ישעיהו, פרק מ״ח, פסוק י״ד

A prophet calls the people of Israel to a public assembly, presenting a clear challenge about the ability to foresee the historical events that will bring down the Babylonian empire [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The people are asked to consider if anyone among the idol worshippers [מצודת דוד, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or the wise men and stargazers of the world [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל], could have predicted this future [אבן עזרא]. The primary approach among commentators is that because God alone directs history, raising and bringing down kingdoms, no false power can possibly foresee the future [רד״ק, שד״ל].

At the heart of this message is a declaration that God will carry out His desire in Babylon through someone He loves. There are two main perspectives on the identity of this beloved figure. The primary approach identifies him as Cyrus, the king of Persia. God loves Cyrus because he was chosen to execute His will and destroy Babylon. His strength comes entirely from God, not from idols [שד״ל]. Furthermore, Cyrus earns this love because, unlike previous rulers such as Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar who boasted of their own might, Cyrus credits his success to the God of the heavens [רד״ק].

A different perspective identifies the beloved figure as the people of Israel [אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ, ורד״ק בשם יונתן]. According to this view, the prophet is asking who else God loves so deeply that He would redeem them from Babylon. God's ultimate desire in Babylon is to avenge the Israelites for the suffering they endured during their exile [אברבנאל].

The conclusion of the prophecy focuses on a powerful arm acting against the Chaldeans, which is understood differently depending on who the beloved figure is. If the beloved is Cyrus, the message is that his strong arm will strike the land of the Chaldeans [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא], or that Cyrus himself acts as God's own arm delivering the blow [שד״ל]. Offering a unique angle, another view suggests that Cyrus's actual strength will come from the Chaldeans themselves, as rebelling ministers from within Babylon will help him overthrow the empire [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, following the view that the beloved refers to the people of Israel, the imagery takes on a historical meaning. In the past, God used Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans as His own arm and weapon of anger to punish Jerusalem. Now, the tables have turned, and God is carrying out His desire in Babylon to take revenge against them for that very destruction [אברבנאל].