Isaiah 42:7 kjv
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Isaiah 42:7 nkjv
To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
Isaiah 42:7 niv
to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:7 esv
to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:7 nlt
You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
Isaiah 42 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 61:1-2 | The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me... to proclaim liberty to the captives... to open the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor... | Servant's mission of liberty. |
| Lk 4:18-19 | "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me... to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed..." | Jesus declares His fulfillment of this prophecy. |
| Mt 11:5 | "the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." | Evidence of Jesus' messianic identity. |
| Isa 35:5-6 | Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. | Prophecy of miraculous healing in Messianic era. |
| Ps 146:8 | The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down. The LORD loves the righteous. | God's character as healer and liberator. |
| John 9:39 | Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." | Jesus' mission to bring sight (spiritual and physical). |
| Acts 26:18 | "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins..." | Paul's mission to Gentiles, mirroring Servant's role. |
| Eph 1:18 | having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you... | Spiritual illumination for believers. |
| 2 Cor 4:4 | In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel... | Spiritual blindness caused by Satan. |
| Col 1:13 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son... | Deliverance from spiritual darkness by Christ. |
| Ps 68:6 | God sets the solitary in families; he leads out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. | God as a liberator of captives. |
| Ps 107:10-14 | Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons... He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. | God delivers those in deep confinement. |
| Zech 9:11-12 | As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, O prisoners of hope... | Covenant-based liberation from dire conditions. |
| Isa 9:2 | The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. | Prophecy of light in darkness fulfilled by Messiah. |
| Mt 4:16 | "the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." | Matthew's fulfillment reference to Isa 9:2 by Jesus. |
| John 8:12 | Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." | Jesus as the spiritual light source. |
| John 12:46 | I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. | Jesus' mission to dispel darkness. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | ...that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. | Christ's victory over sin and death, freeing humanity. |
| Rom 6:17-18 | But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart... and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. | Spiritual liberation from the bondage of sin. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | Believers called out of darkness by God. |
| Luke 1:78-79 | ...because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death... | Messiah as the dawn bringing light. |
| Job 29:15-16 | I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. | Righteous individual helping the blind, foreshadowing the Servant. |
Isaiah 42 verses
Isaiah 42 7 Meaning
Isaiah 42:7 describes a primary aspect of the mission of the Lord's Servant (identified as the Messiah) given in the previous verse: to bring light, liberation, and spiritual insight to those held captive in darkness and blindness. This encompasses both literal acts of healing and spiritual awakening, offering freedom from sin, ignorance, and oppression, thereby fulfilling God's covenant and extending salvation to all people, both Israel and the Gentiles.
Isaiah 42 7 Context
Isaiah 42:7 is part of the first of Isaiah's four "Servant Songs" (Isa 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13–53:12). This particular chapter introduces the Lord's chosen Servant, distinct from Israel, though sometimes encompassing them, whose mission extends universally. God has called this Servant for righteousness, forming a covenant, and making Him "a light for the nations" (Isa 42:6). The verse describes specific actions the Servant will perform, embodying God's restorative and redemptive work. Historically, Judah was facing or experiencing the Babylonian exile, a period of physical and spiritual captivity, leading to much national and personal "blindness" and "darkness." The prophecies of Isaiah offered hope of divine intervention through this chosen Servant, promising a profound deliverance and spiritual awakening beyond mere political release, addressing the core human conditions of sin and alienation from God. This was a direct counter-narrative to the despair of the exiled people and a polemic against the impotence of the pagan gods, who could neither grant true sight nor freedom.
Isaiah 42 7 Word analysis
- to open (פְּקֹ֖חַ - P'qoaḥ): This verb means to open, specifically eyes. It implies a causative action, not just a passive removal of an obstruction, but an active imparting of the ability to see. It suggests both physical healing and, more profoundly, spiritual revelation—enlightenment.
- the eyes (עֵינַ֣יִם - `einayim): Literally referring to the organs of sight. In prophetic literature, "eyes" frequently denote spiritual perception or understanding. The inability to see is often a metaphor for spiritual ignorance or rebellion against God (e.g., Isa 6:10).
- of the blind (עִוְר֑וֹת - `ivrot): The adjective describing the eyes, meaning "blind ones." This refers to those who are physically unsighted, but within the larger biblical context, also signifies individuals or even the nation of Israel as being spiritually oblivious to God's truth, counsel, and redemptive plan.
