servant
Three servants of Jehovah are mentioned in Isaiah:
(1) David Isaiah 37:35
(2) Israel the nation Isaiah 41:8-16 ; Isaiah 43:1-10 ; Isaiah 44:1-8 ; Isaiah 44:21 ; Isaiah 45:4 ; Isaiah 48:20
(3) Messiah Isaiah 42:1-12 , Isaiah 49, entire chapter, but note especially Isaiah 49:5-7 , where the Servant Christ restores the servant nation; Isaiah 50:4-6 ; Isaiah 52:13-15 ; Isaiah 53:1-12 . Israel the nation was a faithless servant, but restored and converted will yet thresh mountains. Against the Servant Christ no charge of unfaithfulness or failure is brought.
There is a twofold account of the Coming Servant:
(1) he is represented as weak, despised, rejected, slain:
(2) and also as a mighty conqueror, taking vengeance on the nations and restoring Israel (e.g. Isaiah 40:10 ; Isaiah 63:1-4 ). The former class of passages relate to the first advent, and are fulfilled; the latter to the second advent, and are unfulfilled.
Verse Meaning
The Lord turned from addressing the nations to speaking to Israel. God had chosen the Israelites for special blessing because He chose to love them more than other peoples. Election rests on love (cf. Deuteronomy 7:7-8). The reference to Jacob recalls the unworthiness of the Israelites, and the mention of Abraham the fact that Abraham loved God ( Genesis 18:17-19), the proper response to electing love (cf. 1 John 4:19). Both references also connect to God"s covenant with the patriarchs. God had called Israel to be His servant. This is the first of31references to a servant of the Lord in Isaiah. [1][source]
"Old Testament slavery/servanthood must never be thought of on the model of the West Indian slavery of the Christian era. Mosaic legislation extended protection to the slave and-such was the institution-had to make provision for the slave who loved his master and would not leave slavery ( Exodus 21:2 ff.). Such a "slave", as a matter of social status, may have been at the bottom of life"s heap, but in another sense he was as powerful as his master, for should he ever have been molested, it was the master the molester had to reckon with." [2][source]
Context Summary
Isaiah 41:1-16 - The Lord Upholdeth His Servant
The conception of this passage is superb. Jehovah is represented as summoning the earth to determine whether He or some idol of the heathen is the true God, Isaiah 41:7. Also see Isaiah 41:23. The test proposed is a simple one! Which can most precisely predict the future? Not, as in Elijah's case, is the appeal made to fire, but to the fitting of prophecy with historical fulfillment. See Isaiah 41:22-23.
While this great arbitration is in process, God turns with tender assurances to His own people. They were at this time captives in Babylon. They were poor and needy. They were surrounded by strong and crafty foes, against whom they were as powerless as a worm. But no height, however precipitous, or depth, however profound, could separate them from His love. Heart and flesh might fail, but He would strengthen; difficulties might appear insurmountable, but He would help. He does more. He takes His people, weak as worms, and makes them, if they but yield to Him, sharp threshing instruments having teeth before which the powers of evil become as chaff. O man, listen to God saying, I will make. [source]
Chapter Summary: Isaiah 41
1God expostulates with his people, about his mercies to the church 10About his promises 21And about the vanity of idols
What do the individual words in Isaiah 41:8 mean?
But you [are]IsraelMy servantJacobwhomI have chosenthe descendantsof AbrahamMy friend
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.