Isaiah 45:1-13

Cyrus, God's Instrument

1 Thus says the LORD to ¹his anointed, to Cyrus, ²whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and ³to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:

2 "I will go before you and ⁴level the exalted places,^[a] ⁵I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron,

3 ⁶I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, ⁷who call you by your name.

4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, ⁸I call you by your name, ⁹I name you, though you do not know me.

5 ¹⁰I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; ¹¹I equip you, though you do not know me,

6 ¹²that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and ¹³create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.

8 ¹⁴"Shower, O heavens, from above, and ¹⁵let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.

9 ¹⁶"Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! ¹⁷Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'?

10 Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' or to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?'"

11 Thus says ¹⁸the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: ¹⁹"Ask me of things to come; will you command me ²⁰concerning my children and ²¹the work of my hands?^[b]

12 ²²I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands ²³that stretched out the heavens, and ²⁴I commanded all their host.

13 ²⁵I have stirred him up in righteousness, ²⁶and I will make all his ways level; ²⁷he shall build my city ²⁸and set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says the LORD of hosts.

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Isaiah 45:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 45

This chapter contains prophecies concerning Cyrus, the deliverer of the Jews from captivity; and concerning the grace, righteousness, and salvation of Christ; and the conversion of the Gentiles. An account is given of Cyrus, and of the great things God would do for him, and by him, Isa 45:1-3 and the ends for which he would do these things, for the sake of his people Israel; and that he might be known to be the only true God, who is the Maker of all things, Isa 45:4-7 an intimation is given of the Messiah, as the author of righteousness and salvation; and of the contention and murmuring of the Jews about him, Isa 45:8-10, encouragement is given to pray for and expect good things by him for the children of God, in consideration of the greatness of God as the Creator, who would raise him up in righteousness, the antitype of Cyrus, Isa 45:11-13, the conversion of the Gentiles, the confusion of idolaters, and the salvation of the Israel of God, are prophesied of, Isa 45:14-17, which are confirmed by his works and his word, what he had done and said, Isa 45:18,19, the vanity of idols is exposed, and Christ the only Saviour asserted, to whom persons in all nations are directed to look for salvation, Isa 45:20-22 when it is affirmed with an oath that all shall be subject to him; that his people shall come to him for righteousness and strength; that his enemies shall be ashamed, and the spiritual Israel of God shall be justified, and glory in him, Isa 45:23-25.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 28

1. [Isaiah 44:28]
2. [Isaiah 41:13]
3. Job 12:21; [ver. 5; Isaiah 22:21]
4. Isaiah 40:4
5. Psalms 107:16
6. [Jeremiah 50:37; Jeremiah 51:13]
7. Isaiah 43:1
8. [See ver. 3 above]
9. [Isaiah 62:2]
10. See Isaiah 44:8
11. [Job 12:21; Isaiah 22:21]
12. [Isaiah 37:20; Malachi 1:11]
13. [Isaiah 41:23; Amos 3:6]
14. [Deuteronomy 32:2]
15. Psalms 85:11; [Hosea 10:12]
16. [Ecclesiastes 6:10]; See Isaiah 10:15
17. Isaiah 64:8; Cited Romans 9:20
18. Ezekiel 39:7
19. [Isaiah 41:23]
20. [Jeremiah 31:9]
21. Isaiah 29:23; Isaiah 64:8
22. Jeremiah 27:5
23. Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24
24. Genesis 2:1
25. Isaiah 41:2
26. [ver. 2]
27. See Isaiah 44:28
28. Isaiah 49:25; Isaiah 51:14; Isaiah 52:3

Footnotes 2

[a]. Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint level the mountains
[b]. A slight emendation yields will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands?

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.