Isaiah 45:13 · Bible study
Isaiah 45:13 Commentary: God's Righteous Use of Cyrus
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how God raises up a pagan king 'in righteousness' to fulfill His redemptive purposes, prefiguring the Messiah.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God raises Cyrus, a pagan king, to fulfill His righteous plan of restoration for Israel, prefiguring Messiah's greater deliverance.
- Key words: 'Raised up' (עור, to rouse/stir), 'righteousness' (צדק, God's faithful purpose), 'straight' (ישר, smooth, remove obstructions), 'build my city' (בנה, rebuild Jerusalem), 'captives' (גלות, exiles), 'not for price/bribe' (מחיר/שׁחד, free, no ransom).
- Main debate: Whether 'him' primarily refers to Cyrus (historical reading) or also typologically to Christ; also whether 'righteousness' refers to God's character or Cyrus's.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty over history, use of secular rulers, free grace of redemption.
- Best use: To demonstrate God's control over nations and His commitment to save His people without human merit.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward,” says Yahweh of Armies.
KJV King James Version 1769
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
I have stirred him up in righteousness, And all his ways I make straight, He doth build My city, and My captivity doth send out, Not for price, nor for bribe, said Jehovah of Hosts.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
It is I that have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I have raised him up to justice, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and let go my captives, not for ransom, nor for presents, saith the Lord the God of hosts.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Yo lo desperté en justicia, y enderezaré todos sus caminos; él edificará mi ciudad, y soltará mis cautivos, no por precio ni por dones, dice Jehová de los ejércitos.
Eu o despertei em justiça, e todos os seus caminhos endireitarei; ele edificará minha cidade, e soltará meus cativos; não por preço, nem por subornos,diz o SENHOR dos exércitos.
C’ est moi qui ai suscité Cyrus dans ma justice,
Ich habe ihn erweckt in Gerechtigkeit, und alle seine Wege will ich eben machen. Er soll meine Stadt bauen und meine Gefangenen loslassen, nicht um Geld noch um Geschenke, spricht der HERR Zebaoth.
Ik heb hem verwekt in gerechtigheid, en al zijn wegen zal Ik recht maken; hij zal Mijn stad bouwen, en hij zal Mijn gevangenen loslaten, niet voor prijs, noch voor geschenk, zegt de HEERE der heirscharen.
Io ho suscitato Ciro, nella mia giustizia, e appianerò tutte le sue vie; egli riedificherà la mia città, e rimanderà liberi i miei esuli senza prezzo di riscatto e senza doni, dice l’Eterno degli eserciti.
Jam go wzbudził w sprawiedliwości, i wszystkie drogi jego wyprostuję. Onci zbuduje miasto moje, a więźniów moich wypuści, nie za okup, ani za dar, mówi Pan zastępów.
Я воздвиг его в правде и уровняю все пути его. Он построит город Мой и отпустит пленных Моих, не за выкуп и не за дары, говорит Господь Саваоф.
我 憑公義 興起塞魯士（原文是他），又要修直 他一切 道路。他 必建造 我的城，釋放 我被擄的民；不是 為工價，也不是 為賞賜。這是萬軍 之耶和華 說的。
I have sent him out to overcome the nations, and I will make all his ways straight: I will give him the work of building my town, and he will let my prisoners go free, without price or reward, says the Lord of armies.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 45:13
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 that this verse refers to the Persian king Cyrus, whom God raised up to accomplish His own righteous purposes. Calvin explains that God acts 'in righteousness' as a faithful guardian of His Church, not because Cyrus was personally righteous but to display God's fidelity to His promises. Barnes echoes this: Cyrus is 'the righteous man' of Isaiah 41:2 only in the sense that God employed him to execute His righteous plans. Keil and Delitzsch add that 'in righteousness' traces the revolutions Cyrus caused back to Jehovah's love and salvation for His people. Gill, while maintaining the primary reference to Cyrus, also sees a type of Christ who builds the true city and frees captives without price. The consensus is clear: God sovereignly uses a pagan instrument to demonstrate His righteousness in redeeming His people.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal-historical: The context within Isaiah 44–45, cross-references to Ezra 1, and the specific mention of building Jerusalem point directly to Cyrus and the return from Babylonian exile.
