Comentário sobre Isaías 42:4

Neither shall he weaken nor shall he be broken Heb. וְלֹא יָרוּץ, like לֹא יֵרָצֵץ, he shall not be broken, “for the earth shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the seabed” (supra 11:9). And they shall obey them, as the matter is stated (Zeph. 3:9): “For then I will make the nations pure of speech etc.” That is what follows: And for his instruction islands shall long. They shall all obey his instruction.

He shall not fail. The prophet shall not fail, with regard to the spirit, which is joined to his body.⁴The verb כהה lit. to decrease is according to the opinion of I. E. more properly referred to the properties and faculties inherent in the body, as e.g. in the preceding verse to the flame of the burning flax, while the verb רצץ to break points in fact more to the body itself.

Nor will he be broken, with regard to his body. ירוץ is a verb ע״ע;⁵Root רצץ. The regular form of the fut. Kal is יׇרץׁ with active meaning, he win break; it is not quite clear from this remark of I. E. whether יָרוּץ is to be taken in the same sense, and the words לא ירוץ גופו are to be translated one will not break his body, or in a neuter sense: his body will not be broken; in the latter case it would perhaps be better to assume two roots: רצץ to break, and רוץ neuter to be broken. comp. רצוץ broken (ver. 3); its form is like that of יָרוּז, doth sing (Prov. 29:6). The meaning of this phrase is⁶He shall not fail, nor will he be broken.: The prophet shall not die, or he shall not be overcome by any violence of man.⁷According to the first explanation the phrase is to be taken more literally and referred to a premature death of the prophet, before he shall have completed his mission; according to the second it is to be taken more figuratively, and referred to the violent interference of the adversaries of the prophet in the faithful fulfilment of his divine mission. Compare the similar phrase in the preceding verse. This latter explanation, I think, is the right one.

Till he have set judgment in the earth, till the truth of his prophecy be proved, and isles shall wait for his law, for the instruction contained in his prophecies; comp. 8:20, and my commentary thereon.