Isaiah 45:13 - Exposition

I have raised him up. "Him" can only be referred to Cyrus, the one individual mentioned previously in the chapter ( Isaiah 45:1-5 ). The expression," raised up," had been already used of him ( Isaiah 41:25 ). In righteousness means "to carry out my righteous purposes." I will direct; rather, as in the margin, make straight. He … shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward. Captives were often "redeemed for a price" ( Nehemiah 6:8 ). In Greece a fixed sum was established by general consent as the ransom of a captive (Aristot; 'Eth. Nic.,' Isaiah 5:6 ). Cyrus, however, in letting the Jews go free, would not be actuated by the paltry motive of pecuniary profit. He may , as Mr. Cheyne remarks, have been actuated in part "by a consideration of the usefulness of such a faithful advanced guard at the border of Egypt;" but mainly it is probable that "he obeyed the dictates of religious sympathy with the Jews." The recent contention, that he was not a Zoroastrian rests upon insufficient evidence, his so-called inscription being a document not put forth by himself, but by the priests of Merodach at Babylon; and the first introduction of Zoroastrian monotheism into the state religion of Persia by Darius Hystaspis being expressly disclaimed by him in the Be-histun inscription, where he declares his reformation to have consisted in the rebuilding of the temples which Gomates the Magian had destroyed, and the reinstitutier for the state of the religious chants and the worship which he had put down (col 1. par. 14).