Yesaya 45:11-15

45:11 This is what the Lord says,

the Holy One of Israel, ¹  the one who formed him,

concerning things to come: ² 

“How dare you question me ³  about my children!

How dare you tell me what to do with ⁴  the work of my own hands!

45:12 I made the earth,

I created the people who live ⁵  on it.

It was me – my hands ⁶  stretched out the sky, ⁷ 

I give orders to all the heavenly lights. ⁸ 

45:13 It is me – I stir him up and commission him; ⁹ 

I will make all his ways level.

He will rebuild my city;

he will send my exiled people home,

but not for a price or a bribe,”

says the Lord who commands armies.

The Lord is the Nations’ Only Hope

45:14 This is what the Lord says:

“The profit ¹⁰  of Egypt and the revenue ¹¹  of Ethiopia,

along with the Sabeans, those tall men,

will be brought to you ¹²  and become yours.

They will walk behind you, coming along in chains. ¹³ 

They will bow down to you

and pray to you: ¹⁴ 

‘Truly God is with ¹⁵  you; he has no peer; ¹⁶ 

there is no other God!’”

45:15 Yes, you are a God who keeps hidden,

O God of Israel, deliverer!

[45:11]  ¹ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[45:11]  ² tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yotsÿro, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”

[45:11]  ³ tn Heb “Ask me” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.

[45:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.

[45:12]  ⁵ tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.

[45:12]  ⁷ tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[45:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.

[45:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.

[45:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

[45:14]  ¹¹ tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

[45:14]  ¹² tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

[45:14]  ¹³ sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.

[45:14]  ¹⁴ sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.

[45:14]  ¹⁵ tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

[45:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.