Isaiah 45 Footnotes

45:1 Ordinarily the OT reserves the idea of being “anointed” for Israelite leaders—priests, kings, and prophets (Isaiah himself, 61:1). Anointing, however, was the Lord’s commissioning for a special task. In this case Cyrus, though a pagan ruler, was “his anointed” for the purpose of releasing the Lord’s servant people (“Jacob,” v. 4) from exile.

45:7 The Hebrew word for “evil” (translated “disaster”) represents natural calamity as well as moral evil. God, in his perfection, does nothing morally evil. But, since all events are subject to his control, he is ultimately responsible for all events in history and nature. Moral evil derives from the choices of human beings and angels.

45:15,19 The claim that God hides himself is the opinion of the nations (v. 15) before their conversion. The Lord corrected their false understanding: “I have not spoken in secret” (v. 19). Warped worldviews and false beliefs cause people to misunderstand what is really happening in the events of history; God’s activity is hidden from them and misunderstood until they are exposed to his word of truth.