Isaiah 14:2

14:2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Jacob will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land. ¹  They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them.

Isaiah 41:2

41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? ² 

Who ³  officially commissions him for service? ⁴ 

He hands nations over to him, ⁵ 

and enables him to subdue ⁶  kings.

He makes them like dust with his sword,

like windblown straw with his bow. ⁷ 

[14:2]  ¹ tn Heb “and the house of Jacob will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”

[41:2]  ² sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).

[41:2]  ³ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.

[41:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”

[41:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”

[41:2]  ⁶ tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).

[41:2]  ⁷ sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.