Isaiah 45:2

45:2 “I will go before you

and level mountains. ¹ 

Bronze doors I will shatter

and iron bars ²  I will hack through.

Isaiah 63:1

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ³ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ⁴ 

Who ⁵  is this one wearing royal attire, ⁶ 

who marches confidently ⁷  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ⁸ 

[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”).

[45:2]  ² tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”

[63:1]  ³ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ⁵ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ⁷ tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).

[63:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”