Isaiah 42: The Servant and The First Servant Song

The identity of the servant is an enigma, I believe that the text is ambiguous for a purpose; it allows the actions and the mission of servant(s) to be the focal point, rather than on the identity of the servant. The role of the servant(s), as we will see, is filled with paradoxes and problems, and naming the servant simply adds to the confusion.

To add to the confusion here are translations of the LXX, The Isaiah Scroll, and the NRSV:

LXX:

Jacob is my servant, I will aid him: Israel is my chosen, my soul has received him; I have given him my spirit; he shall bring forth judgment to the nations….He will shine like fire, and will not be broken, until he has set up judgment upon the earth: and upon his name the Gentiles will hope… and I have given you as a covenant to descendents, as a light to the Gentiles.

Qumran:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I put my spirit upon him: and his judgment will go out to the Gentiles…. He shall not falter nor be discouraged, until he puts judgment in the earth: and the islands shall inherit his Torah…and I will give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

NRSV:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations….He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching…I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,

While the servant(s) certainly seems to be an individual, in the NRSV and in Qumran, the text of the LXX still insists that the servant is Jacob and Israel.

The Servant in Isaiah 40-55?: Some Minor Observations

Isaiah 41 continues in the rhetorical courtroom (introduced in 40.27), in which the text envisions the nations coming before YHWH to give testimony, and ultimately YHWH pronouncing a verdict. While the verdict is important, the real purpose of the courtroom drama is to allow Israel the ability to peer into such events, and to see how YHWH is working.

The content of the argument against the gods of the nations is that they are unable to not only predict the future, but are equally unable to interpret the events of the past. The Babylonian gods seemingly have defeated YHWH in the last battle, resulting in the exile of Israel. However, the evidence presented in the courtroom is about to turn that obvious interpretation on its ear.

YHWH is actually in control of the nations, not the actual gods of those nations. It is YHWH who summons Cyrus from the east, and will bring this mighty warrior to defeat the Babylonians. In fact YHWH has always been in charge of the nations (and history; see 41.4). The major implication of this is that it was YHWH who allowed the nation Israel to be defeated and exiled, and it was not a result of the YHWH’s defeat.

The context shifts from the courtroom to that of comfort, where YHWH assures his SERVANT(s) that they have nothing to fear, that YHWH is reliable, and that with the same power used at the time of exodus Israel will be once again delivered (41.10).

The point in which I am interested in, is that in the first use of the term SERVANT (41.8), in Isaiah 40-55, its referent is that of the nation (Israel, Jacob, offspring of Abraham).