Isaiah 42:2

2 He shall not cry (out), neither he shall take a person, neither his voice shall be heard withoutforth.

Isaiah 42:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 42:2

He shall not cry
. According to Aben Ezra and Kimchi, as a judge in court is obliged to extend his voice that he may be heard: the Evangelist Matthew renders it, "he shall not strive"; or contend in a disputatious way, about mere words and things to no profit, or litigate a point in law; he shall bring no complaints, or enter an action against any, but rather suffer wrong, as he advises his followers, ( Matthew 5:40 ) , for this does not respect the lowness of his voice in his ministry; in this sense he often cried, as Wisdom is said to do, ( Proverbs 1:20 Proverbs 1:21 ) ( 8:1-3 ) ( John 7:37 ) : "nor lift up"; that is, his voice, as Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech supply it; or, as others, he shall not lift up faces, or accept persons; and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, neither shall he accept any person;
or the person of any man, which is true of Christ; but the former sense seems best, which agrees with what goes before and follows after: nor cause his voice to be heard in the street;
his voice was heard in the street in a ministerial way; he sometimes preached in the street, as in many other public places, ( Luke 13:26 ) , but not in a clamorous contentious way; not in an opprobrious and menacing manner; nor in a way of ostentation, boasting of himself, his doctrines, and miracles, but behaved with great humility and meekness; his kingdom was without pomp and noise, which worldly princes are attended with; but this was not to be, nor was it his case; (See Gill on Matthew 12:19).

Isaiah 42:2 In-Context

1 Lo! my servant, I shall up-take him; my chosen, my soul pleased to itself in him. I gave my spirit on him, he shall bring forth doom to heathen men. (Lo! my servant, I shall uphold him; my chosen, my soul delighted itself in him. I put my Spirit in him, he shall bring forth justice, or judgement, to the heathen.)
2 He shall not cry (out), neither he shall take a person, neither his voice shall be heard withoutforth.
3 He shall not break a shaken reed, and he shall not quench (the) smoking flax; he shall bring out doom in truth (but he shall bring forth justice, or judgement, and truth).
4 He shall not be sorrowful, neither troubled, till he set doom in [the] earth, and isles shall abide his law. (He shall not have sorrow, nor be troubled, until he hath brought forth justice, or judgement, upon the earth, and the islands shall wait for his Law.)
5 The Lord God saith these things, making (the) heavens of nought, and stretching forth them, making steadfast the earth, and those things that burgeon [out] of it, giving breath to the people, that is on it, and giving spirit to them that tread on it. (The Lord God saith these things, making the heavens out of nothing, and stretching them forth, making steadfast the earth, and those things that burgeon out of it, giving breath to the people who be on it, yea, giving spirit to those who tread upon it.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.