Matthew 12 · Verse 18

Matthew 12:18

Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:18, King James Version

Matthew 12:18 in other translations

BSB“Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.
WEB“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.
ASVBehold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles.
YLT‘Lo, My servant, whom I did choose, My beloved, in whom My soul did delight, I will put My Spirit upon him, and judgment to the nations he shall declare,
DARBYBehold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul has found its delight. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew forth judgment to the nations.
BBESee my servant, the man of my selection, my loved one in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him, and he will make my decision clear to the Gentiles.
WebsterBehold, my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.

What does Matthew 12:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 18. My servant. That is, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, called a servant, from his taking the form of a servant, or his being born in a humble condition, Php 2:7 and from his obeying or serving God. See Heb 10:9.

Shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. The word judgment means, in the Hebrew, law, commands, etc., Ps 19:9, 119:29,30. It means the whole system of truth; the law of God in general; the purpose, plan, or judgment of God, about human duty and conduct. Here it means evidently the system of gospel truth, the Christian scheme.

Gentiles. All who were not Jews. This prophecy was fulfilled by the multitudes coming to him from Idumea and beyond Jordan, and Tyre and Sidon, as recorded by Mk 3:7,8.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Behold my servant - This title was given to our blessed Lord in several prophecies. See Isa 42:1; Isa 53:2. Christ assumes it, Psa 40:7-9. Compare these with Joh 17:4, and Phi 2:7. God required an acceptable and perfect service from man; but man, being sinful, could not perform it. Jesus, taking upon him the nature of man, fully performed the whole will of God, and communicates grace to all his followers, to enable them perfectly to love and worthily to magnify their Maker. And he shall show judgment to the Gentiles - That is, He will publish the Gospel to the heathens; for the word κρισιν here answers to the word משפט mishpat of the prophet, and it is used among the Hebrews to signify laws, precepts, and a whole system or body of doctrine. See Psa 19:9; Psa 119:30, Psa 119:39; Isa 58:2.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:14-21

The Pharisees took counsel to find some accusation, that Jesus might be condemned to death. Aware of their design, as his time was not come, he retired from that place. Face does not more exactly answer to face in water, than the character of Christ drawn by the prophet, to his temper and conduct as described by the evangelists. Let us with cheerful confidence commit our souls to so kind and faithful a Friend. Far…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:14-21 →

Matthew 12:18 in the original Greek

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.

ἰδοὺidouBeholdG2400
ὁhotheG3588
παῖςpaisservantG3816
μουmouof MineG3165
ὃνhonwhomG3739
ᾑρέτισα,hēretisaI have chosen,G140
ὁhotheG3588
ἀγαπητόςagapētosbelovedG27
μουmouof MineG3165
εἰςeisinG1519
ὃνhonwhomG3739
εὐδόκησενeudokēsenhas found delightG2106
ἡhētheG3588
ψυχήpsuchēsoulG5590
μου.mouof Mine.G3165
θήσωthēsōI will putG5087
τὸtotheG3588
πνεῦμάpneumaSpiritG4151
μουmouof MineG3165
ἐπ᾽ep᾽uponG1909
αὐτόν,autonHim,G846
καὶkaiandG2532
κρίσινkrisinjusticeG2920
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
ἔθνεσινethnesinGentilesG1484
ἀπαγγελεῖ.apangeleiHe will proclaim.G518

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

Cross references for Matthew 12:18

  • Isaiah 42:1

    Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

  • Luke 4:18

    The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

  • John 3:34

    For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

  • Acts 10:38

    How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

  • Isaiah 61:1-3

    The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

  • Matthew 17:5

    While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

  • Mark 9:7

    And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

  • Luke 9:35

    And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

  • Acts 11:18

    When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

  • Isaiah 32:15-16

    Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

  • 1 Peter 2:4

    To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

  • Isaiah 11:2

    And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Behold.This prophecy is expressly referred to the Messiah by the Targumist, who renders, "Behold my servant the Messiah," etc., {ha avdi mesheecha;} and it was amply fulfilled in the gentle, lowly, condescending and beneficent nature of Christ's miracles and personal ministry, his perseverance in the midst of opposition, without engaging in contentious disputation, and his kind and tender dealing with weak and tempted believers.
my servant.
Isa 49:5,6; 52:13; 53:11; Zec 3:8; Php 2:6,7
whom I.
Ps 89:19; Isa 49:1-3; Lu 23:35; 1Pe 2:4
my beloved.
3:17; 17:5; Mr 1:11; 9:7; Lu 9:35; Eph 1:6; Col 1:1,13; *marg:
2Pe 1:17
I will.
3:16; Isa 11:2; 59:20,21; 61:1-3; Lu 3:22; 4:18; Joh 1:32-34; 3:34
Ac 10:38
and he.
Isa 32:15,16; 49:6; 60:2,3; 62:2; Jer 16:19; Lu 2:31,32; Ac 11:18
Ac 13:46-48; 14:27; 26:17,18; Ro 15:9-12; Eph 2:11-13; 3:5-8

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

Context

  • Matthew 12:17

    That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

  • Matthew 12:18

    Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

  • Matthew 12:19

    He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí mi siervo, al cual he escogido; mi Amado, en el cual se agrada mi alma: pondré mi Espíritu sobre él, y á los Gentiles anunciará juicio.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		« Voici mon serviteur que j’ai élu, mon bien-aimé, en qui mon âme a trouvé son plaisir; je mettrai mon Esprit sur lui, et il annoncera le jugement aux nations.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, mein Knecht, den ich erwählt habe, mein Geliebter, an welchem meine Seele Wohlgefallen gefunden hat; ich werde meinen Geist auf ihn legen, und er wird den Nationen Gericht ankündigen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ecce puer meus, quem elegi, dilectus meus, in quo bene complacuit animæ meæ. Ponam spiritum meum super eum, et judicium gentibus nuntiabit.