Matthew 12:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

NIV: "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.

NASB: 'BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL DELIGHTS; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE WILL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.

CSB: Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

NLT: 'Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

KJV: Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

NKJV: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

Matthew is referencing Isaiah 42 and applying it to Jesus. That passage might have initially seemed to refer to Israel, but Matthew's version of the passage fits Jesus perfectly. Jesus is sometimes described as the ultimate expression of Israel. In that way, He fulfills Isaiah's prophecy in these verses.

The passage begins with phrases that sound very much like what the voice of God the Father said from heaven about Jesus immediately following His baptism by John the Baptist, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). It is similar, as well, to the Father's words about Jesus later in Matthew during what it known as the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5).

About 700 years or so before those moments, Isaiah quotes God as saying, "Behold, my servant whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights." The word translated as "servant" in Isaiah can also be read as "son." Jesus fits both, of course, in relation to God the Father. Matthew seems to be using the Septuagint: a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The second part of this verse also fits with that moment following Jesus' baptism, which involved "the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him" (Matthew 3:16). Isaiah quotes God as saying, "I will put my Spirit upon him."

Isaiah next turns to the work this servant will do in proclaiming justice to the nations—in this context, meaning the Gentiles. Jesus came first to proclaim the good news to His people Israel, but soon His followers will take the message of Jesus to all the people of the world.

Matthew 12:15–21 shows Jesus withdrawing away from the Pharisees, who want to destroy Him. The crowds persist in following Him, though, and He continues to tell those He heals not to make Him known. Matthew declares that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1–4. Isaiah quotes God referring to His promised servant using the same terminology God used of Jesus at His baptism. This servant is gentle, refusing to call attention to Himself, but is also the One who will bring justice to victory and in whom the Gentiles will hope.

Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family.

Matthew 11 depicted Jesus preaching and teaching after sending out His chosen disciples in pairs in chapter 10. Chapter 12 immediately picks up with more confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus responds to those criticisms and rebukes their evil hearts as the source of their evil words. In the following chapter, Matthew will shift His focus onto Jesus' parables.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.