“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.
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.
- KJV 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:
- 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.
- 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. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain.
- Isa 42:16I will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these things, and I will not forsake them.
- Luke 3:5Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.
- Ps 107:16For he has broken the gates of brass, and cut through bars of iron.
- Jer 51:30The mighty men of Babylon have stopped fighting, they remain in their strongholds. Their might has failed. They have become as women. Her dwelling places are set on fire. Her bars are broken.
- Isa 13:4–17The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.
- Acts 1:15In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said,
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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