New English Translation
Isaiah 45:1
1This is what the Lord says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed:
Isaiah 45:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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;
- New International Version (NIV)“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
Context of Isaiah 45:1
This is what the Lord says to his chosen one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold in order to subdue nations before him, and disarm kings, to open doors before him, so gates remain unclosed: 2“I will go before you and level mountains. Bronze doors I will shatter and iron bars I will hack through. 3I will give you hidden treasures, 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.
Read all of Isaiah 45Isaiah 45:1 word by word
כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לִמְשִׁיחוֹ֮ לְכ֣וֹרֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱזַ֣קְתִּי בִֽימִינ֗וֹ לְרַד־לְפָנָיו֙ גּוֹיִ֔ם וּמָתְנֵ֥י מְלָכִ֖ים אֲפַתֵּ֑חַ לִפְתֹּ֤חַ לְפָנָיו֙ דְּלָתַ֔יִם וּשְׁעָרִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִסָּגֵֽרוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- to his anointedמָשִׁיחַmâshîyach · anointedH4899
- to Cyrusכּ֫וֹרֶשׁkôresh kôresh · CyrusH3566
- whose right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- I have holdenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- to subdueרָדַדrâdad · to subdueH7286
- nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- him; and I will looseפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- the loinsמׇתְנַ֫יִםmôthen · loinH4975
- of kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- him the two leaved gatesדֶּ֫לֶתdeleth · doorH1817
- and the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- shall not be shutסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462
Cross-references for Isaiah 45:1
- Isaiah 13:3I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, my boasting, arrogant ones.
- Isaiah 44:28who commissions Cyrus, the one I appointed as shepherd to carry out all my wishes and to decree concerning Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and concerning the temple, ‘It will be reconstructed.’”
- 1 Kings 19:15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and then head for the Desert of Damascus. Go and anoint Hazael king over Syria.
- Jeremiah 27:6I have at this time placed all these nations of yours under the power of my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made all the wild animals subject to him.
- Isaiah 41:13For I am the Lord your God, the one who takes hold of your right hand, who says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am helping you.’
- Isaiah 42:6“I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, and a light to the nations,
- Psalms 73:23But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
- Ezekiel 30:21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged for healing or set with a dressing so that it might become strong enough to grasp a sword.
- Isaiah 41:2Who stirs up this one from the east? Who officially commissions him for service? He hands nations over to him, and enables him to subdue kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like windblown straw with his bow.
- Ezra 1:1In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord stirred the mind of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict the following:
- Jeremiah 50:3For a nation from the north will attack Babylon. It will lay her land waste. People and animals will flee out of it. No one will inhabit it.’
- Jeremiah 51:11“Sharpen your arrows! Fill your quivers! The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in the kings of Media. For he intends to destroy Babylonia. For that is how the Lord will get his revenge – how he will get his revenge for the Babylonians’ destruction of his temple.
- Daniel 5:6Then all the color drained from the king’s face and he became alarmed. The joints of his hips gave way, and his knees began knocking together.
- Daniel 7:5“Then a second beast appeared, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and devour much flesh!’
- Daniel 8:3I looked up and saw a ram with two horns standing at the canal. Its two horns were both long, but one was longer than the other. The longer one was coming up after the shorter one.
- Nahum 2:6The sluice gates are opened; the royal palace is deluged and dissolves.
Commentaries on Isaiah 45:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Loose the loins of kings "ungird the loins of kings" - See the note on Isaiah 5:27. Xenophon gives the following list of the nations conquered by Cyrus: the Syrians, Assyrians, Arabians, Cappadocians, both the Phrygians, Lydians, Carians, Phoenicians, Babylonians. He moreover reigned over the Bactrians, Indians, Cilicians, the Sacae Paphlagones, and ldariandyni. - Cyrop., lib. 1 p. 4, Edit. Hutchinson, Quarto. All these kingdoms he acknowledges, in his…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Thus saith the Lord to his anointed - This is a direct apostrophe to Cyrus, though it was uttered not less than one hundred and fifty years before Babylon was taken by him. The word anointed‘ is that which is usually rendered “Messiah” (משׁיח mâshı̂yach ), and here is rendered by the Septuagint, ͂ͅ ͂ͅ ́ͅ Tō christō mou Kurō - To Cyrus, my Christ,‘ i. e, my anointed. It properly means “the anointed,” and was a title which was commonly given to the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The deliverance of the Jews by Cyrus. (Is. 45:1-4) God calls for obedience to his almighty power. (Is. 45:5-10) The settlement of his people. (Is. 45:11-19) The conversion of the Gentiles. (Is. 45:20-25) Verses 1-4 Cyrus is called God's anointed; he was designed and qualified for his great service by the counsel of God. The gates of Babylon which led to the river, were left open the night that Cyrus marched his army into the empty channel. The Lord went…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1His anointed: This title, usually for David or the Messiah, is used here for Cyrus. Cyrus was anointed because he was chosen for a special mission. No other foreign ruler received this title (compare 1 Samuel 10:1; Romans 13:1). whose right hand I have grasped: The Lord would help Cyrus defeat Babylon (see Isaiah 43:14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251. his anointed--Cyrus is so called as being set apart as king, by God's providence, to fulfil His special purpose. Though kings were not anointed in Persia, the expression is applied to him in reference to the Jewish custom of setting apart kings to the regal office by anointing. right hand ... holden--image from sustaining a feeble person by holding his right hand (Is 42:6). subdue nations--namely, the Cilicians, Syrians, Babylonians, Lydians…Read the comment
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In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 45
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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