Commentary on Isaiah 45:1-7

In times of transition, communities and individuals often seek reassurance, clarity, and comfort. Isaiah 45 is near the beginning of what many scholars label “Second Isaiah”—the chapters most likely written during the sixth century BCE when Babylon, and later Persia, dominated ancient Judah. Our chapter describes the regime change from Babylonian to Persian domination, including the rise of a famous Persian leader known as Cyrus. His rise to power undoubtedly raised concerns and uncertainties. What will happen to us now? Can we return home to Judah? Will he treat us better or worse than the Babylonians? 

Questions like these likely circulated among the Judahite community that were conquered by three major empires—Assyria, Babylon, and Persia—within a period of four to five generations. Some in the community may have questioned God’s presence or power, lifting their voices to ask a refrain common to many suffering people: “How long, O Lord?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Into this ancient moment with modern resonances, the prophet offers an oracle that asserts divine control and knowledge over all people, affairs, and events. 

A messiah has come?

The oracle begins with a declaration that the Lord is addressing his anointed one named Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1). The word translated “his anointed” is a form of the word “messiah”—a term familiar to many Christians as the appellation for Jesus. In this context, the writer of Isaiah 45 declares that Cyrus is the chosen one who benefits from the Lord’s presence and power (Isaiah 45:1–3a). Remarkably, the authors of Isaiah 45 extend this marker of divine selection to a non-Israelite, specifically the Persian leader credited with ending Neo-Babylonian domination. 

Like other parts of Isaiah, the writers remind the Judahite audience that God’s sovereignty extends not only outside Israel’s geographical boundaries, but also beyond the nation’s familial affiliations. Thus, God’s power to choose and use individuals is not restricted to those in formal covenantal relationship with God. Indeed, Cyrus is God’s anointed even though Cyrus does not know the Lord (Isaiah 45:4). Moreover, God’s selection and exaltation of Cyrus has a quasi-evangelical purpose—namely, for Cyrus to “know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name” (Isaiah 45:3). Cyrus’s prominence is ultimately an expression of God’s sovereignty and preeminence. 

Like the imagery found in Isaiah 40:3–4, an effect of God’s power is the leveling of exalted places (Isaiah 45:2) to ensure that Cyrus is successful in his military exploits. The promises of divine reversal that begin Second Isaiah and focus on the nation of Judah are here focused on one man—Cyrus. Despite the focus on a non-Israelite figure, the writers emphasize that the successes of Cyrus are “for the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen” (Isaiah 45:4). The expansiveness of God’s power does not undermine or reverse the original designation of Israel as God’s treasured possession (segullah). In fact, Cyrus’s anointing and success serve God’s ultimate purpose to exalt Israel. 

Within contemporary American contexts, the reception history of Cyrus and his application to President Trump and American election provide an opportunity for current leaders to reflect on the enduring legacies of this passage.

God and God alone

After the Cyrus prelude, the authors focus on a theological proclamation that describes one of the most radical statements of monotheism preserved in the Hebrew Bible. Isaiah 45:5 records God declaring, “I am the Lord and there is no other; besides me there is no god.” Scholars of the Bronze and Iron Ages remind us that Israel’s claim to a monotheistic religious tradition stands in contrast to the polytheistic norms of many nations at this time. Particularly in the contexts of the Babylonian and emerging Persian Empires, this assertion of monotheism has theological and political consequences. Since political victories were often (if not always) cast as triumphs of national deities, they are evidence that the nation’s god(s) were the most powerful. 

For the Judahite authors of Isaiah 45, the claim of monotheism runs contrary to this tide of political dominance proving divine superiority. Rather than just asserting that the God of Israel is powerful despite the nation’s dominated status, these writers claim that national, geopolitical defeats have nothing to do with a contest among gods. In fact, Isaiah 45 asserts that a contest among gods is impossible because there are no gods with whom to compete. Separating the relationship between the alleged divine agency of politically dominant empires enables the authors of Isaiah 45 to reaffirm a sense of identity amid national turmoil that remains theologically grounded. 

Our God, the authors of Isaiah 45 contend, is neither absent nor impotent when our nation loses military and political battles. Thus, our identity rooted in a covenantal relationship with God need not be shaken. Since no other gods exist, our national condition is the result of our God’s choices, not other gods’ power. Why, then, do other nations succeed and not know the God of Israel? According to Isaiah 45:5b–6a, Israel’s God is the driving force behind the rise and fall of nations, even “though you do not know me” (Isaiah 45:6). Like Cyrus, all nations and their leaders are players in a script that the God of Israel creates.

If that is true, how can this ancient Judahite community explain the suffering that Babylonian domination produces? Like many contemporary sufferers, the activity and proximity of God are pressing concerns in moments of difficulty. Isaiah 45:7 responds to announce that not only is God present, but also that God is the active agent behind everything the nation is experiencing. In language reminiscent of the creation narratives in Genesis 1–2, God declares, “I form light, create darkness, make well-being, and create calamity. I am the Lord who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). The form of the verbs in this verse suggests that God is presently responsible and designing what the nation is experiencing—whether good or bad. 

While God’s activity in good and evil (in other words, well-being and calamity) may raise questions at the heart of monotheism, it also bolsters the divine claim for unrivaled power and sovereignty. Here, Isaiah 45:1–7 leaves the community with a God who knows and does all things. Consequently, nothing is outside of God’s jurisdiction and, by implication, control. As a result, the nation’s fate is not left to the random results of divine contests. Instead, each moment is a direct result of divine engineering—everything is on purpose. 

Perhaps the writer of Romans reached a similar conclusion when he exhorted that audience to “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). While the present suffering may not be eliminated, the assurance that God is present and powerful amid the suffering may provide a measure of comfort for Second Isaiah’s audience, as well as for our communities today.