Bible Verse Lookup
Is 49:6
Chapter 49
6
He said: “It is not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel. I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.”
Commentaries
Second Song of the Servant: The Mission.
The servant of the Lord has the characteristics of the Messiah: he is chosen before he is born and remains hidden until his revelation (cf. Is 30:20). He is the man hidden for generations (2), revealed by John the Baptist, who will come to free all creation (Jn 1:26-34). The title “Servant of Yahweh” is sometimes used for Israel as a whole (Is 41:8-9; 43:10). However, repeatedly in Isaiah, as well as in other prophets and the book of Exodus (Ex 17:3-4; 32:9), the people are shown as rebellious and stubborn. The servant here, on the other hand, is a person whom the Lord is proud of (3) and who will redeem Israel (7). Also, in verses 5-7, the people and the servant are described as two separate entities: a) the servant, who is tasked with gathering, restoring, and redeeming; b) Israel, which benefits from the servant’s actions.