Isaiah 45:1
“This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor.”
King James Version
Cyrus named by name 150 years before his birth as the one who would release Israel from Babylon.
Fulfillment References
Ezra 1:1-4
Archaeological & Historical Evidence
The Cyrus Cylinder (539 BC, British Museum BM 90920) records Cyrus's decree allowing conquered peoples to return to their homelands. Josephus (Ant. 11.1) records Cyrus read Isaiah's prophecy.
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
JewishA remarkable prophecy naming a Gentile ruler 150+ years before his birth. Jewish tradition holds Isaiah wrote this in the 8th century — a divine foreknowledge claim.
CatholicClassic predictive prophecy. Josephus records that Cyrus was shown this text and fulfilled it consciously. Cyrus as 'anointed' is typologically related to Messianic anointing.
ProtestantThe naming of Cyrus is a primary argument for the unity of Isaiah (chs. 1-66) vs. Deutero-Isaiah hypothesis.
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