Isaiah 45:7-8

45:7 I am ¹  the one who forms light

and creates darkness; ² 

the one who brings about peace

and creates calamity. ³ 

I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

45:8 O sky, rain down from above!

Let the clouds send down showers ⁴  of deliverance!

Let the earth absorb it ⁵  so salvation may grow, ⁶ 

and deliverance may sprout up ⁷  along with it.

I, the Lord, create it. ⁸ 

Isaiah 45:12

45:12 I made the earth,

I created the people who live ⁹  on it.

It was me – my hands ¹⁰  stretched out the sky, ¹¹ 

I give orders to all the heavenly lights. ¹² 

[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.

[45:7]  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.”

[45:7]  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).

[45:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”

[45:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”

[45:8]  ⁶ tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).

[45:8]  ⁷ tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).

[45:8]  ⁸ tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).

[45:12]  ⁹ tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.

[45:12]  ¹¹ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[45:12]  ¹² tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.