Isaiah 42

A flurry of Isaiah is brought to our attention in Epiphany year A. Chapter 42 again is so poetic to our tradition-immersed ears, we can scarcely hear any other but Elizabethan language. But repeated words are missed in this great English poetry and prose tradition. So you would miss in verses 3 and 4 (see table) the incarnation of weakness in the servant in this passage. The servant is one of us, damaged, dim, or bruised and smoking, but picturesque though these words are, they can't be used to support the poetry of the original where the wordplay is critical to the 'meaning'.

Word / Gloss	1	2	3	4	5	Vs	Stem
משׁפט the judgment of	░					1	שׁפט
יוציא he will bring forth		░				1	יצא
לא not			░			2	לא
ולא and not			░			2	לא
ולא or			░			2	לא
רצוץ damaged				░		3	רצץ
לא not			░			3	לא
כהה dim					░	3	כהה
לא not			░			3	לא
יוציא he will bring forth		░				3	יצא
משׁפט judgment	░					3	שׁפט
לא not			░			4	לא
יכהה he will dim					░	4	כהה
ולא and not			░			4	לא
ירוץ he will be damaged				░		4	רצץ
משׁפט judgment	░					4	שׁפט

I am surprised by this chapter. It morphs from the positive to a negative judgment. We don't usually read the whole thing. We fail to see the coming criticism, much in the style of Jeremiah and other prophets.

