Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Isaiah
Chapter 42: Behold My Servant
Chapter 42 opens the great Servant Songs of Isaiah, and the New Testament tells us plainly whom they describe. 'Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him' is quoted of Jesus in Matthew 12, and its words echo the voice at His baptism. This Servant is gentle with the broken, 'a bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench,' yet unfailing in His mission, 'He shall not fail nor be discouraged.' God gives Him 'for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes.' The chapter calls the whole earth to sing a new song, and mourns the blindness of Israel, the servant-nation that would not see.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Isaiah chapter 42, the first of the Servant Songs, part of the Book of Comfort (chapters 40-66). For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. This chapter presents the gentle, unfailing Servant of the LORD, calls the earth to praise, and exposes the blindness of God's people. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
A Bruised Reed
God's chosen Servant, filled with the Spirit, is gentle with the broken and unfailing in His mission.
Light of the Gentiles
He is given as a covenant and a light to the nations, to open blind eyes and free the prisoners.
A New Song
The whole earth is called to sing a new song, for the LORD goes forth as a mighty man to save.
Who Is Blind?
Israel, God's servant-nation, is blind and deaf, seeing much yet observing not, robbed for its sin.
Behold My Servant (Isaiah 42:1-9)
God unveils His chosen Servant, filled with the Spirit and delighted in, who brings justice gently to the nations, does not break the bruised or quench the smoldering, and is given as a covenant and a light to open blind eyes and free captives.
A Light of the Gentiles
"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. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 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: 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; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them."
Hebrew Study
"my servant... in whom my soul delighteth," avdi... ratsethah naphshi (עַבְדִּי... רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי). The Servant is God's chosen one, His delight. The words echo directly at Jesus' baptism, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17), the Father's own identification of the Servant.
"a bruised reed... the smoking flax," qaneh ratsuts... pishtah kehah (קָנֶה רָצוּץ... פִּשְׁתָּה כֵהָה). A cracked reed too weak to lean on and a wick barely glowing before it dies. The Servant will not snap the one or snuff the other, a picture of Christ's tenderness toward the weak, the failing, and the nearly-extinguished faith.
Explanation
God draws back the curtain on His Servant: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him." Chosen, upheld, delighted in, and anointed with the Spirit, He will "bring forth judgment to the Gentiles", true justice to the nations. But His manner is startling for a world-changer: "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street." No self-promotion, no clamor. And He is exquisitely gentle: "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." Yet gentleness is not weakness; "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth." Then God, the Creator who "giveth breath unto the people," speaks to the Servant directly: "I the LORD have called thee in righteousness... and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison." The Servant Himself is the covenant and the light. God signs it with His name, "I am the LORD... and my glory will I not give to another," and stakes it on His proven power to foretell: "new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them."
Gospel Focus
The New Testament removes all doubt about who this Servant is. Matthew quotes verses 1-4 in full and says they were fulfilled in Jesus: "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased... A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench" (Matthew 12:18-21). The Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism, and the Father spoke the words of verse 1 over Him. Dwell on the tenderness here, for it is the gospel's own portrait of Christ: "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." He does not finish off the wounded or snuff out the flickering faith. If your faith is only a smoldering wick, if you feel bruised and about to break, this is your Savior, gentle enough not to crush you and strong enough not to give up on you, for "he shall not fail nor be discouraged." And He is "a light of the Gentiles," so this Servant is for the nations, for you and me, "a light to lighten the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32). One glorious Oneness note lies in verse 8: God says, "my glory will I not give to another", yet He gives His Servant to be the covenant and the light and the object of the isles' hope. There is no contradiction, because the Servant is not "another"; He is the LORD Himself come in flesh. The glory given to Jesus is not glory given away from God, for Jesus is God with us.
Sing Unto the LORD a New Song (Isaiah 42:10-17)
The whole earth, sea and desert, coastlands and villages, is summoned to sing a new song, for the LORD who long kept silent now goes forth like a warrior to save His people, leading the blind by ways they never knew.
