I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
In righteousness - rather, 'for a righteous purpose' (Lowth). (See Isaiah 42:21). God "set forth" His Son "to be a propitiation (so as) to declare His (God's) righteousness, that God might be just, and (yet) the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:25-26: cf. note, Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 45:13; Isaiah 50:8-9).
And will hold thine hand - cf. as to Israel, the type of Messiah, Hosea 11:3,
And give thee for a covenant of the people the medium of the covenant originally made between God and And give thee for a covenant of the people - the medium of the covenant, originally made between God and Abraham. "Messiah is given by the Father to be the mediator of a better covenant" (Hebrews 8:6) than the Law (see Isaiah 49:8; Jeremiah 31:33; Jeremiah 50:5). So the abstract, "peace," for peace-maker (Micah 5:5; Ephesians 2:14).
The people - Israel: as Isaiah 49:8, compared with Isaiah 42:6, proves (Luke 2:32).