Isaiah / Chapter 42

Isaiah 42

25 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex 3 traditions available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

We encounter the first of Isaiah's four Servant Songs (vv.1-4), one of the most important messianic passages in the Hebrew Bible. God presents His servant — one upon whom He has placed His Spirit, who will bring justice to the nations not by force but by quiet faithfulness. A bruised reed he will not break; a faintly burning wick he will not quench. The chapter then expands into a new song of praise (vv.10-13), God's promise to lead the blind by paths they have not known (v.16), and a devastating indictment of Israel as the blind and deaf servant (vv.18-25) who has been plundered because of covenant unfaithfulness.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The First Servant Song (vv.1-4) is quoted in Matthew 12:18-21, where Jesus fulfills it by withdrawing rather than confronting His opponents. The servant's method is the opposite of worldly power: no shouting, no breaking, no extinguishing. The tension between the ideal servant (vv.1-4) and the blind servant Israel (vv.18-20) creates one of the great theological puzzles of Isaiah — who is this servant? The nation? A remnant? An individual? The answer unfolds across the four songs. Verse 9 declares that God announces 'new things' before they spring forth — the predictive criterion that condemned the idols in chapter 41.

Translation Friction

The identity of 'my servant' in v.1 versus 'the servant' in v.19 has generated centuries of interpretation. We let the text speak without forcing harmonization: the ideal servant of vv.1-4 stands in sharp contrast to the blind servant of vv.18-25. The Hebrew mishpat (vv.1, 3, 4) is rendered 'justice' throughout the song to maintain its legal-covenantal force, though it carries overtones of 'right order' and 'true religion.' We render lo yikheh (v.4) as 'he will not grow faint' rather than 'he will not be discouraged,' preserving the physical imagery that contrasts with the bruised reed and fading wick.

Connections

Matthew 12:18-21 quotes vv.1-4 as fulfilled in Jesus. The servant's Spirit-anointing (v.1) connects to Isaiah 11:2 and 61:1, and to Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:16-17, where the Father's words echo both Isaiah 42:1 and Psalm 2:7). 'A light to the nations' (v.6) becomes a programmatic text for Paul's Gentile mission (Acts 13:47, 26:23). The 'new song' (v.10) connects to Psalms 96, 98, and Revelation 5:9. The blind-servant motif (vv.18-25) anticipates the healing of blindness as a messianic sign (Isaiah 35:5, Matthew 11:5). **Tradition comparisons:** The Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaiah-a) preserve this chapter with notable variants: Verse 1: the scroll reads 'my chosen one' identically to the MT. Verse 4: a possible minor variant in the verb form. Verse 6: the scroll reads 'a covenant of the people' (berit am) identically. Verse 19: the scroll appears to read 'my servant' with a plene spelling. Verse 20: a moderate variant i.... See the [DSS Isaiah comparison](/dss-isaiah/42). Targum Jonathan provides interpretive renderings: The first Servant Song explicitly identifies the Servant as 'the Messiah' (Meshicha). This is unambiguous: Jonathan reads the Isaianic Servant as the Messianic figure. 'I will uphold him' becomes 'I w... (2 notable renderings in this chapter) See [Targum Jonathan on Isaiah](/targum/isaiah). The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: Servus meus (my servant) established the Latin Servant-Christology that dominated Western readings of Isaiah's Servant Songs. Electus meus (my chosen one) connected to the theology of election. The ve... See the [Vulgate Isaiah](/vulgate/isaiah). The Joseph Smith Translation includes a significant revision for this chapter: Blind servant passage — modified The JST modifies the description of the 'blind servant' and the 'deaf' messenger in Isaiah 42, redirecting the identity of the servant. Where the KJV passage ambiguously describes Israel or an individ... See the [JST notes](/jst/isaiah).

