Isaiah 42:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Similarly, the idea that He is sustained by an angel should be viewed through the lens of His humanity, as it is unfathomable for the One to whom all things belong to require assistance from a servant, consistent with the scripture, "By Him all things began to be, and without Him nothing began to be that began to be" (John 1:3). If all creation exists through Him, how could He need the support of an angel? He states, "I will put my spirit upon Him," which signifies the profound grace of God bestowed upon us through Him, echoing the words of the Apostle: "The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5). Without the purification of souls, such gifts cannot be received. Christ, who received the Holy Spirit not out of necessity but as an exemplar, desires that all should attain holiness and become worthy temples of the Holy Spirit. He shall declare judgment to the nations, a statement necessitating further explanation. The customs of ancient times were often shameful and immoral: sons acted atrocious toward their mothers, daughters toward their fathers; some engaged in fratricide and were met with violence from their own kin, displaying a temperament even more savage than that of wild beasts. Contrarily, the current age is not characterized by such behaviors: the sheep and the wolves coexist peacefully, and the leopard rests beside the goat, as foretold: "From Zion shall the law come forth, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem" (Is. 2:3). He shall evaluate the nations' religions, performing two miraculous actions: He caused them to shun evil and embrace a righteous life. The Jews, despite constantly having the law before them, strayed from the truth due to their waywardness; meanwhile, the Gentiles, who were more uncivilized than brute beasts, have exhibited admirable virtues. It is appropriately declared that He will proclaim rather than fulfill, for He came to announce that which was hidden before, as indicated by the parable, "The sower went out to sow" (Luke 8:5). He brought forth and disseminated the extraordinary gift from the Father’s treasury—a heavenly faith that venerates and extols the true God—worth far more than gold or any royal treasures. He promised us the crown of eternal life, forewarned us of the final judgement, and instilled within us a reverence for that judgement, serving as a guiding bridle. He beautified our souls with a multitude of virtues and eradicated the wickedness and passions that tormented us. These are the profound blessings that He has granted! He did not merely speak of future destinies but also addressed our present circumstances, referencing the tower that fell, which killed many, and the incident of Pilate mixing blood with the sacrifices (Luke 13:1-5). He remained vocal about the future within the old covenant and did not obscure the imminent future in the new, illustrating that each law carries its own authority.

However, since He assumed humanity, He formed a union with mankind. Therefore, we must hold with absolute certainty that He is akin to us. Thus, when it is stated that He will inherit dominion over all, this inheritance pertains to the work of the flesh rather than the glory for which He is acknowledged as the Lord of all. He is referred to as Jacob and Israel because He was born in the flesh from the lineage of Jacob, who was renamed Israel. He declares, "I will welcome Him," and He identifies Him as chosen, for the Father exalted the Son and performed astonishing deeds as if through His own power; indeed, He is chosen, being fairer than the sons of men (Psalm 44:3) and delightful as the beloved (Isaiah 5:1). The Father and God were well pleased with Him, hence He stated, "This is my beloved Son, and I am well pleased with Him" (Matthew 3:17). He was anointed in His humanity and, as stated, received the Holy Spirit, although He Himself gives the Spirit and sanctifies creation. This was made clear when He said, "I have placed my Spirit upon Him." Specifically, at His baptism, the Spirit descended upon Him from heaven in the form of a dove and remained with Him. Therefore, at the moment of His baptism, He received the Spirit in His human nature; this occurred with other things as well. For He was not sanctified as God, since having received the Spirit, He remains the sanctifier, but rather, He was revealed as man among us. He was anointed that He might also proclaim justice with His voice. By judgment, He refers to righteousness. He justified them by condemning Satan, the self-serving one. This lesson was taught by Him, for He said, "Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out, and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:31-32). He predetermined the downfall of the one who held selfish dominion over the heavenly realms, and through righteous judgment, He delivered those who had been misled.

The name exalted above every name (which signifies His divinity) was bestowed upon Him so that every knee would bow (Phlp 2:9-10) to the One who humbled Himself for our sake and manifested the image of God with the heart of a servant. This revelation was intended for the whole house of Israel to recognize that God appointed the Lord and His Anointed One (cf. Acts 2:36). This came to fruition through the will of the One who begot Him and according to the delight of the Father.

