Yesaya 41:1

The Lord Challenges the Nations

41:1 “Listen to me in silence, you coastlands! ¹ 

Let the nations find renewed strength!

Let them approach and then speak;

let us come together for debate! ² 

Yesaya 42:1-4

The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42:1 ³ “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 ⁴  for the nations. ⁵ 

42:2 He will not cry out or shout;

he will not publicize himself in the streets. ⁶ 

42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,

a dim wick he will not extinguish; ⁷ 

he will faithfully make just decrees. ⁸ 

42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed ⁹ 

before establishing justice on the earth;

the coastlands ¹⁰  will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” ¹¹ 

Yesaya 42:12

42:12 Let them give the Lord the honor he deserves; ¹² 

let them praise his deeds in the coastlands. ¹³ 

Yesaya 45:22

45:22 Turn to me so you can be delivered, ¹⁴ 

all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!

For I am God, and I have no peer.

Yesaya 51:5

51:5 I am ready to vindicate, ¹⁵ 

I am ready to deliver, ¹⁶ 

I will establish justice among the nations. ¹⁷ 

The coastlands ¹⁸  wait patiently for me;

they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. ¹⁹ 

Yesaya 60:9

60:9 Indeed, the coastlands ²⁰  look eagerly for me,

the large ships ²¹  are in the lead,

bringing your sons from far away,

along with their silver and gold,

to honor the Lord your God, ²² 

the Holy One of Israel, ²³  for he has bestowed honor on you.

Yesaya 66:19

66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ²⁴  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ²⁵  Lud ²⁶  (known for its archers ²⁷ ), Tubal, Javan, ²⁸  and to the distant coastlands ²⁹  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

[41:1]  ¹ tn Or “islands” (KJV, NIV, CEV); TEV “distant lands”; NLT “lands beyond the sea.”

[41:1]  ² tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) could be translated “judgment,” but here it seems to refer to the dispute or debate between the Lord and the nations.

[42:1]  ³ sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.

[42:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[42:1]  ⁵ sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.

[42:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”

[42:3]  ⁷ sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.

[42:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[42:4]  ⁹ tn For rhetorical effect the terms used to describe the “crushed (רָצַץ, ratsats) reed” and “dim (כָּהָה, kahah) wick” in v. 3 are repeated here.

[42:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”

[42:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).

[42:12]  ¹² tn Heb “Let them ascribe to the Lord glory.”

[42:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “and his praise in the coastlands [or “islands”] let them declare.”

[45:22]  ¹⁴ tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”

[51:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “my righteousness [or “vindication”] is near.”

[51:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my deliverance goes forth.”

[51:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and my arms will judge [on behalf of] nations.”

[51:5]  ¹⁸ tn Or “islands” (NIV); TEV “Distant lands.”

[51:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for my arm” (so NIV, NRSV).

[60:9]  ²⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV); CEV “distant islands”; TEV “distant lands.”

[60:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” See the note at 2:16.

[60:9]  ²² tn Heb “to the name of the Lord your God.”

[60:9]  ²³ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[66:19]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ²⁵ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ²⁶ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ²⁷ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ²⁸ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ²⁹ tn Or “islands” (NIV).