Isaiah 42:1

הֵ֤ן עַבְדִּי֙ אֶתְמָךְ־בּ֔וֹ בְּחִירִ֖י רָצְתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י נָתַ֤תִּי רוּחִי֙ עָלָ֔יו מִשְׁפָּ֖ט לַגּוֹיִ֥ם יוֹצִֽיא

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

KJV Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

עַבְדִּי 'avdi
"my servant" — my servant, my slave, my commissioned agent

The 'eved YHWH (servant of the LORD) is Isaiah's most theologically loaded designation; this verse begins the first of four Servant Songs (42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12)

מִשְׁפָּט mishpat
"justice" — justice, judgment, right order, legal decision, true religion

Appears three times in the Servant Song (vv.1, 3, 4), forming its theological backbone — the servant's entire mission is to establish God's mishpat on earth

Translator Notes

  1. This verse inaugurates the First Servant Song (vv.1-4). God speaks in first person, presenting His servant to the heavenly court. 'In whom my soul delights' (ratsetah nafshi) echoes the language of the Father at Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:17). The Spirit-endowment (natatti ruchi) parallels Isaiah 11:2 (the Branch) and 61:1 (the anointed preacher). Matthew 12:18-21 quotes this passage as fulfilled in Christ.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"my servant"

The scroll reads 'my servant' (avdi) identically to the MT. This is significant in context — the First Servant Song's identification of the servant is consistent across the oldest and medieval manuscripts. No variant in 'whom I uphold' (etmakh-bo) or 'my chosen one' (bechiri).

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)messianic

"Behold, my servant the Messiah, I will bring him near; my chosen one in whom my soul delights."

The first Servant Song explicitly identifies the Servant as 'the Messiah' (Meshicha). This is unambiguous: Jonathan reads the Isaianic Servant as the Messianic figure. 'I will uphold him' becomes 'I will bring him near' (aqarveineih), suggesting priestly approach or royal installation.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 405 CE)

"Behold my servant, I will uphold him; my chosen one, my soul is well pleased in him"

Servus meus (my servant) established the Latin Servant-Christology that dominated Western readings of Isaiah's Servant Songs. Electus meus (my chosen one) connected to the theology of election. The verse is echoed at Christ's baptism (Matt 3:17), linking the Servant to Jesus.

Isaiah 42:2

לֹ֥א יִצְעַ֖ק וְלֹ֣א יִשָּׂ֑א וְלֹא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ בַּח֖וּץ קוֹלֽוֹ

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street.

KJV He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The servant's method is the opposite of the demagogue or the military conqueror. He does not shout in the marketplace or campaign for attention. This quiet authority stands in stark contrast to the noisy idol-makers of 41:6-7. Matthew 12:19 cites this as fulfilled when Jesus withdrew from confrontation.
Isaiah 42:3

קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה לֶאֱמֶ֖ת יוֹצִ֥יא מִשְׁפָּֽט

A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

KJV A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

קָנֶה רָצוּץ qaneh ratsuts
"a bruised reed" — a crushed/cracked reed, a broken staff

The image is of a marsh reed already cracked and useless — the servant does not finish it off but tends it. This defines the servant's character: power exercised as compassion

Translator Notes

  1. The bruised reed and faintly burning wick are images of utter fragility. A cracked reed is useless; a dying wick gives no light. Most leaders would discard both. This servant preserves them. 'Faithfully' (le'emet, literally 'to truth') modifies 'bring forth justice' — the servant's justice is reliable, not arbitrary. Matthew 12:20 quotes this verse.
Isaiah 42:4

לֹ֤א יִכְהֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָר֔וּץ עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים בָּאָ֖רֶץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ אִיִּ֥ים יְיַחֵֽלוּ

He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

KJV He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

תוֹרָה torah
"teaching" — instruction, law, teaching, direction

Here torah means the servant's authoritative instruction — broader than the Mosaic law, it is the comprehensive teaching the nations await

Translator Notes

  1. The verbs in v.4a mirror v.3: lo yikheh (he will not grow dim — like the wick) and lo yaruts (he will not be crushed — like the reed). The servant shares the condition of the broken but is not overcome by it. 'The coastlands wait for his teaching' (torah) extends the servant's mission universally. This is not Torah as Mosaic law but torah as the servant's authoritative instruction for all peoples.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"he will grow faint"

Identical consonantal reading. The verb 'he will not grow dim or be crushed' describing the servant's perseverance reads the same in both texts.

