I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
I have chosen him to do what is right, and I will guide everything he does: he will rebuild my city, and he will set my people free without asking for payment or reward, says the LORD of Heaven's armies.
God is promising that He has chosen a leader who will rebuild Jerusalem and free His people without expecting any payment in return.
📚 Historical Context
This verse refers to Cyrus, the Persian king who conquered Babylon around 539 BC. God used Cyrus as His instrument to free the Jewish people from their 70-year exile in Babylon and to fund the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. Remarkably, Isaiah prophesied this about 150 years before it happened, even naming Cyrus specifically in earlier verses.
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