Yeshayah 45:2

2 I will go before thee, and make straight the crooked paths; I will break down the delatot nechoshet, and cut through their barzel (iron) bars;

Yeshayah 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.


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.

Yeshayah 45:2 In-Context

1 5 Thus saith Hashem to His Moshiach, to Koresh (Cyrus), whose yamin (right hand) I have taken hold of, to subdue Goyim before him; and the loins of melachim I ungird, to open before him the double doors and the she’arim (gates), that they may not continue shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make straight the crooked paths; I will break down the delatot nechoshet, and cut through their barzel (iron) bars;
3 And I will give thee the otzarot choshech, and hidden riches of mistarim (secret places) that thou mayest know that I, Hashem, Who call thee by thy shem (name), am Elohei Yisroel.
4 For the sake of avdi Ya’akov, and Yisroel My Bachir, I have even called thee by thy shem (name); I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me.
5 I am Hashem, and there is none other, there is no Elohim besides Me; I equipped thee, though thou hast not known Me;
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