Old Testament
Isaiah 42:2
The Clear Bible Translation matches the King James Version, written at a 7th-grade reading level in plain English
At a Glance
Isaiah 42:2 describes how the LORD's servant will carry out his work: 'He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street' (KJV).
- Author
- Isaiah the prophet
- Written
- Around 700 BC
- Genre
- Prophecy
- Original Audience
- Judah and the surrounding nations
He won't shout or raise his voice or make himself heard in the streets.
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isaiah 42:2 Meaning and Context
What the verse says, and how the surrounding passage reads
Isaiah 42:2 says of the LORD's servant: 'He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street' (KJV). In plain terms, the servant will not shout, will not raise his voice, and will not campaign in the streets. The verse answers the question of how the servant will carry out his mission — quietly.
The verse is part of Isaiah 42:1–4, the first of the book's servant passages. Verse 1 introduces the servant: the LORD upholds him, delights in him, and puts his Spirit on him so that 'he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles' — judgment here meaning justice, a right ordering of things, reaching the nations. Verses 2–3 describe his manner: no shouting in the street, no breaking a bruised reed, no quenching a smoking flax. Verse 4 adds that he will not fail or be discouraged 'till he have set judgment in the earth.' Read together, the passage describes a mission of justice carried out with quiet persistence and care for the weak — verse 2 supplies the quietness; verses 3–4 the care and the persistence.
The New Testament quotes this passage directly. Matthew 12:18–21 cites Isaiah 42:1–4 and applies it to Jesus, right after Jesus healed many people and 'charged them that they should not make him known' (Matthew 12:16). Matthew's wording for this verse — 'He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets' (Matthew 12:19) — presents Jesus' avoidance of publicity as the servant's quietness in action.
Two cautions keep the verse in focus. First, it is a description of this servant and his mission before it is an instruction, so readings that turn it into a general rule about personality or leadership style go beyond what the text says. Second, the quietness is not weakness — the same passage insists the servant will faithfully bring forth justice and will not be discouraged. The book of Isaiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem (8th century BC), and many scholars hold that chapters 40–66 come from a later period; either way, Isaiah 42:1–4 is the opening servant passage that the book's later chapters develop.
Verse Analysis
Plain-English insight for readers
Isaiah 42:2 describes how the LORD's servant will carry out his work: 'He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street' (KJV). The three phrases make one point — the servant will not announce himself with public shouting ('cry' here means to cry out, not to weep). Raising the voice in the street is how a ruler or claimant would rally attention and force a hearing. This servant is introduced by God himself in verse 1 and carries God's Spirit, so his mission does not depend on noise or self-promotion. Verse 2 sits between the servant's commission to bring forth judgment to the nations (verse 1) and his gentleness toward the weak — 'a bruised reed shall he not break' (verse 3). The quietness is the manner of the mission, not the mission itself: what the servant brings is justice; how he brings it is without clamor.
Related Bible verses
How to apply Isaiah 42:2 to your life
This passage is often read as a caution against confusing volume with authority. What the text itself supports is this: the servant's effectiveness comes from God's calling and Spirit (verse 1), not from public self-assertion — so work that God values does not have to be loud to matter.
Curated for this public verse page. Isaiah Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick, clear answers about this verse
What does Isaiah 42:2 mean?
Isaiah 42:2 says the LORD's servant will not shout, raise his voice, or make himself heard in the street. Within Isaiah 42:1–4 it describes the manner of the servant's mission: God has appointed him to bring forth justice to the nations, and he will do it quietly, without public clamor or self-promotion.
What does 'he shall not cry' mean in Isaiah 42:2?
'Cry' in the King James Version here means to cry out or shout, not to weep. The verse says the servant will not shout in the streets to force attention; it is not a statement about grief.
Who is the servant in Isaiah 42:2?
Isaiah 42:1 introduces him simply as 'my servant' — chosen, upheld, and carrying God's Spirit, with a mission to bring forth judgment to the nations. Isaiah's servant passages are read in more than one way; elsewhere Isaiah calls Israel God's servant (Isaiah 41:8), while the New Testament applies this passage to Jesus (Matthew 12:18–21).
How does Matthew 12 use Isaiah 42:2?
Matthew 12:18–21 quotes Isaiah 42:1–4 and says Jesus' conduct fulfilled it. Matthew 12:19 — 'He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets' — matches this verse almost word for word, and Matthew connects it to Jesus healing many and charging them 'that they should not make him known' (Matthew 12:16).
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