Isaiah 42		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
הֵ֤ן עַבְדִּי֙ אֶתְמָךְ־בּ֔וֹ בְּחִירִ֖י רָצְתָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י נָתַ֤תִּי רוּחִי֙ עָלָ֔יו מִשְׁפָּ֖ט לַגּוֹיִ֥ם יוֹצִֽיא	1	C	Lo, my servant. I will maintain him. My chosen, my very self accepts. I have given my spirit to him. The judgment of the nations, he will bring forth.	3e	4C	13 14
לֹ֥א יִצְעַ֖ק וְלֹ֣א יִשָּׂ֑א וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ בַּח֖וּץ קוֹלֽוֹ	2	f	He will not cry out and he will not lift up, or make his voice heard in the street.	3e	4B	7 9
קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה לֶאֱמֶ֖ת יוֹצִ֥יא מִשְׁפָּֽט	3		A damaged purchase he will not break, and dim flax he will not quench. To truth he will bring forth judgment.	3e	4C	17 7
לֹ֤א יִכְהֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָר֔וּץ עַד־יָשִׂ֥ים בָּאָ֖רֶץ מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּלְתוֹרָת֖וֹ אִיִּ֥ים יְיַחֵֽילוּ	4	C	He will not dim and he will not be damaged until he has set judgment in the land, and for his instruction, coasts will hope.	3e	4C	15 10
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר הָאֵ֣ל ׀ יְהוָ֗ה בּוֹרֵ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ נֹתֵ֤ן נְשָׁמָה֙ לָעָ֣ם עָלֶ֔יהָ וְר֖וּחַ לַהֹלְכִ֥ים בָּֽהּ	5		Thus says the God, Yahweh, who creates the heavens and stretches them out, the expanse of the earth, and what emerges from it. He gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.	3e	4C	27 17
אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם	6		I am Yahweh. I call to you in righteousness, and I will give courage into your hand, and I will preserve you, and I will give you for a covenant of a people, for a light to nations.	3c	4B	18 15
לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ	7		To give sight to blind eyes, to bring forth prisoner from prison, from the house of restraint those sitting in darkness.	3e	4C	7 16
אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י וּכְבוֹדִי֙ לְאַחֵ֣ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י לַפְּסִילִֽים	8		I am Yahweh. This is my name, and my glory to another I will not give, nor my praise to graven images.	3e	4B	7 15
הָרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הִנֵּה־בָ֑אוּ וַֽחֲדָשׁוֹת֙ אֲנִ֣י מַגִּ֔יד בְּטֶ֥רֶם תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה אַשְׁמִ֥יע אֶתְכֶֽם	9		The former things, behold they came, and new things I am making clear. Ere they grow, I broadcast with you.	3e	4B	8 18
שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהוָה֙ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֔שׁ תְּהִלָּת֖וֹ מִקְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ יוֹרְדֵ֤י הַיָּם֙ וּמְלֹא֔וֹ אִיִּ֖ים וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶֽם	10	C	Sing to Yahweh a new song, praise from the extremity of the earth, those descending to the sea and its fullness, coasts and their inhabitants.	3e	4C	16 13
יִשְׂא֤וּ מִדְבָּר֙ וְעָרָ֔יו חֲצֵרִ֖ים תֵּשֵׁ֣ב קֵדָ֑ר יָרֹ֙נּוּ֙ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי סֶ֔לַע מֵרֹ֥אשׁ הָרִ֖ים יִצְוָֽחוּ	11		Let wilderness and its cities lift up, courts where blackness sits, let them shout for joy. The inhabitants of a cliff, from the top of the hills, let them complain.	3e	4C	14 14
יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לַֽיהוָ֖ה כָּב֑וֹד וּתְהִלָּת֖וֹ בָּאִיִּ֥ים יַגִּֽידוּ	12		Let them render to Yahweh glory, and his praise in the coasts make evident.	3e	4A	7 10
יְהוָה֙ כַּגִּבּ֣וֹר יֵצֵ֔א כְּאִ֥ישׁ מִלְחָמ֖וֹת יָעִ֣יר קִנְאָ֑ה יָרִ֙יעַ֙ אַף־יַצְרִ֔יחַ עַל־אֹיְבָ֖יו יִתְגַּבָּֽר	13		Yahweh, as one who prevails comes forth, as one among warriors he arouses jealousy. He will raise a shout. Indeed, he will scream. Against his enemies he prevails.	3e	4B	16 13
הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף יָֽחַד	14		I was calm from everlasting, I will be silent, repressing myself. As if giving birth, I will puff up, I will bear breath and I will bear down together.	3e	4B	13 13
אַחֲרִ֤יב הָרִים֙ וּגְבָע֔וֹת וְכָל־עֶשְׂבָּ֖ם אוֹבִ֑ישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י נְהָרוֹת֙ לָֽאִיִּ֔ים וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים אוֹבִֽישׁ	15		I will make the hills and the hillocks desert and all their herbs I will dry up, and I will set rivers as coasts, and pools I will dry up.	3e	4C	14 15
וְהוֹלַכְתִּ֣י עִוְרִ֗ים בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ בִּנְתִיב֥וֹת לֹֽא־יָדְע֖וּ אַדְרִיכֵ֑ם אָשִׂים֩ מַחְשָׁ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶ֜ם לָא֗וֹר וּמַֽעֲקַשִּׁים֙ לְמִישׁ֔וֹר אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים עֲשִׂיתִ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתִּֽים	16		And I will usher the blind in a way they do not know, in pathways they do not know I will direct them. I will set up darkness before them for light, and devious things as a level place. These things I will do to them but I will not forsake them.	3e	4C	22 30
נָסֹ֤גוּ אָחוֹר֙ יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ בֹ֔שֶׁת הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑סֶל הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לְמַסֵּכָ֖ה אַתֶּ֥ם אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ	17		They will be relocated from behind, they will be ashamed, the shame of those who trust in a graven image, those saying before the molten metal, You are our God.	3e	4C	16 13
הַחֵרְשִׁ֖ים שְׁמָ֑עוּ וְהַעִוְרִ֖ים הַבִּ֥יטוּ לִרְאֽוֹת	18		You deaf, hear, and you blind, take note that you may see.	3e	4A	6 9
מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּ֣י אִם־עַבְדִּ֔י וְחֵרֵ֖שׁ כְּמַלְאָכִ֣י אֶשְׁלָ֑ח מִ֤י עִוֵּר֙ כִּמְשֻׁלָּ֔ם וְעִוֵּ֖ר כְּעֶ֥בֶד יְהוָֽה	19	C	Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger that I will send? Who is blind as the one who is whole, or blind as the servant of Yahweh?	3e	4C	16 14
רָא֥וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁמֹ֑ר פָּק֥וֹחַ אָזְנַ֖יִם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽע	20	f	You see many things but you are not watching, giving sight to ears but not hearing.	3e	4B	8 9
יְהוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר	21		Yahweh is delighted because of his righteousness. He will magnify instruction and make it majestic.	3e	4B	9 7
וְהוּא֮ עַם־בָּז֣וּז וְשָׁסוּי֒ הָפֵ֤חַ בַּֽחוּרִים֙ כֻּלָּ֔ם וּבְבָתֵּ֥י כְלָאִ֖ים הָחְבָּ֑אוּ הָי֤וּ לָבַז֙ וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּ֔יל מְשִׁסָּ֖ה וְאֵין־אֹמֵ֥ר הָשַֽׁב	22		But this is a people despoiled and plundered, snared in holes all of them, and in houses of restraint they are camouflaged. They are to be despoiled and there is none to deliver, plundered and there is none saying, Return.	3e	4C	25 17
מִ֥י בָכֶ֖ם יַאֲזִ֣ין זֹ֑את יַקְשִׁ֥ב וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע לְאָחֽוֹר	23	f	Who among you will listen to this, will attend and hear for tomorrow?	3e	4B	7 8
מִֽי־נָתַ֨ן לִמְשִׁסָּ֧ה יַעֲקֹ֛ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל לְבֹזְזִ֖ים הֲל֣וֹא יְהוָ֑ה ז֚וּ חָטָ֣אנוּ ל֔וֹ וְלֹֽא־אָב֤וּ בִדְרָכָיו֙ הָל֔וֹךְ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּתוֹרָתֽוֹ	24		Who gives Jacob and Israel for plunder and for despoiling? Is it not Yahweh? This! We have sinned! For him? Nor would they consent to walk in his ways and they did not hear his instruction.	3c	4C	19 21
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֤ךְ עָלָיו֙ חֵמָ֣ה אַפּ֔וֹ וֶעֱז֖וּז מִלְחָמָ֑ה וַתְּלַהֲטֵ֤הוּ מִסָּבִיב֙ וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֔ע וַתִּבְעַר־בּ֖וֹ וְלֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים עַל־לֵֽב	25		So he has poured out on him the heat of his anger and the strength of war, and has blazed him round about and he did not know, and kindled him but he did not set it to heart.	3e	4C	15 21