Matthew 12:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall declare judgement with his tongue: no man shall cease, nor cry, nor shall any man hear his voice on the crossroads. He shall not break the broken cane, nor quench the flax that is broken, till his judgement shall be brought to victory: and in his name shall the Gentiles put their trust’ (vv. 17-21).”

The prophet extols the humility and indescribable might of Christ, opens an expansive opportunity for the Gentiles, predicts the hardships awaiting the Jews, and affirms the unity of Christ with the Father. The declaration, “My Son, whom I will; My beloved, on whom My soul is well pleased,” asserts that since Christ is chosen by God, He does not oppose the law but embodies its true spirit and purpose. In acknowledging His humility, it is stated that He will neither cease nor raise His voice. Christ sought to heal the afflicted, yet when faced with rejection, He chose not to retaliate. By illustrating His strength contrasted with their frailty, the statement, “He will not break the broken cane,” emphasizes that He could easily dismantle those who rebel against Him, akin to snapping a mere stick. He will not extinguish the flax; the prophet utilizes this imagery to depict the fierce anger of the Jews and Christ's ability to soothe and extinguish that anger effortlessly, further highlighting His profound meekness.

So, what does this imply? Will He perpetually tolerate those who speak ill of Him and harbor violent intentions? Certainly not! Once His mission is accomplished, He will initiate retribution. This is captured in the phrase, “Till He bringeth forth judgment in victory.” In His name, the Gentiles will place their faith. Likewise, Paul expresses this idea: being ready to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:6). What does “Until He brings the judgement to victory” signify? Once He completes His divine mission, He will carry out retribution fully; those who oppose Him will be affected when He raises a glorious standard, and His truth will overshadow them, leaving no room for their shameless contradictions. Scripture frequently refers to truth as judgement. Moreover, the divine work will not solely focus on punishing the faithless; rather, the Lord will also draw the entire world to Himself, hence the addition, “And in His name shall the Gentiles put their trust.” To ensure understanding that this aligns with the will of the Father, the prophet confirms this at the outset with the words, “My beloved, on whom my soul is well pleased.” Clearly, the Beloved acts in accordance with the will of Him who loves.

At the time of Jesus Christ's baptism, the Father sent down a voice from heaven, proclaiming, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). There, a comparable explanation is provided, emphasizing the statement, My soul is well pleased with Him, which can be interpreted as, I take pleasure in Him. The Old Testament scriptures often depict God in a manner relatable to humanity, aligning with the misconceptions of the Jews, yet all must be understood in a divine context. I will place My spirit upon Him... This refers to the Son made flesh, who appears as one prospering through the visitation of the Holy Spirit; as noted in Luke, But the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him (Luke 2:40). Thus, judgment will be declared with the tongue. Judgment pertains to the Gospel message, which the Savior proclaimed to the nations through His apostles, or to His just judgment, by which He welcomed the Gentiles after the Jews turned away from Him. It is indeed a just verdict that the work of His hands should ultimately endure.

Isaiah records this passage as follows: "This is My chosen servant, in whom I take delight. I will place My Spirit upon Him, and He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise His voice, nor will His cry be heard in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, nor will He extinguish a smoldering wick; He will bring forth justice into light. He will not falter or be discouraged until He has established justice on earth, and in His law, the islands and far-off nations will place their hope."

Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and spread them out, who established the earth and all its inhabitants, who gives breath to the people and the Spirit to those who walk in it. "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will hold your hand and keep you. I will appoint you as a covenant for My people and a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and to release those who sit in darkness."

Indeed, the humility of the Divine Teacher towards the unbelieving and His gracious consideration for even those with the faintest inclination to believe could not be better expressed by the prophet. He, whom God the Father proclaimed from heaven at His baptism, calling Him His beloved Son, upon whom the Spirit descended like a gentle dove, was compelled from the outset of His ministry to confront the prejudices and passions of humanity quietly, without uproar, not through displays of authority, but with the brightness of truth. He overcame and dismantled these obstacles. If a damaged reed still offered support, He allowed it to remain for the time being. If a dimly burning lamp continued to emit light, He permitted it to flicker on as long as possible. From the temple’s servants, He sought only purification, never rejecting the teachers of the law—"Whatever they say to you, do it."

When the hostile passions of men, provoked by His light, rose against Him, He withdrew and refrained from punishing the guilty. He departed from Nazareth quietly and left Jerusalem soon after without causing a disturbance. At this time, His voice was not raised in public; He went to the sea and instructed those He healed not to disclose His identity as the Son of God. Wherever He found even the smallest sign of faith and conversion, He uplifted and encouraged those individuals, gradually bringing them to a higher understanding, as He did with the Samaritan woman, the centurion from Capernaum, and the paralytic. This was His consistent approach toward His disciples.

The Septuagint version of Isaiah 42:1 includes the phrase "My offspring, My chosen," referring to Jacob and Israel. This interpretation suggests that the prophecy was seen as relating not to the Messiah directly, but to the nation of Israel. However, it is possible that they recognized in this portrayal a representation of God’s chosen people, believing that the characteristics attributed to Israel find their ultimate expression in the Messiah.

According to the Evangelist's interpretation, this prophecy reveals that the Messiah will come as a humble and gentle servant of the Lord, empowered by the Spirit of God to declare God's judgments to the nations. Rather than presenting Himself as a mighty Judge, ready to condemn, He approaches as a meek and gentle child, ready to forgive His adversaries and focused solely on the salvation of humanity. He will not dismiss those whose faith is fragile, akin to a bruised reed or smoldering wick, but will embrace them until He brings forth victorious declaration of God's judgments entrusted to Him for the world. In Him, the nations will place their faith and hope.

