Isaiah 61:1
“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;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Isaiah 61 describes a Spirit-anointed servant commissioned to comfort and liberate the afflicted; Jesus read this passage in Nazareth and applied it to Himself.
What Does Isaiah 61:1 Mean?
Isaiah 61:1 announces a Spirit-anointed mission to bring good news, healing, and freedom to the suffering. The speaker declares that "the Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me" and that the LORD "hath anointed me" -- set apart and empowered for a specific purpose. Anointing in Israel marked someone commissioned for a sacred task, and here the task is one of compassion and liberation.
The mission unfolds in a series of tender actions: to "preach good tidings unto the meek," to "bind up the brokenhearted," to "proclaim liberty to the captives," and to open the prison to those who are bound. Each phrase addresses a different form of human suffering -- the lowly, the wounded, the imprisoned. The good news is not abstract but aimed at those most in need of hope. Jesus read these very words in the synagogue at Nazareth and announced that they were fulfilled in Him, making this verse a cornerstone of His self-understanding and ministry. Even on its own terms, the passage paints a glorious portrait of God's heart: He sends an anointed servant to lift the downcast and release the captive. For the reader, it offers both comfort and a model of the kind of mission God blesses.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew mashach means to anoint, the root behind the word Messiah; basar means to bring good news, the act of announcing glad tidings.
Cross References
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted.”
- Luke 4:18
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.”
- Isaiah 61:3
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.”
- Isaiah 52:7
Application
Receive the good news offered to the broken and captive, and let God's heart for the suffering shape how you bring hope to others.
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