45:7 I am 1 the one who forms light
and creates darkness; 2
the one who brings about peace
and creates calamity. 3
I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things.
46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! 4
Truly I am God, I have no peer; 5
I am God, and there is none like me,
48:12 Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I summoned!
I am the one;
I am present at the very beginning
and at the very end. 6
50:7 But the sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; 7
I know I will not be put to shame.
52:6 For this reason my people will know my name,
for this reason they will know 8 at that time 9 that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”
56:1 This is what the Lord says,
“Promote 10 justice! Do what is right!
For I am ready to deliver you;
I am ready to vindicate you openly. 11
1 tn 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.
2 tn 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.”
3 sn 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).
4 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
5 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
6 tn Heb “I [am] he, I [am the] first, also I [am the] last.”
7 tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”
8 tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
9 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
10 tn Heb “guard”; KJV “Keep”; NAB “Observe”; NASB “Preserve”; NIV, NRSV “Maintain.”
11 tn Heb “for near is my deliverance to enter, and my vindication [or “righteousness”] to be revealed.”