Week 1 Helps
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Chapter 42
The prophet seems here to launch out yet further into the prophecy of the Messiah and his kingdom under the type of Cyrus; and, having the great work of man’s salvation by him yet more in view, he almost forgets the occasion that led him into it and drops the return out of Babylon; for indeed the prospect of this would be a greater comfort and support to the believing pious Jews, in their captivity, than the hope of that. And (as Mr. Gataker well observes) in this and similar prophecies of Christ, that are couched in types, as of David and Solomon, some passages agree to the type and not to the truth, other to the truth and not to the type, and many to the type in one sense and the truth in another. Here is, I. A prophecy of the Messiah’s coming with meekness, and yet with power, to do the Redeemer’s work (v. 1–4). II. His commission opened, which he received from the Father (v. 5–9). III. The joy and rejoicing with which the glad tidings of this should be received (v. 10–12). IV. The wonderful success of the gospel, for the overthrow of the devil’s kingdom (v. 13–17). V. The rejection and ruin of the Jews for their unbelief (v. 18–25).
Verses 1–4
We are sure that these verses are to be understood of Christ, for the evangelist tells us expressly that in him this prophecy was fulfilled, Mt. 12:17–21. Behold with an eye of faith, behold and observe, behold and admire, my servant, whom I uphold. Let the Old-Testament saints behold and remember him. Now what must we behold and consider concerning him?
I. The Father’s concern for him and relation to him, the confidence he put and the complacency he took in him. This put an honour upon him, and made him remarkable, above any other circumstance, v. 1. 1. God owns him as one employed for him: He is my servant. Though he was a Son, yet, as a Mediator, he took upon him the form of a servant, learned obedience to the will of God and practised it, and laid out himself to advance the interests of God’s kingdom, and so he was God’s servant. 2. As one chosen by him: He is my elect. He did not thrust himself into the service, but was called of God, and pitched upon as the fittest person for it. Infinite Wisdom made the choice and then avowed it. 3. As one he put a confidence in: He is my servant on whom I lean; so some read it. The Father put a confidence in him that he would go through with his undertaking, and, in that confidence, brought many sons to glory. It was a great trust which the Father reposed in the Son, but he knew him to be par negotio—equal to it, both able and faithful. 4. As one he took care of: He is my servant whom I uphold; so we read it. The Father bore him up, and bore him out, in his upholding him; he stood by him and strengthened him. 5. As one whom he took an entire complacency in: My elect, in whom my soul delights. His delight was in him from eternity, when he was by him as one brought up with him, Prov. 8:30. He had a particular satisfaction in his undertaking: he declared himself well pleased in him (Mt. 3:17; 17:5), and therefore loved him, because he laid down his life for the sheep. Let our souls delight in Christ, rely on him, and rejoice in him; and thus let us be united to him, and then, for his sake, the Father will be well pleased with us.
II. The qualification of him for his office: I have put my Spirit upon him, to enable him to go through his undertaking, ch. 61:1. The Spirit did not only come, but rest, upon him (ch. 11:2), not by measure, as on others of God’s servants, but without measure. Those whom God employs as his servants; as he will uphold them and be well pleased with them, so he will put his Spirit upon them.
III. The work to which he is appointed; it is to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, that is, in infinite wisdom, holiness, and equity, to set up a religion in the world under the bonds of which the Gentiles should come and the blessings of which they should enjoy. The judgments of the Lord, which had been hidden from the Gentiles (Ps. 147:20), he came to bring forth to the Gentiles, for he was to be a light to lighten them.
IV. The mildness and tenderness with which he should pursue this undertaking, v. 2, 3. He shall carry it on, 1. In silence, and without noise: He shall not strive nor cry. It shall not be proclaimed, Lo, here, is Christ or Lo, he is there; as when great princes ride in progress or make a public entry. He shall have no trumpet sounded before him, nor any noisy retinue to follow him. The opposition he meets with he shall not strive against, but patiently endure the contradiction of sinners against himself. His kingdom is spiritual, and therefore its weapons are not carnal, nor is its appearance pompous; it comes not with observation. 2. Gently, and without rigour. Those that are wicked he will be patient with; when he has begun to crush them, so that they are as bruised reeds, he will give them space to repent and not immediately break them; though they are very offensive, as smoking flax (ch. 65:5), yet he will bear with them, as he did with Jerusalem. Those that are weak he will be tender of; those that have but a little life, a little heat, that are weak as a reed, oppressed with doubts and fears, as a bruised reed, that are as smoking flax, as the wick of a candle newly lighted, which is ready to go out again, he will not despise them, will not plead against them with his great power, nor lay upon them more work or more suffering than they can bear, which would break and quench them, but will graciously consider their frame. More is implied than is expressed. He will not break the bruised reed, but will strengthen it, that it may become a cedar in the courts of our God. He will not quench the smoking flax, but blow it up into a flame. Note, Jesus Christ is very tender toward those that have true grace, though they are but weak in it, and accepts the willingness of the spirit, pardoning and passing by the weakness of the flesh.
The New American Commentary on Isaiah 40-66 by Gary Smith
God’s Chosen Servant Will Establish Justice on Earth (42:1–4)
On the one hand and in a more general sense all the people of Israel were supposed to function as God’s faithful servants who were chosen and empowered to serve him in this world. Nevertheless, Israel as a nation failed to internalize its role or take its responsibility seriously, so it appears that this role is now being granted to another person who would faithfully function as God’s true servant. Since the establishment of justice is strongly emphasized in these verses and the servant’s function influenced all the nations of the earth, the kingly background of the servant stands out as the most predominant emphasis in 42:1–4.
