Jesus Heals and Fulfills Isaiah's Prophecy
Matthew 12:15-21
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Matt.12.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- γνους: PART,aor,act,nom,sg,m
- ανεχωρησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εκειθεν: ADV
- και: CONJ
- ηκολουθησαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- πολλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εθεραπευσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- παντας: ADJ,acc,pl,m
Parallels
- Mark 3:7-12 (structural): Mark records Jesus withdrawing (to the sea/remote place) while large crowds follow and he heals many; closely parallels Matthew’s wording and scene structure.
- Luke 6:17-19 (verbal): Luke depicts a great multitude following Jesus and says he healed them all — similar language and emphasis on universal healing within a crowd.
- Matt.4:23-24 (thematic): An earlier Matthean summary of Jesus’ ministry: he went throughout Galilee, teaching and healing all kinds of sicknesses, drawing great multitudes — same ministry pattern.
- Acts 10:38 (thematic): Peter’s summary of Jesus’ work — ‘going about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil’ — reinforces the early Christian interpretation of Jesus’ universal healing ministry reflected in Matthew 12:15.
Alternative generated candidates
- Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from there; and many followed him, and he healed them all.
- But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all.
Matt.12.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- επετιμησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRON,dat,pl,3
- ινα: CONJ
- μη: PART
- φανερον: ADV
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ποιησωσιν: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,pl
Parallels
- Mark 3:12 (verbal): Nearly identical command: Jesus 'charged them that they should not make him known'—same injunction to maintain silence about him.
- Mark 1:43-44 (verbal): After healing a leper Jesus 'charged him straitly' and instructed him to tell no one, reflecting the same secrecy motif and similar wording.
- Luke 5:14 (verbal): Parallel account of the healed leper: Jesus 'charged him that he should tell no man,' echoing Matthew's prohibition against making him known.
- Mark 5:43 (verbal): After raising Jairus' daughter Jesus 'charged them that they should tell no man what was done,' another instance of commanding silence about his works.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he warned them not to make him known.
- And he warned them not to make him known,
Matt.12.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ινα: CONJ
- πληρωθη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- ρηθεν: PART,aor,pass,nom,sg,n
- δια: PREP
- Ησαιου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,m
- προφητου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- λεγοντος·: PART,pres,act,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Isaiah 42:1-4 (quotation): Matthew 12:17 explicitly cites Isaiah's Servant song; the words that follow in Matthew 12:18–21 are drawn from Isaiah 42:1–4 (the Servant's mission and gentleness).
- Matthew 8:17 (quotation): Another Matthean fulfillment citation attributing Jesus' healing work to Isaiah's prophecy (here Matthew cites Isaiah 53:4). Shows Matthew's pattern of linking Jesus' actions to Isaiah's prophecies.
- Matthew 3:3 (thematic): Matthew uses the same fulfillment motif, citing Isaiah 40:3 about a voice preparing the way. Parallel in Matthew's method of reading Jesus' ministry as fulfillment of Isaiah.
- Luke 4:18-19 (allusion): Jesus reads and applies Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1–2) to his own ministry in the synagogue. The scene parallels Matthew's appeal to Isaiah to present Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophetic servant/mission themes.
Alternative generated candidates
- So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, saying,
- that what had been spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying,
Matt.12.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ιδου: PART
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- παις: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- ον: PRON,acc,sg,m,rel
- ηρετισα: VERB,aor,mid,ind,1,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αγαπητος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- εις: PREP
- ον: PRON,acc,sg,m,rel
- ευδοκησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- ψυχη: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- μου·θησω: VERB,fut,act,ind,1,sg
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- πνευμα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- επ᾽αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,3,m
- και: CONJ
- κρισιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- εθνεσιν: NOUN,dat,pl,n
- απαγγελει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 42:1-4 (quotation): Matthew 12:18 is a direct citation of Isaiah 42:1 (and the servant-song), echoing the chosen servant, God’s delight, the Spirit resting on him, and his mission to bring justice to the nations.
- Matthew 3:17 (verbal): At Jesus’ baptism the voice says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” paralleling the Son/servant language of divine delight in Matt 12:18.
