“Thus says Yahweh,
Your Redeemer!
He formed you in the womb.
‘I am Yahweh!
I made all things!
I alone stretched out the heavens!
I by myself spread out the earth!
Who was with me?
Who frustrates the omens of liars?
Who makes fools of diviners?
Who turns back the wise?
Who makes their knowledge foolish?
Who confirms the word of his servant?
Who fulfills the predictions of his messengers?
Who says of Jerusalem?
‘It shall be inhabited.’
Who says of the cities of Judah?
‘They shall be rebuilt.
I will raise up their ruins.’
Who says to the deep?
‘Be dry!
I will dry up your rivers.’
Who says of Cyrus?
‘He is my shepherd.
He shall carry out my purpose.’
Who says of Jerusalem?
‘It shall be rebuilt.’
Who says of the temple?
‘Your foundations shall be laid.’”
Second Isaiah ends this chapter the way it began, stressing the redeeming power of Yahweh among the Israelites who had been formed by Yahweh in their mother’s womb. Yahweh has stretched out the heavens and spread out the earth by himself. He has frustrated liars. He has made fools of false prophets. He has made the wise people look foolish with all their knowledge. However, he has fulfilled his word to his servants and the predictions of his messengers. He said that Jerusalem would be inhabited and the cities of Judah would be rebuilt from their ruins. He dried up the rivers. He also made Cyrus his shepherd, a very strong term for this Persian leader from 559-530 BCE. Cyrus was to carry out Yahweh’s purposes as the destroyer mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. Jerusalem would be rebuilt with the foundations of the temple laid out.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 