Isaiah 42 · Verse 6

Isaiah 42:6

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isaiah 42:6, King James Version

Isaiah 42:6 in other translations

BSB“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,
WEB“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,
ASVI, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
YLTI, Jehovah, did call thee in righteousness, And I lay hold on thy hand, and keep thee, And I give thee for a covenant of a people, And a light of nations.
DARBYI, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will take hold of thy hand; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations,
BBEI the Lord have made you the vessel of my purpose, I have taken you by the hand, and kept you safe, and I have given you to be an agreement to the people, and a light to the nations:
WebsterI the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

What does Isaiah 42:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. in righteousness--rather, "for a righteous purpose" [Lowth]. (See Is 42:21). God "set forth" His Son "to be a propitiation (so as) to declare His (God's) righteousness, that God might be just, and (yet) the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Ro 3:25, 26; compare see on Is 41:2; Is 45:13; 50:8, 9). hold ... hand--compare as to Israel, the type of Messiah, Ho 11:3. covenant--the medium of the covenant, originally made between God and Abraham (Is 49:8). "The mediator of a better covenant" (He 8:6) than the law (see Is 49:8; Jr 31:33; 50:5). So the abstract "peace," for peace-maker (Mi 5:5; Ep 2:14). the people--Israel; as Is 49:8, compared with Is 42:6, proves (Lu 2:32).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 A covenant of the people "A covenant to the people" - For עם am, two MSS. of Dr. Kennicott's, and of my own, read עולם olam, the covenant of the age to come, or the everlasting covenant; which seems to give a clearer and better sense. But I think the word ברית berith, here, should not be translated covenant, but covenant sacrifice, which meaning it often has; and undoubtedly in this place. This gives a still stronger and clearer sense.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 42:5-12

The work of redemption brings back man to the obedience he owes to God as his Maker. Christ is the light of the world. And by his grace he opens the understandings Satan has blinded, and sets at liberty from the bondage of sin. The Lord has supported his church. And now he makes new promises, which shall as certainly be fulfilled as the old ones were. When the Gentiles are brought into the church, he is glorified in…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 42:5-12 →

Isaiah 42:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֲנִ֧י'a.NiIH589
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽke.ra.Ti.chaI have called youH7121
בְצֶ֖דֶקve.Tze.dekin righteousnessH6664
וְאַחְזֵ֣קve.'ach.Zekand I may take holdH2388
בְּיָדֶ֑ךָbe.ya.De.khaon hand yourH3027
וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ve.'e.tza.re.Khaand I may watch over youH5341
וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ve.'e.ten.Khaand I may make youH5414
לִבְרִ֥יתliv.Rit<into> a covenant ofH1285
עָ֖ם'am[the] peopleH5971
לְא֥וֹרle.'or<into> a light ofH216
גּוֹיִֽם\׃go.Yim[the] nationsH1471

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 42:6

  • John 8:12

    Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

  • Luke 2:32

    A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

  • Isaiah 26:3

    Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

  • Acts 13:47

    For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

  • Isaiah 49:8

    Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

  • Isaiah 49:6

    And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

  • 1 Peter 2:9

    But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

  • Isaiah 60:1-3

    Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

  • Jeremiah 23:5-6

    Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

  • Hebrews 13:20

    Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

  • Romans 3:25-26

    Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

  • Isaiah 51:4-5

    Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
called.
32:1; 43:1; 45:13; 49:1-3; Ps 45:6,7; Jer 23:5,6; 33:15,16
Ro 3:25,26; Heb 1:8,9; 7:2,26
and will hold.
1; 41:13
and give.
49:8; Mt 26:28; Lu 1:69-72; Ro 15:8,9; 2Co 1:20; Ga 3:15-17
Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24; 13:20
a light.
49:6; 51:4,5; 60:1-3; Lu 2:32; Joh 8:12; Ac 13:47; 26:23; 1Pe 2:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 42:5

    Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

  • Isaiah 42:6

    I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

  • Isaiah 42:7

    To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Read all of Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Yo Jehová te he llamado en justicia, y te tendré por la mano; te guardaré y te pondré por alianza del pueblo, por luz de las gentes;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Moi, l’ Éternel, je t’ai appelé en justice; et je tiendrai ta main; et je te garderai; et je te donnerai pour être une alliance du peuple, pour être une lumière des nations,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ich, Jehova, ich habe dich gerufen in Gerechtigkeit und ergriff dich bei der Hand; und ich werde dich behüten und dich setzen zum Bunde des Volkes, zum Licht der Nationen:
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ego Dominus vocavi te in justitia, et apprehendi manum tuam, et servavi te: et dedi te in fœdus populi, in lucem gentium,