the Genesis account of creation, asserting that redemption is a creative work.

• Matthew 12:17-21: The Evangelist explicitly quotes Isaiah 42:1-4 to identify Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of the Servant prophecy.
• Genesis 1:1: The language of God as Creator of 'heavens and earth' echoes the foundational act of God which is now renewed in the work of the Servant.

• עֶבֶד (H5650, Servant): The Hebrew root signifies one who acts according to another's will; here it serves as a title for the Messiah and irony for Israel.
• מִשְׁפָּט (H4941, Justice/Judgment): More than just a legal verdict; it implies the establishment of a just order or standard.
• כֵּהֶה (H3544, Faintly burning/dim): Used here to describe the wick of a lamp that is nearly extinguished, illustrating the Servant’s extreme tenderness toward those who are spiritually weak.

• The distinct contrast between the singular 'Servant' who is successful and the collective 'servant' (Israel) who is described as blind and deaf.
• The transition in the divine voice from 'I' (God) to the third-person 'He' (the Servant), then back to God as Warrior.
• The irony of verse 19, where the people who are supposed to be God's eyes and ears are the blindest of all.

• Scholars historically debate whether the 'Servant' throughout Isaiah 40-55 refers to the historical nation of Israel or an individual Messianic figure. The textual evidence in chapter 42 supports an individual Messiah in verses 1-9 (who restores) and the nation in verses 19-20 (who needs restoration).
• Interpretations regarding the extent of the atonement in the Servant's work vary; some traditions read the Servant's success as guaranteeing the salvation of all for whom he dies, while others emphasize the call to universal response.