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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 1:1

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Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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,

1. Now ] or ‘ and ’. At first sight a strange word with which to open a book. It implies the resumption or continuance, not the commencement, of a history. The use of it, however, receives explanation from either hypothesis mentioned in the preceding note. Regarding our book as having been compiled with the books of Chronicles, we see the precise usage of the word here by a reference to the context in which it stood 2Ch 36:22. Reasons of a similar character explain the same word beginning Joshua, Judges, 1 Sam., 1 Kings.

in the first year of Cyrus ] i.e. in the same year that Cyrus captured Babylon and became master of the Babylonian Empire. To the Jews and other subject races it would be ‘the first year of Cyrus’. This year is generally computed to have been 538 b.c. Cyrus was born about 590 b.c. He ascended the throne of Elam 558, conquered Media 549, Persia about 548, overthrew Crsus and became king of Lydia 540, captured Babylon 538, died 529. The Jewish ‘first year of Cyrus’ was therefore about the twentieth of his reign over the Elamites and the tenth of his reign over Persia.

Cyrus king of Persia ] The Hebrew pronunciation of the name of the great Persian king is generally supposed to have been ‘Kresh’. There is, however, good reason for preferring ‘Kresh’, which corresponds more closely with the Greek ‘Kuros’ ( ), Latin ‘Cyrus’. In Persian the name seems to have been ‘Kurusch’. The Babylonian Inscriptions speak of him as ‘Kurasch’. The name is said to be derived from that of a mythical Persian hero ‘Kuru’.

Recent discoveries have shown that Cyrus, prince of Anzan, a province of Elam, became first, probably by rightful succession, King of Elam, and styled himself by this title in his inscriptions. This fact explains how it happened that Susa, the old Capital of Elam, continued to be the seat of the Medo-Persian Empire along with Ecbatana, the Capital of the Median Kingdom.

Cyrus, then, the conqueror and King of Persia, was an Elamite by birth, a Persian by descent. His greatgrandfather Teispes was a Persian. But although he was thus descended from a Persian ancestor, it seems to be a mistake to impute to him the Monotheistic views which characterised Persian Zoroastrianism.

He is called ‘the King of Persia’, not because he was born a Persian prince, but because the Persian Kingdom was the most important of his conquests.

that the word of the Lord ] The Divine purpose. This thought is well illustrated by reference to Psa 102:13-22, beginning ‘Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for it is time to have pity upon her, yea, the set time is come’.

by the mouth of Jeremiah ] Literally, ‘ from the mouth of ’. The word proceeds ‘from the mouth’. It is declared ‘by the mouth’, as in the reading of 2Ch 36:22, the parallel passage. The reference here is to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the 70 years, Jer 29:10, ‘For thus saith the Lord, After seventy years be accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place’, cf. Jer 25:11.

It is clear that in the writer’s opinion ‘the 70 years for Babylon’ were completed at the occupation of Babylon by Cyrus. This period of 70 years has been computed in different ways. (1) By some the attempt is made to discover an exact interval of 70 years between the third year of king Jehoiakim (cf. Dan 1:1) and the taking of Babylon by Cyrus. (2) By others the term is understood to express an interval of time in round numbers, commencing ( a) either, in the year 605, with the battle of Carchemish, and the supremacy of Babylon, and the reign of Nebuchadnezzar; ( b) or in the year 598, when the king Jehoiachin and the mass of the population were carried away captive; ( c) or in the year 587, when the city and Temple of Jerusalem were destroyed. Our verse certainly implies that the period terminated with ‘the first year of Cyrus’ (538).

might be fulfilled ] R.V. accomplished, i.e. brought to a conclusion. Referring to the substance of the utterance, touching the 70 years.

