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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Isaiah 42:3

A bruised reed, the fragile stem of a plant which has been bent to the point of breaking off, shall He not break, and the smoking flax, a wick which is at the point of becoming extinguished, shall He not quench, not put out entirely, that is, the Savior would make use of true pastoral mildness in dealing with hearts which are broken and contrite, not only by not driving them to despair, but by seeking them and caring for them with His full Savior's love. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth, bringing it to the Gentiles, making it known to them in deed and in truth, working faith in their hearts.

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See also Isaiah 42:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    A BRUISED REED - The word ‘reed’ means the cane or calamus which grows up in marshy or wet places (Isaiah 36:6; see the note at Isaiah 43:24). The word, therefore, literally denotes that which is frag...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 42 The True Servant of Jehovah 1. _The Servant of Jehovah and His mission (Isaiah 42:1)_ 2. _His future work among the nations (Isaiah 42:5)_ 3. The future song of redemption glory (Isaiah 42...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MISSION OF YAHWEH'S SERVANT (the first of the four so-called Servant Songs; see Introd.). Yahweh bids the nations consider His Servant Israel, whom He sustains and loves. He has equipped him like...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THE SMOKING FLAX: i.e. the wick (made of flax) that is burning dim. FLAX. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), for the wick made of it. NOT QUENCH: i.e. not put it out, but trim it and mak...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    His gentleness towards the downtrodden expiring good in men. _the smoking flax_ R.V. marg. THE DIMLY BURNING WICK. The metaphor (like the preceding) involves a _litotes_: the meaning is that instead o...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Israel as the Lord's Servant. The features of the portrait are these: (1) It starts from the thought of ch. Isaiah 41:8 ff., the _election_by which Israel is constituted the Servant of Jehovah; but th...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 1008 THE CHURCH A ROYAL DIADEM Isaiah 42:3. _Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God._ IT was promised to our blessed Lord, t...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HE SHALL NOT CRY, &C.— This beautiful passage sets forth not only the method of this great teacher's instruction, but also the kind and quality of that instruction. Indeed, there is so close an affini...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. COVENANT, CHAPTER 42 a. SEE MY SERVANT TEXT: Isaiah 42:1-9 1 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. A BRUISED REED SHALL HE NOT BREAK. "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him" (; ; );...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    42:3 to (f-21) Or 'for the truth.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE IDEAL SERVANT 1-9. The characteristics and functions of Israel as the ideal Servant of Jehovah. 10-17 A song of praise to Jehovah. 18-25. The deficiencies of the actual Israel, considered as Je...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SMOKING FLAX] RM 'dimly-burning wick.' UNTO TRUTH] RV 'in truth.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Isaiah uses pictures in words to show the Servant’s quiet kindness and care for all weak people (see Matthew 12:20-21)....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD PROMISES COMFORT TO HIS PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 40 TO 48 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 42 The *Old Testament calls several people ‘the *Lord’s servant’. Moses is...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A BRUISED REED SHALL HE NOT BREAK... — Physical, moral, spiritual weakness are all brought under the same similitude. In another context the image has met us in Isaiah 36:6. The simple negative “he sh...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבֹּ֔ור וּ פִשְׁתָּ֥ה...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XVIII THE SERVICE OF GOD AND MAN Isaiah 42:1 WE now understand whom to regard as the Servant of the Lord. The Service of God was a commission to witness and prophesy for God upon earth, made...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    BOOK 3 THE SERVANT OF THE LORD HAVING completed our survey of the fundamental truths of our prophecy, and studied the subject which forms its immediate and most urgent interest, the deliverance of I...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER I THE DATE OF Isaiah 40:1; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 43:1;...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE WORK OF THE LORD'S SERVANT Isaiah 42:1-13 We cannot doubt the application of this passage to our Lord, Matthew 12:18-20. The unobtrusiveness of His life and work was clearly demonstrated in every...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The manifesto now presents the great Servant of Jehovah. His person is first described. His manifestation is announced (verse Isaiah 42:1), His mission is declared (verse Isaiah 42:1), His method is d...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    A (f) bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking (g) flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment to (h) truth. (f) He will not hurt the weak and feeble, but support and comfort them...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Had we any doubt whether the Prophet were speaking of himself, as God's servant, or of some other man, the Evangelist would decide the inquiry; for in the account he gives of the Person and ministry o...