In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.'"
who says of Cyrus, 'My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,' who says of Jerusalem, 'She will be rebuilt,' and of the temple, 'Let its foundation be laid.'"
Significance
Isaiah 44:28-45:7 contains the extraordinary Cyrus oracle where God calls the Persian king "My shepherd" (רֹעִי, ro'i, 44:28) and "His anointed" (מְשִׁיחוֹ, meshicho, 45:1) — the only non-Israelite ever given the title mashiach. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 records the precise fulfillment of this oracle: Cyrus issues a decree acknowledging "the LORD, the God of heaven" and commanding the rebuilding of the temple. Isaiah's prophecy names Cyrus by name long before his decree (44:28); Chronicles documents the exact execution of the predicted commission. The scope of the passage (44:28-45:7) reveals God's sovereignty over pagan rulers — He grasps Cyrus by the right hand (45:1) to subdue nations, all "for the sake of Jacob My servant" (45:4).
