Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 42

Verse 1

servant

There is a twofold account of the Coming Servant:

(1) he is represented as weak, despised, rejected, slain:

(2) and also as a mighty conqueror, taking vengeance on the nations and restoring Israel (e.g. Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 63:1-4). The former class of passages relate to the first advent, and are fulfilled; the latter to the second advent, and are unfulfilled.

Verse 6

for a light of the Gentiles

The prophets connect the Gentiles with Christ in a threefold way"

(1) as the Light He brings salvation to the Gentiles Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47; Acts 13:48

(2) as the "Root of Jesse" He is to reign over the Gentiles in His kingdom. Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12. He saves the Gentiles, which is the distinctive feature of this present age. ; Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11; Ephesians 2:12 He reigns over the Gentiles in the kingdom-age, to follow this. See "Kingdom (O.T.)," ; Genesis 1:26-28; Zechariah 12:8.

(3) Believing Gentiles in the present age, together with believing Jews, constitute "the church which is His body." (See Scofield "Zechariah 12:8- :")

Verse 9

former things

That is, Isaiah's prediction of Sennacherib's invasion and its results, Isaiah 10, 37. See also, (Isaiah 41:21-23); (Isaiah 43:8-12); (Isaiah 44:7); (Isaiah 48:3); (Isaiah 48:5); (Isaiah 48:16). This appeal of the prophet to the fulfilment of his former predictions strongly confirms the unity of the book.