Isaiah 42:16

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. AND I WILL BRING THE BLIND - God's people, Israel, in captivity, needing a guide. In the ulterior sense, the New Testament Church, which was about to be led and enlightened by the Son of God as its leader and shepherd in the wilderness of the Roman empire, until it should reach a city of habitation. A WAY (THAT) THEY KNEW NOT - refers to the various means employed by Providence for the establishment of the Church in the world, such as would never have occurred to the mind of mere man. "Blind," they are called, as not having heretofore seen God's ways in ordering His Church. I WILL MAKE DARKNESS LIGHT BEFORE THEM - the glorious issue would only...

16._And I will lead the blind. _After having shewn that the strength of the enemies cannot prevent God from delivering his people, he proceeds with that consolation to which he had formerly adverted. He describes by the word _blind _those whose affairs are so difficult, and intricate, and disordered, that they know not to what hand to turn, or in what direction to flee, and, in short, who see no means of escape, but deep gulfs on every hand. When our affairs proceed smoothly enough, a plain and easy path is placed before our eyes; and, in like manner, when our affairs are painful and distressing, and especially when they hold out no hope of relief, but threaten destruction to us, and are covered with deep and melancholy darkness, we are blinded. When we have thus no means of escape, the Prophet tells us that at that very time we ought, especially to hope and to look for assistance from t...

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....

Verse Isaiah 42:16. _IN PATHS_] The _Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate_, and nine MSS., (two ancient,) read ובנתיבות _ubenotiboth_. _WILL I DO UNTO THEM_] עשיתם _asitem_. This word, so written as it is in the text, means "thou wilt do," in the second person. The Masoretes have indeed pointed it for the first person; but the י _yod_ in the last syllable is absolutely necessary to distinguish the first person; and so it is written in forty MSS., עשיתים _asithim_. _Jarchi, Kimchi, Sal. ben Melec_, c., agree that the past time is here put for the future, עשיתי _asithi_ for אעשה and indeed the context necessarily requires that interpretation. Farther it is to be observed that עשיתים _asithim_ is put for עשיתי להם _asithi_ _lahem_, "I have done them," for "I have done for them;" as עשיתני asitheni

AND I WILL LEAD THE BLIND - Having said in the previous verses what he would do to his enemies, God now speaks of his people. He would conduct them to their own land, as a blind people that needed a guide, and would remove whatever obstacle there was in their way. By the ‘blind’ here, he refers doubtless to his own people. The term is applied originally to his people in captivity, as being ignorant, after their seventy years’ exile, of the way of return to their own land. It is possible that it may have a reference to the fact, so often charged on them, that they were characteristically a stupid and spiritually blind people. But it is more probable that it is the language of tenderness rather than that of objurgation; and denotes their ignorance of the way of return, and their need of a guide, rather than their guilt, and hardness of heart. If applied to the people of God under the New T...

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 42:1 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, AND THE WORK WHICH HE WILL PERFORM. There are comparatively few who deny that, in this place at any rate, the "Servant of the Lord" is the Messiah. (So the Targum on the passage; so Abar-barnel; so, among moderns, Oehler, Delitzsch, and Mr. Cheyne.) The portraiture has "so strong an individuality and such marked personal features, that it cannot possibly be a mere personified collective;" and it goes so "infinitely _beyond _anything of which a man was ever capable that it can only be the future Christ" (Delitzsch). It may be added that St. Matthew ...

AND I WILL BRING THE BLIND BY A WAY THAT THEY KNEW NOT,.... The Targum interprets this of the people of Israel, thus, "I will lead the house of Israel, which are like to the blind, in a way which they knew not.'' But it is better to understand it of the Gentiles, who, before the light of the Gospel came among them, were blind as to the true knowledge of God, and especially as in Christ; and of Christ, and the way of peace, life, and salvation by him; and of themselves, and their miserable estate and condition; and of the Spirit of God, and his operations; and of the Scriptures, the Gospel, and the doctrines of it; and which is the case of all men in a state of nature: but the Lord, by his Spirit, opens the eyes of their understandings, and shows them those things they were blind in, and ignorant of, and brings them by a way they knew not before; which way is Christ, the only way to the...

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 put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles._ Of whom speaketh the prophet this, but of the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth? He was upheld by the mighty power of God. He was the Lord's chosen. The Spirit of God rested upon him, and this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears, for he hath brought forth righteousness to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:2. _He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street._ He shall be no clamorous seeker after applause. He shall not shout as those that seek for the mastery. Now the Saviour

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 42:10)_ 4. _Jehovah's manifestation in power (Isaiah 42:14)_ 5. _The address of exhortation to the deaf and blind nation (Isaiah 42:18) _ Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 12:20) tells us that this servant is the Lord Jesus Christ. Mark t

YAHWEH HAS LONG RESTRAINED HIMSELF: AT LAST HE WILL CRUSH HIS FOES AND HELP HIS SERVANTS. Long inactive, Yahweh is now filled with desire to intervene. He will ravage and lay waste the lands of His foes: but His people He will bring carefully and tenderly home, thus overwhelming the idolators with shame. ISAIAH 42:15. ISLANDS: read, parched ground. Isaiah 42:16. Read, on the way, and omit the next four words. FORSAKE: leave undone....