Is 42:1
"Behold my servant, I will uphold him; my chosen one, in whom my soul is well pleased; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment."
The Evangelist [Matthew] clearly interprets these things concerning Christ; therefore, there is no reason for us to seek another exposition. Nor is it strange that the Lord calls him "servant," for "he took the form of a servant and the likeness of sinful flesh," as Paul speaks [Philippians 2:7; Romans 8:3]. Add to this that this name ebed (עבד) among the Hebrews does not always refer to the servitude of slaves, but to worship and veneration. And who thus worshipped God as Christ the Lord? "I honor my Father" [John 8:49] and [c = et] "I will uphold him." The word properly signifies to sustain a thing or person so that it does not fall or perish [Exodus 17:12]: "Aaron and Hur upheld his hands," and above [Isaiah 33]: "Sustaining in office," etc. Moreover, to hold or support or sustain anyone is [a sign] of love and zeal.
"My chosen one." Although the name properly denotes election, among the Hebrews it is often military; for young men are chosen for war. He was chosen, therefore, as a leader and commander of the army of spiritual militia which he established on earth—unless you prefer to refer this election to love, as the following words suggest.
"In whom my soul is well pleased" or "has good will." The Vulgate repeats "in him" from the previous member, for those two Hebrew words sustineo (I uphold) and complaceo (I am well pleased) take a similar construction. The heavenly Father used nearly the same words when, with Jesus baptized and praying, he thundered: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" [Matthew 3:17].
"I have put my Spirit upon him." The Hebrew word implies breathing or afflatus; moreover, the Hebrew phrase denotes force and impetus. For that man Jesus was full of the Spirit of the Lord; "of his fullness we have all received" [John 1:16].
"He shall bring forth." He will promulgate, that is, he will speak out; and it is a periphrasis of royal or imperial power. Through the Gospel, indeed, the Son of God exercised judgment. Add that in the Church through his ministers he also declares law; and when princes themselves have given their name to Christ, they will not think they exercise judgments, as is fitting, to judge causes or render justice rightly, unless they first consult the law of Christ, etc.
Is 42:2
"He shall not cry out, nor show partiality, nor shall his voice be heard in the streets."
"He shall not cry out." The verb is rarely constructed without a noun; but when it is constructed with the name of "face" or "countenance" or "person," it signifies that vice which is commonly called "respect of persons" in judgment—namely, when, with the reason of the thing omitted, external factors are considered, and favor or honor is granted based on externals which do not pertain to the cause. The Vulgate, therefore, accepts it here as if some name were missing from those [terms]. It is also certain that if it be constructed with the name of "hand," it sometimes signifies one swearing, as [Exodus 6:8; Ezekiel 36:7]: "to lift up the hand," etc. And without the name of "hand," as we said above regarding chapter 3, where the Vulgate translates it with the word "responding," therefore someone might also accept this here as "to swear." But since the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 12, has rendered these two words with "contending" and "crying out," I prefer to understand this here regarding the elevation of voice which occurs in contentions. Thus it can also not poorly be understood in that place of chapter 3, just as below in verse 11. However, we can say that the Apostles were not so solicitous about words as about the sense in most places. Moreover, the clamor and oath belong to those contending, etc. Nor is this passage to be understood concerning other clamors than those of contention and strife. For the Lord "on the great day of the feast cried out, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me" [John 7:37], and in other places he is said in the Gospel to have lifted up his voice.
Is 42:3
"A bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench."
I think this is a proverb taken from the common people which denotes gentleness. For there are some who, by a vice of nature, are noxious, who ruin everything they meet, or without any profit to themselves are cruel and harsh, who inconvenience brute animals doing no harm; which is a sign of an immitis [unyielding] spirit. Hence Scripture commends gentleness even toward brute animals. That these things are to be understood thus, the place in the Gospel shows. For when the Pharisees, on account of the miracles, were taking counsel to destroy him, the Lord Jesus is narrated to have withdrawn from there and healed very many of those who followed him, whom he commanded not to make him manifest, "that what was spoken might be fulfilled," etc. [Matthew 12:15-17]. The Pharisees were therefore a "bruised reed," but one which still retained the appearance of integrity. He did not wish to drive them, now exasperated, into fury and destroy them completely, which he would have done if, when he saw them indignant, he had persisted in the occasion and not departed from there.
"Smoking," that is, in which some light still remains. The Hebrew word keheh (כהה) signifies to be obscured; hence it is accepted as to be disturbed or moved. See the following verse below [Isaiah 61:3]: "A garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness," that is, disturbed.
"In truth," or rather "into truth," he shall bring forth. He shall cause to go out, that is, he shall promulgate, as if he were delivering a sentence for truth, or in causes he shall act so that the end is truth, and truth may shine forth and conquer.
Is 42:4
"He shall not be sad nor turbulent, until he establishes judgment in the earth, and the coastlands shall wait for his law."
"He shall not be sad." The Vulgate refers the obscurity here [of the Hebrew word] to sadness of soul, as Ezekiel 2: "Every spirit shall be obscure." But it can be referred to disturbance of mind from anger, as 1 Samuel 1:6: "Nor was he obscure toward her," that is, he was not moved. So by this member and the following, he notes him as far alien from perturbations of the mind—when, namely, men struck by either anger or love or some similar affection are carried to render judgment—unless you prefer to accept these two as quasi-opposites, and interpret this first member concerning that vice by which the countenance is overshadowed by excessive sadness, the eyebrows drawn together. You could call men of this sort tetricos [gloomy/stern]. We Portuguese [Lusitani], detesting this kind of vice, compare such men to very dark places and call them by names transferred now from "weight" (pondus), now from "shadow" (umbra). To this vice is opposed, as it were, levity and precipitousness, concerning which the following member [speaks].
