Isaiah 42:1

The election, equipment, and mission of the Servant.

Behold my servant LXX. reads Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖς μου ("Jacob my servant") and in the next line, Ἰσραὴλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου ("Israel my chosen").

whom I uphold Cf. ch. Isaiah 41:10.

mine elect R.V. my chosen. Used of Israel ch. Isaiah 43:20; Isaiah 45:4; cf. the verb in Isaiah 41:8 etc.; and Deuteronomy 7:7 &c.

I have put my spirit upon him The Servant's function being prophetic, he is, like the prophets, endowed with the spirit of Jehovah. Cf. ch. Isaiah 11:2 ff., where the Messiah is endowed with the Spirit for His royal functions.

he shall bring forth(or send forth) judgment to the nations] This is the ultimate purpose of the Servant's being raised up, the diffusion of the true religion throughout the world. The word "judgement" (mishpâṭ) occurs three times in these few verses, and evidently in a special sense. The plural is often used of the ordinances (lit. "judicial decisions") of Jehovah; these are sometimes viewed as a unity and described by the sing. (see ch. Isaiah 51:4; Jeremiah 5:4; Jeremiah 8:7). This is the sense here; it means the religion of Jehovah regarded as a system of practical ordinances. All recent commentators instance the close parallel of the Arabic dîn, which denotes both a system of usages and a religion. This the Servant shall "send forth" to the nations by his prophetic word. The best commentary on the passage is ch. Isaiah 2:1-4.