Isaiah 42:1

The Lord Commissions His Special Servant

42:1 ¹ “Here is my servant whom I support,

my chosen one in whom I take pleasure.

I have placed my spirit on him;

he will make just decrees ²  for the nations. ³ 

Luke 23:35

23:35 The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed ⁴  him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save ⁵  himself if ⁶  he is the Christ ⁷  of God, his chosen one!”

Luke 23:1

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

23:1 Then ⁸  the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus ⁹  before Pilate. ¹⁰ 

Luke 2:4

2:4 So ¹¹  Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth ¹²  in Galilee to Judea, to the city ¹³  of David called Bethlehem, ¹⁴  because he was of the house ¹⁵  and family line ¹⁶  of David.

[42:1]  ¹ sn Verses 1-7 contain the first of Isaiah’s “servant songs,” which describe the ministry of a special, ideal servant who accomplishes God’s purposes for Israel and the nations. This song depicts the servant as a just king who brings justice to the earth and relief for the oppressed. The other songs appear in 49:1-13; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12.

[42:1]  ² tn Heb “he will bring out justice” (cf. ASV, NASB, NRSV).

[42:1]  ³ sn Like the ideal king portrayed in Isa 11:1-9, the servant is energized by the divine spirit and establishes justice on the earth.

[23:35]  ⁴ tn A figurative extension of the literal meaning “to turn one’s nose up at someone”; here “ridicule, sneer at, show contempt for” (L&N 33.409).

[23:35]  ⁵ sn The irony in the statement Let him save himself is that salvation did come, but later, not while on the cross.

[23:35]  ⁶ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.

[23:35]  ⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[23:1]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:1]  ⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:1]  ¹⁰ sn Pilate was the Roman prefect (procurator) in charge of collecting taxes and keeping the peace. His immediate superior was the Roman governor (proconsul) of Syria, although the exact nature of this administrative relationship is unknown. Pilate’s relations with the Jews had been rocky (v. 12). Here he is especially sensitive to them.

[2:4]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

[2:4]  ¹² sn On Nazareth see Luke 1:26.

[2:4]  ¹³ tn Or “town.” The translation “city” is used here because of its collocation with “of David,” suggesting its importance, though not its size.

[2:4]  ¹⁴ sn The journey from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem was a journey of about 90 mi (150 km). Bethlehem was a small village located about 7 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem.

[2:4]  ¹⁵ sn Luke’s use of the term “house” probably alludes to the original promise made to David outlined in the Nathan oracle of 2 Sam 7:12-16, especially in light of earlier connections between Jesus and David made in Luke 1:32. Further, the mention of Bethlehem reminds one of the promise of Mic 5:2, namely, that a great king would emerge from Bethlehem to rule over God’s people.

[2:4]  ¹⁶ tn Or “family,” “lineage.”