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NASB | Isaiah 45:7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Isaiah 45:7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing peace and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things. |
Subject: God cannot Create Moral Evil |
Bible Note: Greetings Robert! Here is some interesting commentary to Isaiah 45:7.. "I am [13] the one who forms light and creates darkness; [14] the one who brings about peace and creates calamity. [15] I am the Lord, who accomplishes all these things." [NET Bible] "Isaiah 45:7 7. form . . . create--yatzar, to give "form" to previously existing matter. Bara, to "create" from nothing the chaotic dark material. light . . . darkness--literally (Gen. 1:1-3), emblematical also, prosperity to Cyrus, calamity to Babylon and the nations to be vanquished [GROTIUS] . . . Isaiah refers also to the Oriental belief in two coexistent, eternal principles, ever struggling with each other, light or good, and darkness or evil, Oromasden and Ahrimanen. God, here, in opposition, asserts His sovereignty over both [VITRINGA]. create evil--not moral evil (James 1:13), but in contrast to "peace" in the parallel clause, war, disaster (compare Psalm 65:7; Amos 3:6)." (1) "[13]tn The words "I am" are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the participle at the beginning of v. 7 stands in apposition to "the Lord" in v. 6. [14]tn On the surface v. 7a appears to describe God’s sovereign control over the cycle of day and night, but the following statement suggests that "light" and "darkness" symbolize "deliverance" and "judgment." [15]sn This verses affirms that God is ultimately sovereign over his world, including mankind and nations. In accordance with his sovereign will, he can cause wars to cease and peace to predominate (as he was about to do for his exiled people through Cyrus), or he can bring disaster and judgment on nations (as he was about to do to Babylon through Cyrus)." (2) Blessings to you, Makarios (1) Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Bible Commentary (2) NET Bible Commentary |