Yesaya 45:7

45:7 I am ¹  the one who forms light

and creates darkness; ² 

the one who brings about peace

and creates calamity. ³ 

I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.

Yesaya 54:16

54:16 Look, I create the craftsman,

who fans the coals into a fire

and forges a weapon. ⁴ 

I create the destroyer so he might devastate.

[45:7]  ¹ tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.

[45:7]  ² tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”

[45:7]  ³ sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).

[54:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”