Isaiah 45 clearly portrays Cyrus’ successes as the work of Yahweh. It opens by calling Cyrus the Lord’s “anointed” (Oxford Bible 1028). This messianic designation, also given to the likes of King David, immediately emphasizes that Cyrus has …show more content…
The portrayal of Yahweh using Cyrus and the Persian Empire to aid the Israelites is a powerful message of hope to a disheartened people. It takes the recent good fortune of the Israelites and dedicates it to Yahweh, confirming that he is still watching over them. However, the text also contains reprimands and warnings to those Israelites who are not fully devoted to their god and may be straying towards foreign powers. Either way, the author’s meaning is clear; while it appears that the Persian Empire rules over the people of Israel, the truth is that Yahweh is singularly determining his people’s fate, and the Israelites would be wise to stay loyal to him