The Meaning of Isaiah 42:2 Explained

Isaiah 42:2

KJV: He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

YLT: He doth not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard, in the street.

Darby: He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

ASV: He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He shall not cry,  nor lift up,  nor cause his voice  to be heard  in the street. 

What does Isaiah 42:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He would not serve the Lord ostentatiously, nor would He advertise Himself. His ministry would be quiet, non-aggressive, and unthreatening. Obviously Cyrus was not this Servant.
"In Isaiah 42:1 we met the quintessential servant; here is quintessential service. It was forecast by Isaiah , exemplified perfectly in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is to be reproduced in all who would serve the Lord with true service." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 42:1-13 - The Work Of The Lord's Servant
We cannot doubt the application of this passage to our Lord, Matthew 12:18-20. The unobtrusiveness of His life and work was clearly demonstrated in every hour of His sojourn among men. He silenced those whom He healed. He stole away from the multitudes for prayer. He stayed in Galilee till His brethren were angry at His reluctance to show Himself to the people. He did not "strive, nor cry."
How meek and lowly was our Lord! A "reed" is typical of a heart broken by unkindness or a sense of sin. There is no beauty in the russet plume. It will not even serve for the shepherd's pipe. The "smoking flax" cannot ignite, because hardly able to remain aglow. This is the symbol of one whose love is tardy and cold. But such our Lord does not ignore. He can use the commonest and most unlikely materials.
He is never discouraged and cannot fail; and since He cannot, neither shall the Church, nor shall we. His love and power are pledged to us. Let us sing to Him and of Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 42

1  The office of Christ, graced with meekness and constancy
5  God's promise unto him
10  An exhortation to praise God for his Gospel
13  God will manifest himself, and check idolatry
18  He reproves the people of incredulity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 42:2 mean?

Not He will cry out nor raise [His voice] nor cause to be heard in the street His voice
לֹ֥א יִצְעַ֖ק וְלֹ֣א יִשָּׂ֑א וְלֹֽא־ יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ בַּח֖וּץ קוֹלֽוֹ

יִצְעַ֖ק  He  will  cry  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
וְלֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִשָּׂ֑א  raise  [His  voice] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
וְלֹֽא־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַשְׁמִ֥יעַ  cause  to  be  heard 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בַּח֖וּץ  in  the  street 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
קוֹלֽוֹ  His  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.