The word in the original is different from that in 2Ch 36:21 (R.V. rightly ‘ fulfil ’), and Jer 29:10, where the R.V. unfortunately renders the same word by accomplished. The completion of the thing predicted is here emphasised rather than the fulfilment of the prediction.

the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus ] The act of Divine interposition, taking effect in the domain of spirit, of will and desire. Cf. Exo 35:21. The phrase occurs in a hostile sense, e.g. 1Ch 5:26 ; 2Ch 21:16; Jer 51:11; but, as here and Ezr 1:5, with a favourable meaning in Hag 1:14.

that he made a proclamation ] A peculiar phrase in the original, occurring again in Ezr 10:7; Neh 8:15; 2Ch 30:5; Exo 36:6, meaning literally, ‘he caused a voice to pass’. Here used of proclamation by herald.

all his kingdom ] i.e. nearly the whole of Western Asia; the kingdoms of Elam, Media, Persia, Lydia and Babylon.

and put it also in writing ] This is added not so much to express that written copies of the proclamation were forwarded to the various officials of the Empire, as to record the fact, which to the Jew was of so much importance, that the edict, so far from being a Jewish invention, had been written at the command of Cyrus, and was accessible among official papers. (Cf. Ezr 6:2.)

saying ] The decree itself would have been written in Persian or Aramaic. The following verses (2 4) contain the substance of the decree translated into Hebrew and adapted to Jewish readers. It is a popular reproduction rather than a literal translation.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. Ezr 1:1-4. The Decree of Cyrus

The history of the time throws light upon the action of Cyrus, whose Decree gave life to the seemingly lifeless bones of Israel (Ezekiel 37) and restored the scattered flock to their pasture (34). Except by his personal attendants, the fall of Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, had been hailed by all with satisfaction. The priests had been alienated from him by his neglect of the defences of the great temples. The generals and nobles despised a king, who absented himself from his capital and his troops, and entrusted to his son the chief command. The poorer classes had no respect for a weak monarch, who failed to protect them from the invader and only imposed on them heavy tasks of building. Cyrus was welcomed in Babylon as Deliverer and saluted as ‘the Great King.’ The Jewish colony who, although they had been taught by their prophets to expect Cyrus’ ultimate success, could hardly have foreseen so easy a victory, so bloodless a capture of Babylon, as that which the Inscriptions describe, would have been among the most demonstrative in their rejoicing over his success. They saw before them the possibility of the near realization of their hopes.

Cyrus was too shrewd a sovereign to throw away any opportunity of cementing together the various elements of his newly conquered empire. He could cheaply earn the affection of many a subject race by gratifying its hopes and removing from Babylon the symbols of its servitude. He gave permission therefore to those of this class resident in the Capital, to take back their gods that had been forcibly removed to Babylon, and to set them up in their former homes. To the Jews he granted corresponding (and, perhaps, in recognition of their special services in his cause, peculiar) privileges. He gave permission to the worshippers of Jehovah to return to their own country, to resume the worship and to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. They had no images or gods to carry with them. But the sacred vessels, regarded with deep veneration, which had been carried off from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, were given back once more into the keeping of the priests.

Ezr 1:1-3 (as far as the words ‘let him go up’) are almost word for word the same as 2Ch 36:22-23. The very slight differences clearly arise from errors of transcription. We have here ( a) Ezr 1:1, the short form ‘Yirm’yah’ instead of the longer ‘Yirmyahu’ (both of which are found for Jeremiah): ( b) Ezr 1:1 ‘by the mouth’ instead of ‘at the mouth’: ( c) Ezr 1:3, ‘his God be with him’ instead of ‘the Lord his God be with him’.

The fact, that the book of Ezra opens with the same passage as closes the books of Chronicles, has been differently explained.

(1) On the hypothesis, that Ezra-Nehemiah are a separate composition from the books of Chronicles, it is supposed that the compilers of both works made use of the same written documents.

(2) On the hypothesis, that Ezra-Nehemiah come from the hands of the same compiler as the books of Chronicles, we must suppose ( a) that there was a time when Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah, in some form or another, constituted a single work: ( b) that Ezra-Nehemiah were detached for the purpose of completing the history of the people, narrated in 2 Kings, by an account of the Return from Captivity and of the foundation of the new Jewish Constitution: ( c) that afterwards, when the books of Chronicles were added as a sort of historical appendix to the Jewish Canon, they were made to conclude with the opening words of Ezra-Nehemiah. The records of the People thus ended, not with the reminiscence of captivity, but with the announcement of release. Furthermore Chronicles, though placed in the Jewish Canon after Ezra-Nehemiah, thus retained, by means of the concluding verses, a witness to its identity of origin with the books which preceded.

The second hypothesis, for reasons given in the Introd., appears to be the preferable.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

By the first year of Cyrus is to be understood the first year of his sovereignty over the Jews, or 538 B.C.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Ezr 1:1-11

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord.