Isaiah 42:5

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יְהוָ֗ה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ

This is what the LORD says — He 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:

KJV Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. A creation hymn introduces the servant's commission. God is identified by four creative acts: creating heavens, stretching them out, spreading the earth, and giving breath/spirit to its inhabitants. The God who made everything now speaks to commission His servant. 'This is what the LORD says' renders koh 'amar YHWH.
Isaiah 42:6

אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה קְרָאתִ֥יךָ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם

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,

KJV I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

אוֹר גּוֹיִם or goyim
"a light for the nations" — light of/for the nations, light to the Gentiles

This phrase becomes programmatic for the universal scope of the servant's mission; Paul cites it in Acts 13:47 as authorization for his Gentile mission

Translator Notes

  1. 'A covenant for the people' (berit 'am) is a compressed and extraordinary phrase — the servant does not merely mediate a covenant but is the covenant. 'A light for the nations' (or goyim) extends the mission far beyond Israel. Simeon quotes this in Luke 2:32 when he holds the infant Jesus. Paul claims it in Acts 13:47.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"a covenant of the people"

The theologically rich phrase 'I have given you as a covenant of the people, a light of the nations' (berit am, or la-goyim) is identical in both texts. The servant-as-covenant concept is preserved without variation.

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)messianic

"And I will give you for a covenant of peoples, for a light to nations."

The Servant-Messiah's role extends to the nations: he is both Israel's covenant and the nations' light. Jonathan preserves the universal scope of the Servant's mission.

Isaiah 42:7

לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹשְׁבֵ֥י חֹֽשֶׁךְ

to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

KJV To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The servant's mission includes physical healing (opening blind eyes) and liberation (freeing prisoners). 'Those who sit in darkness' evokes both literal imprisonment and spiritual blindness. Jesus reads a parallel commission in Luke 4:18-19 from Isaiah 61. The irony deepens when Israel is later called the blind servant (v.19).
Isaiah 42:8

אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י וּכְבוֹדִי֙ לְאַחֵ֣ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י לַפְּסִילִֽים

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

KJV I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The divine self-assertion 'I am the LORD' (ani YHWH) anchors the servant's commission in God's exclusive sovereignty. 'My glory I give to no other' is the foundation of biblical monotheism — there is no power-sharing arrangement between the LORD and any other deity or image.
Isaiah 42:9

הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הִנֵּה־בָ֑אוּ וַחֲדָשׁוֹת֙ אֲנִ֣י מַגִּ֔יד בְּטֶ֥רֶם תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה אַשְׁמִ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם

The former things — behold, they have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.

KJV Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'former things' (rishonot) are earlier prophecies now fulfilled; the 'new things' (chadashot) are the fresh acts God is about to perform — the servant's mission, the new exodus, Cyrus's rise. God's ability to announce the future before it happens is the proof of His divinity that the idols failed to match (41:22-23).

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"new things"

Identical consonantal text.

Isaiah 42:10

שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהוָה֙ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֔שׁ תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ יוֹרְדֵ֤י הַיָּם֙ וּמְלֹא֔וֹ אִיִּ֖ים וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶֽם

Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.

KJV Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

שִׁיר חָדָשׁ shir chadash
"a new song" — new song, fresh hymn

The 'new song' marks a new act of God in history; it appears also in Psalms 33, 40, 96, 98, 144, 149, and Revelation 5:9 and 14:3

Translator Notes

  1. The new song responds to the 'new things' of v.9. The call goes to the entire earth: seafarers, coastlands, desert dwellers (v.11), mountain peoples (v.11). All creation is summoned to worship because the servant's mission is universal.
Isaiah 42:11

יִשְׂא֤וּ מִדְבָּר֙ וְעָרָ֔יו חֲצֵרִ֖ים תֵּשֵׁ֣ב קֵדָ֑ר יָרֹ֙נּוּ֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י סֶ֔לַע מֵרֹ֥אשׁ הָרִ֖ים יִצְוָֽחוּ

Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages where Kedar dwells; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the tops of the mountains.

