New English Translation
Isaiah 45:2
2“I will go before you and level mountains. Bronze doors I will shatter and iron bars I will hack through.
Isaiah 45:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron,
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.
Context of Isaiah 45:2
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: “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. 4For 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 me.
Read all of Isaiah 45Isaiah 45:2 word by word
אֲנִי֙ לְפָנֶ֣יךָ אֵלֵ֔ךְ וַהֲדוּרִ֖ים אֲיַשֵּׁ֑ר דַּלְת֤וֹת נְחוּשָׁה֙ אֲשַׁבֵּ֔ר וּבְרִיחֵ֥י בַרְזֶ֖ל אֲגַדֵּֽעַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I will goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- thee, and makeיָשַׁרyâshar · to smoothH3474
- the crooked placesהָדַרhâdar · to honorH1921
- I will break in piecesשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- the gatesדֶּ֫לֶתdeleth · doorH1817
- of brassנְחוּשָׁהnechûshâh nechûshâh · bronzeH5154
- and cut in sunderגָּדַעgâda‛ · to cut down/offH1438
- the barsבְּרִיחַberîyach · barH1280
- of ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
Cross-references for Isaiah 45:2
- Isaiah 13:4There is a loud noise on the mountains – it sounds like a large army! There is great commotion among the kingdoms – nations are being assembled! The Lord who commands armies is mustering forces for battle.
- Isaiah 40:4Every valley must be elevated, and every mountain and hill leveled. The rough terrain will become a level plain, the rugged landscape a wide valley.
- Isaiah 42:16I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. I will turn the darkness in front of them into light, and level out the rough ground. This is what I will do for them. I will not abandon them.
- Acts 1:15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said,
- Luke 3:5Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low, and the crooked will be made straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth,
- Psalms 107:16For he shattered the bronze gates, and hacked through the iron bars.
Commentaries on Isaiah 45:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The crooked places "The mountains" - For הדורים hodurim, crooked places, a word not easily accounted for in this place, the Septuagint read הררים hararim, , the mountains. Two MSS. have הדרים hadarim, without the ו vau, which is hardly distinguishable from the reading of the Septuagint. The Divine protection that attended Cyrus, and rendered his expedition against Babylon easy and prosperous is finely expressed by God's going before him, and making the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2I will go before thee - To prepare the way for conquest, a proof that it is by the providence of God that the proud conquerors of the earth are enabled to triumph. The idea is, I will take away everything that would retard or oppose your victorious march. And make the crooked paths straight - (See the note at Isaiah 40:4). The Chaldee renders this, My word shall go before thee, and I will prostrate the walls.‘ Lowth renders it, Make the mountains plain.‘…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-8The Lord alone is sovereign over history. He raised up Cyrus of Persia to execute judgment on Babylon and restore Israel to the Holy Land.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. crooked ... straight--(Is 40:4), rather, "maketh mountains plain" [Lowth], that is, clear out of thy way all opposing persons and things. The Keri reads as in Is 45:13, "make straight" (Margin). gates of brass--(Psa 107:16). Herodotus (1.179) says, Babylon had a hundred massive gates, twenty-five on each of the four sides of the city, all, as well as their posts, of brass. bars of iron--with which the gates were fastened.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 45:2
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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