Isaiah 49:3

Isa 49:3 And said unto me, Thou [art] my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Ver. 3. Thou art my servant, O Israel,] i.e., O Christ, who best deservest to be called by that name, who art also the head of the elect, that Israel of God. {Gal 6:16}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa_49:3-4

And said unto me, Thou art My servant

The service of man the manifestation of Gods highest glory

How numerous are Gods servants! All things in heaven and upon earth, all worlds, all elements, and all creatures are His servants, which obey His word, and declare His greatness and glory.

But of all Gods servants in this world man ranks highest, and through his service God is glorified in a sense that He could not be glorified through the service of any other creature. Israel was Gods servant in a pre-eminent sense, whether the word be taken to mean the nation as Gods chosen people or an individual as Gods messenger to do His will. But the ideal of Gods servant in this book was realised only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Man appears greatest when he serves, and there is no way to true greatness but through service. And God appears greatest when He condescends to serve. The Son of God looks more Divine on the Cross of His humiliation than on the throne of His glory, for on the Cross that which was deepest in His nature became visible. And it may be said that in every good man God becomes incarnate, and takes upon Himself the form of a servant, and by so doing bestows upon him the highest greatness. God says to every one of His faithful children, Thou art My servant, in whom I will be glorified. The way to glorify God is by serving man.

I. WHAT IS MEAT BY GODS GLORY? With glory we associate the ideas of purity, beauty, and sublimity; and Gods glory is the energetic expression of His holiness in all His works, in myriad different forms and ways.

II. THE SERVICE OF MAN AS THE MANIFESTATION OF GODS HIGHEST GLORY. Man has been created for the revelation of the highest glory of the Divine nature, and when he serves God faithfully, God breaks forth into glory in his character and work. This is the glory of His moral attributes, the glory of His love, mercy, compassion, and tenderness, which is infinitely greater than all the glory of the material universe. You can never learn the character of God from the facts of nature, any more than you can learn the character of the artist from his paintings, of the architect from the buildings he has planned, or of the builder from his work. In every gentle and kind word spoken to the affected, in every look of compassion, in every tear of sympathy, and in every deed of kindness, God breaks into glory that would make you tremble and adore if you were spiritual enough to see it. How the Divine glory shone in the life of the apostle Paul! In a dark age, when the superstition of the Papacy covered the land, God called Martin Luther, and said, Thou art My servant, in whom I will be glorified. And in Rowlands, Whitefield, Wesley, and others, Gods glory broke forth in a similar manner. In the only-begotten Son was revealed the glory of God as the Eternal Father (Joh_1:14). Before the same glory shines forth in us we must become something more than professed Christians, we must become Christs. (Z. Mather.)

Gods servants

Painters, poets, and musicians are Gods servants, and in their masterly ]productions the Divine glory bursts forth. Raphael was Gods servant, and m the Transfiguration Gods glory broke forth. Handel was Gods servant, and in his Messiah Gods glory broke forth. Milton was Gods servant, and in his Paradise Lost the Divine glory majestically broke forth. Statesmen, reformers, and philanthropists are also Gods servants, and He says to each one of them, Thou art My servant, in whom I will be glorified. But the shining of the Divine glory is not confined to the highly gifted, but breaks forth in those who faithfully serve God in obscure spheres of labour, unnoticed by the world. (W. Hay Aliken, M. A.)

The three-fold experience of Christ

I. THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF A HIGH VOCATION. He said unto Me, Thou art My servant, &c. Just as the words, Out of Egypt have I called My son, never found their full significance until they were applied to Gods greater Son, so the name Israel was never fulfilled finally in Jacob, who first bore it, nor even in the nation that has borne it after him, but has found its ultimate fulfilment in Him who is pre-eminently a Prince with God, and our Prince, because He is our Saviour. We have, therefore, here a prediction of the consciousness of a high mission which possessed the Christ, and brought Him to this world of ours. Some of us will never forget the day when we were conscious for the first time of the inspiring fact that God had spoken to us, and through that experience of ours we may be able--as, indeed, the prophet through his experience was supremely able--tounderstand something of the ecstasy with which Christ, conscious of His glorious mission, came to this world of ours. It was that that Christ remembered throughout His life, and it was that which sustained Him throughout His personal ministry in the face of opposition and discouragement of every kind. He knew that He was doing His Fathers will, and it was this consciousness that found expression in the prayer which He uttered on the eve of His great passion, I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. It was this assurance, too, that He sought to give to His disciples as the mainspring of all their heroism. As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Scholars are divided here in opinion. Some say that this ought to be translated, In whom I will burst forth into glory. This is a translation that charms me. Jesus was indeed the effulgence of the Fathers glory--the shining forth of the light which had ever been the light, but which would have been largely invisible to man apart from the Incarnation. Then there is the other translation, In whom I will beautify--or glorify--Myself. In harmony with this Jesus exclaimed near the close of His life, Father . . . glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. Did not the Son glorify the Father by the very outburst of light which distinguished His life among men?

II. THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF APPARENT FAILURE. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and in vain. We trace this consciousness at times even in the Master in Gospel story. His disappointment in the face of human unbelief, His sorrow over human sinfulness and ingratitude, the apparent waste of the Divinest life that was ever lived among men in precept and example--these weighed heavily upon Him. In this respect, as in many others, He was touched with the feeling of our infirmity.

III. THE ASSURANCE OF FINAL VINDICATION. Yet surely My judgment is with the Lord, and My recompense with My God. In other words, He knows the motives which have prompted Me, and what led Me on step by step. Whether life be a failure or not, whether My self-sacrifice appear fruitless or not, He knows what is the root of all. Yea, I know more than that--I know not only that He will vindicate Me and the motives which prompted Me; but I also know that My work must find its reward; that all that is apparent failure is only apparent; that My toil must bring forth fruit--Surely . . . My work is with My God (or, according to the R.V., My recompense is with My God). Here again there is the double meaning, and therefore a special wealth of significance. The word denotes more than the work, and more than the recompense. It denotes the work and its result; all that the work meant: the toil of saving men, and the reward of seeing them saved. Thus the Christ Himself, amidst all the ignominy and anguish of the Cross and Passion, fell back upon the assurance of the Fathers final vindication. These, then, being pre-eminently the words of the worlds Redeemer, are surely an example and an inspiration to us to follow His example. (D. Davies.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

49:3 The suffering servant would come out of Israel (see 41:8) and would himself be the true Israel. He would serve as both king (42:1) and prophet (49:1), anointed with the Spirit of God (61:1) and commissioned (48:16) as a faithful witness to God’s purposes (43:12; 48:20). In his mission toward both Israel and the other nations (49:6), he would suffer rejection and disgrace while being faithful, unlike the nation of Israel (see 50:4-9). His suffering would be on behalf of God’s chosen people. Jesus became the ultimate fulfillment of the suffering servant (see study note on 52:13–53:12).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

By Israel is meant Christ, and all the body of the faithful, as the members, and their head.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Israel--applied to Messiah, according to the true import of the name, the Prince who had power with God in wrestling in behalf of man, and who prevails (Gen 32:28; Hos 12:3-4). He is also the ideal Israel, the representative man of the nation (compare Mat 2:15 with Hos 11:1).

in whom . . . glorified-- (Joh 14:13; Joh 17:1-5).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(3) Thou art my servant, O Israel.—Not that the “Servant” is merely the nation, but that he fulfils its ideal. “Israel” had begun with being an individual name. It should be so once more in the person of Him who would be truly “a prince with God.”

In whom I will be glorified.—Better, in whom I will glorify myself. The words find a conscious echo in Joh_13:31-32; Joh_17:1-5.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. The word Israel may be read either as a vocative or as a continuation of the predicate: “(Thou art) Israel &c.” (see R.V.). On either view it presents insuperable difficulties to those who hold that the Servant is an individual. To say that as the supreme personage of Israel’s history he receives the name “Israel” is an arbitrary explanation, which is not to be justified by the observation that the name originally belonged to an individual. Since, however, the most important idea of the verse is contained in the words my servant, to which the clause in whom I will be glorified (better: glorify myself) naturally attaches itself, it is possible that Israel may be a gloss, and for that reason no great stress can be laid on the word as an argument for the national interpretation of the passage.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And said unto me,.... Both in the everlasting council, and when he made a covenant with him in eternity; when he found him and anointed him, and laid help on him; and also when he brought him, his first begotten, into the world, at his incarnation:

thou art my servant; of his choosing, appointing, calling, sending, bringing forth, and supporting; so he was as Mediator, especially in his estate of humiliation, when he appeared in the form of a servant, and came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and give his life a ransom for many; thereby to obtain redemption, which was the great work and service he was appointed to; which he readily undertook, and willingly and cheerfully engaged in, and diligently and faithfully performed; to whom justly belong the characters of an obedient, diligent, prudent, and faithful servant; in answering which he showed his regard to his Father's will, his love to his people, and his great humility and condescension:

