The Hebrew word translated as "evil" in Isaiah 45:7 is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which can indeed be translated as "evil," but it has a broader range of meanings. In the context of this verse, "רָעָה" (ra'ah) can be understood more generally as "calamity," "distress," or "disaster." It doesn't necessarily imply moral evil, but rather a negative or harmful event or circumstance.
Some translations render Isaiah 45:7 without using the word "evil." Here are a few examples:
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New International Version (NIV): "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."
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New Living Translation (NLT): "I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things."
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English Standard Version (ESV): "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things."
These translations use terms like "disaster," "bad times," or "calamity" instead of "evil" to convey the idea of negative or adverse circumstances rather than moral evil.
Furthermore, in the creation narrative, God declares everything He has made to be "good" (Genesis 1:31), which would seem contradictory if God were to create moral evil and then call it good.
Understanding the word in Isaiah 45:7 as "calamity" or "disaster" (as the Hebrew word allows) harmonizes with the idea that God's original creation was good and that any negative aspects are the result of the brokenness introduced by sin or as part of God's larger plan and purposes.
The Hebrew word translated as "evil" in Isaiah 45:7 is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which can indeed be translated as "evil," but it has a broader range of meanings. In the context of this verse, "רָעָה" (ra'ah) can be understood more generally as "calamity," "distress," or "disaster." It doesn't necessarily imply moral evil, but rather a negative or harmful event or circumstance.
Some translations render Isaiah 45:7 without using the word "evil." Here are a few examples:
-
New International Version (NIV): "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."
-
New Living Translation (NLT): "I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things."
-
English Standard Version (ESV): "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things."
These translations use terms like "disaster," "bad times," or "calamity" instead of "evil" to convey the idea of negative or adverse circumstances rather than moral evil.