Page:A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and Jonah.djvu/36

4 It is they, perhaps, to whom certain passages in the second part of the book of Isaiah were addressed, notably the following:

There was, however, another party. At any rate, the author of the lines just quoted was enthusiastic in his faith, not only that Cyrus would succeed, but that his success meant deliverance to the Jews in exile. He recognised in the Persian king an instrument of Yahweh. Cf. Is. 41$9 ff.$ 46$2 ff. 25$. Indeed,—and he must thereby have greatly scandalised many of his countrymen,—he went so far as to identify Cyrus with the Ideal King for whom the Jews had long been praying and looking. Cf. Is. 44$11$ 45$28$. He was so confident of victory for this divinely chosen champion that he boldly foretold the fall of Babylon and exhorted the exiles to prepare for their departure. Cf. Is. 46$1$ 47$1 f.$ 48$1 ff.$ 52$20 f.$. Finally, he predicted that Cyrus, having released them from captivity, would rebuild Jerusalem and restore the temple, its chief ornament. This last prophecy is so important that it deserves to be quoted entire. It runs as follows: