Bible-Center
РУ
EN
FR
Bible
Notes
FAQ
Links
About

Search

Search Search
search in current section [Notes]

NOTES for Isa 45:1-25

Printable version
1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Hide

After conquering Babylon, the Persian king Cyrus soon allows the captive Jews to return to their homeland, Palestine. Thus ends one of the most important periods in sacred history—the Babylonian exile. Yet behind these historical upheavals, the prophet perceives the power at work in history of the true King of the universe—the Lord, the God of Israel. He Himself leads His people toward salvation, toward divine life. To attain this ultimate goal, He permits catastrophes and calamities, and for the same purpose He later heals, forgives, and brings the people back from exile. Seeing the presence and activity of evil forces in our world and our history, we—following the prophet's example—must realize that God is the Lord of history, that authority over time and the world belongs to Him, and that through all our trials we are moving toward the goal He has appointed—a goal that the prophet and we ourselves can scarcely imagine or describe.

Other notes

 
For Isa 45:1-25
1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Hide
The Persian king Cyrus, having conquered Babylon, soon allows the captive Jews to return to their homeland, to Palestine. Thus...  Read more

The Persian king Cyrus, having conquered Babylon, soon allows the captive Jews to return to their homeland, to Palestine. Thus ends one of the most important periods of sacred history, the Babylonian captivity. But behind historical upheavals the prophet sees the power at work in history of the true King of the universe, the Lord, the God of Israel. He Himself leads His people toward salvation, toward divine life. To achieve this final goal, He permits catastrophes and calamities, and for the same purpose He later heals, forgives, and returns the people from captivity.

Seeing the presence and action of evil forces in our world and in our history, we, following the prophet's example, must realize that the Master of history is God, that authority over time and the world belongs to Him, and that, as we pass through every trial, we are moving toward the goal He has appointed, a goal that both the prophet and we ourselves can hardly imagine or describe.

Hide
 
For Isa 45:1-25
1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.
9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
Hide
The king has reached the height of greatness and power; the army of his empire conquers one state after another. He imagines himself...  Read more

The king has reached the height of greatness and power; the army of his empire conquers one state after another. He imagines himself the center of the universe and the maker of his own victories. Yet prophetic words have already been spoken: everything Cyrus received, the Lord permitted him to take only so that he might play a role in the historical destiny of a people he scarcely knew. Cyrus does not realize that by freeing captives from slavery he gives both his own country and the countries he seeks to conquer an opportunity to hear about God, who speaks of him through a prophet unknown to him. Centuries will pass; the empire Cyrus is creating will suffer more than one defeat; and of the many deeds of the Persian rulers, the most enduring will be those done for a weak group of people who follow the Lord.

The true meaning of history often escapes the attention of contemporaries and is accomplished unnoticed. But what went unnoticed often proves more genuine and lasting than what was visible to everyone and on everyone's lips.

Hide
 
For Isa 45:4
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Hide
These words are addressed to the Persian king Cyrus, who, having conquered Babylon, released the Jewish captives to...  Read more

These words are addressed to the Persian king Cyrus, who, having conquered Babylon, released the Jewish captives to their native country; that’s how the Babylonian captivity ended. The only heathen in the Bible called "the anointed", Cyrus fulfilled God's will, without knowing God. But God knew him, and knew "by name", that is all his secret essence. Because the heathen Cyrus is a beloved creature of God, quite as every person is. And here is God's relation towards man who does not know Him: " I have surnamed thee".

God knows us... His Power spreads in our life, without violating our freedom, but also letting nobody out of His salvific right hand. Amazing mercy, of which only the Father is capable.

God respects us... Not only the believers knowing Him, but also the unbelievers.

