The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Messiah announces His two-fold commission to bring Gospel-mercy at His first coming, and judgments on unbelievers and comfort to Zion at His second coming (Isaiah 61:1-9). The language can be applied to Isaiah, comforting by his prophecies the exiles in Babylon, only in a subordinate sense.
The Spirit of the Lord God (is) upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me - quoted by Jesus as His credentials in preaching (Luke 4:18-21). The Spirit is upon me in preaching, because Yahweh hath anointed me from the womb (Luke 1:35), and at baptism with the Spirit "without measure," and permanently "abiding" on me (Isaiah 11:2; John 1:32; John 3:34; Psalms 45:7: with which cf. 1 Kings 1:39-40; 1 Kings 19:16; Exodus 29:7). "Anointed" as Messiah, Prophet, Priest, and King. These three classes of functionaries used to be anointed with oil, of which the Holy Spirit, wherewith He was anointed to His three-fold office, was the antitype. "The Lord God" - rather, as the Hebrew, 'the Lord Yahweh:' 'Adonaay (H136), Yahweh (H3068). The vowel points being the same as these of 'Elohiym (H430), misled the English version.
To preach good tidings (Hebrew, lªbaseer (H1319)) - as the word 'Gospel' means.
Unto the meek, х `ªnaawiym (H6035): the Septuagint, ptoochois (G4434)] - or, "the poor," as Luke 4:18 hath it; i:e., those afflicted with calamity, poor in circumstances and in spirit (Matthew 11:5.) The Vulgate ('mansuetis') and Chaldaic translate much the same as the English version 'the gentle' or "meek:" the Syriac, 'the humble:' the Arabic, "the poor."
To proclaim liberty to the captives (John 8:31-36) - language drawn from the deliverance of the Babylonian captives, to describe the deliverance from sin and death (Hebrews 2:15); also from the 'liberty proclaimed' to all bond-servants on the year of jubilee (Isaiah 61:2); deror is the term usually applied to the deliverance granted to bond-servants on the year of jubilee; (Leviticus 25:10; Jeremiah 34:8-9).
The opening of the prison to (them that are) bound. The Hebrew ( pªqach-qowach (H6495), equivalent to pªqacheqowach, the signification being intensified by the doubling of the latter radicals) rather is, 'the most complete opening'-namely, of the eyes to them that are bound; i:e., deliverance from prison; for captives are, as it were, blind in the darkness of prison (Isaiah 14:17; Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:7) (Ewald). So Luke 4:18 and the Septuagint interpret it х tuflois (G5185) anablepsin (G309)]. Luke 4:18, under inspiration, adds to this, for the fuller explanation of the single clause in the Hebrew, 'to set at liberty them that are bruised;' thus expressing the double 'opening' implied-namely, that of the eyes (John 9:39), and that of the prison (Romans 6:18; Romans 7:24-25; Hebrews 2:15). His miracles were parables acted out.