- Typological: Gill and others argue that details unreached by Cyrus (e.g., building 'my city' – Jerusalem was not fully built by him) find ultimate fulfillment in Christ, the true builder and liberator.
- Mixed (dual referent): The verse has an immediate historical application to Cyrus but also anticipates the greater work of the Messiah, a common prophetic pattern in Isaiah.
What is clear: God sovereignly raises up Cyrus (or ultimately Christ) to accomplish His righteous purposes of deliverance, and this deliverance is freely given, not earned.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'him' | The verse primarily refers to Cyrus, the Persian king, as the agent of restoration. | Some interpreters (e.g., Gill) see Cyrus as a type of Christ, so the verse also points to the Messiah; others (e.g., Barnes, Calvin) restrict the reference to Cyrus as the direct historical figure. |
| Meaning of 'in righteousness' | This phrase indicates that God acts in accordance with His faithful, covenant-keeping character. | Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch emphasize it as God's righteous purpose in saving Israel; a minority (e.g., Wesley) see it as God's just punishment of Babylon. None read it as Cyrus's personal righteousness. |
| 'Not for price nor reward' | The exiles are freed without payment, emphasizing God’s grace and Cyrus’s voluntary action. | Barnes sees this as a literal historical description (no ransom from Cyrus); Gill applies it spiritually to Christ’s free salvation. Both agree it underscores unmerited deliverance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah prophesied during the eighth century BC, about 150 years before Cyrus rose to power. The immediate audience was the people of Judah facing Assyrian threat, but the prophecy also speaks directly to a future generation in Babylonian exile. Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, then issued a decree in 538 BC allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1, 3). The surrounding verses (Isaiah 45:9, 12) rebuke those who question God's methods, comparing them to clay arguing with the potter. The Cambridge Bible notes deliberate opposition from exiles who resented deliverance through a foreign conqueror instead of an Israelite king. God's answer reasserts His sovereignty over all nations. The term 'Yahweh of Armies' (Jehovah Sabaoth) underscores His command over heavenly and earthly forces. This historical backdrop makes the shocking claim that a pagan king fulfills God's redemptive plan, reminding Israel that the Creator can use any means to rescue His people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 45:13. The Masoretic Text is consistent across manuscripts. The Septuagint and other ancient versions align closely with the Hebrew, with minor variations in rendering 'exiles' (גלות) and 'bribe' (שׁחד).
Reception History
Throughout church history, this verse was read both as a literal prophecy fulfilled in Cyrus (evident in early Jewish exegesis and the account of Ezra) and as a typological pointer to Christ. Early Christian writers such as Eusebius cited the Cyrus prophecy to demonstrate God's power over history. The Reformed tradition, notably Calvin, focused on God's sovereignty in using a pagan ruler. In liturgical settings, the verse's promise of liberation without price has been associated with the free gift of salvation in hymns and sermons. Modern scholarship maintains the historical reference while appreciating the broader theological themes of God's redemptive plan through unlikely instruments.
Preaching This Verse
This verse offers rich material for preaching the sovereignty and grace of God.
Three-point outline
- God raises up unexpected instruments. Cyrus, a pagan king, is stirred up by God to accomplish His righteous purposes. No human ruler is beyond God's control.
- God makes the way straight. He removes obstacles and grants success to His chosen instrument, ensuring His plans cannot fail.
- God's deliverance is free and gracious. The exiles return 'not for price nor reward,' pointing to salvation that cannot be purchased or earned.
Five-point outline
- The identity of the raised one, Cyrus, the Persian liberator.
- The meaning of 'in righteousness', God's faithful covenant-keeping, not Cyrus's personal virtue.
- Building God's city, the physical restoration of Jerusalem, a picture of spiritual restoration.
- Setting captives free, literal release from Babylon, symbolic of freedom from sin.
- Without price or bribe, pure grace, a foreshadowing of salvation through Christ.
Illustration hooks
- A church that prays for a new building and finds an unexpected donor from outside the congregation, someone with no personal faith but a sense of obligation to heritage. God can work through anyone.
