45:1 This is what the Lord says to his chosen 1 one,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I hold 2
in order to subdue nations before him,
and disarm kings, 3
to open doors before him,
so gates remain unclosed:
45:2 “I will go before you
and level mountains. 4
Bronze doors I will shatter
and iron bars 5 I will hack through.
1 tn Heb “anointed” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “his appointed king.”
2 sn The “right hand” is a symbol of activity and strength; the Lord directs Cyrus’ activities and assures his success.
3 tn Heb “and the belts of kings I will loosen”; NRSV “strip kings of their robes”; NIV “strip kings of their armor.”
4 tc 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”).
5 tn That is, on the gates. Cf. CEV “break the iron bars on bronze gates.”