The structure of this paragraph is:
God prepares the servant to bring justice [42:1]
What the servant will not do to bring justice [42:2–3]
42:1 The prophet’s audience is unclear until 42:9. The plural pronoun “you” (ʾetkem) implies that the prophet was possibly speaking to the same general Israelite audience that was listening to 40:12–41:29. God presents to them this new individual called only “my servant” (ʿabdî), and he draws their attention (hēn “behold, look,” NIV has “here”) to what he has done to empower this servant to accomplish God’s will. Later God will give the servant the mission to restore Israel (49:6) and bring justice to all nations.
Like God’s other servants (41:9–10), God will “support, grasp, or uphold” (ʾetmāk) this person to empower him to accomplish God’s purpose and protect him in times of trial or discouragement (42:2–4). God’s strong hand of support indicates that the servant will not succeed on his own strength but will deeply depend on God’s strong hand to undergird his efforts. His status as “my chosen” (bĕḥîrî—paralleling another servant in 41:8) eliminates any critique that he promoted himself to a position of importance; his status is due to the plan and purposes of God. A significant factor governing his election by God was a personal relationship of “affection, delight” in the servant. Such strong words of personal approval and divine satisfaction with the servant presuppose a godly character, his willingness to fulfill God’s commission, and a close walk with God. This presents a dramatic contrast with God’s displeasure or lack of delight with his “blind servant” Israel (42:18–22).
God’s empowerment of this servant will be through a special outpouring of the Spirit, an empowerment that was characteristic of divine appointments of prophets (Ezek 2:2; 3:24; Mic 3:8; 2 Chr 15:1; 20:14; 24:20) and kings (1 Sam 10:6, 10; 16:13; Isa 11:2; 61:1). The purpose of this divine preparation was to enable this servant to cause justice to go out to the nations (42:1b). This is a primary responsibility that a political leader would carry out, but few Israelite kings lived up to this ideal. David administered justice over his people (2 Sam 8:15), although he did not always act justly toward others (his treatment of Uriah and Bathsheba in 2 Sam 11–12). Solomon asked God for special wisdom so that he could judge the people justly (2 Kgs 3:9), but later he turned away from God (1 Kgs 11). The Messiah’s rule is consistently characterized by the administration of justice (9:7; 11:3–4; 32:1; Ps 72:1–5; Jer 23:5; 33:15). God’s Spirit will empower this servant to proclaim and cause God’s rule to extend to all the earth (lit. “justice to the nations he will cause to go out”; NIV renders “and he will bring justice to the nations”). The universal role of the servant’s task indicates that this prophecy is speaking of a future fulfillment, not the temporal authority of an Israelite or foreign king (i.e., Cyrus, Josiah, or Jehoiakim). Universal justice for the nations is characteristic of earlier descriptions of the eschatological establishment of God’s kingdom in 2:2–4 or the messianic promises in Ps 2:8–9; Isa 9:1–7. The term “justice” (mišpāṭ) appears to be a fairly straightforward concept, but interpreters have connected this term with a multitude of ideas, bridging the semantic field from: (a) the general idea of a custom, manner of behavior; (b) a place of judgment; (c) a case to be presented for judgment, (d) the sentence, decision of a case; (f) ordinance, laws, rules of behavior; (g) a right, privilege of law; (h) true religion; or (i) religious teaching, the rule of salvation. It appears that the proclamation of just laws and just decisions is in view in vv. 1 and 3 (as in 2:3–4), while the successful establishment of his administration of justice is assured in v. 4. God intends to restore justice when his kingdom is introduced (1:27; 2:2–4; 4:4; 5:16; 11:1–5; 26:9; 28:6; 30:18; 33:5), and this servant will have a key role in accomplishing this goal.
42:2–3 The prophet also indicates what the servant will not do in the process of establishing justice on earth in seven negative phrases. His method of operations will not include various aggressive or violent activities that might be expected of a king who establishes his justice by force (like Nebuchadnezzar or Cyrus). But is this verse saying he will not “cry out” like the miserable crying people of Israel (40:27), that he will not scream and yell about justice like some overly passionate prophets, or that he will not act like an oppressive demanding king? The general idea is that in the midst of the difficulty in establishing justice he will not give up or “cry out” (ṣāʿaq) in frustration and exasperation just because the responsibility is difficult. Instead, he will be guided by patient endurance, humility, and steadfastness in the face of opposition.
It is very unlikely that the servant’s care for and refusal to reject the “bruised reed” and “smoldering wick” (42:3) refers to his acceptance of the Egyptians (called a “splintered reed” in 36:6; cf. 19:15) under God’s rule as H. C. P. Kim proposes. Instead, these two objects are symbolic of anybody who is broken, abused, worthless, and about to be discarded (cf. 43:17; 61:3). A bruised or crushed reed may not be of much value to some people, but the servant will not destroy the lowly and weak people that others might reject as useless. This attitude of not destroying oppressed and suffering people reveals the compassionate and true servant perspective of this individual. No one is unworthy of help; no one will be treated harshly or as unimportant and expendable. Instead, by faithfulness (ʾemet “dealing truthfully”) to God’s principles, the servant will cause God’s rule of justice to be proclaimed and prosper. These methods contrast with the usual ways strong kings ruled their nations through the absolute display of military force and unchangeable commands that frequently showed little compassion for the weak and defenseless. Kings often cared more about the accomplishment of a task, like getting a road built, and were minimally concerned about those who suffered in the process of fulfilling the king’s wishes. This verse demonstrates that God’s tender care for the weak and oppressed (1:17; 40:11) will be exemplified in the servant’s behavior.