Yesaya 41:2

41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? ¹ 

Who ²  officially commissions him for service? ³ 

He hands nations over to him, ⁴ 

and enables him to subdue ⁵  kings.

He makes them like dust with his sword,

like windblown straw with his bow. ⁶ 

Yesaya 41:25

41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north ⁷  and he advances,

one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. ⁸ 

He steps on ⁹  rulers as if they were clay,

like a potter treading the clay.

Yesaya 45:1-3

45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen ¹⁰  one,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold ¹¹ 

in order to subdue nations before him,

and disarm kings, ¹² 

to open doors before him,

so gates remain unclosed:

45:2 “I will go before you

and level mountains. ¹³ 

Bronze doors I will shatter

and iron bars ¹⁴  I will hack through.

45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, ¹⁵ 

riches stashed away in secret places,

so you may recognize that I am the Lord,

the one who calls you by name, the God of Israel.

Yesaya 46:11

46:11 who summons an eagle ¹⁶  from the east,

from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.

Yes, I have decreed, ¹⁷ 

yes, I will bring it to pass;

I have formulated a plan,

yes, I will carry it out.

[41:2]  ¹ sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).

[41:2]  ² tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.

[41:2]  ³ tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”

[41:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”

[41:2]  ⁵ tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).

[41:2]  ⁶ sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.

[41:25]  ⁷ sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.

[41:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”

[41:25]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text has וְיָבֹא (vÿyavo’, “and he comes”), but this is likely a corruption of an original וַיָּבָס (vayyavas), from בּוּס (bus, “step on”).

[45:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”

[45:1]  ¹¹ sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.

[45:1]  ¹² tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”

[45:2]  ¹³ tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).

[45:2]  ¹⁴ tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”

[45:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”

[46:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).

[46:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”