Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 42:6
6“I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,
Isaiah 42:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
- New International Version (NIV)“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
- English Standard Version (ESV)"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
Context of Isaiah 42:6
4He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth. The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction.” 5This is what God, the Lord, says — who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it — “I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, 7in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house. 8I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Read all of Isaiah 42Isaiah 42:6 word by word
אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- have calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- thee in righteousnessצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
- and will holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- thine handיָדyâd · handH3027
- and will keepנָצַרnâtsar · to watchH5341
- thee, and giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- thee for a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- for a lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
- of the Gentilesגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
Cross-references for Isaiah 42:6
- Isaiah 32:1Indeed, a king will reign righteously, and rulers will rule justly.
- Isaiah 43:1Now this is what the Lord says — the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel — “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.
- Isaiah 45:13I have stirred him up in righteousness, and will level all roads for him. He will rebuild my city, and set my exiles free, not for a price or a bribe,” says the Lord of Armies.
- Isaiah 49:1Coasts and islands, listen to me; distant peoples, pay attention. The Lord called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.
- Psalms 45:6Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
- Jeremiah 23:5“Look, the days are coming” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Jeremiah 33:15In those days and at that time I will cause a Righteous Branch to sprout up for David, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Romans 3:25God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.
- Hebrews 1:8but to the Son: Your throne, God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
- Hebrews 7:2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace.
- Isaiah 42:1“This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations.
- Isaiah 41:13For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.
- Isaiah 49:8This is what the Lord says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances,
- Matthew 26:28For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Luke 1:69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
- Romans 15:8For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers,
Commentaries on Isaiah 42:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6A covenant of the people "A covenant to the people" - For עם am, two MSS. of Dr. Kennicott's, and of my own, read עולם olam, the covenant of the age to come, or the everlasting covenant; which seems to give a clearer and better sense. But I think the word ברית berith, here, should not be translated covenant, but covenant sacrifice, which meaning it often has; and undoubtedly in this place. This gives a still stronger and clearer sense.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6I the Lord have called thee in righteousness - The phrase in righteousness‘ has been very differently understood by different expositors (see the note at Isaiah 41:10). The most probable meaning may be, I have done it as a righteous and just God, or in the accomplishment of my righteous purposes. I am the just moral governor of the universe, and to accomplish my purposes of justice and fidelity, I have designated thee to this work.‘ Lowth has well…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-12Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6I will keep you … to be a covenant for the people: The people might refer to all the nations of the earth (see Isaiah 49:6). a light to the nations: See also Isaiah 51:4; Acts 13:47.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. in righteousness--rather, "for a righteous purpose" [Lowth]. (See Is 42:21). God "set forth" His Son "to be a propitiation (so as) to declare His (God's) righteousness, that God might be just, and (yet) the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Ro 3:25, 26; compare see on Is 41:2; Is 45:13; 50:8, 9). hold ... hand--compare as to Israel, the type of Messiah, Ho 11:3. covenant--the medium of the covenant, originally made between God and Abraham (Is…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 42:6
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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