Isaiah 49:3-4

49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.” ¹ 

49:4 But I thought, ²  “I have worked in vain;

I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” ³ 

But the Lord will vindicate me;

my God will reward me. ⁴ 

[49:3]  ¹ sn This verse identifies the servant as Israel. This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8-9; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5-6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6-8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.

[49:4]  ² tn Or “said” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “I replied.”

[49:4]  ³ tn Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.

[49:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “But my justice is with the Lord, and my reward [or “wage”] with my God.”