UIsaya 46:11

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

11 ndibiza ukhozi empumalanga, indoda yecebo lam ezweni elikude; nditshilo, ewe, ndiya kukufeza; ndiyilile, ewe, ndiya kukwenza.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Calling: Isaiah 13:2-4, Isaiah 21:7-9, Isaiah 41:2, Isaiah 41:25, Isaiah 45:1-6, Jeremiah 50:29, Jeremiah 51:20-29

a ravenous bird: Or, "an eagle," a very proper emblem for Cyrus, says Bp. Lowth, as in other respects, so particularly because the ensign of Cyrus was a golden eagle,  קסץףןץע, the very word ayit which the prophet uses here, expressed as near as may be in Greek letters. Ezekiel 39:4

the man: Isaiah 44:28, Isaiah 45:13, Isaiah 48:14, Isaiah 48:15, Ezra 1:2, Psalms 76:10, Acts 4:28

that executeth my counsel: Heb. of my counsel, Psalms 119:24, *marg.

I have spoken: Isaiah 14:24-27, Isaiah 38:15, Numbers 23:19, Job 23:13, Jeremiah 50:45, Acts 5:39, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 3:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:32 - it is because Numbers 23:27 - peradventure 1 Kings 12:15 - that he might 2 Kings 19:25 - Hast thou not 2 Kings 24:3 - Surely Proverbs 21:30 - General Ecclesiastes 5:8 - matter Ecclesiastes 7:13 - who Isaiah 7:7 - General Isaiah 10:12 - when the Lord Isaiah 14:6 - and none Isaiah 14:27 - the Lord Isaiah 19:17 - because Isaiah 22:25 - for the Isaiah 23:9 - Lord Isaiah 37:26 - how I Isaiah 40:8 - the word Isaiah 46:10 - My counsel Isaiah 54:16 - I have Jeremiah 4:28 - because Jeremiah 25:28 - Ye Jeremiah 29:11 - I know Jeremiah 30:10 - I Jeremiah 30:24 - fierce Jeremiah 32:19 - Great Jeremiah 44:28 - shall know Jeremiah 47:7 - the Lord Jeremiah 49:20 - the counsel Jeremiah 50:25 - this Jeremiah 50:44 - who is a Jeremiah 51:11 - the Lord hath Jeremiah 51:29 - every Ezekiel 9:11 - I have Daniel 4:24 - the decree Daniel 4:35 - and he Amos 6:11 - the Lord Habakkuk 2:7 - they Zechariah 6:1 - and the Matthew 24:25 - General Acts 2:23 - being Acts 20:27 - all Acts 25:12 - unto Caesar shalt Romans 9:11 - that the Romans 9:19 - Why doth Ephesians 1:9 - purposed Revelation 17:17 - until

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Calling a ravenous bird from the east,.... Or "a flying fowl", or "swift winged bird" u; for the word used does not so much denote rapaciousness as swiftness; which well agrees with Cyrus, who is here meant, and not Abraham, as Jarchi, nor Nebuchadnezzar, as others; and who was always swift in all his expeditions, and always recommended celerity and dispatch of business to his soldiers and others, as Xenophon w often observes; and very remarkable is that speech of Tigranes to him, in which he tells him x, that he so far exceeded the king of Armenia in swiftness, that he came upon him with a great army, from a far country, before he could get his army together, which was just by him. And very observable are the words of Cyrus himself, who was desirous of being a thorough horseman, that he might seem to be

ανθρωπος πτηνος, "a winged" or "flying man" y So the Targum here renders it, a swift bird. Aben Ezra, who interprets it of Cyrus, says he is so called, as if he flew to do the will of God; and Kimchi observes of Cyrus, that he has this name because he came swiftly, and in haste, as a bird that flies: and it is no unusual thing for a mighty monarch, or a general, marching with his army, to be compared to a flying bird, particularly an eagle, Jeremiah 48:40 and may be the bird intended here, which well suits with Cyrus, who had, as Plutarch z reports, an aquiline nose; hence men that have such noses, among the Persians, are highly esteemed: and Xenophon a says, that the standard of Cyrus was a golden eagle upon the top of a high spear, and which is retained by the kings of Persia. Cyrus is said to be called from the east, because, as Kimchi observes, his country lay to the east of Babylon:

