Isaiah 45:3

3 and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.

Isaiah 45:3 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 45:3

And I will give thee treasures of darkness, and hidden riches
of secret places
What had been laid up in private places, and had not seen the light for many years. The Jewish Rabbins say ^F6, that Nebuchadnezzar having amassed together all the riches of the world, when he drew near his end, considered with himself to whom he should leave it; and being unwilling to leave it to Evilmerodach, he ordered ships of brass to be built, and filled them with it, and dug a place in Euphrates, and hid them in it, and turned the river upon them; and that day that Cyrus ordered the temple to be built, the Lord revealed them to him: the riches of Croesus king of Lydia, taken by Cyrus, are meant; especially what he found in Babylon, which abounded in riches, ( Jeremiah 51:13 ) . Pliny ^F7 says, when he conquered Asia, he brought away thirty four thousand pounds of gold, besides golden vessels, and five hundred thousand talents of silver, and the cup of Semiramis, which weighed fifteen talents. Xenophon ^F8 makes mention of great riches and treasures which Cyrus received from Armenius, Gobryas, and Croesus: that thou mayest know that I the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am
the God of Israel;
to call him by name two hundred years, or near it, before he was born, was a proof that he was God omniscient, and knew things before they were, and could call things that were not, as though they were; and this Cyrus was made acquainted with; for, as Josephus

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 says, he read this prophecy in Isaiah concerning him; and all this being exactly fulfilled in him, obliged him to acknowledge him the Lord, to be the Lord God of heaven, and the Lord God of Israel, ( Ezra 1:2 Ezra 1:3 ) .
F6 Vide Abendana in Miclol Yophi in Ioc.
F7 Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 3.
F8 Cyropaedia, l. 3. c. 3. l. 5. c. 4. l. 7. c. 14.
F9 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 1. sect. 2.

Isaiah 45:3 In-Context

1 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

2 I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;

3 and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.

4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

5 I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;