"Turbulentus," that is, he shall not be carried like a whirlwind; he will not be rash in delivering sentence, as angry or even light men are wont to be. You could translate: he will not rush forward, or he will not be precipitous; he will not be carried by impulse, but with the utmost prudence he will judge the matter or cause.
"Until he establishes," that is, as long as he declares law on earth and acts among the living and governs mortals, etc. Or, until he brings it about that justice flourishes on earth. For by his gentleness and prudence he will propagate the Kingdom of God, in which true justice of souls flourishes. For if he had blazed with anger against men, as they deserved, and immediately taken penalties from the Jews who did not receive him, and destroyed that nation, the justice which arose from the Jews through evangelical preaching would not have come into the world. Therefore, patience conquered and long-suffering, not only before his passion but also after death. Nor did he immediately destroy those homicides who killed the heir, but the Gospel was preached to them for forty years, until from among them a few came forth who would fill the world with divine seed. This same gentleness and patience his disciples exhibited, nor otherwise would they have subdued the world to God. For these were that "good earth" which brought forth much fruit in patience [Luke 8:15]. Therefore, the first thing which Paul said ought to be expected from God's ministers is patience, etc. "In all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God," he says, "in much patience," etc. [2 Corinthians 6:4]. Whence soon, explaining as it were the fruit of gentleness, the prophet adds: "The law of him," or his institution, "the islands," that is, every most remote nation, "shall wait for." Cyprus, Rhodes, and all the islands of the Aegean Sea, Crete, all Greece, Italy, Gaul, and Spain, which Scripture often calls by the name of islands, as I have said more than once. Finally, the whole world. Our faith, therefore, is the fruit of the patience and gentleness of Christ and his Apostles. So that those who wish to recall and restore Christian discipline may see with what arms they ought to proceed equipped. Moreover, in these last words the particle ad [until] can be repeated in this manner: "And until the islands wait for his institution," and the whole world be made subject to God.
Is 42:5
"Thus says the Lord God, creating the heavens and stretching them out, establishing the earth and the things that spring from it, giving breath to the people who are upon it, and spirit to those who tread upon it."
"Thus says," or "Thus he said." It can be referred to the past things which he had said in the four verses above concerning Christ the Lord, which he repeats in other words in verses 6 and 7, namely, the promises concerning Christ: that by his gentleness and long-suffering he would plant justice in the whole earth, and that he would be for a light. For what purpose the prophet says these things, you will see in verse 8 and 9.
"Establishing the earth." Which the Vulgate rendered with the word "firming," just as they are accustomed to translate the name raqia as "firmament," properly signifies "to stretch out," concerning which above chapter 40, verse 22. But concerning the earth it is said metaphorically on account of the apparent surface in breadth and length, even if otherwise it is round; but Scripture is accustomed to speak often with the common people.
"Stretching them out." In Hebrew the first participle is singular "creating," but this one is in plural form "stretching out," unless you say the yod is redundant and is paragogic. Our people refer this to the mystery of the distinction of persons in the unity of essence [The Trinity].
Is 42:6
"I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness, and I have taken your hand, and preserved you, and given you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles."
"I have called you in righteousness." That is, with the goodness with which I am endowed, I have excited you and made it so that you were born on earth. For "to call" is sometimes used by the Hebrews for "to adduce/bring," as "to call famine upon the earth" [Haggai 1:9], "to call drought" [Ezekiel 36:29], "to call grain" [Isaiah 41:25], "calling generations," etc. By which trope the Hebrews note the power of God. Or "in righteousness" or "with righteousness" can be referred to Christ himself, that he brought him full of justice and holiness, that he himself might be just and justifying others, as it is with Paul [Romans 3:26]. For since he came to establish judgment or justice on earth, it was necessary that he appear with justice. Finally, the justice and holiness of Christ all Scripture preaches.
"I have taken your hand," or "I have taken you by your hand," which is to offer favor and aid. For the Father favored Christ the Son, and preserved him so that he would not remain in death; indeed, by his death he might save very many, not only by effective redemption but also by the exhibition of such great love.
"And I have given you as a covenant." The Father gave, clearly so that the Son himself might be the covenant, that is, reconciliation, that he might reconcile us to himself. For through him we have received remission, etc. But truly, because it was not enough for us to be reconciled if we still remained in the darkness of ignorance, by which we were overwhelmed, or we could not see how great a benefit we had received in reconciliation, or where we ought to go, or by what reason our life ought to be instituted, therefore Christ the Lord was given to us also "as a light," given as Simeon sang: "A light for revelation to the Gentiles" [Luke 2:32].
Is 42:7
"That you might open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth from confinement the prisoner, from the prison house those sitting in darkness."
"That you might open." He explains in part what preceded a little before; and it is what the Lord himself says in the Gospel of John: "I have come that those who do not see may see" [John 9:39]. In Hebrew it is "blind eyes" or "blinded," and he speaks of spiritual blindness, just as of the loosing of the bound and the leading out of those who were in obscurity. He soon subjoins, to which place Zacharias looked when he said the Lord had risen "to enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" [Luke 1:79]. For sins not only bind us and gird us as with ropes lest we hasten freely to life and to what God commands, but also cast darkness upon the mind, so that we do not see the bindings themselves, and gradually accustomed to the darkness, we hate the light, and in that sad and miserable manner of life, ignoring the blessed seats or certainly doing nothing, we sit at home. But the Lord Jesus deletes sins, looses the bonds, disperses the darkness; from which evils when they are snatched away, they then think themselves born, and him as the fountain and author of all good they cannot but love. Oh miserable ones who disdain this exchange!
CONTINUE
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