לתשובת המינים
In Response to the Sectarians
General Difficulties with Christian "Messianic Prophecies"
Verses Cited By the Christian Bible as Messianic Prophecies
Who is Abraham’s"Seed"?
How is Abraham a Father to Many Nations?
How are the Nations Blessed by Abraham’s Seed?
Who is a Prophet Like Moses?
Who was Hung on a Tree?
Who do the Angels Worship?
What does it mean to be the "Son of God?"
Whose message is not understood?
The Virgin Birth: Who is the Almah’s Son?
Who is the “Stumbling Stone”?
Who is the “Great Light” of the Galilee?
Who will the Nations Seek?
Who is the Cornerstone?
Whose Voice calls out in the Wilderness?
Who Heals Sick Followers?
Who is the Suffering Servant?
Who will Receive the Enduring Kindnesses Promised to David?
Who is the Spirit of Hashem Upon?
Who has No Mind Conceived?
Who did Rachel Weep For?
Who was the Son called from Egypt?
Who is the "Holy Spirit" Poured Out On ?
Who is David’s Fallen Booth?
Who will Emerge From Bethlehem?
Will Mashiach Bring Peace or a Sword?
Who will Enter Jerusalem on a Donkey?
Whose Coins?
Who is it Whom They Have Pierced?
Who is the Stricken Shepard?
Who is the Messenger Sent Before?
Against Whom do the Nations Conspire?
Who do the Children Praise?
Who is a Little Lower than the Angels?
Who will See No Decay?
Who is Forsaken?
Whose Bones are Guarded?
Who was Hated Without Reason?
For Whom Was a Body Prepared?
Who is the Betrayer?
Whose Throne?
Who Ascended on High?
Who was Hated without Reason?
Who is the Betrayer?
Who opens His Mouth with Parables?
Who are Sons of the Most High?
Who Remains the Same?
Whose days are Few?
Who is “my lord”? Who sits at God’s Right Hand?
Who is the Rejected Capstone?
Who is Like a Son of Man?
Additional Verses Cited By Christian Missionaries and Apologists
Messianic Significance of the Jewish Festivals
The True Messiah of the Hebrew Bible
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Isaiah 42:1-4
Who Heals Sick Followers?
Matthew 12:18-21
Behold My servant whom I shall uphold; My chosen one, whom My soul desired; I have placed My spirit upon him so he can bring forth justice to the nations. He will not shout nor raise his voice, nor make his voice heard in the street. He will not break [even] a bruised reed nor extinguish even flickering flax; but he will administer justice in truth. He will not slacken nor tire until he sets justice in the land and islands will long for his teachings. (Isaiah 42:1-4)
In the book of Matthew (12:15-21) we are told that the Nazarene healed many people and instructed them not to tell anyone, in supposed fulfillment of this passage which is cited in full. In so far as this passage has no direct connection with healing the sick its use seems quite random. Nevertheless let us ignore the tenuous link between it and the event it supposedly for-told and examine it more generically.
I believe that the simple meaning of the passage refers to (the righteous of) Israel, just as we see the term servant applied in Isaiah 44:1, and the passage continues (switching from speaking about the servant to speaking to the servant) and declares, "I will set you for a covenant to the people, for a light unto the nations" (vs.6). This latter phrase, "a light unto the nations", is famous to both Jews and Christians as articulating Israel’s role as a priestly nation. The full fulfillment will come in the Messianic era.
And while Rashi and the commentators cited by Ibn Ezra identify the servant of our passage with Israel, Radak and the Targum1 identify the servant as the Mashiach. Accepting this interpretation for our discussion will help highlight the inadequacy of applying it to the Nazarene. The servant’s essential task is to establish justice. Two millennium after the New Testament informs us of the Nazarene’s birth, we still do not see the righteousness spoken of by the prophet, despite the fact that the servant "will not slacken nor tire until he sets justice in the land."
Nor does the description, "He will not shout nor raise his voice, nor make his voice heard in the street" seem particularly suitable for the Nazarene. In fact the Nazarene is often presented as preaching "in the streets". And while the typical image of the Nazarene does bring up images of a soft spoken individual, the picture presented when the Nazarene enters the Temple and turns over the money changers table, or his denunciation of the Pharisees in Mathew 23 doesn’t square well with this verse. Moreover the Radak, who applies this passage to the Mashiach, explains that the Mashiach will not have to raise his voice to influence people to accept his judgment since his authority will be universally accepted…certainly not the case with the Nazarene.
Ultimately we are left with no reason to see the Nazarene as fulfilling this passage and several reasons why applying it to him is not a good explanation. Even accepting the passage as referring to the Mashiach (rather than Israel in the Messianic era) we could only stretch it to apply to the Nazarene by claiming that he will, but has yet to, fulfill it. And of all passages this is the least likely to lend itself to such a claim because "he will not slacken nor tire until he sets justice in the land."