New International Version
Isaiah 42:21
21It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Because he is righteous, the Lord has exalted his glorious law.
Context of Isaiah 42:21
19Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the Lord? 20You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.” It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. 22But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say, “Send them back.” 23Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come?
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 Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.
- Isaiah 46:12Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my righteousness.
- Psalms 71:16I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
- Psalms 85:9Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
- Matthew 3:17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
- Matthew 5:17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
- John 8:29The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
- John 15:10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
- Romans 3:25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
- 2 Corinthians 5:19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
- Philippians 3:9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
- Psalms 40:8I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”
- Matthew 3:15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
- Romans 3:31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, 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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