Isaiah 42:2-12

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.)

6 I the Lord have called thee in rightfulness, and I took thine hand, and kept thee, and I gave thee into a bond of peace of the people, and into light of folks. (I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and I took thy hand, and kept thee, and I gave thee to be a covenant for the people, and a light for the nations.)

7 That thou shouldest open the eyes of blind men; that thou shouldest lead out of enclosing together a bound man, (and) from the house of prison men sitting in darknesses. (So that thou shouldest open the eyes of the blind; and that thou shouldest lead out the bound, or the prisoners, from being enclosed, yea, those sitting in darkness, from out of the prison house.)

8 I am the Lord, this is my name; I shall not give my glory to another, and my praising to graven images. (I am the Lord, that is my name; I shall not give my glory to another, nor my praises to carved idols.)

9 Lo! those things that were the first, be come, and (now) I tell new things; I shall make heard to you, before that those begin to be made. (Lo! those things that were to come first, have come to pass, and now I shall tell of new things; yea, before that they begin to be made, I shall tell you of them.)

10 Sing ye a new song to the Lord; his praising is from the last parts of the earth; ye that go down into the sea, and the fullness thereof, isles, and the dwellers of those. (Sing ye a new song to the Lord; his praises come from the ends of the earth; ye who go down to the sea, and its fullness, the islands, and their inhabitants.)

11 The desert be raised [up], and the cities thereof; he shall dwell in the houses of Kedar; ye dwellers of the stone, praise ye (ye inhabitants of Sela, praise ye); they shall cry (out) from the top of hills.

12 They shall set glory to the Lord, and they shall tell his praising in isles. (They shall give glory to the Lord, and they shall tell out his praises on the islands.)

Isaiah 42:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 42

This chapter begins with a prophecy concerning the Messiah, under the character of the servant of the Lord, and his elect, whom he supported, and was well pleased with; whose work is pointed at, and for which he was well qualified with the Spirit without measure, Isa 42:1 and is described by his humility and meekness, Isa 42:2, by his tenderness to weak and ignorant persons, Isa 42:3 and by his courage and resolution, Isa 42:4 then follow his call to his work, and the several parts of it, introduced with setting forth the greatness of God that called him, as the Creator of the heavens and of the earth, and of men upon it, Isa 42:5-7, whose name is Jehovah, and whose glory is incommunicable to a creature, and whose knowledge reaches to future things, which are predicted by him, Isa 42:8,9, and then Gentiles are called upon to praise the Lord, and give glory to him, partly for the above promises concerning the Messiah, Isa 42:10-12, and partly for the destruction of his enemies, Isa 42:13-15, and also for his gracious regard to such who had been blind and ignorant, Isa 42:16, the confusion of idolaters is prophesied of, and an exhortation is given them to make use of the means of light and knowledge, Isa 42:17,18, and the blindness, ignorance, and stupidity of the Jews, are exposed, though there was a remnant among them with whom the Lord was well pleased, for the sake of the righteousness of his Son, Isa 42:19-21, but as for the body of the people, they were to be given up to the spoilers and robbers for their sins and disobedience, and be the butt of the divine wrath and vengeance, Isa 42:22-24.