O Israel; a name of Christ, and which properly belongs to him, being the antitype of Jacob or Israel; the Head and representative of the whole Israel of God; who was of Israel according to the flesh, and an Israelite indeed in a spiritual sense, and was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Israel is a name of the church, often given to it in this prophecy; Christ and his church, by virtue of the union between them, have the same names; as she is sometimes called by his names, Christ, and the Lord our righteousness, so he is here called by her name Israel, Co1 12:12,

in whom I will be glorified; this is Jehovah's end in all he does in nature or grace; and is what Christ had in view in working out our salvation; and all the divine perfections are glorified in it by him, the wisdom, power, faithfulness, holiness, justice, love, grace, and mercy of God. Some render the words actively, "in thee" or "in whom I will glory" (t); as his own Son, in whom he is well pleased, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; and in whom also all the seed of Israel glory, as well as are justified. Or, as others, Israel is he, of "whom by thee I will glory", or "glorify" (u); meaning, that it was the spiritual and mystical Israel, the church, whom he would save by his Son and servant, the Messiah, and bring to glory.

(t) "in quo gloriabor", Munster, Tigurine version, De Dieu; "quia in te gloriabor", V. L. (u) "Israel est is de quo, per te gloriaturus sum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "vel glorificaturus", Gal.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And said unto me - That is, as I suppose, to the Messiah. God said to him that he was his servant; he by whom he would be particularly glorified and honored.

Thou art my servant, O Israel - There has been great variety, as was intimated in the analysis of the chapter, in the interpretation of this verse. The question of difficulty is, to whom does the word ‘Israel’ refer? And if it refer to the Messiah, why is this name given to him? There is no variety in the ancient versions, or in the MSS. The opinions which have been maintained have been referred to in the analysis, and are briefly these:

1. The most obvious interpretation of the verse, if it stood alone, would be to refer it to the Jews as ‘the servant of Jehovah,’ in accordance with Isa 41:8, by whom he would be glorified in accordance with the declaration in Isa 44:23. This is the opinion of Rosenmuller and of some others. But the objection to this is, that the things which are affirmed of this ‘servant,’ by no means apply to the Jews. It is evidently an individual that is addressed; and in no conceivable sense can that be true of the Jews at large which is affirmed of this person in Isa 49:4 ff.

2. It has been referred to Isaiah. This was the opinion of Grotius, Dathe, Saadias, Doderlin, and others. Grotius supposes it means, ‘thou art my servant for the good of Israel.’ So Dathe renders it: ‘It is for Israel’s benefit that I will glorify myself in thee.’ Saadias renders it, ‘Thou art my ambassador to Israel.’ Aben Ezra says of the passage, ‘Thou art my servant, descended from Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Or, the sense is this: Thou who in my eyes art reputed as equal to all Israel.’ But, as has been remarked in the analysis, this interpretation is attended with all the difficulty of the interpretation which refers it to the Messiah, and is inconsistent with the known character of Isaiah, and with the declarations made of the person referred to in the following verses. There is certainly no more reason why the name ‘Israel’ should be given to Isaiah, than there is why it should be given to the Messiah; and it is certain that Isaiah never arrogated to himself such high honor as that of being a light to the Gentiles, and a covenant of the people, and as being one before whom kings would rise up, and to whom princes would do homage.

3. Gesenius supposes that the word ‘Israel’ is not genuine, but has come by error into the text. But for this there is no authority except one manuscript, to which he himself attaches no weight.

4. The only other interpretation, therefore, is that which refers it to the Messiah. This, which has been the common exposition of commentators, most manifestly agrees with the verses which follow, and with the account which occurs in the New Testament.

The account in Isa 49:4-8, is such as can be applied to no other one than he, and is as accurate and beautiful a description of him as if it had been made by one who had witnessed his labors, and heard from him the statement of his own plans. But still, a material question arises, why is this name ‘Israel’ applied to the Messiah? It is applied to him nowhere else, and it is certainly remarkable that a name should be applied to an individual which is usually applied to an entire people. To this question the following answers, which are, indeed, little more than conjectures, may be returned:

1. Lowth and Vitringa suppose that it is because the name, in its full import and signification, can be given only to him; and that there is a reference here to the fact recorded in Gen 32:28, where Jacob is said to have wrestled with God, and prevailed, and was, in consequence of that, called Israel. The full import of that name, says Lowth, pertains only to the Messiah, ‘who contended powerfully with God in behalf of mankind.’

2. It is common in the Scriptures to use the names which occurred in the history of the Jews as descriptive of things which were to occur under the times of the Messiah, or as representing in general events that might occur at any time. Thus the names, Moab, Edom, Ashur, were used to denote the foes of God in general; the name of Elijah was given to John the Baptist (Hengstenberg).

