1
Behold, my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one, in whom my soul delights.
I have put my Spirit upon him,
that he may declare justice to the nations.
2
He will not cry out or raise his voice,
or make his voice heard in the street.
3
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
but faithfully he will declare justice.
4
He himself will not grow dim and will not be crushed,
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the islands wait for his teaching.
5
Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that grows on it,
who gives breath to the people who live on it
and spirit to those who walk on it:
6
“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness,
and I will hold your hand;
I have formed you and given you
as a covenant for the people,
as a light for the nations,
7
to open blind eyes,
to bring out prisoners from the dungeon
and those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8
I am the LORD; that is my name;
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9
The former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.”
10
Sing to the LORD a new song,
and praise him from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it,
the islands, and their inhabitants.
11
Let the wilderness lift up its voice,
with its cities, and the villages where Kedar dwells!
Let the inhabitants of Sela shout for joy;
let them cry out from the tops of the mountains!
12
Let them give glory to the LORD,
and declare his praise in the islands.
13
The LORD goes out like a mighty man;
like a warrior he stirs up his zeal for battle;
he shouts, yes, he cries out;
against his enemies he shows his might.
14
I have kept silent from of old,
I have been still, I have restrained myself;
now I will groan like a woman in labor,
I will gasp and pant.
15
I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will make rivers into dry land,
and dry up pools.
16
I will lead the blind
by a way they do not know,
and I will guide them
along paths they have not known.
I will turn the darkness before them into light
and the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do for them,
and I will not forsake them.
17
Those who trust in carved images
will turn back and be put to shame,
those who say to molten images:
“You are our gods!”
18
Hear, you deaf ones;
look, and see, you blind ones!
19
Who is blind but my servant,
and deaf as the messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as the one entrusted by me,
and deaf as the servant of the LORD?
20
You see many things, but do not observe;
you open the ears, but do not hear.
21
The LORD was pleased, for the sake of his saving purpose,
to make his great and glorious instruction known;
22
yet they are a people plundered and robbed,
all of them trapped in holes
and hidden in prison houses;
they have become spoil, and there is none to deliver,
a prey, and no one says, “Restore it!”
23
Who among you will give ear to this,
who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24
Who gave Jacob up for plunder,
and Israel to the robbers?
Was it not the LORD? For against him we have sinned,
and they would not walk in his ways,
and they would not listen to his instruction.
25
So he poured out on him the heat of his anger
and the fury of war;
it set him on fire all around, yet he did not take it to heart,
and it burned him, but he did not consider it.
🕊️🦋⚖️ Summary of Isaiah 42 – The Servant of the LORD: Gentle, Just, and a Light to the Nations
Isaiah 42 introduces the “Servant of the LORD”, the chosen one sent to bring justice and light to the world. He does not cry out or break the bruised reed, but faithfully establishes justice to the ends of the earth. This is a messianic prophecy — pointing to Jesus Christ as the suffering yet victorious Servant. In addition, this chapter declares the glory of God over creation, the call to worship him, and the rebuke of his people’s spiritual blindness.
📌 1. The Servant of the LORD Who Is Gentle and Faithful (verses 1–4)
“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold… He will not cry out… a bruised reed he will not break.”
- This servant is chosen, anointed by the Spirit of the LORD, and brings justice
- He is full of gentleness, not breaking the weak or neglecting the broken
🎯 This is a prophecy about the Messiah who is loving and humble, yet unwavering in his mission.
📌 2. The Servant as Light and the New Covenant (verses 5–9)
“I have called you… to be a light to the nations.”
- The Lord calls His Servant to:
Open the eyes of the blind
Set the captives free
Bring light into darkness
- The Lord declares:
“I will not give My glory to another.”
🎯 Jesus is the light of the world, the bearer of the new covenant for all nations.
📌 3. A New Song and the Glory of the Lord (verses 10–13)
“Sing a new song to the LORD…”
- An invitation for the whole earth to praise the Lord
- A picture of the Lord like a warrior ready to act to save His people
🎯 When the Lord rises up, nothing can hinder His salvation and justice.
📌 4. The Lord Reveals His Wrath and His Love (verses 14–17)
“I have kept silent… but now I will cry out like a woman giving birth…”
- The Lord has restrained His wrath, but now will act with power and compassion
- He will guide the blind and restore them, while idol worshipers will be put to shame
🎯 God’s justice and mercy work together — He leads the lost, and opposes those who worship idols.
📌 5. Rebuke of Blind and Deaf Israel (verses 18–25)
“Who is blind but My servant?… They would not obey and would not listen.”
- A great irony: the chosen people are spiritually blind and deaf
- They experienced suffering not because of defeat, but because they were disobedient to the Lord
🎯 The Lord calls His people to see and hear again — with open and humble hearts.
📖 Main Teaching
- The Lord sends His Servant to bring justice, light, and deliverance
- The Servant of the Lord is gentle yet strong — not crushing the weak, but restoring them
- The Lord is worthy of praise because He is sovereign over the nations and history
- The people of the Lord can become spiritually blind and deaf if they harden their hearts
- The Lord does not share His glory — only to Him is true worship due
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
(Jesus is directly quoted as the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1–4)
➡️ Jesus is the Lord’s Servant, gentle, just, and full of the Holy Spirit.
“I am the light of the world; whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness.”
➡️ He came to open spiritual eyes and bring light into dark hearts.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me…”
➡️ Direct fulfillment of the Servant’s mission: to set captives free, heal the broken, and proclaim good news.
“And that He may enlighten the eyes of your heart…”
➡️ A call for us not to be spiritually blind, but to see the light of Christ.
🎯 Isaiah 42 is a loving and hopeful prophecy about Jesus, the true Servant who lifts up and heals, not destroys.
🕊️ “See, my servant, whom I uphold…” – Isaiah 42:1
🕊️ “A bruised reed he will not break…” – Isaiah 42:3
🕊️ “I will make you a light for the nations…” – Isaiah 42:6
🕊️ “Sing to the LORD a new song…” – Isaiah 42:10
🕊️ “Who is blind but my servant himself?” – Isaiah 42:19
