Isaiah 44:28 · Bible study
Isaiah 44:28 Commentary: God Calls Cyrus 'My Shepherd'
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God name a pagan king 'my shepherd' 150 years before his birth? This study explores prophecy, sovereignty, and the restoration of Jerusalem.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God sovereignly chooses a Persian king named Cyrus to act as a shepherd-ruler, executing God's pleasure by authorizing the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.
- Key words: ro'eh (shepherd), ruler metaphor; chephets (pleasure), God's delight/purpose; yashlim (perform), complete or bring to fulfillment; Niphal verbs tibbaneh (let it be rebuilt) and tivvased (let it be refounded).
- Main debate: Whether the 'saying' in the second half refers to God (Calvin, Cambridge, JFB) or to Cyrus (Clarke, Gill, English versions). The Hebrew participle ha'omer and the infinitive lemor allow either reading.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty over history. God names a future king to prove his control over nations and his faithfulness to restore his people.
- Best use: Establishing the trustworthiness of prophecy, encouraging hope in exile, and showing that God can use anyone, even a pagan, to accomplish his purposes.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
who 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.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Who is saying of Cyrus, My shepherd, And all my delight He doth perfect, So as to say of Jerusalem, Thou art built, And of the temple, Thou art founded.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
that saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and he shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who say to Cyrus: Thou art my shepherd, and thou shalt perform all my pleasure. Who say to Jerusalem: Thou shalt be built: and to the temple: Thy foundations shall be laid.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Que dice de Ciro: Es mi pastor, y cumplirá todo lo que yo quiero, en diciendo á Jerusalem, Serás edificada; y al templo: Serás fundado.
Que diz de Ciro: Ele é meu pastor, e cumprirá toda a minha vontade, dizendo à Jerusalém: Serás edificada; e ao Templo: Terás posto teu fundamento.
Je dis de Cyrus: Il est mon berger,
der ich spreche von Kores: Der ist mein Hirte und soll all meinen Willen vollenden, daß man sage zu Jerusalem: Sei gebaut! und zum Tempel: Sei gegründet!
Die van Cores zegt: Hij is Mijn herder, en hij zal al Mijn welgevallen volbrengen; zeggende ook tot Jeruzalem: Word gebouwd; en tot den tempel: Word gegrond.
io dico di Ciro: “Egli è il mio pastore; egli adempirà tutta la mia volontà, dicendo a Gerusalemme: “Sarai ricostruita!” e al tempio: “Sarai fondato!”
Który mówię o Cyrusie: On pasterz mój, bo wszystkę wolę moję wykona; i rzecze Jeruzalemowi: Będziesz zbudowane; a kościołowi: Będziesz założony.
Который говорит о Кире: пастырь Мой, и он исполнит всю волю Мою и скажет Иерусалиму: "ты будешь построен!" и храму: "ты будешь основан!"
論塞魯士 說：他是我的牧人，必成就我 所喜悅的，必下令 建造 耶路撒冷，發命立穩 聖殿的根基。
Who says of Cyrus, He will take care of my sheep, and will do all my pleasure: who says of Jerusalem, I will give the word for your building; and of the Temple, Your bases will be put in place.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 44:28
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the central claim of this verse: God, speaking through Isaiah a century before Cyrus lived, predicted that a Persian king by that name would be his instrument to restore Jerusalem and its temple. Calvin calls it a 'remarkable passage' that demonstrates God's 'wonderful providence' and the certainty of prophecy. Barnes notes that naming Cyrus beforehand proves divine inspiration. The title 'shepherd' (H7462 ro'eh) is a recognized metaphor for a ruler, as seen in Psalm 78:71, 72 and Ezekiel 34:23; Gill observes that even Cyrus himself compared a king to a shepherd. All see the verse as the climax of the participial list in Isaiah 44:24, 28, where God asserts his sole power over creation and history. The specific phrasing 'Your foundation will be laid' is noted by Clarke as precise: in Cyrus's day only the foundation was set, the building itself coming later under Darius. The consensus holds that the prophecy was written in the 8th century BC, nearly two hundred years before Cyrus ascended the throne.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- God as subject of 'saying': The participial chain in Isaiah 44:24–28 favors reading 'who says' as God throughout. The LXX and Vulgate support this. Calvin, Cambridge, JFB, and Keil hold this view.
- Cyrus as subject of 'saying': The Masoretic Hebrew uses the infinitive 'lemor' ('to say'), which can indicate what Cyrus will say. English versions generally follow this, and Clarke and Gill defend it.
