English Standard Version
Isaiah 42:4
4He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
Isaiah 42:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
- New International Version (NIV)he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”
Context of Isaiah 42:4
2He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 5Thus says God, the Lord, 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 in it: 6"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,
Read all of Isaiah 42Isaiah 42:4 word by word
לֹ֤א יִכְהֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָר֔וּץ עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים בָּאָ֖רֶץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ אִיִּ֥ים יְיַחֵֽילוּ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He shall not failכָּהָהkâhâh · to grow dimH3543
- nor be discouragedרָצַץrâtsats · to crushH7533
- till he have setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- in the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and the islesאִי'îy · coastlandH339
- shall waitיָחַלyâchal · to wait: hopeH3176
- for his lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
Cross-references for Isaiah 42:4
- Isaiah 9:7Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
- Isaiah 49:5And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength—
- Isaiah 52:13Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
- Isaiah 53:2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
- John 17:4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
- Hebrews 12:2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
- 1 Peter 2:22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
- Isaiah 42:12Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands.
- Isaiah 2:2It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
- Isaiah 11:9They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
- Isaiah 24:15Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
- Isaiah 41:5The coastlands have seen and are afraid; the ends of the earth tremble; they have drawn near and come.
- Isaiah 55:5Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
- Isaiah 60:9For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful.
- Isaiah 66:19and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.
- Genesis 49:10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Commentaries on Isaiah 42:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4He shall not fail nor be discouraged "His force shall not be abated nor broken" - Rabbi Meir ita citat locum istum, ut post ירוץ yaruts, addat כוחו cocho, robur ejus, quod hodie Ilon comparet in textu Hebraeo, sed addendum videtur, ut sensus fiat planior. "Rabbi Meir cites this passage so as to add after ירוץ yarats כוחו cocho, his force, which word is not found in the present Hebrew text, but seems necessary to be added to make the sense more distinct."…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4He shall not fail - He shall not be weak, feeble, or disheartened. However much there may be that shall tend to discourage, yet his purpose is fixed, and he will pursue it with steadiness and ardor until the great work shall be fully accomplished. There may be an allusion in the Hebrew word here (יכהה yı̂kheh ) to that which is applied to the flax (כהה kēhâh ); and the idea may be that he shall not become in his purposes like the smoking, flickering…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4the islands: The nations want justice and guidance on how to achieve it. The servant is like Moses, who received the law. However, the servant is greater because he brings justice to all nations, not just Israel.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. fail--faint; man in religion may become as the almost expiring flax-wick (Is 42:3), but not so He in His purposes of grace. discouraged--literally, "broken," that is, checked in zeal by discouragements (compare Is 49:4, 5). Rosenmuller not so well translates, "He shall not be too slow on the one hand, nor run too hastily on the other." judgment--His true religion, the canon of His judgments and righteous reign. isles ... wait, &c.--The distant lands…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 42:4
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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