John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 45:7

"I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things." — Isaiah 45:7 (ASV)

Forming light. It is as if he had said that those who formerly were accustomed to ascribe everything either to fortune or to idols will acknowledge the true God, so as to ascribe power, government, and the glory of all things to Him alone. He does not speak of perfect knowledge, though this understanding is necessary for attaining it. But since the Prophet says that it will be clear even to pagans that everything is directed and governed by the will of God, those who bear the Christian name ought to be ashamed when they strip Him of His power and give it to various governors whom they have created according to their own imagination, as we see done in the Papacy; for God is not acknowledged when a mere and empty name is given to Him, but when we ascribe to Him full authority.

Making peace, and creating evil. By the words “light” and “darkness,” he metaphorically describes not only peace and war but also adverse and prosperous events of any kind. He extends the word “peace,” according to the custom of Hebrew writers, to all success and prosperity. This is made abundantly clear by the contrast, for he contrasts “peace” not only with war but also with adverse events of every kind.

Certain interpreters distort this word evil, as if God were the author of evil—that is, of sin. But it is very obvious how absurdly they misuse this passage of the Prophet. This is adequately explained by the contrast, whose parts must correspond with each other. For he contrasts “peace” with “evil”—that is, with afflictions, wars, and other adverse events.

If he contrasted “righteousness” with “evil,” there would be some plausibility in their arguments, but this is a clear contrast of things that are opposite to each other. Consequently, we should not reject the common distinction that God is the author of the “evil” of punishment, but not of the “evil” of guilt.

But the sophists are wrong in their interpretation; for, while they acknowledge that famine, barrenness, war, pestilence, and other scourges come from God, they deny that God is the author of calamities when these calamities happen to us through human agency. This is false and entirely contrary to the present teaching, for the Lord raises up wicked men to chastise us by their hand, as is evident from various passages of Scripture (1 Kings 11:14, 23).

Indeed, the Lord does not inspire them with malice, but He uses it to chastise us and exercises the role of a judge, in the same manner as He made use of the malice of Pharaoh and others to punish His people (Exodus 1:11 and 2:23).

Therefore, we should hold this doctrine: that God alone is the author of all events—that is, that adverse and prosperous events are sent by Him, even though He makes use of human agency, so that no one may attribute it to fortune or to any other cause.