What is clear: God sovereignly chose Cyrus to restore Jerusalem and the temple, regardless of whether the immediate 'saying' is God or the king.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Subject of 'saying of Jerusalem' | Both views affirm God is the ultimate source of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. | Some commentators (Calvin, Cambridge, JFB, Keil) read 'and that saith' as God, the participle continues from verse 26. Others (Clarke, Gill, English translations) understand it as Cyrus saying to Jerusalem 'You shall be built.' |
| Cyrus's faith | All agree Cyrus was a pagan king who did not worship Yahweh exclusively. | Some emphasize Cyrus's personal response to the prophecy (Josephus, Gill) while others focus simply on his role as an unwitting instrument (Calvin, Barnes). |
| The precision of 'foundation laid' | All agree the verse shows remarkable accuracy: Cyrus's decree focused on laying the temple foundation. | Clarke treats this as a deliberate distinction from 'built,' while others (Barnes) see the two terms as essentially equivalent in poetic parallelism. |
| Dating of the prophecy | All supplied commentators accept an 8th-century BC (pre-exilic) setting for Isaiah. | Critical scholarship outside the supplied texts questions whether such detailed names could be written centuries in advance. No supplied source advocates that view. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The era of this prophecy is the late 8th century BC, during the ministry of Isaiah in the kingdom of Judah. The southern kingdom faced the growing power of Assyria, but the prophecy looked further ahead, to the Babylonian exile that would begin around 586 BC and to a deliverer named Cyrus. Cyrus the Great (reigned 559, 530 BC) founded the Persian Empire after conquering Media, Lydia, and eventually Babylon in 539 BC. He pursued a policy of returning exiled peoples to their homelands and allowing them to rebuild their sanctuaries. His decree concerning the Jews appears in Ezra 1:1, 4, directly echoing the terms of this prophecy: 'Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh.'
Josephus (Antiquities 11.1.2) records that Cyrus read this prophecy of Isaiah and was moved to act, a claim the Cambridge Bible treats cautiously, though it does not deny its possibility. The historical context underscores the audacity of a Hebrew prophet naming a foreign ruler before his birth. The phrase 'perform all my pleasure' (chephets, H2656) refers to God's sovereign purpose, a theme that dominates the surrounding passage (Isaiah 44:24, 27). God is presented as the sole creator who 'stretches out the heavens' and 'spreads out the earth by myself,' and then as the Lord of history who 'frustrates the signs of liars' and 'confirms the word of his servant.' Naming Cyrus fits that pattern: God's control extends over world empires, not just Israel.
Literarily, the verse belongs to a series of participial phrases describing God's actions. The Hebrew opening ha'omer (H0559, participle) can be read as 'who says', continuing the description of God. This grammatical structure ties Cyrus's naming directly to God's self-revelation as the one who alone governs all things.
Textual Notes
The verse contains two minor textual questions noted in the supplied commentaries. Clarke observes that the Hebrew velemor ('and to say') is read by the Septuagint and Vulgate as haomer ('who says'), which would make God the subject of the second half. This reading benefits from external support and fits the participial pattern of verses 24, 27. The Cambridge Bible notes that if the Masoretic text is original, Cyrus would be the speaker. Neither variant changes the broad meaning: God's decree is accomplished through Cyrus. Clarke also suggests the text may originally have read ro'i attah ('thou art my shepherd') rather than ro'i alone, based on the Septuagint and Vulgate. These variants are attested but do not undermine the verse's clarity.
Reception History
This verse has been a cornerstone for arguments about predictive prophecy in the church. Josephus (Antiquities 11.1.2) attributes Cyrus's favorable decree to his reading of this prophecy, a report cited by Jerome and later commentators to demonstrate the power of Scripture to move even pagan hearts. Early and medieval writers (e.g., Eusebius, Theodoret) used the verse to argue against Jewish and pagan objections that the prophets spoke after the events. The Reformation saw this passage deployed by Calvin, Luther, and others against skeptics who questioned divine foreknowledge. In modern evangelical scholarship, it remains a key exhibit for the divine origin of prophecy, while critical scholars often date the passage to the exilic period. Despite that debate, all traditions acknowledge the verse's powerful claim: the God of Israel directs Persian emperors to accomplish his purpose.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God names a foreign king before he is born. The naming of Cyrus a century in advance vindicates God's foreknowledge and trustworthiness (Barnes, Calvin).
- God calls a pagan ruler 'my shepherd.' The title 'shepherd' signifies a ruler under God's authority, not personal piety (Gill, Cambridge). Cyrus served God's purpose even without knowing him.
- God's purpose is specific: Jerusalem rebuilt and the temple founded. The vocabulary, 'let her be rebuilt' (Niphal of banah) and 'let it be refounded' (Niphal of yasad), shows God's attention to detail (Clarke).
Five-point outline
- Divine sovereignty over history. God alone 'makes all things' and directs the course of empires (Isa 44:24).
- The scandal of the naming. Isaiah names a future Persian king; this is not vague prediction but precise prophecy (Barnes).
- The shepherd metaphor. Kings are shepherds, but here the shepherd is an outsider used for God's flock (Calvin).
