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the Lord called “my righteous servant” (Isa. 53:11; cf. 42:6) "[to bear] the sin of many”
(Isa. 53:12), “that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).
The “servant” was not a free man. He was subject to the will and command of his
master. But one might willingly and lovingly submit to his master (Exod. 21:5),
remaining in his service when he was not obliged to do so. Hence it is a very fitting
description of the relationship of man to God.
The Septuagint translates
and its nouns by 7 different Greek roots that give
more specific meanings to the term. Through these the basic uses of
come into the
New Testament. Notable is Jesus’ fulfillment of the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah: “That
signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus (Acts 4:30;
RSV
,
NASB
,
NIV
, “servant Jesus”); and another important use is Paul’s personal use of “a
servant of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1;
KJV
,
RSV
,
NIV
; but more precisely, “bond servant” in
NASB
).
C. Participle.
(
"
, 8334), “servant; minister.” This word is most regularly translated
“minister”; Josh. 1:1 is one example: “Now after the death of Moses the servant [
]
of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’
minister [
].…” Ezek. 46:24 refers to a place in the temple complex which is
reserved for “… the ministers of the house.…” The privilege of serving the Lord is not
restricted to human beings: “Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts [angels]; ye ministers of
his, that do his pleasure” (Ps. 103:21). Fire and wind, conceived poetically as persons, are
also God’s “ministers” (Ps. 104:3-4). Joshua was the “minister” of Moses (Exod. 24:13),
and Elisha had a “servitor” (2 Kings 4:43;
NASB
, “attendant”).
TO SET, PLACE
(
"
, 7896), “to put, place, set, station, fix.” In addition to biblical Hebrew, this
verb is found frequently in ancient Ugaritic. It occurs more than 80 times in the Hebrew
Old Testament, for the first time in Gen. 3:15: “And I will put enmity between thee and
the woman.…”
Generally speaking, this word is a term of physical action, typically expressing
movement from one place to another. Often it expresses “putting” hands on someone or
something: “… Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes [close your eyes]” (Gen. 46:4).
One may “put on” ornaments (Exod. 33:4); Naomi laid her “grandchild” Obed in her
bosom (Ruth 4:16); a fine may be “laid” on someone for injury (Exod. 21:22). Sheep may
be “set” or stationed, at a particular place (Gen. 30:40).
“To set” one’s heart to something is to give heed to, to pay attention (Exod. 7:23;
RSV
, “he did not lay even this to heart”). To set one’s heart may also be to reflect: “Then I
saw, and considered it [set my heart to it] …” (Prov. 24:32). “To set” boundaries is “to
set,” or “fix,” limits: “And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the
Philistines …” (Exod. 23:31). When Job cries: “Oh … that thou wouldest appoint me a
set time, and remember me!” (Job 14:13), he wants limits “set” for him.
-
is sometimes used to express the making of something: “… I will make him
prince …” (1 Kings 11:34); “And I will lay it waste …” (Isa. 5:6); “… I will make thee a
wilderness …” (Jer. 22:6).