Yesaya 33:5

33:5 The Lord is exalted, ¹ 

indeed, ²  he lives in heaven; ³ 

he fills Zion with justice and fairness.

Yesaya 42:1-4

The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42:1 ⁴ “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 ⁵  for the nations. ⁶ 

42:2 He will not cry out or shout;

he will not publicize himself in the streets. ⁷ 

42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,

a dim wick he will not extinguish; ⁸ 

he will faithfully make just decrees. ⁹ 

42:4 He will not grow dim or be crushed ¹⁰ 

before establishing justice on the earth;

the coastlands ¹¹  will wait in anticipation for his decrees.” ¹² 

[33:5]  ¹ tn Or “elevated”; NCV, NLT “is very great.”

[33:5]  ² tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NIV).

[33:5]  ³ tn Heb “on high” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “in the heavens.”

[42:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[42:1]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”

[42:3]  ⁸ sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.

[42:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[42:4]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Or “islands” (NIV); NLT “distant lands beyond the sea.”

[42:4]  ¹² tn Or “his law” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV) or “his instruction” (NLT).