KJV Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Kedar refers to the Arabian desert tribes (descendants of Ishmael, Genesis 25:13). Sela (rock) likely refers to Petra or a rocky settlement. Even the most remote peoples — desert nomads and mountain dwellers — join the new song. The scope is deliberately universal.
Isaiah 42:12

יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לַיהוָ֖ה כָּב֑וֹד וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ בָּאִיִּ֥ים יַגִּֽידוּ

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

KJV Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The doxology continues: glory (kavod) to the LORD and His praise (tehillah) proclaimed even in the distant coastlands. The God whose glory will be revealed (40:5) now receives it from the farthest reaches of the earth.
Isaiah 42:13

יְהוָה֙ כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר יֵצֵ֔א כְּאִ֥ישׁ מִלְחָמ֖וֹת יָעִ֣יר קִנְאָ֑ה יָרִ֙יעַ֙ אַף־יַצְרִ֔יחַ עַל־אֹיְבָ֖יו יִתְגַּבָּֽר

The LORD goes forth like a mighty warrior; like a man of war He stirs up His zeal. He cries out, He shouts aloud; He shows Himself mighty against His foes.

KJV The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. After the quiet servant of vv.1-4, God Himself goes to war. The divine warrior motif (cf. Exodus 15:3) complements the servant's gentle mission. Qin'ah (jealousy/zeal) is God's fierce, protective passion for His people and His glory. The contrast between the servant's silence (v.2) and God's battle cry is deliberate.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"bring forth"

1QIsaiah-a adds a vav mater lectionis — plene spelling. Same word.

Isaiah 42:14

הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף יָֽחַד

For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.

KJV I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God's silence is broken with the most visceral of images: a woman in labor. The Hebrew ef'eh (I will gasp/scream), eshom (I will pant), ve'esh'af (I will gasp) use sounds that mimic labored breathing. God's restraint (the exile period) gives way to active intervention — painful, urgent, and productive.
Isaiah 42:15

אַחֲרִ֤יב הָרִים֙ וּגְבָע֔וֹת וְכָל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם אוֹבִ֑ישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י נְהָרוֹת֙ לָאִיִּ֔ים וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים אוֹבִֽישׁ

I will lay waste mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands and dry up the pools.

KJV I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God's intervention reshapes geography itself. Mountains laid waste, rivers dried up — the same power that created (v.5) now deconstructs obstacles to His redemptive plan. This echoes the Exodus, where the sea was dried up for Israel's deliverance.
Isaiah 42:16

וְהוֹלַכְתִּ֣י עִוְרִ֗ים בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ בִּנְתִיב֥וֹת לֹא־יָדְע֖וּ אַדְרִיכֵ֑ם אָשִׂים֩ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶ֜ם לָא֗וֹר וּמַֽעֲקַשִּׁים֙ לְמִישׁ֔וֹר אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים עֲשִׂיתִ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתִּֽים

And I will lead the blind in a way they do not know, in paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

KJV And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The blind whom God leads may be Israel (cf. vv.18-19) or humanity generally. The transformation — darkness to light, rough to level — echoes 40:3-4 (preparing the way). 'I do not forsake them' (lo azavtim) is a covenant promise that directly answers the exile's deepest fear.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"I will lead"

Identical consonantal text with minor orthographic difference.

Isaiah 42:17

נָסֹ֤גוּ אָחוֹר֙ יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ בֹ֔שֶׁת הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑סֶל הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לְמַסֵּכָ֖ה אַתֶּ֥ם אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ

They are turned back and utterly put to shame, those who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, 'You are our gods.'

KJV They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The idol worshipers are 'turned back' (nasogu achor) — the opposite of forward progress on God's highway. While God leads the blind forward (v.16), the idol-trusters retreat in shame. The contrast between God's faithfulness and the idols' emptiness reaches its sharpest point.
Isaiah 42:18

הַחֵרְשִׁ֖ים שְׁמָ֑עוּ וְהַעִוְרִ֖ים הַבִּ֥יטוּ לִרְאֽוֹת

Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!

KJV Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The tone shifts sharply. God now addresses Israel, who should be hearing and seeing but cannot. The irony is painful: the servant is commissioned to open blind eyes (v.7), but Israel itself is blind and deaf. The commands are paradoxical — how can the deaf hear or the blind see? Only by divine intervention.
Isaiah 42:19

מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּ֣י אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י אֶשְׁלָ֑ח מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔ם וְעִוֵּ֖ר כְּעֶ֥בֶד יְהוָֽה

Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD?

