New International Version
Isaiah 42:6
6“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,
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;
- 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,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations.
Context of Isaiah 42:6
4he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” 5This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “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, 7to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to 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 32:1See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.
- Isaiah 43:1But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
- Isaiah 45:13I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”
- Isaiah 49:1Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
- Psalms 45:6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
- Jeremiah 23:5“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.
- Jeremiah 33:15“ ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
- 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—
- Hebrews 1:8But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
- Hebrews 7:2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”
- Isaiah 42:1“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
- Isaiah 41:13For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
- Isaiah 49:8This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
- Matthew 26:28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Luke 1:69He 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 Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed
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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