I Will Lead the Blind by a Way They Knew Not
"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. 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. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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."
Hebrew Study
"a new song," shir chadash (שִׁיר חָדָשׁ). A fresh song for a fresh act of salvation. When God does a new work of deliverance, the old songs are not enough; His people burst into new praise. Heaven itself sings "a new song" to the Lamb who redeemed us (Revelation 5:9).
"I have long time holden my peace," hecheshethi (הֶחֱשֵׁיתִי). God had been silent, seeming to do nothing while His people suffered. But His silence was restraint, not absence, "I have been still, and refrained myself", and now He acts. His long quiet is never abandonment; it is patience about to break into deliverance.
Explanation
The unveiling of the Servant calls for a global song: "Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth." Everyone is summoned, seafarers, coastlands, the desert villages of Kedar, mountain-dwellers, to "give glory unto the LORD." Then the reason for the song: "The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man... he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies." The God who had "long time holden my peace" now rises to act. His long silence had felt like absence, but it was restraint, and now He moves with the force of a travailing woman's cry, reshaping the very landscape to accomplish His purpose. And His action toward the helpless is tender: "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not... I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." He leads the blind by unknown paths, turning their darkness to light, while those who "trust in graven images" are "greatly ashamed."
Gospel Focus
Two comforts shine here for the struggling believer. First, God's silence is not His absence. "I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself." There are seasons when heaven seems quiet and God seems to do nothing while we suffer. But His silence is restraint, patience with a purpose, and it will break into action in His time, "he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail." Do not mistake the quiet for abandonment. Second, God leads the blind. "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not... I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight." We often cannot see the road ahead; that is precisely when He takes us by the hand and leads us in paths we have never known, turning our darkness to light. "I will do unto them, and not forsake them." The way may be unfamiliar and the darkness real, but the Guide is faithful. Sing the new song, then, even in the dark, for the God who goes forth as a mighty man to save is leading you home by a way you could not have found yourself, and He will not forsake you.
Who Is Blind but My Servant? (Isaiah 42:18-25)
Against the perfect Servant stands the failed servant-nation: Israel, called to see and hear, is instead blind and deaf, seeing much yet observing nothing, and now robbed and spoiled for the sin it would not lay to heart.
Seeing Many Things, but Thou Observest Not
"Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. 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? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. 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. Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? 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. 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."
Hebrew Study
"he that is perfect," meshullam (מְשֻׁלָּם). One who is at peace, made whole, in covenant, a title for Israel as the people specially bound to God. The irony is bitter: the very nation given every advantage, God's own covenant servant, is the blindest of all, seeing "many things, but thou observest not."
"magnify the law, and make it honourable," yagdil torah (יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה). To make God's instruction great and glorious. Israel failed to honor the law, but the true Servant would "magnify" it, fulfilling and exalting it, as Jesus said, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" (Matthew 5:17).
Explanation
The chapter turns from the perfect Servant to the failed one. God calls, "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind," and asks a stinging question: "Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent?" Israel was called to be God's servant and messenger to the nations, but it had become the blindest of all, "Seeing many things, but thou observest not." Given more revelation than any people, they perceived the least. Even so, "The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law," God remains committed to His own righteous purpose. But the present state of the blind nation is grim: "a people robbed and spoiled... snared in holes... for a prey, and none delivereth." And Isaiah asks the crucial question, "Who gave Jacob for a spoil?" The answer is not chance or a stronger enemy but God's own hand in judgment, "did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned?" They suffered because "they would not walk in his ways," and the tragedy deepens in the last line: God's fiery discipline "burned him, yet he laid it not to heart." They felt the flames and still would not understand.
