Isaiah 45:9-19

Well, obviously, the title provided by Blenkinsopp – “God cannot be called to account for choosing Cyrus” – cannot be ignored. This, and the fact that Cyrus is referred to directly in the previous 45:1-8, leave no doubt that this section is about Yahveh’s selection of Cyrus for Israel’s liberation and salvation.

It is reasonable to assume that the exiles of those who remained in Israel would question why Yahveh would choose Cyrus, a Persian, as Israel’s liberator, in fact, as “his anointed one” (45:1). That an argument needs to be made to explain it itself indicates it must have been questioned. After all, all of Israel’s previous saviors/liberators/founders were internal: Abraham, Moses, David, etc. (Disregarding Sigmund Freud’s theory that Moses was an Egyptian). Why would Yahveh choose a foreigner as Israel’s heroic liberator, as his anointed one?
The answer seems to be, however, that it is not for Abraham’s or Jacob’s children to question. You don’t ask the creator of the earth and humanity his reasons.

Section 45:14-17 contains similar themes and troupes ob served in other sections of 2nd Isaiah: other nations or peoples will be slaves of Israel, (highlighting Israel’s special status, or emphasizing the reversal of its fortunes?)(45:16); while followers of Yahveh will not be “shamed nor disgraced forever and ever” (45:17).

This reader found the last section (45:18-19), the most provocative, maybe because the language is poetic or because the meaning is mysterious. The interesting language starts in 18b – speaking of the earth, the narrator states: “He did not create it an empty void but formed it to be inhabited.” Later in 19, Yahveh himself is quoted:

“I did not speak in secret,
somewhere in the dark realm.
I did not say to Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in the empty void.
I, Yahveh, speak what is right';
I declare what is truthful.”

The above is Blenkinsopp’s translation and he titles verses 45:14-19 “The God Who Hides Himself,” referring particularly, it appears, to line 15: “You are in truth the God who hides himself.” My Tanakh translates this last section somewhat differently, using “wasteland” instead of “void” and “land of darkness” instead of “dark realm.” The “void” language is more mysterious (perhaps because of our modern sensibility), but even with “wasteland” substituted for “void,” the passage is still provocative.

Verse 19 seems to contradict or at least contrast the statement in 15: “You are in truth, the Almighty, who hides himself” (Tanakh version of 15). Does 15, followed subsequently with the derision of idol worshipers, refer to the fact that Yahveh does not appear as an idol – does this make him invisible – or to Yahveh’s “death,” his disappearance during the exile, or both?
So, although Yahveh “hides himself” (15), he does “not speak in secret,” he “did not create an empty void” or “wasteland.” Though he is hidden, he still makes himself known through his creation, his actions and what he creates is a land to be inhabited. This all seems meant to give credence to the idea that what Yahveh speaks “is right. I declare what is truthful” (19b).

I do not think I have this part adequately interpreted but I look forward to the class discussion – I think there’s a number of things here which will be interesting to discuss.