1tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”

2sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.

3tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”

4tc The form הֲדוּרִים (hadurim) makes little, if any, sense here. It is probably a corruption of an original הָרָרִים (hararim, “mountains”), the reduplicated form of הָר (har, “mountain”).

5tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”

6tn Heb “treasures of darkness” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “treasures from dark, secret places.”

7tn Or “know” (NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT); NIV “acknowledge.”

8tn Heb “and there is none besides.” On the use of עוֹד (’od) here, see BDB 729 s.v. 1.c.

9tn Heb “gird you” (so NASB) or “strengthen you” (so NIV).

10tn Or “know” (NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT); NIV “have not acknowledged.”

11tn The words “I do this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

12tn Heb “they” (so KJV, ASV); TEV, CEV “everyone”; NLT “all the world.”

13tn The words “I am” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to “the Lord” in v. 6.

14tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that “light” and “darkness” symbolize “deliverance” and “judgment.”

15sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus).

16tn Heb “let the clouds drip with”; KJV “let the skies pour down.”

17tn Heb “open up” (so NASB); NIV, NLT “open wide.”

18tc The plural verb should be emended to a singular form. The vav (ו) ending is probably virtually dittographic (note the yod at the beginning of the following word).

19tc The Hiphil verb form (תַצְמִיחַ, tatsmiakh) should probably be emended to a Qal (תִצְמַח, titsmakh). The יח sequence at the end of the form is probably due to dittography (note the following יַחַד, yakhad).

20tn The masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers back to יָשַׁע (yasha’, “salvation”).

21tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who argues with the one who formed him.”

22tn The words “one who is like a mere” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and clarification.

23tn Heb “Should the clay say to the one who forms it?” The rhetorical question anticipates a reply, “Of course not!”

24tn The words “in the world” are supplied in the translation to approximate in English idiom the force of the sarcastic question.

25tn Heb “your work, there are no hands for it,” i.e., “your work looks like something made by a person who has no hands.”

26tn Heb “Woe [to] one who says” (NASB and NIV both similar); NCV “How terrible it will be.”

27tn See the note at v. 9. This phrase occurs a second time later in this verse.

28sn Verses 9-10 may allude to the exiles’ criticism that the Lord does not appear to know what he is doing.

29sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

30tc The Hebrew text reads “the one who formed him, the coming things.” Among various suggestions, some have proposed an emendation of יֹצְרוֹ (yots˙ro, “the one who formed him”) to יֹצֵר (yotser, “the one who forms”; the suffixed form in the Hebrew text may be influenced by vv. 9-10, where the same form appears twice) and takes “coming things” as the object of the participle (either objective genitive or accusative): “the one who brings the future into being.”

31tn Heb “Ask me” The rhetorical command sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.

32tn Heb “Do you command me about…?” The rhetorical question sarcastically expresses the Lord’s disgust with those who question his ways.

33tn The words “who live” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

34tn Heb “I, even my hands”; NASB “I stretched out…with My hands”; NRSV “it was my hands that stretched out.” The same construction occurs at the beginning of v. 13.

35tn Or “the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

36tn Heb “and to all their host I commanded.” See the notes at 40:26.

37tn Heb “I stir him up in righteousness”; NASB “I have aroused him.” See the note at 41:2. Cyrus (cf. 44:28) is in view here.

38tn Heb “labor,” which stands metonymically for the fruits of labor, either “monetary profit,” or “products.”

39tn Or perhaps, “merchandise” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “the gain of Ethiopia”; CEV “the treasures of Ethiopia.”

40tn Heb “they will pass over to you”; NASB, NIV “will come over to you”; CEV “will belong to you.”

41sn Restored Israel is depicted here in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion as an imperial power that receives riches and slaves as tribute.

42sn Israel’s vassals are portrayed as so intimidated and awed that they treat Israel as an intermediary to God or sub-deity.

43tn Or perhaps, “among.” Cf. KJV, ASV “Surely God is in thee.”

44tn Heb “there is no other” (so NIV, NRSV). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 18, in v. 21, and at the end of v. 22.

45tn “together they will walk in humiliation, the makers of images.”

46tn Heb “Israel will be delivered by the Lord [with] a permanent deliverance.”

47tn Heb “you will not be ashamed and you will not be humiliated for ages of future time.”

48tn Heb “he [is] the God.” The article here indicates uniqueness.

49tn Or “unformed.” Gen 1:2 describes the world as “unformed” (תֹהוּ, tohu) prior to God’s creative work, but God then formed the world and made it fit for habitation.

50tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”

51tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”

52tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”

53tn Heb “Declare! Bring near!”; NASB “Declare and set forth your case.” See 41:21.

54tn Or “a righteous God and deliverer”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “a righteous God and a Savior.”

55tn The Niphal imperative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The Niphal probably has a tolerative sense, “allow yourselves to be delivered, accept help.”

56tn Heb “I swear by myself”; KJV, NASB “have sworn.”

57tn Heb “a word goes out from my mouth [in] truth and will not return.”

58tn Heb “swear” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “confess allegiance.”

59tn Heb “‘Yes, in the Lord,’ one says about me, ‘is deliverance and strength.’”

60tn Heb “will come to him and be ashamed.”

61tn Heb “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be vindicated and boast.”