Isaiah 42:2

2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;

Isaiah 42:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 42:2

He shall not cry
. According to Aben Ezra and Kimchi, as a judge in court is obliged to extend his voice that he may be heard: the Evangelist Matthew renders it, "he shall not strive"; or contend in a disputatious way, about mere words and things to no profit, or litigate a point in law; he shall bring no complaints, or enter an action against any, but rather suffer wrong, as he advises his followers, ( Matthew 5:40 ) , for this does not respect the lowness of his voice in his ministry; in this sense he often cried, as Wisdom is said to do, ( Proverbs 1:20 Proverbs 1:21 ) ( 8:1-3 ) ( John 7:37 ) : "nor lift up"; that is, his voice, as Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech supply it; or, as others, he shall not lift up faces, or accept persons; and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, neither shall he accept any person;
or the person of any man, which is true of Christ; but the former sense seems best, which agrees with what goes before and follows after: nor cause his voice to be heard in the street;
his voice was heard in the street in a ministerial way; he sometimes preached in the street, as in many other public places, ( Luke 13:26 ) , but not in a clamorous contentious way; not in an opprobrious and menacing manner; nor in a way of ostentation, boasting of himself, his doctrines, and miracles, but behaved with great humility and meekness; his kingdom was without pomp and noise, which worldly princes are attended with; but this was not to be, nor was it his case; (See Gill on Matthew 12:19).

Isaiah 42:2 In-Context

1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.