Further elaboration can be found in both our interpretations of Matthew and a recent correspondence we wrote to Algazia. It is also noteworthy that the Apostles' countenance includes mentions of James and Israel, alongside the descendants of Abraham, to whom it is aptly stated, "Fear not, you worm Jacob, you little Israel." However, when Christ is foretold, Jacob and Israel are not included. Behold my servant, I will accept him, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. Additionally, I have appointed you as a covenant to the people, a light to the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to release those imprisoned, and to bring those who dwell in darkness out of the dungeon (Isaiah 42:6-7).

It is unsurprising that he who was born of a woman and subject to the law (Galatians 4:4) is referred to as a servant, having taken the form of a servant and become like a man (Philippians 2:7). My soul delights in him, seeing that he embodies all power, or rather that he is indeed the power and wisdom of God. He claims, "I have placed my spirit upon him," which descended in the likeness of a dove. He will declare a judgment to the nations that they have not yet known. He will not cry out, as he embodies humility and gentleness, nor will he fashion a facade or raise his voice in a loud manner. Alternatively, per Symmachus, he will not be deceived, understanding all the schemes of the adversary, or, as translated by the Seventy, he will not abandon the Jewish people, calling them to repentance. His voice will not be heard outside, for he did not spread the Gospel beyond Galilee and Judea. While it is noted that he was present in Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15) or in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi, it is clear that he did not enter these cities directly.

A bruised reed he will not break, for he will extend mercy to all and forgive sinners, telling the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace" (Luke 7:50). He will not extinguish the smoldering wick; rather, he preserves those in danger of being extinguished, showing mercy to both Jews and Gentiles as discussed in our earlier works. However, he will judge all matters with righteousness, unafraid of the scribes and Pharisees, whom he boldly called hypocrites (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 22:23; Luke 6:12). The Evangelist Matthew omitted the phrase that it will shine forth and will remain unbroken until it establishes justice on earth (Matthew 12), or perhaps it was a scribal error for the space separating "judgment" and "judgment." This suggests that, having risen from the dead, he illuminated all without being overcome by death, declaring in the Gospel, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be made blind" (John 9:39).

Instead, we have interpreted it that he will not be sorrowful or disturbed but will consistently bear the same appearance—for which they mistakenly commend the philosopher Socrates as never showing more sadness or joy than usual. Rather, Aquila and Theodotion have translated it to indicate that he will not darken or hasten until he has established justice on earth. This implies that no one will be frightened by an austere demeanor, nor will anyone be hastened to punishment by one who maintains true judgment until the end. In his law the coastlands will place their hope; the Seventy rendered it more clearly as in his name shall the nations trust, which are referred to as coastlands in Scripture as they remain exposed to the assaults of adversaries. Yet, by his law, we should not interpret this as the law given through Moses but as the Gospel. For it is written, "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3). Jeremiah also prophesies about this law, stating, "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31-32).

Although He could have unleashed divine retribution upon those who opposed Him, dismantling them effortlessly, He chose to overlook their madness, understanding the deeper significance of the events unfolding and the truth they revealed. Thus, even in death, He radiated with truth, filling the world with hope and offering the Gentiles assurance in Him. This aligns with the prophetic declaration: "In His name shall the nations hope" (Isaiah 42:4).

This transformation has adorned the unseen realm with heavenly beauty and liberated the soul's dwelling, as far as our nature has remained intact, providing perfect salvation from base desires and harmful evils. He has opened the way for us to access a transcendent existence and a divine home, calling us to reflect, to the best of our ability, His sacred likeness.

He does not judge the outsider nor reject those considered unworthy, nor holds animosity towards the wife for her initial disobedience. Instead, He welcomes everyone and longs for the salvation of all, aspiring to transform all into the children of God and uniting the saints into a singular, complete body. For there is one Word and Son of God, through whom we, having been renewed by the Holy Spirit, all aspire to become one perfect and heavenly being.

He was chosen uniquely, for of Him alone it is said, My chosen one, in whom my soul delights (Isaiah 42:1), for in Him resides all the fullness of the divine essence in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). The Spirit bestowed upon Him, who came from the root of Jesse (and who is the only-begotten Word of God), is revealed by the Apostle, who states, ‘The Lord is Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:17). Therefore, as the sole heir of the paternal Spirit, He ultimately creates all things, proclaiming the universal judgment of humanity to prepare everyone for the impending judgment of God.

He proclaimed judgment, or the doctrine of truth, to all peoples and became the source of salvation for the Gentiles, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved except that of Christ (Acts 4:12).