And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.
It is a light thing that.
2 Kings 3:18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
2 Kings 20:10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
preserved.
Isaiah 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isaiah 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
that thou mayest
Isaiah 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isaiah 24:14-16 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea…
Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
“It is not enough for You to be My Servant,
The term "Servant" here is a reference to the Servant of the Lord, a key figure in Isaiah's prophecies. This Servant is often understood as a messianic figure, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The phrase suggests that the Servant's role is not limited to a single task or group.
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
The tribes of Jacob refer to the twelve tribes of Israel, descendants of Jacob. The task of raising them up implies restoration and renewal, addressing the historical context of Israel's exile and dispersion. This reflects God's ongoing commitment to His covenant people.
and to restore the protected ones of Israel.
"Protected ones" can be seen as a reference to the remnant of Israel, those who remain faithful despite adversity. Restoration implies a return to spiritual and national vitality, aligning with prophecies of Israel's future redemption.
I will also make You a light for the nations,
This expands the Servant's mission beyond Israel to include the Gentiles. The imagery of light signifies guidance, truth, and revelation. This anticipates the New Testament theme of Jesus as the "light of the world" (John 8:12).
to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
The scope of salvation is universal, extending to all humanity. This reflects God's redemptive plan as seen throughout Scripture, from the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:3) to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). It underscores the inclusivity of the gospel message.
- The speaker is the LORD, addressing His Servant—the promised Messiah. This is a divine declaration, not a suggestion.
- Similar scenes appear in Isaiah 42:1 and at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:17, where the Father publicly affirms the Son.
- The Servant’s commission comes straight from God’s heart and therefore carries absolute authority and certainty.
- The Servant willingly takes the lowest place (Philippians 2:7; Mark 10:45), yet the Father says the role is bigger than mere service to one nation.
- God’s plan is expansive. Limiting the Servant’s work to Israel alone would fall short of the divine purpose shaped before the foundation of the world.
- The phrase signals that God is about to widen the horizon far beyond what Israel expected.
- First, the Servant will re-gather and revive ethnic Israel—something the prophets continually foresaw (Jeremiah 31:7; Romans 11:26).
- “Raise up” pictures resurrection-like renewal: life breathed into a people long scattered and spiritually dormant.
- God never breaks His covenant promises; Israel’s restoration remains a cornerstone of His redemptive agenda.
- “Protected ones” points to the believing remnant God has preserved through every exile and oppression (Isaiah 10:20-21; Revelation 7:4).
- The Servant’s ministry guarantees that these safeguarded people are not only preserved but fully restored to covenant blessings.
- Their preservation underscores God’s faithfulness; their restoration showcases His grace.
- The word “also” swings the door open to the Gentiles. What seemed an Israel-centered mission now radiates outward (Luke 2:32).
- Light dispels darkness; Jesus openly claimed this role: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).
- Paul and Barnabas applied this verse to their Gentile outreach in Acts 13:47, seeing their mission as an extension of the Servant’s own work.
- God’s salvation is universal in scope: “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3).
- The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) echoes Isaiah 49:6, sending disciples to every nation with the assurance of Christ’s presence.
- Revelation 5:9 shows the prophecy fulfilled: redeemed worshipers from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” praising the Lamb.
Isaiah 49:6 reveals God the Father commissioning His Servant, the Messiah, with a mission far greater than national restoration. While He will indeed gather and revive Israel, His ultimate purpose is to shine as Light to every nation, bringing God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. This verse anchors the global reach of the gospel, showcases God’s faithfulness to Israel, and assures us that His redemptive plan embraces all people who turn to the Servant in faith.
(6) And he said.--The words are repeated from "saith the Lord" of the preceding verse, where they had been followed by a long parenthesis. The Servant becomes conscious of a higher mission. All national barriers are broken down. He is to be the bearer of a message of peace to the whole race of mankind, and has "other sheep not of this fold" (John 10:16).Verse 6. - It is a light thing. God rewards his servants according to their works. He is supremely just. He was not content that even Nebuchadnezzar should be insufficiently rewarded for the service that he rendered against Tyre (Ezekiel 29:18), and he therefore gave him Egypt in addition as his recompense (Ezekiel 29:20). It would have been "a light thing" - "too light a thing" (Kay, Cheyne) - to have rewarded the labours of Jesus with the conversion of the Jews only. God therefore gave him as his recompense the gathering in of the Gentiles also, and made him a means of salvation even to the uttermost ends of the earth. The preserved of Israel; i.e. the "remnant" that had not perished through previous judgments. I will also give thee for a Light to the Gentiles (comp. Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 34:1; Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 55:5, etc.). Greeks Ἕλληνες were brought into contact with our Lord himself shortly before his crucifixion (John 12:20). He wrought a miracle for a Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:25-30). His apostles, after a little time, understood that the gospel was for the world at large, and declared that in Christ there was no difference between Jew and Greek, nay! between Jew and barbarian. Christ had died for all - had come to be a Light to all, would have all come into his Church and obtain salvation through union with him. That thou mayest be my Salvation. Christ is called "Salvation," as the Bearer of salvation - he through whom alone can any man be saved (Acts 4:12). So he is called "Peace" (Micah 5:5), as the Giver of peace.