- A workplace where a non-Christian manager, for reasons of fairness or reputation, institutes policies that protect vulnerable employees, an echo of Cyrus's decree.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God used a pagan king, does that mean Cyrus was saved? The text focuses on God's action, not Cyrus's eternal state; he was an instrument, not necessarily a worshiper of Yahweh.
- Why does God sometimes use unbelievers to accomplish good things that believers could also do? This humbles us and shows His sovereignty over all history.
- What does 'not for price nor reward' mean for our salvation? It emphasizes grace, we contribute nothing to earn our freedom.
Leading a Discussion
This passage reveals a stunning truth: God can use anyone to fulfill His redemptive purposes, even a pagan emperor. Read Isaiah 45:13 aloud together and consider the context of exile and restoration. What does this teach us about God's character and His ways?
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about God from the fact that He 'raised up' Cyrus? How does this affect our view of world events?
- The phrase 'in righteousness' applies to God's purpose, not Cyrus's morals. Why is this distinction important? Share a time when God used an unexpected person to help you.
- How does Cyrus's decree in Ezra 1 fulfill the specific promises of this verse? What does that say about prophecy?
- Verse says the captives are released 'not for price nor reward.' How does this foreshadow the free gift of salvation in Christ?
- Some commentators see Cyrus as a type of Christ. What similarities and differences do you notice between Cyrus and Jesus as deliverers?
- This verse appears in the middle of a section where God rebukes those who question His plans (v.9). How can we trust God when His methods seem surprising or even troubling?
- How can we apply the principle of God's sovereignty over rulers to our prayers for national leaders today?
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, |
| II Chronicles 36:23 | “Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up.’” |
| 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. |
| Psalms 65:5 | By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, God of our salvation. You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth, of those who are far away on the sea. |
| Isaiah 13:17 | Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it. |
| Isaiah 41:2 | Who has raised up one from the east? Who called him to his feet 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. |
| Isaiah 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. |
| Isaiah 42:6 | “I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations, |
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
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
I have raised him up - This evidently refers to Cyrus, and to what he did for the Jews; and informs us by whom he was excited to do it.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that when God says he raised Cyrus in righteousness, it means Cyrus served God’s righteous plans, not that Cyrus himself was a righteous man. He also highlights that the captives would be freed without payment because God had already foretold it, and Cyrus likely knew these prophecies through the Jews.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that "in righteousness" here does not refer to Cyrus acting justly or God punishing Babylon, but to God's own faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. By raising up Cyrus, God demonstrates His righteous character as the protector of His people, keeping His covenant by securing their deliverance and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary highlights that these verses address exiles who actively resented deliverance through a foreign conqueror, not merely doubted from weak faith. The strong word "strive" points to deliberate opposition against God's purpose. Cyrus would act not for payment but from an inward impulse inspired by God.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that God sovereignly raises up Cyrus, acting
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this verse primarily about Christ, not Cyrus, whom he treats as a mere type. He sees God raising Christ to bring in an everlasting righteousness for justification, directing every step so Christ builds the church and frees captives from sin and Satan, all without any cost or merit from them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads Cyrus as a type of the Messiah who redeems captives freely, without payment. The phrase "in righteousness" points not to human merit but to God fulfilling His own just purpose through this deliverance.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that the phrase "in righteousness" calms the exiles' fears because it reveals God's motive: His righteous love, not human payment. The clear promise that Cyrus will rebuild Jerusalem and free the captives without ransom proves that God stirred Cyrus's spirit, making his victory the work of divine redemption.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws a sharp distinction between two titles: Israel is called "servant of the Lord," emphasizing lowliness, while Cyrus alone among heathen kings is called "
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the remarkable boldness of God's invitation: the Creator who made heaven and earth tells His people they may ask about the future and even "command" Him. This is not arrogance but the confidence that belongs to those who trust in the Almighty, who has both power over all things and a purpose for His children.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees Cyrus as God's instrument called to act with perfect justice: to punish Babylon's wickedness, to champion the oppressed, and to display God's own righteousness, truth, and goodness. The conquest is not mere politics but a moral demonstration of who God is.