“It pleased Darius
To set over the kingdom
One hundred twenty satraps,
Stationed throughout
The whole kingdom.”
This Darius appears to be based on Darius I (522-486 BCE), the third Persian Emperor. This new ruler in Persian Babylon set up 120 satraps throughout the old Babylonian kingdom. These satraps were provincial governors in the Persian, not Babylonian empire.
“Thus says Yahweh
To his anointed,
To Cyrus.
I have grasped his right hand,
To subdue nations before him,
To strip kings of their robes,
To open doors before him.
The gates shall not be closed.”
Second Isaiah calls Cyrus the anointed one, in Hebrew the Messiah, or in Greek the Christ. This is the only reference of an anointed person or a messiah who was not an Israelite. Cyrus, the King of Persia from 559-530 BCE, more than two centuries after the lifetime of Isaiah, was really a favorite of both Yahweh and the author of Second Isaiah. Cyrus the Great created the largest empire in the world with present day Iran the last vestige of that empire as he took over many countries. Second Isaiah continually insisted that Yahweh was behind Cyrus as he is clearly the anointed one of Yahweh. Yahweh has grasped his right hand, so that he could subdue various nations. Yahweh would help Cyrus strip kings of their robes. He would open doors for him, since no gates would be closed to Cyrus.
“May he have dominion
From sea to sea!
May he have dominion
From the river to the ends of the earth!
May his foes
Bow down before him!
May his enemies
Lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish
Render him tribute!
May the kings of the isles
Render him tribute!
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
Bring gifts!
May all kings
Fall down before him!
All nations
Give him service!”
Now we have the practical empire of the king. He will be king from sea to shining sea even to the ends of the earth. His foes will bow down before him, while his enemies will lick dust. What a nice thought! The kings of Tarshish and various islands will render him tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba will also bring gifts and tribute. The river mentioned here is the Euphrates River, since that was a border area easily recognized. Tarshish maybe Spain and the other Mediterranean islands. Sheba and Seba are probably Arabian countries. There is no mention of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Egyptians, and other common enemies, suggesting maybe a post-exilic writing. King Solomon had been an idealist wise king that everyone respected. Thus all the kings and all the nations would bring gifts and give service to him.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 