Isaiah 42:10-20

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.)

13 The Lord as a strong man shall go out, as a man a warrior he shall raise fervent love; he shall speak, and shall cry; he shall be comforted on his enemies. (The Lord shall go out like a strong man, he shall stir up fervour like a man of war; he shall speak, and he shall cry out; he shall be strong against his enemies.)

14 I was still, ever I held [my] silence; I was patient, (but now) I shall speak as a woman travailing of child (but now I shall cry like a woman labouring with child); I shall scatter, and I shall swallow (up) (al)together.

15 I shall make (into) desert (the) high mountains and little hills, and I shall dry up all the burgeoning of them; and I shall set floods into isles, and I shall make ponds dry.

16 And I shall lead out blind men into the way, which they know not, and I shall make them to go in paths, which they knew not; I shall set the darknesses of them before them into light, and shrewd things into rightful things; I did these words to them, and I forsook not them. (And I shall lead out the blind by the way, which they know not, and I shall make them to go on paths, which they knew not; I shall turn their darkness into light before them, and make depraved, or crooked, ways into straight ways; I shall do these things for them, and I shall not desert them.)

17 (But others,) They (shall) be turned aback; (yea,) be they shamed with shame, that trust in a graven image; which say to a molten image, Ye be our gods.

18 Ye deaf men, hear; and ye blind men, behold to see. (Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look and see!)

19 Who is blind, no but my servant? and deaf, but he to whom I sent my messengers? Who is blind, but he that is sold? and who is blind, but the servant of the Lord?

20 Whether thou that seest many things, shalt not keep (it in thy mind)? Whether thou that hast open ears, shalt not hear?

Isaiah 42:10-20 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.