Isaiah 42 is the forty-second chapter of the Book of Isaiah in both the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is a part of the Books of the Prophets. Chapters 40-55 are known as "Deutero-Isaiah" and date from the time of the Israelites' exile in Babylon. This chapter contains a poem known as the first of the "Servant songs" about the servant, whom Jewish tradition holds that Isaiah identifies as either the Israelites themselves (, or l'goyim) or Cyrus (in contrast to Jewish Christian and, thus, later gentile Christian tradition, as well as Islamic tradition).
Scholars such as John Goldingay, John Barton, and John Muddiman also hold the view that the Old Testament identifies the servant of the Servant songs as the Israelites in Is. 41:8-9; Is. 44:1; Is. 44:21; Is. 45:4; Is. 48:20 and Is. 49:3. The latter two write that "The idea of a 'servant' played a small part in the earlier chapters, being used as a designation of the unworthy Eliakim in 22:20 and of the figure of David in 37:35, but it now comes to the fore as a description of major significance, the noun being used more than 20 times in chs. 40-55. Its first usage is obviously important in establishing the sense in which we are to understand it, and here it is clear that the community of Israel/Jacob is so described."
Text
The original text was written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 25 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).
Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (3rd century BC or later): 1QIsaa: complete 4QIsag (4Q61): extant verses 14‑25 4QIsah (4Q62): extant verses 2, 4‑11 4QIsai (4Q62a): extant verses 4‑11
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; Q; 6th century).
Parashot
The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex. Isaiah 42 is a part of the Consolations (Isaiah 40–66). { P}: open parashah; { S}: closed parashah. { P} 42:1-4 { P} 42:5-9 { P} 42:10-13 { S} 42:14-17 { P} 42:18-25 [43:1-10 { S}]
Verse 1
"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles." Cross references: Isaiah 44:1, Jeremiah 30:10, Matthew 12:18
The Synoptic Gospels each allude to verse 1 in their accounts of the Baptism of Jesus, when the Holy Spirit descends like a dove upon Jesus and a "voice from heaven" acclaims Him as "My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17; ; ).
Verse 3
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. In , Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had referred to Egypt as a "broken reed", criticising Israel's dependence on Egypt during the reign of king Hezekiah. "Smoking" or "dimly burning" "Quench" or "extinguish" from the Hebrew root: k-b-h (, kabah, "to be quenched or extinguished, to go out"), is also used in Isaiah 1:31 and Isaiah 66:24 for: "the fire that shall not be quenched"; Isaiah 34:10: 'the fire devouring Edom "will not be quenched"'; as well as in 43:17: 'those who oppose the LORD'S path are "quenched like a wick"'.
Verse 4
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. "Be discouraged": from Hebrew: , , "bruised", from the root word "crushed" (, ratsats), used to describe "crushed reed" (or "bruised reed") and "dim (, kahah) wick" (or "smoking flax") in verse 3, repeated here for rhetorical effect. "Isles" (KJV):from Hebrew: , , "coastlands" (ESV; MEV; NET; NKJV); "islands" (NIV); "distant lands beyond the sea."(NLT) "His law" (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV): from Hebrew: , , "his decrees" (NET), "his instruction" (NLT).