New English Translation
Isaiah 42:6
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,
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 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: “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, 7to open blind eyes, to release prisoners from dungeons, those who live in darkness from prisons. 8I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with 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 32:1Look, a king will promote fairness; officials will promote justice.
- Isaiah 43:1Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine.
- Isaiah 45:13It is me – I stir him up and commission him; I will make all his ways level. He will rebuild my city; he will send my exiled people home, but not for a price or a bribe,” says the Lord who commands armies.
- Isaiah 49:1Listen to me, you coastlands! Pay attention, you people who live far away! The Lord summoned me from birth; he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.
- Psalms 45:6Your throne, O God, is permanent. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
- Jeremiah 23:5“I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.
- Jeremiah 33:15In those days and at that time I will raise up for them a righteous descendant of David. “‘He will do what is just and right in the land.
- 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.
- Hebrews 1:8but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.
- Hebrews 7:2To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace.
- Isaiah 42:1“Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I take pleasure. I have placed my spirit on him; he will make just decrees for the nations.
- Isaiah 41:13For I am the Lord your God, the one who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
- Isaiah 49:8This is what the Lord says: “At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you; in the day of deliverance I will help you; I will protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, to rebuild the land and to reassign the desolate property.
- Matthew 26:28for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Luke 1:69For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
- Romans 15:8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made 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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