- Luke 4:18-19 (allusion): Jesus reads Isaiah about the Spirit’s anointing and mission to proclaim good news and release the oppressed—thematically parallel to ‘I will put my Spirit on him’ and his mission to the nations.
- Acts 10:38 (thematic): Peter summarizes Jesus as anointed with the Holy Spirit and power who went about doing good—echoing the Spirit-resting formula and the servant’s mission to enact God’s justice among peoples.
- Psalm 2:7 (thematic): The coronation/sonship declaration “You are my Son” resonates with the language of divine favour and sonship (‘my beloved’) in Matt 12:18, linking messianic sonship and divine vindication.
Alternative generated candidates
- “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul delights; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
- Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul delights; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
Matt.12.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ερισει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- ουδε: CONJ
- κραυγασει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- ουδε: CONJ
- ακουσει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,3
- εν: PREP
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- πλατειαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- φωνην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Isaiah 42:2 (quotation): Direct quotation/source for Matthew 12:19; LXX Isaiah 42:2 uses the same language about not crying out or having his voice heard in the streets.
- Isaiah 42:1-4 (structural): Matthew 12:18–21 cites this entire 'Servant Song'—the context that frames the servant's meek, non‑clamorous character.
- Matthew 12:18-21 (structural): Immediate Matthean context: verse 19 is part of this citation and echoes the servant motif of gentleness and silent endurance.
- Isaiah 53:7 (thematic): The Suffering Servant imagery—'he was oppressed, and he was afflicted... he opened not his mouth'—echoes the theme of silent, non‑complaining suffering.
- 1 Peter 2:23 (thematic): A New Testament application of Christ's non‑retaliation and silence in the face of abuse: 'when he was reviled he did not revile in return,' reflecting the same meek, non‑clamorous demeanor.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will not contend or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
- He will not quarrel or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
Matt.12.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- καλαμον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- συντετριμμενον: PTCP,perf,pass,acc,sg,m
- ου: PART,neg
- κατεαξει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- λινον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- τυφομενον: PTCP,pres,pass,acc,sg,n
- ου: PART,neg
- σβεσει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- εως: PREP
- αν: PART
- εκβαλη: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- νικος: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- κρισιν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Isaiah 42:3 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel — Matthew is quoting the Servant Song line about not breaking a bruised reed/ not quenching a smoldering wick (LXX/Hebrew).
- Isaiah 42:1-4 (structural): The broader Servant Song from which v.20 is drawn; Matthew 12:18-21 echoes this whole passage describing the servant’s gentle, justice‑bringing mission.
- Matthew 11:29 (thematic): Jesus describes himself as 'gentle and lowly in heart,' reflecting the same theme of meekness and compassionate restraint found in the bruised‑reed image.
- Luke 4:18-19 (thematic): Jesus’ reading of Isaiah about bringing good news to the oppressed parallels the servant’s compassionate, restorative role implied by the bruised‑reed/wick imagery.
- Acts 13:47 (allusion): Paul’s citation of Isaiah in connection with mission to the Gentiles shows early Christian appropriation of the Isaiah servant tradition — the same prophetic framework Matthew invokes in 12:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will not crush a bruised reed, and he will not quench a faintly smoking wick, until he brings justice to victory.
- A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.
Matt.12.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- ονοματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- εθνη: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- ελπιουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 42:1-4 (quotation): Matthew 12:18-21 is an explicit citation of this Isaiah passage; verse 4 (LXX/Heb. v.3–4) predicts that the nations will place their hope in God's chosen one, matching Matthew's wording.
- Isaiah 49:6 (thematic): Speaks of the servant as a light to the nations and a means of salvation to the ends of the earth, thematically aligning with Gentiles/nations hoping in him.
- Romans 15:12 (quotation): Paul cites Isaiah (Isaiah 11:10) saying ‘in him shall the Gentiles hope,’ a close verbal/thematic echo of Matthew’s claim that the nations will hope in his name.
- Acts 15:17 (verbal): James cites prophecy about ‘all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called,’ a verbal and functional parallel to Matthew’s ‘in his name the nations will hope.’
Alternative generated candidates
- And in his name the nations will hope.”
- And in his name the nations will hope.
But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all. And he warned them not to make him known.
This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“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 will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out, neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not quench a smoldering wick, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the nations will hope.”