- Complete obedience to God's pleasure. Cyrus 'performs all my pleasure', God's delight, not just a command (Keil & Delitzsch).
- From ruin to foundation. Jerusalem 'shall be built' and the temple's foundation laid, the beginning of restoration, not its completion (Clarke, Gill).
Illustration hooks
- A boss who doesn't share your faith but makes decisions that serve God's purposes for your work or family. The non-believing leader can still be God's instrument.
- A promise too specific to be guesswork. If someone named your future boss ten years before you met them, you'd pay attention. God does that for Israel.
- Laying a foundation in a discouraged moment. Sometimes God promises only the first step, but the first step is enough to start.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really control world politics today? If God named a pagan king 200 years in advance, nations are not random.
- Can God use a non-Christian for good? Cyrus is called 'my shepherd' though he was a Persian polytheist.
- Why does God's promise seem delayed? The foundation was laid in Cyrus's day, but the temple took decades more. God's timing stretches beyond our impatience.
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the hinge of a larger passage (Isaiah 44:24, 28) where God declares his sole power over creation and history. The naming of Cyrus is the practical proof: the God who made the heavens can also steer a Persian king to rebuild Jerusalem. Small groups can use this to consider how God works through unexpected people and long-range plans.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 44:24, 28. What do the actions listed in verses 24, 26 tell you about God's character and power?
- Why is it significant that God names Cyrus 'my shepherd'? What does the word 'shepherd' convey about Cyrus's role? (Compare Psalm 78:71, 72.)
- Does it surprise you that God calls a pagan king 'my shepherd'? What does this suggest about how God works in the world?
- The verse says Cyrus 'shall perform all my pleasure' (H2656 chephets). What does the word 'pleasure' imply about God's will, just a command, or something more personal?
- Josephus records that Cyrus read this prophecy and was moved to act. How might a non-believer respond when they discover God's plans for them?
- Why does the text say 'Your foundation will be laid' rather than 'You will be rebuilt completely'? What does this precision teach us about God's promises?
- Where in your own life do you need to trust that God is working through circumstances or people that don't seem 'religious'?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Chronicles 36:22 | Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah 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, |
| Ezra 1:1 | Now 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, |
| Ezra 1:3 | Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. |
| Ezra 6:3 | In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits; |
| Ezra 6:18 | They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. |
| Psalms 78:71 | from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. |
| Psalms 78:72 | So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. |
| Isaiah 14:32 | What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that Isaiah names Cyrus roughly 150 years before he ruled, which only divine inspiration could explain. He treats "my shepherd" as God's designation of a pagan ruler as his instrument to free the Jews. Barnes also clarifies that the promise to rebuild Jerusalem comes from God, not from Cyrus.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that naming Cyrus over a century before his birth proves the prophecy came from God, not human guesswork. This foreknowledge sustained the Jewish captives with hope and likely moved Cyrus himself to fulfill his role when he learned of the divine appointment.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary highlights a textual nuance in the ancient Hebrew: some manuscripts read "who was with me?" rather than "by myself," emphasizing that God acted alone. It also notes Josephus's claim that Cyrus was moved to rebuild the Temple after reading this prophecy, but finds that claim unsubstantiated.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that God calls Cyrus, a pagan king, "my shepherd," a title usually reserved for Israel’s own leaders. God declares that this foreign ruler will carry out His specific desire: to rebuild Jerusalem and lay the temple’s foundation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God named Cyrus as His shepherd nearly two hundred years before his birth, and Cyrus himself read this prophecy. This remarkable prediction demonstrates God's foreknowledge and confirms the truth of divine revelation. Cyrus fulfilled God's pleasure by freeing Israel and ordering Jerusalem and the temple to be rebuilt.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that God names Cyrus 150 years before his reign and calls him "my shepherd," a term typically applied to the Messiah. According to Josephus, Cyrus himself heard this ancient prophecy and was moved to release the Jewish captives, showing the direct power of God's word to accomplish its purpose.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch shows how the prophecy grows increasingly specific, moving from God's power in creation and over false prophets to a direct naming of Cyrus as God's shepherd. The climax is God's command that Jerusalem be rebuilt and the temple founded, a prediction they note historical records say prompted Cyrus to act.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the name Jeshurun is a term of endearment, meaning something like "pious little nation." He reads this passage as contrasting the rejected fleshly Israel with the spiritual remnant, who receive the outpoured Spirit and will be joined by converted Gentiles confessing the Lord and His people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the people's first duty in affliction is to remember the folly of idolatry and return to God, taking the spiritual lesson from their suffering before expecting deliverance. Their reformation, not their release, is the immediate concern.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley underscores that God names Cyrus by name two hundred years before his birth, presenting this as undeniable proof of divine foreknowledge in the contest against idols. He then explains that God will appoint Cyrus as shepherd of His people to rescue them from tyrants, gather them, rule gently, and provide for their needs.