כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה לִמְשִׁיחֹו לְכֹורֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱזַקְתִּי בִימִינֹו לְרַד־לְפָנָיו גֹּויִם וּמָתְנֵי מְלָכִים אֲפַתֵּחַ לִפְתֹּחַ   45:1 לְפָנָיו דְּלָתַיִם וּשְׁעָרִים לֹא יִסָּגֵרוּ׃

Isai. 45:1   “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus,

                              “in whose right hand I have put strength

                     to subdue nations before him,

                               and I shall loosen the loins of kings

                     to open gates before him,

                               and the gates shall not be closed.”

It’s interesting that for Isaiah, the Lord refers to Cyrus as the His anointed.  That’s not customarily said of a gentile.

אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ אֵלֵךְ וַהֲדוּרִים (אֹושִׁר) [אֲיַשֵּׁר] דַּלְתֹות נְחוּשָׁה אֲשַׁבֵּר וּבְרִיחֵי בַרְזֶל אֲגַדֵּעַ׃   45:2

Isai. 45:2   “I will go before you

                               and make straight the rugged places,

                     I will break down the gates of brass

                               and cut asunder the bars of iron.”

The word in parentheses, translated as and [I will] make straight, has a vav where it should have a yad.  The corrected spelling is in the brackets.

וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ אֹוצְרֹות חֹשֶׁךְ וּמַטְמֻנֵי מִסְתָּרִים לְמַעַן תֵּדַע כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה הַקֹּורֵא בְשִׁמְךָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   45:3

Isai. 45:3   “And I will give to you the treasures of darkness

                               and the hidden riches of secret places,

                    so that you might know that I am the Lord,, the God of Israel,

                              Who calls to your name

לְמַעַן עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחִירִי וָאֶקְרָא לְךָ בִּשְׁמֶךָ אֲכַנְּךָ וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּנִי׃   45:4

Isai. 45:4   for the sake of My servant, Jacob,

                              and Israel, My elect,

                   and I will call for you by your name.

                               I will give you a surname

                    though you do not know Me.”

אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין עֹוד זוּלָתִי אֵין אֱלֹהִים אֲאַזֶּרְךָ וְלֹא יְדַעְתָּנִי׃   45:5

Isai. 45:5   “I am the Lord and there is none else.

                               Beside Me there is no God.

                     I shall gird you though you do not know Me,

לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמִמַּעֲרָבָה כִּי־אֶפֶס בִּלְעָדָי אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין עֹוד׃   45:6

Isai. 45:6   so that they will know,

                               from where the sun rises

                    and from where it sets,

                               that there is none beside Me.

                     I am the Lord, and there is none else,

יֹוצֵר אֹור וּבֹורֵא חֹשֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂה שָׁלֹום וּבֹורֵא רָע אֲנִי יְהוָה עֹשֶׂה כָל־אֵלֶּה׃   45:7

Isai. 45:7   Maker of light and Creator of darkness,

                              bestowing welfare and dispatching distress.

                     I am the Lord, Doer of all these things.”

I see that Isaiah shares my view that the Lord made light and darkness (which resulted from the light).  See my remarks relating to Gene. 1:5 for my opinion on this idea.  However, I don’t completely agree with the content of the second line.  Does the Lord really dispatch distress?

                                                                                                                  [Return to Lame. 3:37]

הַרְעִיפוּ שָׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וּשְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ־צֶדֶק תִּפְתַּח־אֶרֶץ וְיִפְרוּ־יֶשַׁע וּצְדָקָה תַצְמִיחַ יַחַד אֲנִי יְהוָה   45:8 בְּרָאתִיו׃

Isai. 45:8   “Drip, you skies, from above,

                               and let the heavens pour down justice!

                    Let the earth break open so they see salvation,

                               and righteousness spring up altogether!

                     I, the Lord, have created it.”

הֹוי רָב אֶת־יֹצְרֹו חֶרֶשׂ אֶת־חַרְשֵׂי אֲדָמָה הֲיֹאמַר חֹמֶר לְיֹצְרֹו מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה וּפָעָלְךָ אֵין־יָדַיִם לֹו׃   45:9

Isai. 45:9   “Woe to the striver against his Maker,

                               the clay of the potters of the earth!

                    Shall the clay say to its molder,

                               ‘What will you make?’

                    or, ‘Your work has no hands?’”

הֹוי אֹמֵר לְאָב מַה־תֹּולִיד וּלְאִשָּׁה מַה־תְּחִילִין׃   45:10

Isai. 45:10   “Woe to him saying to a father,

                               ‘Why do you beget?’

                      or to a woman,

                               ‘Why do you travail?’”

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה קְדֹושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיֹצְרֹו הָאֹתִיֹּות שְׁאָלוּנִי עַל־בָּנַי וְעַל־פֹּעַל יָדַי תְּצַוֻּנִי׃   45:11

Isai. 45:11   Thus says the Lord,

                                the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:

                      “Of the things to come ask Me!

                               About My children

                      and about the work of My ‘hand’

                                enjoin Me!”

אָנֹכִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶרֶץ וְאָדָם עָלֶיהָ בָרָאתִי אֲנִי יָדַי נָטוּ שָׁמַיִם וְכָל־צְבָאָם צִוֵּיתִי׃   45:12

Isai. 45:12   “I have made the earth,

                                and I have created humanity upon it.

                       I, My ‘hands,’ stretch forth the heavens,

                                and I command all their hosts.”

