Isaiah 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.

Ge 1:3-5,17,18; Ex 10:21-23; Ex 14:20; Job 2:10; Job 34:29; Ps 8:3; Ps 29:11; Ps 75:7; Ps 104:20-23; Ec 7:13,14; Isa 10:5,6; Jer 13:16; Jer 18:7-10; Jer 31:35; Jer 51:20; Eze 14:15-21; Eze 32:8; Joe 2:2; Am 3:6; Am 4:13; Am 5:6; Na 1:8; Ac 4:28; 2Co 4:6; Jas 1:17; Jude 1:6,13

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).