The Jewish expectation was for a Messiah who would emerge as a worldly conqueror, aimed at elevating the Jewish kingdom, liberating it from foreign oppression, subjugating the Gentiles, and reigning in earthly splendor from David's throne. However, the reality of the Messiah was markedly different; as stated, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), leading many to be misled by their misconceptions. The Evangelist Matthew, by referencing this passage from the prophet, illustrates the error in Jewish beliefs concerning the Messiah. The prophets of old foretold a different kind of Messiah—one that is meek and lowly.

In the text, "My servant" refers to God's servant, as this designation comes not from the prophet himself but divinely through him (v. 5). God often refers to the future Messiah with this humble title (Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:2), symbolizing His willingness to humble Himself by taking on the form of a servant through the incarnation (Philippians 2:7) and fully accomplishing the divine plan for humanity's salvation (John 17:4; Hebrews 10:9). In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter refers to Jesus Christ in similar terms (Acts 3:13; Acts 26:4; Acts 27:30).

The phrase "I have chosen" indicates a predetermined divine council where He was selected to fulfill the significant task of redeeming humankind (Hebrews 10:5-9). The term "Beloved" should be noted in relation to Matthew 3:17. The declaration "I will put my Spirit upon Him" signifies the generous outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Him during His Incarnation (cf. Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 61:1). The Son of God, sharing the same essence as the Father and the Holy Spirit, received the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, as noted in Psalms 44:8 and John 3:34, with the Holy Spirit descending on Him and bestowing His gifts fully (Matthew 3:16; Acts 4:27).

The phrase "He shall declare judgment to the nations" relates to the Hebrew notion of truth, as the prophet often refers to truth as judgment (Chrysostom). This encompasses decrees, commandments, and the law (Psalms 21:32; Psalms 118:29-30). Thus, "shall declare judgment" signifies the proclamation of the law of the gospel, encapsulating Christian truths for the Gentiles. The Lord Himself delivered the gospel of the kingdom to the Gentiles, welcoming those from Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the regions of Tyre and Sidon (Mark 3:7-8), and particularly through His apostles, He spread the gospel to every corner of the world (Matthew 28:19; Romans 10:18).

Moreover, the term judgment can also encompass the Messianic judgment established through His ministry (John 3:18-19), which will be rendered upon all who receive and recognize the Gospel message, culminating on the final day of judgment—the day when rewards will be fairly given to the faithful and righteous (also found in Matthew 12:20).

This adjustment arises because the prophet speaks of a distant time, whereas the Evangelist addresses the present: the prophet writes at a moment when the sacrificial act holds full significance, while the Evangelist writes at a time when it should have not only lost its relevance but also ceased to exist entirely. Thus, the prophet declares, “Look at My FATHER! I will support Him, My chosen one!” The term “in Him” (בו) is not associated with the verb “propitiated” (רצתה), but rather with the preceding verb “I will uphold” (אתמך), highlighting that support is present in Him. To avoid redundancy, the prophet omits “in Him” from the second verb. Regarding the sacrificial offering, it is better understood as ongoing since God exists outside of time. The prophet states, “My soul,” and the Evangelist writes, “Look at My chosen one, My beloved, in whom My soul has become gracious!” Since we have taken the liberty to slightly revise the Russian text from both the prophet and the Evangelist, we believe it is necessary to clarify our reasoning for these modifications. The phrase “whom I hold by the hand” (in Isaiah 42:1) has replaced “I will uphold Him,” as the Hebrew lacks the words “which” and “hand,” and the verb (תמך) means to hold, support, or sustain. Similarly, we replaced “to whom My soul is favored” with “My soul was propitiated in Him” because the linking word “which” is likewise missing in the Hebrew text, and the verb “to be well disposed” (רצה) refers to God’s mercy toward humanity, especially His gracious acceptance of prayers and sacrifices.

In the Russian rendition of the Gospel, the phrase “to whom My soul favors” (εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου) is adjusted. We have noted that εὐδόκησα (favored) refers to grace. The expression “εἰς ὃν” is functionally similar to “ἐν ᾧ,” indicating a relationship of being “in” or “as.” Ancient Greek writers would express concepts like governance by a few representatives, akin to the constructions within the New Testament. For example, in the same Evangelist's account, we find: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (28:19). This implies baptizing “in” the name signifies glorifying that name. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews echoes this notion with: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son” (Heb. 1:5). In another instance from the same Evangelist, we read that “the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (21:42). Such phrases serve a similar purpose, as there is often interchangeability in expressions meant for glorifying or naming.

If any distinction exists between these expressions, as I have discerned, it lies in this: “ἐν + dative” encapsulates the fullness of the concept within the name it references (By Him all things were created... in Him we live...), while “εἰς + accusative” often denotes particular aspects included within that concept (by virtue of the merits of His Son, my soul has become merciful... I baptize them for the glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). In the prophecy, it states, “Look at My Son... My soul has been propitiated in Him,” while the Evangelist expresses, “Look at My Son... by virtue of the redemptive merit in Whom My soul has been shown mercy.”

2:12-15; Luke 4:29-30; John 10:39) until the appointed time arrived (12:23; cf. 7:6, 30). In His humanity, He received the Holy Spirit, while in His divinity, He bestows spiritual gifts and consecrates all of creation. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism (Matt. 3:16) and remained with Him (John 1:32). The Heavenly Father affirmed His Sonship on two occasions: at His baptism and during His transfiguration, declaring, "This is My beloved Son, about whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17; 17:5).