אָנֹכִי הַעִירֹתִהוּ בְצֶדֶק וְכָל־דְּרָכָיו אֲיַשֵּׁר הוּא־יִבְנֶה עִירִי וְגָלוּתִי יְשַׁלֵּחַ לֹא בִמְחִיר וְלֹא בְשֹׁחַד   45:13 אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות׃

Isai. 45:13   “I have roused him up with justification,

                                 and I shall make all his paths straight.

                      He shall build My city,

                                 and he shall let My exiles go free.

                      Not because of payment

                                 and not because of reward,

                       ” says the Lord of hosts.

I imagine this is referring to Cyrus again, as the next verse implies.

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה יְגִיעַ מִצְרַיִם וּסְחַר־כּוּשׁ וּסְבָאִים אַנְשֵׁי מִדָּה עָלַיִךְ יַעֲבֹרוּ וְלָךְ יִהְיוּ אַחֲרַיִךְ יֵלֵכוּ   45:14 בַּזִּקִּים יַעֲבֹרוּ וְאֵלַיִךְ יִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ אֵלַיִךְ יִתְפַּלָּלוּ אַךְ בָּךְ אֵל וְאֵין עֹוד אֶפֶס אֱלֹהִים׃

Isai. 45:14   Thus says the Lord:

                                “The product of Egypt

                      and the profit of Ethiopia

                                and of the Sabeans, humans of size,

                       to you they will pass over,

                                and yours they shall be.

                      After you they shall go,

                                 in chains they shall cross over,

                      and to you bow down.

                                To you they shall make supplication.

                      Surely in you is God,

                                 and there is no other God.”

אָכֵן אַתָּה אֵל מִסְתַּתֵּר אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֹושִׁיעַ׃   45:15

Isai. 45:15   Certainly you are a hidden God,

                                 O God of Israel, the Savior.

בֹּושׁוּ וְגַם־נִכְלְמוּ כֻּלָּם יַחְדָּו הָלְכוּ בַכְּלִמָּה חָרָשֵׁי צִירִים׃   45:16

Isai. 45:16   All of them are ashamed and also confounded.

                                 Together the makers of idols go in confusion.

יִשְׂרָאֵל נֹושַׁע בַּיהוָה תְּשׁוּעַת עֹולָמִים לֹא־תֵבֹשׁוּ וְלֹא־תִכָּלְמוּ עַד־עֹולְמֵי עַד׃   45:17

Isai. 45:17   Israel is saved by the Lord,

                                an everlasting salvation.

                      You shall not be afraid

                                or confounded for ever and ever.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר־יְהוָה בֹּורֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ הוּא כֹונְנָהּ לֹא־תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ   45:18 לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין עֹוד׃

Isai. 45:18   For thus says the Lord, Creator of the heavens.

                               He is God, forming the earth and making it;

                      He established it;

                               He created it no empty place,

                      He formed it to be inhabited.

                               “I am the Lord, and there is none else.”

לֹא בַסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי בִּמְקֹום אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי אֲנִי יְהוָה דֹּבֵר צֶדֶק   45:19 מַגִּיד מֵישָׁרִים׃

Isai. 45:19   “Not in secret do I speak,

                                not in a dark place of the earth.

                       I do not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain!’

                                 I, the Lord, am a righteous Speaker,

                       a Declarer of right things.”

הִקָּבְצוּ וָבֹאוּ הִתְנַגְּשׁוּ יַחְדָּו פְּלִיטֵי הַגֹּויִם לֹא יָדְעוּ הַנֹּשְׂאִים אֶת־עֵץ פִּסְלָם וּמִתְפַּלְלִים אֶל־אֵל לֹא   45:20 יֹושִׁיעַ׃

Isai. 45:20   Assemble yourselves and come,

                                approach together, escapees of the nations!

                      Do not acknowledge those

                                who carry the wood of their carved images

                      and who pray to a god not able to save.

הַגִּידוּ וְהַגִּישׁוּ אַף יִוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו מִי הִשְׁמִיעַ זֹאת מִקֶּדֶם מֵאָז הִגִּידָהּ הֲלֹוא אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין־עֹוד   45:21  אֱלֹהִיםמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵל־צַדִּיק וּמֹושִׁיעַ אַיִן זוּלָתִי׃

Isai. 45:21   Denounce and draw near,

                                 although they consult together!

                      Who has perceived this from of old,

                                 from that time declared it?

                       “Is it not I, the Lord?

                                 And there is no other God beside Me,

                       a just God and a Savior.

                                 There is none but Me.”

פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהִוָּשְׁעוּ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ כִּי אֲנִי־אֵל וְאֵין עֹוד׃   45:22

Isai. 45:22   “Turn to Me and be saved,

                                 all the ends of the earth!

                      For I am God, and there is none else.”

בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי יָצָא מִפִּי צְדָקָה דָּבָר וְלֹא יָשׁוּב כִּי־לִי תִּכְרַע כָּל־בֶּרֶךְ תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל־לָשֹׁון׃   45:23

Isai. 45:23   “Alone I have sworn.

                                 The word has gone out

                       righteously from My mouth

                                 and it shall not go back in,

                       that every knee shall bend to Me,

                                 every tongue shall swear.”

אַךְ בַּיהוָה לִי אָמַר צְדָקֹות וָעֹז עָדָיו יָבֹוא וְיֵבֹשׁוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בֹּו׃   45:24

Isai. 45:24   “’Only with the Lord,’ it is said of Me,

                                 ‘is victory and strength.’”

                      Before Him he shall come

                                 so that all will be ashamed

                      who were angry with Him.

בַּיהוָה יִצְדְּקוּ וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל־זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   45:25

Isai. 45:25   In the Lord all the seed of Israel

                       shall be justified and glorified.

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