New English Translation
Isaiah 42:4
4He will not grow dim or be crushed before establishing justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait in anticipation for his decrees.”
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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
- 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.”
Context of Isaiah 42:4
2He will not cry out or shout; he will not publicize himself in the streets. 3A crushed reed he will not break, a dim wick he will not extinguish; he will faithfully make just decrees. He will not grow dim or be crushed before establishing justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” 5This is what the true God, the Lord, says – the one who created the sky and stretched it out, the one who fashioned the earth and everything that lives on it, the one who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who live on it: 6“I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, and a light to 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 9:7His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The Lord’s intense devotion to his people will accomplish this.
- Isaiah 49:5So now the Lord says, the one who formed me from birth to be his servant – he did this to restore Jacob to himself, so that Israel might be gathered to him; and I will be honored in the Lord’s sight, for my God is my source of strength –
- Isaiah 52:13“Look, my servant will succeed! He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted –
- Isaiah 53:2He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him.
- John 17:4I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
- Hebrews 12:2keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
- 1 Peter 2:22He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth.
- Isaiah 42:12Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; let them praise his deeds in the coastlands.
- Isaiah 2:2In the future the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it,
- Isaiah 11:9They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain. For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty, just as the waters completely cover the sea.
- Isaiah 24:15So in the east extol the Lord, along the seacoasts extol the fame of the Lord God of Israel.
- Isaiah 41:5The coastlands see and are afraid; the whole earth trembles; they approach and come.
- Isaiah 55:5Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you.
- Isaiah 60:9Indeed, the coastlands look eagerly for me, the large ships are in the lead, bringing your sons from far away, along with their silver and gold, to honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has bestowed honor on you.
- Isaiah 66:19I will perform a mighty act among them and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, Lud (known for its archers), Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.
- Genesis 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him.
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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