3. In accordance with this, the name David is not unfrequently given to the Messiah, and he is spoken of under this name, as he was to be his descendant and successor.

4. For the same reason, the name Israel may be given to him - nor as the name of the Jewish people - but the name of the illustrious ancestor of the Jewish race, because he would possess his spirit, and would, like him, wrestle with God. He was to be a prince having power with God (compare Gen 32:28), and would prevail. In many respects there would be a resemblance between him and this pious and illustrious ancestor of the Jewish people.

In whom I will be glorified - This means that the result of the Redeemer’s work would be such as eminently to honor God. He would be glorified by the gift of such a Saviour; by his instructions, his example, the effect of his ministry while on earth, and by his death. The effect of the work of the Messiah as adapted to glorify God, is often referred to in the New Testament (see Joh 12:28; Joh 13:31-32; Joh 14:13; Joh 16:14; Joh 17:1-5).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Glory. In the Church, God is adored in spirit and truth. Isaias is ordered thus to address the Israelites.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

As the name of David is sometimes given to his successors, 1Ki 12:16, and particularly to Christ, Jer 30:9; Eze 34:23; Hos 3:5, and Jacob is called, as many think, by the name of his grandfather, Abraham, Act 7:16, and the name of Isaac is given to his posterity, Amo 7:9; so here the name of Israel may not unfitly be given to Christ, not only because he descended from his loins, but also because he was the true and the great Israel, who, in a more eminent manner, prevailed with God, that name signifies, of whom Jacob, who was first called Israel, was but a type. And as the name of Christ, the Head, is sometimes given to the body, the church, as 1Co 12:12; so it is not strange if, on the contrary, the name of Israel, which properly belongs to the church, be given to Christ the Head of it. But this word may be otherwise rendered, being joined either,

1. With the foregoing words,

Thou art my servant unto, or in, or

for Israel, i.e. to bring them back unto me, from whom they have revolted; or,

2. With the following words; it is Israel,

in whom I will glorify myself by thee.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Thou art my servant, O Israel — Already has it been seen, (Isa_42:1,) that Israel as a nation formed with our prophet a basis idea contained in the terms, servant of Jehovah; then, true to his calling and faithful to Jehovah, Israel became the central idea in that term; and, lastly, Israel, as God’s personal servant, is found in the idea of the true Israel’s highest headship, the Messiah. In this last sense is the word servant of Jehovah, or the Church and its Head in one, to be taken here.

In whom I will be glorified — “Glorified” through his instrumentality — the consecrated Church and its Head — in saving the world. The innermost holy Israel as an agency is personified in the term “servant.” A like example of appealing to a representative quality is in Mat_16:18, “Thou art Peter;” representing the Peter, on the one hand, a rock-like man confessing Christ as Son of the living God, and on the other hand, Christ, the eternal One confessed; and both together concreted into one term, namely, Confession, the ROCK on which the God’s Church is built.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou art my Servant, O Israel. That the literal "Israel," is not intended appears plainly from ver. 5. The Servant himself is addressed as "Israel," because he "would stand as a new federal head to the nation" (Kay), which would be summed up in him, and also because he would be, in a truer sense than any other, an "Israel," or "Prince with God." In whom I will be glorified. (comp. Joh_13:31, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him He who is "the Brightness of the Father"s glory" sets forth that glory before men, and causes them to glorify him, both with their tongues and in their lives.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

O Israel - As the name of David is sometimes given to his successors, so here the name of Israel may not unfitly be given to Christ, not only because he descended from his loins; but also because he was the true and the great Israel, who, in a more eminent manner, prevailed with God, as that name signifies, of whom Jacob, who was first called Israel, was but a type.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

“And He (Jehovah) said to me, Thou art my servant,” (i.e., my instrument or agent) constituted such for a specific and important purpose. In this same character both Israel and the Messiah have before been introduced. There is therefore the less reason for giving any other than the strict sense to the words which follow, “Israel in whom I will be glorified or glorify myself.” The version ‘I will glory’ seems inadequate and not sufficiently sustained by usage. The only supposition which adheres to the natural and obvious meaning of the sentence, and yet agrees with the context, is the one above mentioned, viz. that of a complex subject including the Messiah and His people, or the body with its head.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh's servant continues speaking.

He said

"Yahweh said"

You are my servant, Israel

"You are my servant, whom I call Israel"

translationWords

servant

Israel

glory

labor

vain

just

Yahweh

reward

God

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And said. And God said. ישראל

Israel. That is, Thou art an Israelite of whom I am proud; or Thou art Israel, thou art estimated in mine eyes like all Israelites together. I prefer this latter explanation.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.