Bible Strands
Matthew 12:20
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Matthew the narrator cites Isaiah 42:1-4 as a declaration of Jesus' identity, placed within a chapter where Jesus has just healed a withered hand and faced Pharisaic opposition.
The words — suntetrimmenon (bruised) and tuphomenon (smoldering) are both present participles, marking an active, ongoing state of damage rather than a finished one. The reed is being crushed now; the wick is still giving off smoke.
The thread — The verse is a direct quotation of Isaiah 42:3, the Servant Song describing the Messiah's restraint toward the weak. The same motif of binding up the broken and strengthening the weak appears in Ezekiel 34:16 and Isaiah 61:1.
Why it lands — It asks the reader to accept that the Messiah's power is defined by what He refuses to do, not by what He does to the weak. The standard of justice here is restraint, not rescue.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
- Ezekiel 34:16 I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
- Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
- Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
- Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
- Lamentations 3:31 For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
- Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
- 2 Corinthians 2:7 So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
- Hebrews 12:12 Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees.
- Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.