Isaiah 45:2

2 This is what the LORD says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.

Isaiah 45:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 45:2

I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight,
&c.] Or, "level the hilly places" ^F3; as pioneers do. The sense is, that he would remove all impediments and obstructions out of his way, and cause him to surmount all difficulties: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars
of iron;
with which the brasen gates were barred: in the wall that surrounded Babylon there were a hundred gates, all made of solid brass, twenty five on each side of the square; which, no doubt, are here referred to; which could not hinder the entrance of Cyrus into the city, and the taking of it; though they were not then destroyed by him, but by Darius afterwards ^F4 these gates of brass are mentioned by Abydenus ^F5, as made by Nebuchadnezzar, and as continuing till the empire of the Macedonians.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 The Septuagint render the word by (orh) , mountains; Gussetius by eminences, high places, such as stood in the way of passage into countries. The Vulgate Latin interprets it of glorious persons; and Abendana says it is right to understand it in this way; and applies it to Zerubbabel, and those that went up with him to Jerusalem, with the leave of Cyrus, who were good men, and honourable in their works, whom the Lord directed in their way right, and prospered them in the building of the temple,
F4 Herodot. l. 1. c. 179. l. 3. c. 159.
F5 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 41. p. 457.

Isaiah 45:2 In-Context

1 This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again.

2 This is what the LORD says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.

3 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

4 “And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.

5 I am the LORD ; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me,

Footnotes

• [a]. As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text reads the swellings.