KJV Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The tension between the ideal servant of vv.1-4 and the blind servant here is one of the most important theological dynamics in Isaiah. Israel is God's servant-nation, His messenger (mal'akhi), yet profoundly blind and deaf. Meshullam ('dedicated one' or 'covenant partner') intensifies the irony — the one most committed to God is the most oblivious. This tension drives the Servant Songs toward their resolution in chapters 49-53.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)moderate

"the deaf one"

The scroll's spelling is slightly different but refers to the same word. In context, the question 'Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send?' is a stinging rebuke that reads the same in both traditions.

Isaiah 42:20

רָא֥וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמֹ֑ר פָּק֥וֹחַ אָזְנַ֖יִם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽע

He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.

KJV Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Israel has seen God's acts — exodus, Sinai, the prophets — but failed to observe (shamar, to guard/keep). Their ears are physically open (paqoach) but functionally closed. The paradox of seeing without perceiving echoes Isaiah 6:9-10 and is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 13:14.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)moderate

"you have seen"

1QIsaiah-a adds a he suffix, possibly reflecting a second-person feminine form or an archaic spelling convention. The meaning is unchanged: 'you have seen many things but do not observe.'

Isaiah 42:21

יְהוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר

The LORD was pleased, for His righteousness' sake, to magnify His teaching and make it glorious.

KJV The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Despite Israel's blindness, the LORD's purpose remains. He magnifies torah (teaching/law) — not because Israel earned it but for the sake of His own tsedeq (righteousness/vindication). God's faithfulness does not depend on Israel's faithfulness.
Isaiah 42:22

וְהוּא֙ עַם־בָּז֣וּז וְשָׁס֔וּי הָפֵ֤חַ בַּחוּרִים֙ כֻּלָּ֔ם וּבְבָתֵּ֥י כְלָאִ֖ים הָחְבָּ֑אוּ הָי֤וּ לָבַז֙ וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּ֔יל מְשִׁסָּ֖ה וְאֵין־אֹמֵ֥ר הָשַֽׁב

But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them, and spoil, with no one to say, 'Restore!'

KJV But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The description of Israel's condition is heartbreaking: plundered, looted, trapped, imprisoned. The exile is not metaphorical but physical devastation. 'No one to rescue' and 'no one to say Restore' describes total abandonment — except that the God of vv.5-16 has not abandoned them.
Isaiah 42:23

מִ֥י בָכֶ֖ם יַאֲזִ֣ין זֹ֑את יַקְשִׁ֥ב וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע לְאָחֽוֹר

Who among you will give ear to this, will pay attention and listen for the time to come?

KJV Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The prophet addresses the exiles directly: will anyone actually listen? 'For the time to come' (le'achor) — for what follows, for the future. The plea is urgent: the deaf servant (v.19) is being asked again to hear.
Isaiah 42:24

מִֽי־נָתַ֨ן לִמְשׁוֹסָ֧ה יַעֲקֹ֛ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל לְבֹזְזִ֖ים הֲלוֹא֙ יְהוָ֔ה ז֖וּ חָטָ֣אנוּ ל֑וֹ וְלֹא־אָב֤וּ בִדְרָכָיו֙ הָל֔וֹךְ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּתוֹרָתֽוֹ

Who gave Jacob over to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose teaching they would not obey?

KJV Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The prophet answers his own question: it was the LORD who gave Israel over to plunder. The shift to first person plural ('we have sinned') is significant — the prophet includes himself in the national guilt. Then shifts to third person ('they would not walk') to describe the historical pattern. The cause of exile is covenant disobedience.

Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaᵃ, 125 BCE)minor

"to plunder"

Minor orthographic variant.

Isaiah 42:25

וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ךְ עָלָיו֙ חֵמָ֣ה אַפּ֔וֹ וֶעֱז֖וּז מִלְחָמָ֑ה וַתְּלַהֲטֵ֤הוּ מִסָּבִיב֙ וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֔ע וַתִּבְעַר־בּ֖וֹ וְלֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים עַל־לֵֽב

So He poured out on him the heat of His anger and the fury of war; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.

KJV Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chapter ends not with comfort but with indictment. God's wrath was poured out through military defeat (the fury of war), but even this did not penetrate Israel's blindness. 'He did not understand' and 'did not take it to heart' echo the deafness and blindness of vv.18-20. The chapter that began with the ideal servant's quiet justice ends with the blind servant on fire and unaware. The contrast demands resolution — which the following chapters will provide.
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