Bible Strands
Isaiah 45:5
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Cyrus by name (45:4), identifying himself before revealing what he will do with this king. The declaration of exclusive deity precedes the act of equipping.
The words — זוּלָתִי (zu.la.T/i, "besides me") is the prepositional phrase that makes the negation personal: not "no other god" abstractly, but "none apart from me." The verb אֲאַזֶּרְךָ ('a.'a.zer.Kha, "I will gird you") is a military term for fastening a warrior's belt.
The thread — The same "I am God, there is no other" formula appears in Isaiah 44:6, 44:8, and 46:9, each time paired with a call to trust or remember.
Why it lands — The verse forces a reader to hold two claims in the same breath: God's absolute uniqueness and his deliberate use of someone who does not know him. It does not soften the exclusivity claim to make the inclusion of Cyrus comfortable; it makes the inclusion the proof of the exclusivity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Cross-references
- Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
- Isaiah 44:8 Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”
- Isaiah 46:9 Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.
- Joel 2:27 Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
- 1 Kings 8:60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God. There is no other!
- Isaiah 45:21 Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none but Me.
- Deuteronomy 4:35 You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
- Isaiah 45:14 This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”
- Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.