Text -- Isaiah 45:1-7 (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. 45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, riches stashed away in secret places, so you may recognize that I am the Lord, the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel. 45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, Israel, my chosen one, I call you by name and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize me. 45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, there is no God but me. I arm you for battle, even though you do not recognize me. 45:6 I do this so people will recognize from east to west that there is no God but me; I am the Lord, I have no peer. 45:7 I am the one who forms light and creates darkness; the one who brings about peace and creates calamity. I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

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.”

NET Notes: Isa 45:3

¹ tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”

NET Notes: Isa 45:4

¹ tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.”

NET Notes: Isa 45:5

¹ tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.

² tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).

³ tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”

NET Notes: Isa 45:6

¹ tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”

NET Notes: Isa 45:7

¹ tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.

² tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”

³ sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).