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:
Parallel translations
- WEB “I will go before you, and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of brass in pieces, and cut apart the bars of iron.
- BSB “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.
- 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.
- NASB “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.
- NLT This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God promises to go before Cyrus, leveling obstacles and shattering bronze doors and iron bars. It assures that God Himself secures the king's success for His people's sake.
Overview
The LORD pledges to remove every barrier before Cyrus, granting him swift conquest. The breaking of fortified gates pictures God clearing the way for His purpose. This divine going-before, smoothing the path of redemption, ultimately points to the God who removes every obstacle to save His people in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Isa 40:4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
- Isa 42:16And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
- Luke 3:5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
- Ps 107:16For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
- Jer 51:30The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
- Isa 13:4–17The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.
- Acts 1:15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 45:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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