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He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”
Isaiah 42:4 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands will wait for his law.”
  • KJV He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
  • BSB He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”
  • NKJV He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
  • NASB “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice on the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Servant will not fail or grow discouraged until He establishes justice throughout the earth.

Overview

Despite opposition, the Servant perseveres until His mission of worldwide justice is complete, and distant lands await His teaching. His unwavering resolve guarantees the success of God's redemptive purpose. The reach to 'the islands' anticipates the gospel going to all nations, fulfilled as Christ's law goes forth to the ends of the earth.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 25

  • Isa 55:5Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.”
  • Gen 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
  • Isa 53:2–12For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
  • Isa 52:13–15Behold, my servant will deal wisely. He will be exalted and lifted up, and will be very high.
  • Ps 22:27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.
  • Isa 9:7Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
  • Matt 12:21In his name, the nations will hope.”
  • Zech 2:11Many nations shall join themselves to Yahweh in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell among you, and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you.
  • Isa 24:15–16Therefore glorify Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea!
  • Isa 42:12Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands.
  • Isa 66:19“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
  • Ps 72:8–11He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
  • Ps 98:2–3Yahweh has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
  • Isa 11:9–12They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.
  • Isa 60:9Surely the islands will wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.
  • Mic 4:1–3But in the latter days, it will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and peoples will stream to it.
  • 1 Cor 9:21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.
  • Isa 2:2–4It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
  • Heb 12:2–4looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • 1 Pet 2:22–24who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
  • Isa 49:1Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother he has mentioned my name.
  • Isa 41:5The islands have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.
  • Rom 16:26
  • Isa 49:5–10Now Yahweh says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am honorable in Yahweh’s eyes, and my God has become my strength.
  • John 17:4–5I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Isaiah videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Isaiah 42:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on IsaiahMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).

How Isaiah 42:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.