New English Translation
Isaiah 42:21
21The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice by magnifying his law and displaying it.
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
19My servant is truly blind, my messenger is truly deaf. My covenant partner, the servant of the Lord, is truly blind. 20You see many things, but don’t comprehend; their ears are open, but do not hear.” The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice by magnifying his law and displaying it. 22But these people are looted and plundered; all of them are trapped in pits and held captive in prisons. They were carried away as loot with no one to rescue them; they were carried away as plunder, and no one says, “Bring that back!” 23Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen attentively in the future?
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 sovereign Lord who commands armies, the powerful ruler of Israel, says this: “Ah, I will seek vengeance against my adversaries, I will take revenge against my enemies.
- Isaiah 46:12Listen to me, you stubborn people, you who distance yourself from doing what is right.
- Psalms 71:16I will come and tell about the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord. I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.
- Psalms 85:9Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance; then his splendor will again appear in our land.
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy weeks have been determined concerning your people and your holy city to put an end to rebellion, to bring sin to completion, to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual righteousness, to seal up the prophetic vision, and to anoint a most holy place.
- Matthew 3:17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”
- Matthew 5:17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”
- John 8:29And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do those things that please him.”
- John 15:10If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
- Romans 3:25God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed.
- 2 Corinthians 5:19In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.
- Philippians 3:9and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.
- Psalms 40:8I want to do what pleases you, my God. Your law dominates my thoughts.”
- Matthew 3:15So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him.
- Romans 3:31Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law.
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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