45:2 “I will go before you
and level mountains. 1
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars 2 I will hack through.
45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, 3
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.
45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 4 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 5
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 6
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
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.”
3 tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”
5 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
6 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
7 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
7 tn Grk “walk.” The verb περιπατέω (peripatew) is a common NT idiom for one’s lifestyle, behavior, or manner of conduct (L&N 41.11).