Hide
 
For Isa 45:4
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Hide
These words are addressed to the Persian king Cyrus, who, having conquered Babylon, released the Jewish captives to...  Read more

These words are addressed to the Persian king Cyrus, who, having conquered Babylon, released the Jewish captives to their native country; that’s how the Babylonian captivity ended. The only heathen in the Bible called "the anointed", Cyrus fulfilled God's will, without knowing God. But God knew him, and knew "by name", that is all his secret essence. Because the heathen Cyrus is a beloved creature of God, quite as every person is. And here is God's relation towards man who does not know Him: " I have surnamed thee".

God knows us... His Power spreads in our life, without violating our freedom, but also letting nobody out of His salvific right hand. Amazing mercy, of which only the Father is capable.

God respects us... Not only the believers knowing Him, but also the unbelievers.

Hide
 
For Isa 45:11-17
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
Hide
Our spiritual weakness is such that even when we are at the center of God's saving action, we grumble because the salvation being given is not what we expected. This is characteristic of people of every age...  Read more

Our spiritual weakness is such that even when we are at the center of God's saving action, we grumble because the salvation being given is not what we expected. This is characteristic of people of every age; our contemporaries no less than the Jews of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor were the Jews of the second half of the sixth century before Christ, to whom the Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah, an exception in this respect. Rebuking those who refuse to see the Creator's intervention in the events taking place, the Lord speaks of His omnipotence and His authority over everything in this world. Distrustful people, focused on immediate earthly problems, are called to believe in this authority and power of the Creator and to rely on it. Only in this way can Israel enter the salvation that God is bringing about.

God says that it was He who desired to accomplish the deliverance of the captive Jews through King Cyrus, who, without suspecting it himself, became a prototype of the Anointed One of God who carries out the work of salvation on earth. Therefore no one can give God instructions in the work of His hands, in how Israel's salvation must be accomplished. To those who trustingly follow the Creator's will, the Lord promises eternal salvation - that is, something that far surpasses our narrow earthly notions.

In addition, today's reading is important because in it, almost for the first time in history, a new and exceptionally important name of God is revealed to us: the hidden God, the Savior.

Hide
 
For Isa 45:11-17
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
Hide
"I created the earth and made man upon it; I - My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host." These words, with which the Lord addresses us today through the appointed reading, take one's breath away and...  Read more

"I created the earth and made man upon it; I - My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host" (Isa 45:11-17). These words, with which the Lord addresses us today through the appointed reading, take one's breath away and leave one speechless in holy awe. "When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You remember him, and the son of man that You visit him?" (Ps 8:4-5).

We are used to these words; we know them well, and our perception of them has grown dull. Yet they are truly, deeply awe-inspiring. And falling on our faces, having prayed this psalm through until these words are fully received into our heart, let us imagine that the Lord suddenly says to me: I have chosen you. I do not merely visit you when you feel My light breath, quiet and barely noticeable, which only passes by and makes a skeptical mind wonder whether God has spoken with me. No. I will enter your flesh in all fullness. As a weight that you will feel very soon.

What will happen to our awe when it has reached its limit? It seems we have reached the limit of reverence and speechlessness, but this is still not the limit. Yet only the Mother of God could bear such a tension higher than the highest tension. Let us remember Averintsev's poem "The Annunciation." "But who can endure, asked the prophet, the burning of fire? Who can endure the heat of concentration? The innocent one, said the prophet. Yet even innocence itself climbs this steep height with effort. Attention to what flesh cannot attain is for the flesh a likeness of death. Thought is nailed fast, and the earthly mind is crucified; and this is the cross of attention. All life is enclosed in a single point as in a burning spark; everything is gathered in the heart, and life has ebbed back to it. From whitened fingers, from the whole bodily frame, life has departed and passed into prayer."

"Do not fear, worm Jacob," the Lord says to us today. A worm... dust. Yet You visit. And once You came forever to the Virgin. And because she was not afraid, to us.

Hide
Bible
Notes
FAQ
Links
About
Site map
Design and development:  © 2001–2026 W-M v:2.0.3.107

After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan.

Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free.