the man that executeth my counsel from afar country; as Persia was from Babylon, Assyria and other provinces lying between; but though he lived in a far country, and knew nothing of the affairs of the people of God in Babylon, or what work he was to do, yet God called him, and brought him to do his will, which he was ignorant of: so God sometimes puts into the hearts of men to fulfil his will, which they are strangers to, Revelation 17:17. It is in the Hebrew text, "the man of my counsel" b; not with whom the Lord consulted, for none are of his counsel in this sense; but whom in his counsels, decrees, and purposes, he appointed to such service, and whom he made use of as an instrument to do his pleasure; see Isaiah 44:8

yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass: I have purposed, I will also do it; the counsel of the Lord, concerning the deliverance of his people from Babylon, by the hand of Cyrus; this he had purposed in his own breast, had spoken of in prophecy, and would certainly perform. R. Joseph Kimchi interprets this verse of the Messiah, and so does Jerom, of whom, no doubt, Cyrus was a type; and what is here said agrees with him: he may be compared to a flying bird for his swiftness in coming at the appointed time; he came from the east, as the rising sun of righteousness; he was the man of God's counsel in the highest sense, and came, being called, to execute it; the work of redemption was according to the eternal purpose of God, and spoke of by all the holy prophets, and now accomplished; and his righteousness and salvation are made mention of in the following verses.

u עיט "avem, a velocitate", Munster; so Vatablus; ab עוט "in volando celeriter et cum impetu", Forerius; so Ben Melech says, Cyrus is surnamed a fowl, because of his great swiftness and haste to come to Babylon; though he observes that some say, that a ravenous fowl is called עיט; the singular may be put for the plural; so Cocceius renders it, "volucres", birds, and may design the whole army of Cyrus. w Cyropaedia, l. 1. c. 17. and l. 3. c. 6. and l. 6. c. 17. x Cyropaedia, l. 3. c. 2. y Ib. l. 4. c. 17. z In Apothegm. a Cyropaedia, l. 7. c. 1. b איש עצתי "virum mei consilii", Munster, Pagninus, Montanus; so according to the Keri: but the Cetib is איש עצתו, "the man of his counsel".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Calling a ravenous bird from the east - There can be no doubt that Cyrus is intended here (see the notes at Isaiah 41:2, Isaiah 41:25). The east here means Persia. The word rendered ‘ravenous bird’ (עיט ‛ayiṭ) is rendered ‘fowl’ in Job 28:7; ‘bird’ or ‘birds’ in Jeremiah 12:9; ‘fowls’ in Genesis 15:11; Isaiah 18:6; and ‘ravenous birds’ in Ezekiel 39:4. It does not occur elsewhere in the Bible. It is used here as an emblem of a warlike king, and the emblem may either denote the rapidity of his movements - moving with the flight of an eagle; or it may denote the devastation which he would spread - an emblem in either sense especially applicable to Cyrus. It is not uncommon in the Bible to compare a warlike prince to an eagle Jeremiah 49:22; Ezekiel 17:3; and the idea here is, probably, that Cyrus would come with great power and velocity upon nations, like the king of birds, and would pounce suddenly and unexpectedly upon his prey. Perhaps also there may be here allusion to the standard or banner of Cyrus. Xenophon (Cyrop. vii.) says that it was a golden eagle affixed to a long spear; and it is well remarked by Lowth, that Xenophon has used the very word which the prophet uses here, as near as could be, expressing it in Greek letters. The word of the prophet is עיט ‛ayiṭ; the Greek word used by Xenophon is ἀετὸς aetos. The Chaldee has, however, given a different rendering to this passage: ‘I, who say that I will gather my captivity from the east, and will lead publicly like a swift bird from a distant land the sons of Abraham, my friend.’

The man that executeth my counsel - Margin, as Hebrew, ‘Of my counsel.’ It may either mean the man whom he had designated by his counsel; or it may mean the man who should execute his purpose.

Yea, I have spoken - He spake it by the prophets; and the idea is, that all that he had spoken should be certainly accomplished.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 46:11. Calling a ravenous bird from the east - "Calling from the east the eagle"] A very proper emblem for Cyrus, as in other respects, so particularly because the ensign of Cyrus was a golden eagle, ΑΕΤΟΣ χρυσους, the very word עיט ayit, which the prophet uses here, expressed as near as may be in Greek letters. XENOPH. Cyrop. lib. vii. sub. init. Kimchi says his father understood this, not of Cyrus, but of the Messiah.

From a far country - "From a land far distant"] Two MSS. add the conjunction ו vau, ומארץ umeerets; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate.