10 Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, Ye who are going down to the sea, and its fulness, Isles, and their inhabitants. 11 The wilderness and its cities do lift up 'the voice', The villages Kedar doth inhabit, Sing do the inhabitants of Sela, From the top of mountains they cry. 12 They ascribe to Jehovah honour, And His praise in the isles they declare.
13 Jehovah as a mighty one goeth forth. As a man of war He stirreth up zeal, He crieth, yea, He shrieketh, Against His enemies He showeth Himself mighty. 14 I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain myself, As a travailing woman I cry out, I desolate and swallow up together. 15 I make waste mountains and hills, And all their herbs I dry up, And I have made rivers become isles, And ponds I dry up. 16 And I have caused the blind to go, In a way they have not known, In paths they have not known I cause them to tread, I make a dark place before them become light, And unlevelled places become a plain, These 'are' the things I have done to them, And I have not forsaken them. 17 Removed backward—utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a graven image, Those saying to a molten image, 'Ye 'are' our gods.'
18 Ye deaf, hear; and ye blind, look to see. 19 Who 'is' blind but My servant? And deaf as My messenger I send? Who 'is' blind as he who is at peace, Yea, blind, as the servant of Jehovah? 20 Seeing many things, and thou observest not, Opening ears, and he heareth not. 21 Jehovah hath delight for the sake of His righteousness, He magnifieth law, and maketh honourable. 22 And this 'is' a people seized and spoiled, Snared in holes—all of them, And in houses of restraint they were hidden, They have been for a prey, And there is no deliverer, A spoil, and none is saying, 'Restore.' 23 Who among you giveth ear 'to' this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards. 24 Who hath given Jacob for a spoil, And Israel to the spoilers? Is it not Jehovah—He against whom we sinned? Yea, they have not been willing in His ways to walk, Nor have they hearkened to His law. 25 And He poureth on him fury, His anger, and the strength of battle, And it setteth him on fire round about, And he hath not known, And it burneth against him, and he layeth it not to heart!
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 42:10-25
Commentary on Isaiah 42:5-12
(Read Isaiah 42:5-12)
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 give to God those things which are his, taking heed that we do not serve the creature more than the Creator.
Commentary on Isaiah 42:13-17
(Read Isaiah 42:13-17)
The Lord will appear in his power and glory. He shall cry, in the preaching of his word. He shall cry aloud in the gospel woes, which must be preached with gospel blessings, to awaken a sleeping world. He shall conquer by the power of his Spirit. And those that contradict and blaspheme his gospel, he shall put to silence and shame; and that which hinders its progress shall be taken out of the way. To those who by nature were blind, God will show the way to life and happiness by Jesus Christ. They are weak in knowledge, but He will make darkness light. They are weak in duty, but their way shall be plain. Those whom God brings into the right way, he will guide in it. This passage is a prophecy, and is also applicable to every believer; for the Lord will never leave nor forsake them.
Commentary on Isaiah 42:18-25
(Read Isaiah 42:18-25)
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 the mischief sin makes; it provokes God to anger. And those not humbled by lesser judgments, must expect greater. Alas! how many professed Christians are blind as the benighted heathen! While the Lord is well-pleased in saving sinners through the righteousness of Christ he will also glorify his justice, by punishing all proud despisers. Seeing God has poured out his wrath on his once-favoured people, because of their sins, let us fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should be found to come short of it.