The Servant of the LORD
God's chosen servant would bring justice to the nations with gentle, quiet strength.
The Prophecy
Isaiah 42:1-4
~700 BCE
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Manuscript Attestation
Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaα΅); all codices.
Ancient Jewish Interpretation
Targum Jonathan explicitly renders Isaiah 42:1 as "Behold My servant the Messiah." This is one of the clearest Targumic identifications.
The Fulfillment
Matthew 12:17-21
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations."
Narrative Context
Matthew presents Jesus' quiet, compassionate ministry as the direct fulfillment of the Servant's character described by Isaiah.
The Evidence
The Targum Jonathan's rendering "My servant the Messiah" on this passage is unambiguous. The Great Isaiah Scroll preserves the text fully. The First Servant Song's description of a gentle figure who brings justice to the nations without violence stood in tension with the more militaristic messianic expectations of the period.