That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

ISAIAH 44:28KJV
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Isaiah 44:28 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 44:28 mean?

Isaiah 44:28 says that God calls Cyrus “my shepherd,” declaring that Cyrus will carry out God’s wishes by ordering Jerusalem to be rebuilt and the temple’s foundation to be laid. This verse names Cyrus, a future Persian king, as the one chosen by God to restore Jerusalem after its destruction.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel, many years before Cyrus was born. The situation is that Jerusalem and its temple would eventually be destroyed, but God promises that a foreign ruler—Cyrus—will be the one to allow their restoration. This is a striking prophecy because it names a specific person who would later play a key role in Israel’s history.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 44:28

  • כּוֹרֶשׁ (Koresh, “Cyrus”): This is the name of the Persian king who would later conquer Babylon and permit the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. Naming him long before his birth highlights God’s control over history.
  • רֹעִי (ro‘i, “shepherd”): This word often describes someone who leads and cares for people, like a shepherd with sheep. Here, God uses it for a non-Israelite king, showing that God can use anyone to fulfill His purposes.
  • יְשַׁלֵּם (yeshallem, “perform” or “complete”): This verb means to bring something to completion or fulfill. It emphasizes that Cyrus will fully carry out what God wants.
  • חֵפֶץ (chephets, “pleasure” or “will”): This word refers to what God desires or delights in. The verse stresses that Cyrus will accomplish exactly what God intends.

Why Isaiah 44:28 matters

  • This verse clears up the idea that only Israelites could be chosen by God for important roles; God calls a foreign king “my shepherd” and uses him to bless Israel.
  • Isaiah 44:28 connects directly to the next chapter, where Cyrus is called “God’s anointed,” underlining how remarkable it was for Isaiah to name a future ruler so specifically.
  • The verse reassures the people that even after destruction, God has a plan for restoration, and He is in control of world events, even using unlikely people to fulfill His promises.

Where else these words appear

“Cyrus” Hebrew H3566 · used in 13 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
  • Ezra 1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
  • Ezra 4:5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

“pleasure” Hebrew H2656 · used in 38 verses

  • 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
  • Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

“laid” Hebrew H3245 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
  • Esther 1:8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.
  • Song of Solomon 5:15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

“temple” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
  • Ezekiel 41:1 Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.