Isaiah 42:1–4
In His Name Shall the Gentiles Trust
Wording onlyQuoted by the apostles in Matthew 12:18–21, in the older Greek wording
Matthew ends Isaiah’s servant song with a line your Old Testament words another way.
Side by Side
The Older Text
Septuagint, translated before Messiah
He shall shine out, and shall not be discouraged, until he have set judgment on the earth: and in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
The Later Text
Masoretic, finished about 1,000 years after the cross
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Quoted in Matthew 12:20–21
Matthew’s Isaiah
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Your KJV reads: “the isles shall wait for his law” in Isaiah, and “in his name shall the Gentiles trust” in Matthew.
See what changed and why ↓What Your Bible Says
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:18 KJV
Matthew says Yahushua’s quiet healing fulfilled Isaiah 42. He closes the quotation with a promise to the nations: “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (Matthew 12:21).
What the Jewish Bible Says
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isaiah 42:4 KJV
Same servant, same promise of justice. But the last line is different. The far-off coastlands wait for His Torah.
What Changed
The isles became “the Gentiles,” which is fair, since the far coastlands were Gentile lands. The Hebrew word for wait also means to hope, close to trust (Psalm 130:7). The real difference is one word: the Greek has “name” where the Hebrew has “law.”
Not Enemies
Some teachers use Matthew’s line to set the Name against the Law, as if trusting Him ended the Torah. Scripture never puts them at war. Trust in His name comes first; that is how the Gentiles come in. His Torah follows, written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33).
The same chapter of Isaiah says of Yahuah, “he will magnify the law, and make it honourable” (Isaiah 42:21). Messiah said He came “not to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17).
Which One Is Right?
The Greek Bible, translated before Messiah, reads “in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” Matthew quotes that line almost word for word.
The Great Isaiah Scroll, found at Qumran and copied before Messiah, reads “his law,” as the Masoretic does.
Both readings were known before Messiah. Neither is a later change. Matthew chose the one that tells the nations whom to trust.
Purpose of the Change
No motive evident: wording variation only. The pair still matters because Matthew quoted the Greek line, and both lines are true: the Gentiles trust in His name, and they wait for His Law.
The Bottom Line
The Gentiles trust in His name first, then walk in His Law. Matthew gives the first; the Hebrew gives the second.
Revelation joins the two in one line: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yahushua” (Revelation 14:12).
Dig Deeper The evidence, for anyone who wants it
Jacob and Israel in the Greek
The Greek is not a clean witness here. In verse 1 it reads “Jacob is my servant… Israel is my chosen,” words that are not in the Hebrew. Matthew does not follow that. His “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen” stands closer to the Hebrew. Matthew quoted the Hebrew where the Greek added, and the Greek where its last line was true. The apostle served the truth, not one copy.
My Spirit Upon Him
Yahuah says, “I will put my spirit upon him.” The spirit is Yahuah’s own breath and power, given to the Son. It is not a third person. And the servant is chosen, upheld, and pleasing to Another. The Most High is upheld by no one. The servant has a God above Him.
The Law Goes Out to the Nations
Isaiah saw the nations streaming to Zion to learn: “he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law” (Isaiah 2:3). The nations come first, then they are taught. That is the same order as Matthew and Isaiah 42 together.
An Honest Note
“Name” and “law” do not look alike in Hebrew, so this is not a one-letter slip. No one knows for sure why the Greek reads “name.” The translator may have had a different Hebrew copy, or may have given the sense in his own words. The Qumran scroll agrees with the Masoretic, so this page does not claim the Hebrew was altered after the cross. Its point is simpler: Matthew quoted the Greek wording, and the Hebrew “law” stands beside it.