Isaiah 45:19

Context

45:19 I have not spoken in secret,

in some hidden place.¹

I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,

‘Seek me in vain!’²

I am the Lord,

the one who speaks honestly,

who makes reliable announcements.³

Isaiah 45:21-24

Context

45:21 Tell me! Present the evidence!⁴

Let them consult with one another!

Who predicted this in the past?

Who announced it beforehand?

Was it not I, the Lord?

I have no peer, there is no God but me,

a God who vindicates and delivers;⁵

there is none but me.

45:22 Turn to me so you can be delivered,⁶

all you who live in the earth’s remote regions!

For I am God, and I have no peer.

45:23 I solemnly make this oath⁷ –

what I say is true and reliable:⁸

‘Surely every knee will bow to me,

every tongue will solemnly affirm;⁹

45:24 they will say about me,

“Yes, the Lord is a powerful deliverer.”’”¹⁰

All who are angry at him will cower before him.¹¹

[45:19] ¹tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”

[45:19] ²tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”

[45:19] ³tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”

[45:21] ⁴tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.

[45:21] ⁵tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”

[45:22] ⁶tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”

[45:23] ⁷tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”

[45:23] ⁸tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”

[45:23] ⁹tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”

[45:24] ¹⁰tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”

[45:24] ¹¹tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”