Amplified Bible
Isaiah 42:21
21The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake To make the law great and prove to be glorious.
Isaiah 42:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
- New International Version (NIV)It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable.
Context of Isaiah 42:21
19Who is blind but My servant [Israel], Or deaf like My messenger whom I send? Who is blind like the one who is at peace with Me [in a covenant relationship], Or so blind as the servant of the Lord? 20You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; Your ears are open, but no one hears. The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake To make the law great and prove to be glorious. 22But this is a people despoiled and plundered; All of them are trapped in holes, Or are hidden away in prisons. They have become a prey with no one to rescue them, And a spoil, with no one to say, “Give them back!” 23Who among you will listen to this? Who will listen and pay attention in the time to come?
Read all of Isaiah 42Isaiah 42:21 word by word
יְהוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 42:21
- Isaiah 1:24Therefore the Lord God of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be freed of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My enemies.
- Isaiah 46:12“Listen to Me, you stiff-necked people, You who are far from righteousness (right standing with God).
- Psalms 71:16I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God [and in His strength]; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
- Psalms 85:9Surely His salvation is near to those who [reverently] fear Him [and obey Him with submissive wonder], That glory [the manifest presence of God] may dwell in our land.
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] have been decreed for your people and for your holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make atonement (reconciliation) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness (right-standing with God), to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
- Matthew 3:17and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!”
- Matthew 5:17“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased and delighted! Listen to Him!”
- John 8:29And He who sent Me is [always] with Me; He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
- John 15:10If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
- Romans 3:25whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].
- 2 Corinthians 5:19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].
- Philippians 3:9and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.
- Psalms 40:8I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
- Matthew 3:15But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him.
- Romans 3:31Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation].
Commentaries on Isaiah 42:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21He win magnify the law "He hath exalted his own praise" - For תורה torah, the law, the Septuagint read תודה todah, praise.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness‘ sake - There is great variety in the translation and interpretation of this verse. Lowth renders it: Yet Yahweh was gracious unto him for his truth‘s sake; He hath exalted his own praise, and made it glorious. Noyes renders it: It pleased Yahweh for his goodness‘ sake To give him a law great and glorious; And yet it is a robbed and plundered people. The Septuagint renders it, The Lord God determined that he…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21magnify His law and make it glorious: God’s word is a witness to his righteous rule (see Isaiah 1:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. his righteousness--not His people's, but His own; Is 42:24 shows that they had no righteousness (Is 45:24; 59:16). God is well pleased with His Son ("in whom My soul delighteth," Is 42:1), "who fulfils all righteousness" (Mt 3:15) for them, and with them for His sake (compare Is 42:6; Psa 71:16, 19; Mt 5:17; Ro 10:3, 4; Php 3:9). Perhaps in God's "righteousness" here is included His faithfulness to His promises given to Israel's forefathers…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 42:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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