Isaiah 45:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Douay-RheimsHebrew (Masoretic text)

That they may know who are from the rising of the sun, and they who are from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is none else:
Douay-Rheims

לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְע֗וּ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ וּמִמַּ֣עֲרָבָ֔ה כִּי־אֶ֖פֶס בִּלְעָדָ֑י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין עֽוֹד׃
Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

3 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 4 commentaries

John Chrysostom
Cyrill of Alexandria
Tertullian

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

The one true God is consistently proclaimed by the prophets, asserting that there is no other beside Him (Is 45:5). Their message is not a denial of the Son; rather, it aims to address the frailty of the Jewish people and redirect them from the belief in various false deities.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I have positioned Myself as an adversary to your foes and a supporter to your allies: I revealed Myself as an opponent to those who resisted your restoration, while extending My favor to Cyrus, who obeyed Me. I am the Lord, and there is none other; there is no God besides Me. This assertion serves to remind His opponents that He is not one among many but the sole omnipotent Being. Thus, He states that they may recognize from the east to the west that there is none besides Me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. Behold, He also watches over other nations and bestows upon them great blessings, so that when they turn away from falsehood and return to His dwelling in alignment with truth, they may reach the heavenly kingdom.

Cyrill of Alexandria

5th centuryChurch Father

Isaiah 45:3 states, "But thou hast not recognised Me, for I am the Lord, and there is no God yet without Me, and thou hast not known Me." This implies that God is communicating, “You have not received this honor because of your exceptional acts of devotion; rather, I have bestowed it upon you despite your lack of knowledge of My divine nature and greatness, and even if you have not been among those who revere Me. Let all people, those from the east and the west, be made aware that there is none other besides Me. For if it is My desire to save My people, I shall accomplish this even through those who do not recognize My glory, ensuring that all inhabitants of the earth acknowledge that I alone am God. I am the Lord of Hosts, the Sovereign over every nation and lineage; wherever I choose, I influence the hearts of the people, thereby making even those who are not My own fulfill My will.

Tertullian

3rd centuryTeacher of the Church

Inextricably bound, the Father possesses a Son; as He is united with the Father and cannot be separated from Him, the Son must be understood within the context of the Father, even if He is not explicitly mentioned. Had the Father named Him, it would signify a distinction, suggesting, ‘There is none beside Me but My Son.’ This would imply a differentiation of the Son, setting Him apart from all others.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.