Isaías 42

1 HE aquí mi siervo, yo lo sostendré; mi escogido en quien mi alma toma contentamiento: he puesto sobre él mi espíritu, dará juicio á las gentes.

2 No clamará, ni alzará, ni hará oir su voz en las plazas.

3 No quebrará la caña cascada, ni apagará el pábilo que humeare: sacará el juicio á verdad.

4 No se cansará, ni desmayará, hasta que ponga en la tierra juicio; y las islas esperarán su ley.

5 Así dice el Dios Jehová, el Criador de los cielos, y el que los extiende; el que extiende la tierra y sus verduras; el que da respiración al pueblo que mora sobre ella, y espíritu á los que por ella andan:

6 Yo Jehová te he llamado en justicia, y te tendré por la mano; te guardaré y te pondré por alianza del pueblo, por luz de las gentes;

7 Para que abras ojos de ciegos, para que saques de la cárcel á los presos, y de casas de prisión á los que están de asiento en tinieblas.

8 Yo Jehová: este es mi nombre; y á otro no daré mi gloria, ni mi alabanza á esculturas.

9 Las cosas primeras he aquí vinieron, y yo anuncio nuevas cosas: antes que salgan á luz, yo os las haré notorias.

10 Cantad á Jehová un nuevo cántico, su alabanza desde el fin de la tierra; los que descendéis á la mar, y lo que la hinche, las islas y los moradores de ellas.

11 Alcen la voz el desierto y sus ciudades, las aldeas donde habita Cedar: canten los moradores de la Piedra, y desde la cumbre de los montes den voces de júbilo.

12 Den gloria á Jehová, y prediquen sus loores en las islas.

13 Jehová saldrá como gigante, y como hombre de guerra despertará celo: gritará, voceará, esforzaráse sobre sus enemigos.

14 Desde el siglo he callado, tenido he silencio, y heme detenido: daré voces como la que está de parto; asolaré y devoraré juntamente.

15 Tornaré en soledad montes y collados, haré secar toda su hierba; los ríos tornaré en islas, y secaré los estanques.

16 Y guiaré los ciegos por camino que no sabían, haréles pisar por las sendas que no habían conocido; delante de ellos tornaré las tinieblas en luz, y los rodeos en llanura. Estas cosas les haré, y no los desampararé.

17 Serán vueltos atrás, y en extremo confundidos, los que confían en las esculturas, y dicen á las estatuas de fundición: Vosotros sois nuestros dioses.

18 Sordos, oid; y vosotros ciegos, mirad para ver.

19 ¿Quién ciego, sino mi siervo? ¿quién sordo, como mi mensajero que envié? ¿quién ciego como el perfecto, y ciego como el siervo de Jehová,

20 Que ve muchas cosas y no advierte, que abre los oídos y no oye?

21 Jehová se complació por amor de su justicia en magnificar la ley y engrandecerla.

22 Mas este es pueblo saqueado y hollado, todos ellos enlazados en cavernas y escondidos en cárceles: son puestos á saco, y no hay quien libre; hollados, y no hay quien diga, Restituid.

23 ¿Quién de vosotros oirá esto? ¿quién atenderá y escuchará en orden al porvernir?

24 ¿Quién dió á Jacob en presa, y entregó á Israel á saqueadores? ¿No fué Jehová, contra quien pecamos? y no quisieron andar en sus caminos, ni oyeron su ley.

25 Por tanto derramó sobre él el furor de su ira, y fuerza de guerra; púsole fuego de todas partes, empero no entendió; y encendióle, mas no ha parado mientes.

Isaías 42 Commentary

Chapter 42

The character and coming of Christ. (1-4) The blessings of his kingdom. (5-12) The prevalence of true religion. (13-17) Unbelief and blindness reproved. (18-25)

Verses 1-4 This prophecy was fulfilled in Christ, ( Matthew 12:17 ) . Let our souls rely on him, and rejoice in him; then, for his sake, the Father will be well-pleased with us. The Holy Spirit not only came, but rested upon him, and without measure. He patiently bore the contradiction of sinners. His kingdom is spiritual; he was not to appear with earthly honours. He is tender of those oppressed with doubts and fears, as a bruised reed; those who are as smoking flax, as the wick of a lamp newly lighted, which is ready to go out again. He will not despise them, nor lay upon them more work or more suffering than they can bear. By a long course of miracles and his resurrection, he fully showed the truth of his holy religion. By the power of his gospel and grace he fixes principles in the minds of men, which tend to make them wise and just. The most distant nations wait for his law, wait for his gospel, and shall welcome it. If we would make our calling and election sure, and have the Father delight over us for good, we must behold, hear, believe in, and obey Christ.

Verses 5-12 The work of redemption brings back man to the obedience he owes to God as his Maker. Christ is the light of the world. And by his grace he opens the understandings Satan has blinded, and sets at liberty from the bondage of sin. The Lord has supported his church. And now he makes new promises, which shall as certainly be fulfilled as the old ones were. When the Gentiles are brought into the church, he is glorified in them and by them. Let us give to God those things which are his, taking heed that we do not serve the creature more than the Creator.

Verses 13-17 The Lord will appear in his power and glory. He shall cry, in the preaching of his word. He shall cry aloud in the gospel woes, which must be preached with gospel blessings, to awaken a sleeping world. He shall conquer by the power of his Spirit. And those that contradict and blaspheme his gospel, he shall put to silence and shame; and that which hinders its progress shall be taken out of the way. To those who by nature were blind, God will show the way to life and happiness by Jesus Christ. They are weak in knowledge, but He will make darkness light. They are weak in duty, but their way shall be plain. Those whom God brings into the right way, he will guide in it. This passage is a prophecy, and is also applicable to every believer; for the Lord will never leave nor forsake them.

Verses 18-25 Observe the call given to this people, and the character given of them. Multitudes are ruined for want of observing that which they cannot but see; they perish, not through ignorance, but carelessness. The Lord is well-pleased in the making known his own righteousness. For their sins they were spoiled of all their possessions. This fully came to pass in the destruction of the Jewish nation. There is no resisting, nor escaping God's anger. See the mischief sin makes; it provokes God to anger. And those not humbled by lesser judgments, must expect greater. Alas! how many professed Christians are blind as the benighted heathen! While the Lord is well-pleased in saving sinners through the righteousness of Christ he will also glorify his justice, by punishing all proud despisers. Seeing God has poured out his wrath on his once-favoured people, because of their sins, let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should be found to come short of it.

Chapter Summary

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.