Gospel Focus
The contrast in this chapter is the whole gospel in miniature. Israel was God's servant, and Israel failed, blind, deaf, disobedient, "seeing many things, but thou observest not." Every one of us, left to ourselves, is that failed servant; we were given light and did not walk in it. That is exactly why the true Servant of verses 1-9 had to come. Where Israel was blind, He came "to open the blind eyes." Where Israel dishonored the law, He came to "magnify the law, and make it honourable," fulfilling it perfectly in our place. Where Israel was a prisoner none could restore, He came "to bring out the prisoners from the prison." The failed servant-nation makes us long for the faithful Servant, and He is Jesus. And the last, sad verse is a warning to us all: God's discipline "burned him, yet he laid it not to heart." It is possible to feel the consequences of sin and still not learn from them, to be scorched and stay blind. Do not be that person. When God's hand of correction touches your life, lay it to heart; let the pain drive you to the gentle Servant who will not break the bruised reed, but will open your blind eyes and lead you out of the prison house into His light.
Chapter 42 in Review
Isaiah 42 opens the Servant Songs with a portrait the New Testament applies directly to Jesus: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him." He brings justice to the nations, but gently, "He shall not cry... in the street," and tenderly, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench", yet unfailingly, "He shall not fail nor be discouraged." God gives Him "for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes." The whole earth is called to "sing unto the LORD a new song," for the God who "long time holden my peace" now goes forth as a mighty man to save, leading the blind by ways they never knew. And against the perfect Servant stands the failed one: Israel, God's servant-nation, is blind and deaf, "seeing many things, but thou observest not," robbed for its sin and scorched by discipline it "laid not to heart."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter is a fountain of Christ. The Servant is Jesus, filled with the Spirit, marked out by the Father's own words at His baptism, the One who does not break the bruised reed but binds it, who is the covenant and the light of the Gentiles, and who opens blind eyes and frees prisoners. The great Oneness truth of verse 8, "my glory will I not give to another," stands untouched, for the Servant is not another god but the LORD Himself come in flesh, so the glory and worship given to Jesus is glory given to God. And the failed servant-nation is a mirror of us all, blind and disobedient, which is why we need the faithful Servant so desperately. Behold Him, then: gentle with the broken, unfailing in His mission, the light of the world. Do not let His discipline scorch you in vain; lay it to heart, come to the Servant who will not quench your smoking flax, and sing the new song of the redeemed.
- The Servant is Jesus, quoted directly in Matthew 12:18-21; the Father's words over Him echo at His baptism (42:1; Matthew 3:17).
- "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench", Christ's tenderness toward the weak and failing (42:3).
- The Servant is given as "a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles," to open blind eyes and free captives (42:6-7; Luke 2:32; 4:18).
- God's silence is restraint, not absence, and He leads the blind by ways they never knew, "not forsake them" (42:14-16).
- Israel the failed servant, blind and disobedient, shows why the faithful Servant had to come to open blind eyes (42:19; Matthew 5:17).
Questions for Reflection
- Does your faith feel like a "bruised reed" or "smoking flax"? How does it comfort you that the Servant will not break or quench it?
- When God seems silent, do you take His quiet as absence, or trust it as restraint that will break into deliverance?
- Where might you be "seeing many things, but observing not", given light you have not walked in?
- Is there a discipline of God you have felt but "laid not to heart"? What would it mean to truly learn from it now?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Verses 1-4 are the first of Isaiah's Servant Songs and are quoted of Jesus in Matthew 12:18-21; the Father's words in verse 1 echo at Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:17). "A light of the Gentiles" (verse 6) is taken up in Luke 2:32 and Acts 13:47; "to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners" (verse 7) is echoed in Jesus' announcement of His ministry (Luke 4:18). Verses 18-25 apply the "servant" title to the nation Israel, blind and failing, in contrast to the faithful Servant of verses 1-9. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The Servant, the bruised reed, the light of the Gentiles: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 12:18-21; 3:17; Luke 2:32; 4:18.
- The new song and the God who leads the blind: Isaiah 42:10-17; Revelation 5:9.
- The blindness of the servant-nation Israel: Isaiah 42:18-25; Matthew 5:17.