Isaiah 42:19

Who is blind, but my servant? It is not entirely clear whether the “servant” here refers to Messiah, as the context of the chapter as a whole (see v. 1) may imply, or to Israel, as the more immediate context of vs. 16, 18, 20 suggests (see on ch. 41:8). In the book of Isaiah blindness generally refers to spiritual blindness on the part of God’s professed people (see on ch. 6:9, 10). This is true of the “blind” of ch. 42:16. Some have suggested that v. 19 refers to Messiah’s being blind to the faults of His followers (cf. 1T 707, where the words of this text are borrowed to express another thought). However, vs. 18, 20 imply that the “blind” “servant” of v. 19 does wrong in not seeing, and that God calls on him to amend his ways. The “blind” and “deaf” “servant” of v. 19 therefore probably designates God’s people (see Rev. 3:17-20).