Isaiah 41:2-3

Isaiah 41:2-3

[2] Who raised up  the righteous  man from the east,  called  him to his foot,  gave  the nations  before  him, and made him rule  over kings?  he gave  them as the dust  to his sword,  and as driven  stubble  to his bow.  [3] He pursued  them, and passed  safely;  even by the way  that he had not gone  with his feet. 

What does Isaiah 41:2-3 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The Lord asked the nations a question: Who had righteously summoned a conqueror from the East who would defeat nations and overcome kings as easily and swiftly as one blows away dust and chaff? Later, Isaiah would identify this conqueror as Cyrus the Persian ( Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1), but here the emphasis is on the One who sovereignly called him into action, namely: Yahweh. The four Mesopotamian kings who invaded Canaan in Abraham"s day and took Lot captive were the prototype of this invader, as were Sargon, Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar. Jesus Christ will be the ultimate fulfillment when He returns to the earth east of Jerusalem (on the Mount of Olives), and overcomes His enemies, who will have assembled in Palestine. Cyrus came from Persia (modern Iran), which was east of Mesopotamia. This invader would proceed safely over previously unused routes.