Yesaya 41:25

41:25 I have stirred up one out of the north ¹  and he advances,

one from the eastern horizon who prays in my name. ² 

He steps on ³  rulers as if they were clay,

like a potter treading the clay.

Yesaya 45:1-5

45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen ⁴  one,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold ⁵ 

in order to subdue nations before him,

and disarm kings, ⁶ 

to open doors before him,

so gates remain unclosed:

45:2 “I will go before you

and level mountains. ⁷ 

Bronze doors I will shatter

and iron bars ⁸  I will hack through.

45:3 I will give you hidden treasures, ⁹ 

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.

45:4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,

Israel, my chosen one,

I call you by name

and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize ¹⁰  me.

45:5 I am the Lord, I have no peer, ¹¹ 

there is no God but me.

I arm you for battle, ¹²  even though you do not recognize ¹³  me.

[41:25]  ¹ sn That is, Cyrus the Persian. See the note at v. 2.

[41:25]  ² tn Heb “[one] from the rising of the sun [who] calls in my name.”

[41:25]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”

[45:1]  ⁵ sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.

[45:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”

[45:2]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”

[45:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”

[45:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.”

[45:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.

[45:5]  ¹² tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).

[45:5]  ¹³ tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”