- to bring out (לְהוֹצִ֣יא - lehotzi): The infinitive of the verb meaning "to bring out, lead forth, rescue." This emphasizes active liberation and deliverance. The Servant actively leads people out of their constrained situations.
- from the prison (מִמַּסְגֵּר֩ - mimmaseger): "Prison" (masger) denotes a place of confinement, often a literal dungeon or a house of incarceration. The preposition min (from) indicates separation and removal. This term encompasses both literal imprisonment and metaphorical spiritual, mental, or moral bondage to sin, fear, or worldly systems.
- a captive (אָסִ֗יר - asir): Singular noun meaning "prisoner, one bound, confined." This refers to individuals who are physically restrained but also points to those ensnared by sin's power, oppressive regimes, or false doctrines.
- from the dungeon (מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא - mibeit kele): This phrase literally means "from the house of confinement" or "from the prison house." The term kele specifies a place of severe and restrictive imprisonment, a deep dungeon. It intensifies the imagery of masger, suggesting a more profound or severe state of captivity and darkness.
- who sit in darkness (יֹשְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ - yoshvei ḥoshekh): "Those sitting in darkness." Yoshevim is "those who sit/dwell," and ḥoshekh means "darkness." This phrase describes their condition – a static, pervasive state of being, dwelling not just near but in darkness. This primarily refers to spiritual and moral darkness: ignorance, sin, spiritual death, absence of divine truth, despair, and separation from God, the source of all light and life. It represents not just a lack of light but a pervasive environment of gloom and hopelessness.
Word Groups/Phrases Analysis
- P'qoaḥ
einayimivrot (to open the eyes of the blind): This phrase signifies both physical miraculous healing and, crucially, spiritual enlightenment. The Servant enables understanding, discernment, and recognition of God's truth where there was previously spiritual obfuscation or deliberate rejection. It represents moving from spiritual ignorance to revelation. - Lehotzi mimmasger asir (to bring out from prison a captive): This emphasizes the Servant's role as a liberator. It extends beyond literal jail cells to freeing individuals from spiritual and systemic bondage – sin, fear, oppression, false ideologies, and anything that restricts true freedom in God. The Servant breaks the chains that hold people in these various prisons.
- Mibeit kele yoshvei ḥoshekh (from the dungeon those who sit in darkness): This heightens the intensity of the Servant's mission. "Dungeon" is a place of deep, dark, and often inhumane confinement, reinforcing the idea of severe bondage. "Those who sit in darkness" speaks to a persistent state of spiritual ignorance, moral corruption, despair, and separation from God's life-giving light. The Servant's work is profound, reaching into the deepest spiritual prisons.
Isaiah 42 7 Bonus section
The imagery of "opening the eyes of the blind" and "releasing prisoners" is deeply interwoven with covenant themes in the Old Testament, where Israel's suffering and eventual restoration were often described in terms of captivity and spiritual blindness. Yet, in Isaiah 42, the scope expands to "a light for the nations" (v.6), indicating a universal application of the Servant's work. This means the Servant's deliverance extends not only to Israel but also to Gentiles enslaved by idolatry and spiritual darkness. The description is rich in terms of an exodus-like deliverance, reminiscent of Israel's freedom from Egypt, but now it's a spiritual exodus from the ultimate tyrants: sin, death, and Satan. This verse encapsulates the foundational theological concept of spiritual freedom and enlightenment offered by the Messiah, bridging the Old Testament prophetic expectation with its New Testament fulfillment in Christ. It underscores the active role of God, through His Servant, in invading human darkness to bring about true sight and liberty.
Isaiah 42 7 Commentary
Isaiah 42:7 unveils the multi-faceted redemptive purpose of God's Servant, which found its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. His mission is not merely about political or physical liberation but addresses humanity's deepest spiritual plight: blindness, captivity, and darkness. The Servant brings revelation, opening hearts and minds to divine truth, allowing people to see their condition, God's love, and the path to salvation. He acts as the ultimate Liberator, breaking the chains of sin and its consequences that imprison individuals in spiritual darkness, despair, and separation from God. This comprehensive liberation transforms those dwelling in hopelessness into recipients of divine light and freedom.Example: A person living in ignorance of God's moral law (spiritual blindness) experiences guilt and destructive patterns (spiritual captivity). Christ's gospel opens their eyes to truth and frees them from sin's power.