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._A bruised reed he shall not break. _After having declared in general that Christ will be unlike earthly princes, he next mentions his mildness in this respect, that he will support the weak and fee...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 41, 42, AND 43. Chapter 41 begins the historical details which prove this. Who raised up Cyrus to overthrow idolatry? But in the midst of the havoc he made of...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    A BRUISED REED SHALL NOT BREAK,.... The tenderness of Christ to weak and ignorant persons is here and in the next clause expressed; by whom young converts or weak believers seem to be designed; who ar...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Ver. 3. _A bruised reed shall he not break,_] _i.e., _ A contrite heart, Psa 51:...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Isa. 42:3. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth." The thing most directly intended in this verse seems to be the perse...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He shall not cry_ In a way of contention or ostentation. He shall neither erect nor govern his kingdom with violence or outward pomp and state, like worldly princes, but with meekness and humility. _...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    SMOKING: Or, dimly burning QUENCH: _ Heb._ quench it...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-4 This prophecy was fulfilled in Christ, Matthew 12:17. Let our souls rely on him, and rejoice in him; then, for his sake, the Father will be well-pleased with us. The Holy Spirit not only came, bu...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    A BRUISED REED SHALL HE NOT BREAK; he will not break it to pieces, but rather will strengthen and bind it up. It is a common figure, whereby more is understood than was expressed, and one contrary is...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 42:3 bruised H7533 (H8803) reed H7070 break H7665 (H8799) smoking H3544 flax H6594 quench H3518 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SERVANT OF YAHWEH (ISAIAH 42:1). Isaiah 42:1 “Behold my servant whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom my soul delights, I have put my Spirit upon him, He will bring forth judgment to the Genti...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 42:3 I. Consider, first, the representation of the servant of the Lord as the restorer of the bruise that it may not be broken. "He shall not break the bruised reed." Here is the picture. A sle...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 42:3 _(Matthew 12:20)_ I. The first reference of this passage is to Christ's cause _in the world._Thus interpreted, the passage is full of inspiration to each Christian philanthropist. Christ'...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    This book might well be called «the gospel according to Isaiah,» for it is full of evangelical truth. Isaiah 42:1. _Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have pu...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Isaiah 42:1. _Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles._ Verily this prophecy is concerni...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Christ, servant of Jehovah. Chastening of Israel and the final restoration. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: A day is coming when all who have contradicted and blasphemed the Gospel of...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 42:1. _Behold my servant._ In the Chaldaic, the Messiah; and so the whole passage is cited from the LXX. Matthew 12:17. All other applications of the word “servant” are superseded. Christ took...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _A bruised reed shall He not break_ THE BRUISED REED The reed, or “calamus,” is a plant with hollow stem, which grew principally by the side of lakes or rivers. Those who have been in Palestine are...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He shall not cry_ JESUS CHRIST NOT A CONTROVERSIALIST He is not a debater; He does not belong to the society of men who walk up and down in the open square, called the “street,” or _agora, _or the...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Behold My Servant_ WHO IS THE “SERVANT OF JEHOVAH”? The following are, in brief, the leading opinions which have been held: (1) Hitzig’s, that the Jewish people in exile is referred to, as disting...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 42:1 This is the first of four Servant Songs, fulfilled in Jesus Christ (see also Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 5

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE SERVANT OF THE LORD Isaiah 42:1. _Behold My servant, &c._ It is difficult for us who have history, with all its definiteness, to realise the inestimable value of prophecy, notwithstanding its vag...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE FATHER’S ELECT SERVANT (_Missionary Sermon._) Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 42:4. _Behold My Servant, &c._ These words belong to one of the most impressive portions of the prophetic Scriptures, and unquest...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ISAIAH 42:1 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, AND THE WORK WHICH HE WILL PERFORM. There are comparatively few

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now God speaks of another servant. This is His righteous servant, even Jesus Christ. And now Isaiah begins to prophesy concerning Christ, the servant of God. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine el...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ezekiel 34:16; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 2:18; Isaiah 11:3; Isaiah 11:4;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Break — Christ will not deal rigorously with those that come to him, but he will use all gentleness, cherishing the smallest beginnings of grace, comforting and healing wounded consciences. Quench — T...

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