Isaiah 45:1

God addresses Cyrus as His anointed, whose hand He holds to subdue nations and open gates before him. It shows God sovereignly empowering even a foreign king to fulfill His purpose.

Cross-references · 22

• Jer 51:20–24“You are my battle ax and weapons of war. With you I will break the nations into pieces. With you I will destroy kingdoms.
• Isa 44:28Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’ even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”
• Isa 42:6“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations;
• Ps 73:23Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.
• Isa 41:13For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you.’
• Ezra 1:1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
• Jer 51:11“Make the arrows sharp! Hold the shields firmly! Yahweh has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it; for it is the vengeance of Yahweh, the vengeance of his temple.
• Isa 45:5I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;
• Jer 50:35“A sword is on the Chaldeans,” says Yahweh, “and on the inhabitants of Babylon, on her princes, and on her wise men.
• Dan 5:6Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another.
• Nah 2:6The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.
• Job 12:21He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
• Dan 7:5Behold, another animal, a second, like a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh.
• Isa 13:3I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
• 1 Kgs 19:15Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
• Isa 41:2Who has raised up one from the east? Who called him to his foot in righteousness? He hands over nations to him, and makes him rule over kings. He gives them like the dust to his sword, like the driven stubble to his bow.
• Ezek 30:21–24Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it be strong to hold the sword.
• Jer 27:6Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him.
• Jer 50:3For a nation comes up out of the north against her, which shall make her land desolate, and no one shall dwell therein. They have fled. They are gone, both man and animal.
• Dan 8:3Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
• Dan 5:28–30PERES; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
• Isa 41:25“I have raised up one from the north, and he has come; from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name; and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

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