From: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
First Song of the Servant of the Lord
[6] “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the
hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the
nations, [7] to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the
dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”
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Commentary:
42:1-9. The Lord, who revealed his power by creating the world (40:12-31) and
showed his determination to save mankind by his intervention in history (4l:1-29),
now announces a new stage in his plans (v. 9). To advance them he will give a
special mission to the “servant of the Lord”; in the prophetic text, this personage
plays the key role in making known and putting into effect the salvific plans of
God. Four passages over the course of chapters 42-55 speak of the servant and
his mission; these passages may originally have made up a poem of their own.
These oracles are usually called the “Songs of the Servant”. Most biblical scho-
lars see 42:1-9 as being the first song or, rather, the first stanza of that poem.
The other three passages are: 49:1-6; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12. They combine
to make a very beautiful poem, but they raise difficult questions as to style and
content. They have been the subject of a great deal of commentary, and the
identity of the “servant” is still a matter of debate. Those who consider the four
passages to be parts of the one poem take it that the “servant” in each is one
and the same person and has one and the same mission. Scholars who do not
regard the four passages as originally part of a single poem interpret the person
and mission of the servant as being different in each.
There are basically three theories as to who the servant is. One theory is that he
is a particular individual — a king of the house of Judah, or the prophet himself or,
Of course, a future Messiah, who will redeem Israel The second theory is that the
servant is a collectivity he stands for Israel, or for some group within Israel. The
third theory argues that the servant is meant to be depicted ambiguously — that is
in a way that allows him to be interpreted in both of the ways mentioned previous-
ly — as a person of significance but someone who can symbolize all Israel.
In this first song (vv 1-9) the servant certainly comes across as a figure of mystery:
v. 1 gives him very special universal transcendental attributes, Verses 2-3a show
his humility but they are followed immediately by verses saying that he is some-
one able to “establish justice in the earth”, to be “a light to the nations’ someone
who can “bring light to the nations” and “open the eyes that are blind and set cap-
tives free...”. The “servant” can do all this because the Lord has “put his Spirit on
him” (cf. v. 1), that is, he is someone chosen by God and he has the help of the
Spirit of the Lord to carry out his mission to teach his Law to the very ends of the
earth. So, these words could be describing the prophet’s own conviction that he
has a mission to perform — to proclaim the word of God; a mission that he did not
seek but, rather, had given to him. But the servant could also stand for the whole
people of Israel (cf. 41:8) — for in the same way were the people chosen by God
to bear witness to him before all mankind concerning the Law they had received
from the Lord.
The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles without attempting to discover exact-
ly who this servant was originally (or whom he was meant to stand for) interpre-
ted the main features of the servant as being a prophecy about Jesus, in whom
the Father is most pleased, and who, in the unity of the Holy Spirit is truly the
light for all nations and the liberation of all the oppressed. For example, in the
accounts of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and of the Transfiguration, the
voice of the Father refers to those features: This is my beloved Son with whom
I am well pleased (Mt 3:17); “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” (Lk
9:35). The Gospel of Matthew, which makes a point of showing that the Scrip-
tures find fulfillment in Jesus, explicitly quotes vv. 2-4 of this oracle of Isaiah to
show that in Jesus is fulfilled the prophecy of the servant, who was rejected by
the leaders of the people and whose quiet and kindly teaching would bring the
light of truth to the world (Mt 12:15-21). And later in his Gospel, when St Mat-
thew recounts the passion and death of our Lord (cf. Mt 27:30), he again makes
the link between Christ and the servant.
The expression “light to the nations” (v. 6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus
says about his being the light of the world (Jn 8:12; 9:5) and also in the “Bene-
dictus” of Zechariah (Lk 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v. 7 in Jesus’ reply to
the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is he who is to
come (cf. Mt 11:4-6: Lk 7:18-22); cf. the note on 29:15-24. And so St Justin will
say, commenting on vv. 6-7: “Everything that is said here, my friends, refers to
Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence” (Dialo-
gus Cum Tryphone”, 122, 2).
The Church in the Second Vatican Council acknowledges her duty to strive to
use every opportunity to show that Christ is truly, the “light of the nations” (v. 6):
“Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, this Sacred Synod gathered
together in the Holy Spirit eagerly desires by proclaiming the Gospel to every
creature, to bring the light of Christ to all men a light brightly visible on the
countenance of the Church (”Lumen Gentium”, 1).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Prologue: Promise of Deliverance
[9] Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your
voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say
to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” [10] Behold, the Lord God comes with
might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recom-
pense before him. [11] He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the
lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that
are with young.
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Commentary:
40:1-55:13. These chapters make up the second part of the book of Isaiah, also
known as “Second Isaiah” or “Deutero-Isaiah”. Almost everything here refers to a
period of history one or two centuries later than that of “First Isaiah”. The oppres-
sor is no longer Assyria but Babylon, which conquered Jerusalem in 587-586 BC,
and then began a series of deportations that sent the upper classes of Jerusalem
and Judah into exile. Many years later (539 BC), Cyrus, king of the Persians,
conquered the Babylonians and issued a decree allowing those deportees who
so wished to return home. These events are echoed in Second Isaiah’s oracles,
songs, lamentations and denunciations,and the prophetic visions of the final, en-
during deliverance and restoration of the chosen people and the city of Zion.
