As in Good News Translation, translators may add a blank line before this verse, so that verses 5-8 are a separate stanza.

I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God: These two lines emphasize the uniqueness of Yahweh, Israel’s God. For I am the LORD, see the comments on 43.11. There is no other occurs five times in this chapter (verses 5, 6, 14, 18, 22), so it is a key expression. It means there is no other god. Besides me there is no God has the same sense, so it emphasizes Yahweh’s uniqueness. Good News Translation combines this clause with the previous one, saying “there is no other god,” but this loses the emphasis in the Hebrew text. Revised Standard Version uses uppercase for God (ʾelohim in Hebrew), but this is misleading since it leaves open the possibility that there are other gods. It is better to use lowercase “god” here, as Revised Standard Version did at 44.6, where the same Hebrew expression occurs.

I gird you: The Hebrew verb rendered gird is the opposite in meaning of the one for “ungird” in verse 1, although the Hebrew verb roots are not related. I gird you means that Yahweh provides Cyrus with the weapons and anything else he needs to obtain victory (see the comments on 8.9 for the verb here). New Revised Standard Version says “I arm you” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). It has a figurative sense here, so Good News Translation says “I will give you the strength you need,” and New International Version has “I will strengthen you” (similarly Revised English Bible). Both these versions use the future tense here, which is a valid way of reading the form of the Hebrew verb.

Though you do not know me: See the comments on the previous verse. This clause occurs here again for emphasis.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• I am Yahweh; there is no other god.
Besides me there is no god.
I will give you strength/power,
though you do not know me….

• I am the LORD, and there is no other god.
Apart from me there is no god.
I have armed you,
although you have not known me….

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 .