Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 12:17

"that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying," — Matthew 12:17 (ASV)

That it might be fulfilled — The quotation of Isaiah 42:1 is applied here to our Lord’s restraint and quietness. It is not taken from the Septuagint but is a free translation from the Hebrew. While this application may seem to us to fall short of the prophecy's full meaning, it reveals how deeply this conduct impressed the Evangelist.

He understood that a person who could unite the attributes of divine power with such a complete lack of ambitious display could be none other than the true, ideal King.