The various literary units in this part of the book are grouped into two Is 52:7-11
sections more or less by subject. The first (40:1-48:22) implies that the Jews are
still held against their will in Babylon. Their deliverance is announced, thanks to
the power of the Lord, who rules the world and determines the course of human
affairs; he has chosen Cyrus, king of Persia, called here his “anointed”, his mes-
siah, to redeem Israel from exile (44:24-45:25).
This section, too, contains the announcement that God will choose a “servant”,
whom he will send empowered by the Spirit to establish law and justice (42:1-9,
the first “song of the Servant”).
The second section celebrates the glorious restoration of the people of God on
Zion; in this, too, the “Servant of the Lord” will play the key role; the section con-
tains the last three “songs of the Servant” (49: 1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12).
40:1-48:22. The historical background to these chapters is the time immediately
after the return of the exiles from Babylon, which is depicted as a “new exodus”.
The exodus from Egypt was the prototype of all God’s interventions on his peo-
ple’s behalf: now we hear of another one, “new” because the power with which
God, the Creator of all things, acts now surpasses that to be seen in the exodus.
The news that deliverance is at hand greatly consoles the people: we are told
this at the start, and it is repeated in the oracles that follow. For this reason, this
part of the book of Isaiah is usually called the “Book of Consolation”, and it has
been interpreted as an anticipation of the consolation that Christ will bring: “The
true consolation, balm and release from all human ills is the Incarnation of our
God and Saviour” (Theodoret of Cyrus, “Commentaria In Isaiam”, 40, 3).
The section opens with a song of joy over the imminent release of the exiles (40:
1-11). After this a number of oracles are grouped together which describe the rea-
son why the people should hope in the Lord who is mighty and desires to save,
who is ready to do so (42:1-25), to manifest himself as the Redeemer of Israel
(43:1-44:23) and bring salvation to Jerusalem (44:24-48:19). The section ends
with a prophecy of the redemption of his people and a call to leave Babylon (48:
20-22).
40:1-11. The section begins on a formal note with an anonymous voice proclai-
ming the Lord’s consolation (vv 1-5) The same voice calls on the prophet himself
to proclaim that the word of God and his message of salvation will endure forever
(vv. 6-11). The oracles are addressed to those people of Jerusalem who have
been deported to Babylon. When they were first spoken, many decades had
passed since these people and the previous generation were forced to leave the
holy city. Those years of suffering and exile have more than atoned for their sins.
The time comes for them, with the Lord’s help, to set out on the return journey.
That journey is mentioned throughout this section. The voice speaking in the
name of the Lord boosts their morale: it won’t be a difficult journey; they will find
a way opened up for them which will bring them to the glory of the Lord. As in
the exodus from Egypt, on the “way” from Babylon to Jerusalem they will see
wonderful evidence of the power of God. The words spoken by the mysterious
voice, inviting them to set out, fills the returnees with hope.
The four Gospels see these words fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist,
who is the voice crying in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord” (cf. v. 3).
And, indeed, John, with his call to personal conversion and his baptism of repen-
tance, does prepare the way for people to find Jesus (cf. Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4;
Jn 1:23), whom the Gospels confess to be “the Lord” (cf. v. 3). John the Baptist
is his herald, the “precursor”: “The voice commands that a way be opened for
the Word of God, the path smoothed and all obstacles removed: when our God
comes, he will be able to walk without hindrance. Prepare the way of the Lord:
this means to preach the gospel and to offer consolation to his people, with the
desire that the salvation of God embrace all mankind” (Eusebius of Caesarea,
“Commentana In Isaiam”, 40, 366). Hence, in Christian tradition, “John the Bap-
tist is ‘more than a prophet’ (Lk 7:26). In him, the Holy Spirit concludes his spea-
king through the prophets. John completes the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah
(cf. Mt 11:13-14). He proclaims the imminence of the consolation of Israel; he is
the ‘voice’ of the Consoler who is coming (Jn 1:23; cf. Is 40:1-3)” (”Catechism of
the Catholic Church”, 719).
In the second part of the oracle, the anonymous voice asks the prophet to speak
in the name of the Lord (vv. 6-8). Merely human plans can only go so far; but the
word of God stands forever In the things that the voice says there must be an al-
lusion to the might of Babylon, which withers like the “flower of the field” when
the “breath of the Lord blows upon it”, because it challenged the goodness of
God. The message to be given to the people speaks of trusting in the power of
God, who comes not to lay waste but to protect and recompense those in his
care (vv. 9-11). Here we find for the first time the simile of the “flock” being ap-
plied to the people of God, one of a number of figures of speech used in Holy
Scripture to describe God’s tender care of his people (cf. Jer 23:3; Ezek 34:1ff;
Ps 23:4) and which Christian tradition uses to explain the mystery of the Church:
“The Church is a sheepfold whose one and indispensable door is Christ (Jn 10:
1-10). It is a flock of which God himself foretold he would be the shepherd (Is 40:
11; Ezek 34:11-31), and whose sheep, although ruled by human shepherds, are
nevertheless continuously led and nourished by Christ himself, the Good Shep-
herd and the Prince of the shepherds (cf. Jn 10:11; 1 Pet 5:4), who gave his life
for the sheep (cf. Jn 10:11-15)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 6). The words of
vv. 6-8 will later be used in the First Letter of St Peter to confirm the validity of
the precept of brotherly love (1 Pet 1:24-25).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.