Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down {i} righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have {k} created it.

(i) He comforts the Jews as if he would say, Though when you look to the heavens and earth for comfort you see nothing now but signs of God's wrath, yet will cause them to bring forth certain tokens of your deliverance, and of the performance of my promise: which is meant by righteousness.

(k) I have appointed Cyrus to this use and purpose.

Wesley's Notes

45:8 Drop - The righteous and gracious acts of God for his people, shall be so many, as if God rained showers of righteousness out of heaven. Open - Open itself to bring forth those fruits which may be expected from such showers. Them - The heavens and the earth conspiring together. Together - Together with salvation. It - This great work of salvation and righteousness; whereof, tho' Cyrus is the instrument, I am the author.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. Drop-namely, the fertilizing rain (Ps 65:12).

skies-clouds; lower than the "heavens."

righteousness-that is, the dews of the Holy Spirit, whereby "righteousness" shall "spring up." (See latter end of the verse).

earth-figuratively for the hearts of men on it, opened for receiving the truth by the Holy Ghost (Ac 16:14).

them-the earth and the heavens. Horsley prefers: "Let the earth open, and let salvation and justice grow forth; let it bring them forth together; I the Lord have created him" (Isa 45:13). Maurer translates, "Let all kinds of salvation (prosperity) be fruitful" (Ps 72:3, 6, 7). The revival of religion after the return from Babylon suggests to the prophet the diffusion of Messiah's Gospel, especially in days still future; hence the elevation of the language to a pitch above what is applicable to the state of religion after the return.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

45:5-10 There is no God beside Jehovah. There is nothing done without him. He makes peace, put here for all good; and creates evil, not the evil of sin, but the evil of punishment. He is the Author of all that is true, holy, good, or happy; and evil, error, and misery, came into the world by his permission, through the wilful apostacy of his creatures, but are restrained and overruled to his righteous purpose. This doctrine is applied, for the comfort of those that earnestly longed, yet quietly waited, for the redemption of Israel. The redemption of sinners by the Son of God, and the pouring out the Spirit, to give success to the gospel, are chiefly here intended. We must not expect salvation without righteousness; together the Lord hath created them. Let not oppressors oppose God's designs for his people. Let not the poor oppressed murmur, as if God dealt unkindly with them. Men are but earthen pots; they are broken potsherds, and are very much made so by mutual contentions. To contend with Him is as senseless as for clay to find fault with the potter. Let us turn God's promises into prayers, beseeching him that salvation may abound among us, and let us rest assured that the Judge of all the earth will do right.