Focused Passage

Isaiah 45:8-13

Cyrus the LORD’s Anointed and the God Who Saves to the Ends of the Earth

Isaiah 45 moves from the LORD addressing Cyrus as His anointed instrument whom He will empower to subdue nations and open doors, to the repeated declaration that the LORD alone is God and there is no other, to rebuke against those who contend with their Maker, to the assurance that Cyrus will rebuild the city and set the exiles free, to the nations acknowledging Israel’s God as the only Savior, to the LORD’s insistence that He did not create the earth in vain but formed it to be inhabited, and finally to the worldwide summons: 'Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth.'

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8 Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it.

9 Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?

10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought forth?’”

11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: “Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My sons, or instruct Me in the work of My hands?

12 It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host.

13 I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Drip down הַרְעִ֤יפוּ H7491 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural O heavens שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ H8064 Noun - masculine plural from above מִמַּ֔עַל H4605 Preposition-m | Adverb and let the skies וּשְׁחָקִ֖ים H7834 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural pour down יִזְּלוּ־ H5140 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural righteousness צֶ֑דֶק H6664 Noun - masculine singular Let the earth אֶ֣רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular open up תִּפְתַּח־ H6605 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular that salvation יֶ֗שַׁע H3468 Noun - masculine singular may sprout וְיִפְרוּ־ H6509 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural and righteousness וּצְדָקָ֤ה H6666 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular spring up תַצְמִ֙יחַ֙ H6779 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular with it יַ֔חַד H3162 Adverb I אֲנִ֥י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular have created it בְּרָאתִֽיו׃ס H1254 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Woe ה֗וֹי H1945 Interjection to him who quarrels רָ֚ב H7378 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular - אֶת־ H854 Direct object marker with his Maker יֹ֣צְר֔וֹ H3335 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular one clay pot חֶ֖רֶשׂ H2789 Noun - masculine singular . . . אֶת־ H854 Direct object marker among many חַרְשֵׂ֣י H2789 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . אֲדָמָ֑ה H127 Noun - feminine singular Does the clay חֹ֤מֶר H2563 Noun - masculine singular ask הֲיֹאמַ֨ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the potter לְיֹֽצְרוֹ֙ H3335 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular What מַֽה־ H4100 Interrogative are you making תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Does your work say וּפָעָלְךָ֖ H6467 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular He has no אֵין־ H369 Adverb hands יָדַ֥יִם H3027 Noun - fd

BSB notes

  • Cited in Romans 9:20
Verse 10

Original words

Woe ה֛וֹי H1945 Interjection to him who says אֹמֵ֥ר H559 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular to his father לְאָ֖ב H1 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular What מַה־ H4100 Interrogative have you begotten תּוֹלִ֑יד H3205 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular or to his mother וּלְאִשָּׁ֖ה H802 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular What מַה־ H4100 Interrogative have you brought forth תְּחִילִֽין׃ס H2342 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singular | Paragogic nun
Verse 11

Original words

Thus כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb says אָמַ֧ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the Holy קְד֥וֹשׁ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular construct One of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular and its Maker וְיֹצְר֑וֹ H3335 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Concerning things to come הָאֹתִיּ֣וֹת H857 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural do you question Me שְׁאָל֔וּנִי H7592 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | first person common singular about עַל־ H5921 Preposition My sons בָּנַ֛י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular or instruct Me תְּצַוֻּֽנִי׃ H6680 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | first person common singular in וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the work פֹּ֥עַל H6467 Noun - masculine singular construct of My hands יָדַ֖י H3027 Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular
Verse 12

Original words

It is I אָֽנֹכִי֙ H595 Pronoun - first person common singular who made עָשִׂ֣יתִי H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular the earth אֶ֔רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular and created בָרָ֑אתִי H1254 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular . . . אֲנִ֗י H589 Pronoun - first person common singular man וְאָדָ֖ם H120 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular upon it עָלֶ֣יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular It was My hands יָדַי֙ H3027 Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular that stretched out נָט֣וּ H5186 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural the heavens שָׁמַ֔יִם H8064 Noun - masculine plural and I ordained צִוֵּֽיתִי׃ H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct their host צְבָאָ֖ם H6635 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 13

Original words

I אָנֹכִי֙ H595 Pronoun - first person common singular will raise up [Cyrus] הַעִירֹתִ֣הֽוּ H5782 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular in righteousness בְצֶ֔דֶק H6664 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular and I will make אֲיַשֵּׁ֑ר H3474 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct his ways [straight] דְּרָכָ֖יו H1870 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular He הֽוּא־ H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular will rebuild יִבְנֶ֤ה H1129 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular My city עִירִי֙ H5892 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular and set My exiles וְגָלוּתִ֣י H1546 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular free יְשַׁלֵּ֔חַ H7971 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular but not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle for payment בִמְחִיר֙ H4242 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular [or] וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle reward בְשֹׁ֔חַד H7810 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular says אָמַ֖ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָאֽוֹת׃פ H6635 Noun - common plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.