Text -- Isaiah 45:1-2 (NET)

45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed: 45:2 “I will go before you and level mountains. Bronze doors I will shatter and iron bars I will hack through.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Isa 45:1

¹ tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”

² sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.

³ tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”

NET Notes: Isa 45:2

¹ tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).

² tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”