I stirred up one from the north: The person God caused to be victorious here is clearly the same one as in verse 2. He was Cyrus, the Persian emperor. Translators should render stirred up in the same way in both verses to highlight the connection between them. However, in verse 2 God brought him “from the east,” but here it is from the north. Persia, the homeland of Cyrus, was east of Babylonia, but he attacked Babylonia from the north since he captured that area first.

And he has come: As a result of God’s action, Cyrus’ advance against Babylonia and other nations is already under way.

From the rising of the sun: This literal rendering is an obvious reference to the east, mentioned in verse 2. It is a poetic expression that translators should keep if possible. If not, they may say simply “from the east.” In Revised Standard Version this phrase is independent, but it is better to link it with he has come. A model for the first part of the verse that does this is “I stirred up someone from the north, and he has come from the rising of the sun.” Good News Translation changes the order of from the north and from the rising of the sun to avoid a conflict with verse 2 by saying “I have chosen a man who lives in the east; I will bring him to attack from the north.” However, this rendering departs a little too far from the original text. A better model is “I brought a person to attack from the north; he has come from the east.”

And he shall call on my name: There is a textual problem here, which is evident when comparing the various versions. There are four possible readings:

(1) Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh follow Masoretic Text. These versions imply that Cyrus is or will be a worshiper of Yahweh. Their reading is supported by the Vulgate and the Syriac.
(2) New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible follow Dead Sea Scrolls, which reads “and he [Cyrus] will be called by his name.” This means God’s call of Cyrus is a personal one.
(3) Revised English Bible emends Masoretic Text to read “I called … him in my name,” which means God called Cyrus in his authority. This may be the reading that Good News Translation follows with “I have chosen a man.”
(4) Still others emend Masoretic Text to read “and he is called by my name,” which means God gave Cyrus a special name. This implies a close relationship between Yahweh and Cyrus.

We encourage translators to follow Masoretic Text here, as in Revised Standard Version. This is also the recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and de~Waard. Revised Standard Version uses future tense here and in the next line, but many versions have present tense (so New International Version, Nouvelle Bible Segond). The Hebrew text allows for either tense, but we prefer present tense.

He shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay: These two lines use two similes to describe Cyrus’ aggressive military advance. He shall trample on rulers means he will conquer other kings (see the comments on Isa 41.2). Revised Standard Version has changed the Hebrew text to read trample instead of “come.” There is no textual evidence to support this change, but most commentators agree that it makes good sense in the context with mortar as an object and treads as a parallel verb. Rulers translates a Hebrew term borrowed from Akkadian; it refers to regional rulers. In many languages “kings” will be a suitable option.

The first simile, as on mortar, compares Cyrus’ advance to the way a mason treads on mortar. Mortar is the material used for holding stones or bricks together in a building. Nowadays cement is used, but in ancient times other materials, including mud (so Good News Translation), were used. In 10.6 the Hebrew word translated mortar is rendered “mire” in a another context of “treading down.” When a mason prepared mortar, he added water to the materials used, and trod on them until they were will mixed. In the same way Cyrus trod on other rulers, meaning he defeated them.

The second simile, as the potter treads clay, is nearly identical in form and meaning to the first one. It compares the advance of Cyrus to a potter treading clay. A potter tramples with his feet a mixture of clay and a small amount of water, until the mixture is soft enough for him to work with it. This imagery also suggests Cyrus’ complete victory over other rulers. For potter see the comments on 29.16.

In cultures where treading mortar for building and clay for pots is unknown, translators may use alternative imagery; for example, the last two lines of this verse may be rendered “he will wipe out rulers completely” or “he will thrash rulers entirely.” A possible nonfigurative model is “he will defeat rulers thoroughly.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• “I raised up someone from the north,
he has come from the rising of the sun;
he calls upon my name.
He treads down rulers as someone [or, a mason] treads mortar,
and as a potter treads clay.

• “I have stirred up a person from the north,
from the east he has come;
he worships me.
He tramples down kings as someone treads mortar,
and as a potter treads clay.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .