Isaiah 42:1

“Look, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; justice to the nations he will bring out.”

Isaiah 42:1 · direct translation from the Hebrew
Study it in the app

With the Hebrew beneath

1

Quotation · Matthew 12:18

Go to Matthew 12:18

Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-4, the first song of the servant of YHWH. Where the Hebrew says “the coastlands will wait for his instruction,” Matthew says “in his name the nations will hope.”

Formula: ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος “so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled” (Matthew 12:17)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς μου ὃν ᾑρέτισα ὁ ἀγαπητός μου εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ’ αὐτόν καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): הֵן עַבְדִּי אֶתְמָךְ בּוֹ בְּחִירִי רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי נָתַתִּי רוּחִי עָלָיו מִשְׁפָּט לַגּוֹיִם יוֹצִיא לֹא יִצְעַק וְלֹא יִשָּׂא וְלֹא יַשְׁמִיעַ בַּחוּץ קוֹלוֹ קָנֶה רָצוּץ לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹר וּפִשְׁתָּה כֵהָה לֹא יְכַבֶּנָּה לֶאֱמֶת יוֹצִיא מִשְׁפָּט לֹא יִכְהֶה וְלֹא יָרוּץ עַד יָשִׂים בָּאָרֶץ מִשְׁפָּט וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ אִיִּים יְיַחֵילוּ

Septuagint (Isaiah 42:1 in the Septuagint numbering): Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖς μου, ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ· Ἰσραὴλ ὅ ἐκλεκτός μου, προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἦ ψυχή μου· ἔδωκα τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ’ αὐτόν, κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει·

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ’ αὐτόν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 42:1, word by word

my servantעַבְדִּavdi

servant of YHWH

YHWH's servant, like Moses or David.

Where else “avdi” appears
whom I upholdאֶתְמָךְetmach

uphold

To hold someone up by the hand so he does not fall, as God does.

Where else “etmach” appears
my chosen oneבְּחִירִbechiri

chosen

Chosen, elect: the one someone has chosen. It is said of Saul, of Moses, of David, of the servant of YHWH and of the people of Israel as God's chosen.

Where else “bechiri” appears
in whom my soulנַפְשִׁnafshi

soul

A person's innermost self: what they feel and desire.

Where else “nafshi” appears
delightsרָצְתָהratsta

take pleasure

To look on someone with pleasure.

Where else “ratsta” appears
I have putנָתַתִּיnatati

put

To place something somewhere.

Where else “natati” appears
my spiritרוּחִruchi

Spirit of God

The spirit of Elohim or YHWH: his presence and power.

Where else “ruchi” appears
justiceמִשְׁפָּטmishpat

justice

What is right and fair.

Where else “mishpat” appears
to the nationsגּוֹיִםgoyim

Gentiles

The peoples other than Israel.

Where else “goyim” appears
he will bring outיוֹצִיאyotsi

bring out

To lead someone out: "I led you out of Egypt".

Where else “yotsi” appears

Translation note

Matthew 12:18-21 applies 42:1-4 to Jesus. On “spirit” in lowercase, see the note on 11:2.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 12:18

Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-4, the first song of the servant of YHWH. Where the Hebrew says “the coastlands will wait for his instruction,” Matthew says “in his name the nations will hope.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 42:1

1Look, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; justice to the nations he will bring out.

Matthew 12:18

18“Look, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

The context

1 · This verse (above)

2He will not cry out, nor lift up his voice, nor make heard in the street his voice.

Read all of Isaiah 42

How to use it