Isaiah 42:3

American Standard Version (1901)

A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

קָנֶ֤ה רָצוּץ֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה לֶאֱמֶ֖ת יוֹצִ֥יא מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Transliteration

qāneh rāṣûṣ lōʾ yišbôr ûp̄ištāh ḵēhāh lōʾ yeḵabbennāh leʾĕmeṯ yôṣîʾ mišpāṭ

Grammar Details

• *qāneh*: noun, masculine singular construct - reed/stalk
• *rāṣûṣ*: passive participle, masculine singular - bruised/broken
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *yišbôr*: 3rd person masculine singular qal imperfect verb - he will break
• *ûp̄ištāh*: conjunction + noun, feminine singular - and wick/flax
• *ḵēhāh*: adjective, feminine singular - dim/faint
• *yeḵabbennāh*: 3rd person masculine singular piel imperfect verb + 3rd person feminine singular suffix - he will extinguish it
• *leʾĕmeṯ*: preposition + noun, feminine singular - to/for truth
• *yôṣîʾ*: 3rd person masculine singular hiphil imperfect verb - he will bring forth
• *mišpāṭ*: noun, masculine singular - justice/judgment

Word Meanings

• *qāneh*: reed/stalk/measuring rod
• *rāṣûṣ*: bruised/broken/crushed
• *yišbôr*: will break/will shatter/will crush
• *p̄ištāh*: wick/flax/linen
• *ḵēhāh*: dim/faint/dull/smoldering
• *yeḵabbennāh*: will extinguish it/will quench it/will put it out
• *ʾĕmeṯ*: truth/faithfulness/reliability
• *mišpāṭ*: justice/judgment/right/ordinance

Referenced Verses

• Matt 11:28 : 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Ps 96:13 : 13 Before Jehovah; For he cometh, For he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with his truth.
• Ps 147:3 : 3 He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds.
• Isa 50:4 : 4 The Lord Jehovah hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.
• Isa 40:11 : 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, [and] will gently lead those that have their young.
• Jer 31:25 : 25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul have I replenished.
• Ezek 34:16 : 16 I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
• Mic 7:9 : 9 I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness.
• Isa 40:29-31 : 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
• Ps 72:2-4 : 2 He will judge thy people with righteousness, And thy poor with justice. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. 4 He will judge the poor of the people, He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.
• Isa 50:10 : 10 Who is among you that feareth Jehovah, that obeyeth the voice of his servant? he that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of Jehovah, and rely upon his God.
• Isa 57:15-18 : 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid [my face] and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
• Isa 61:1-3 : 1 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.
• Isa 66:2 : 2 For all these things hath my hand made, and [so] all these things came to be, saith Jehovah: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.
• Jer 30:12-17 : 12 For thus saith Jehovah, Thy hurt is incurable, and thy wound grievous. 13 There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. 14 All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not: for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the greatness of thine iniquity, because thy sins were increased. 15 Why criest thou for thy hurt? thy pain is incurable: for the greatness of thine iniquity, because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. 16 Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that despoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. 17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith Jehovah; because they have called thee an outcast, [saying], It is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
• Jer 31:18-20 : 18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself [thus], Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed [to the yoke] : turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.
• Isa 11:3-4 : 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; 4 but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
• Isa 35:3-4 : 3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [with] the recompense of God; he will come and save you.
• Ps 98:9 : 9 Before Jehovah; For he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity.
• Ps 103:13-14 : 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
• Matt 18:10-14 : 10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11 (Ommitted) 12 How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
• Luke 22:31-32 : 31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: 32 but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren.
• John 5:30 : 30 I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
• John 20:19-21 : 19 When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first [day] of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. 20 And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
• John 20:27 : 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach [hither] thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
• Heb 2:17-18 : 17 Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
• Rev 19:11 : 11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.