The discipline of the captivity

The captivity is clearly represented as Gods judgment upon His people for their sins, but it was a judgment so tempered with mercy that it brought them much of blessing in the way of spiritual development. Their trials became a means, in various ways, of spiritual discipline. Losing the temple with its solemn ritual they found that God was a spirit and could be worshipped anywhere; at Jerusalem they had been able to hear His voice in the holy ordinances, but now they were dependent upon the revealed Word; hence diligent attention was paid to the preservation and transcription of the sacred writings, a service which prepared the way for the arrangement, not long after, by Ezra of the Old Testament canon. All such good impulses helped to work out a gradual but sure deliverance from their old sin of idolatry. In Judea the service of idols had become strangely confused with the service of Jehovah. It was thought by many not so very wrong to worship images if at the same time they worshipped God. The evils which assail us now are different in form, but are working along the same line; we have other idols, but the same snare. Natural history has an interesting chapter called Mimicries of Nature, the description of certain creatures which have, in a wonderful degree, the appearance of vegetable life and are able thereby to seize more surely upon their unsuspecting prey. It illustrates the peril that surrounds us on many sides in the moral world; evil takes the shape of good; pleasures that seem harmless hide the sting of death, etc. Through such subtle temptations among the Jews idolatry became almost universal. But when they came to Chaldea they saw idolatry in all its naked deformity; it was not confused with true worship, it stood alone. They saw how it denied and despised Jehovah, and it filled them with horror. If idolatry bore such fruit their course was clear; they would have nothing to do with it. Not likely there were some whose religion in Judea had not been very pronounced who in Chaldea were among the foremost champions of Jehovah. In any Christian community there are good citizens who take no sides in the conflict between Christianity and unbelief. But imagine one of them suddenly removed to a community where infidelity prevails, where Christian worship is prohibited, where the Bible is dishonoured, where the prevailing sentiment is that of defiant atheism–how long would it be before he would be found standing out resolutely among the friends of Christ? In a recent revival multitudes signed this simple covenant: I am trying to live a Christian life, and am willing to be counted on that side. An impulse like this must have come to many of the Jews in Babylon. The contempt heaped upon their religion strengthened their constancy, and they refused to sing the Lords song in a strange land. It is not meant that their harps were kept silent through all those years; but they would never sing the songs of Zion for anybodys sport; they would die first. Their spirit recalls the drummer-boy in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 who, being ordered by some rebels who had captured him to play for their entertainment, laid his instrument on the ground and leaped into it, tearing the parchment to shreds, and exclaiming, God forbid that the kings drum should be beaten for rebels! whereupon they spiked him to death. (Sermons by Monday Club.)

Returning from the captivity

God rules. His throne is the centre of history. His sovereignty is the key of all the mysteries in providence and grace. We look behind and speak of history; before and speak of prophecy; but He looks neither behind nor before. Yesterday and to-morrow are alike to Him. One glance sweeps the whole horizon. Does ii seem wonderful that Cyrus should have been called and commissioned two centuries before his birth? We forget that telling and foretelling are the same with God. The map of eternity and the universe has always been spread out before Him.

I. The captivity. It was in the year 604 b.c. that Nebuchadnezzar reduced Jerusalem and returned with his first deportation of captives. The date is important because it furnishes the prime factor in all calculations respecting the deliverance from Babylon. The captivity was for an appointed time, seventy years. There was a special reason why it should be precisely seventy years. The Lord had required of Israel the observance of every seventh year as a season of Sabbatic rest; for a period of four hundred and ninety years this injunction had been practically ignored. Seventy Sabbatic years have been desecrated, seventy years of Babylonish chastisement shall expiate the sin. So true is retribution. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. But the captivity was not mere retribution, it was discipline. Its purpose was not so much to punish as to reform. Bearing a filial relation to God, the chosen people experienced the childrens portion of chastisement (Heb 12:6-11). The Jews had a mission. God had called them from among the nations to take charge of His oracles. Monotheism must be kept until Christ. For this Abram was chosen out of Ur of the Chaldees. However superior to other tribes and nations in many particulars, they had not been loyal to their trust. They needed chastening. God had no alternative but to inflict it. Hence the captivity. Nor was the discipline vain. It will be profitable to note some of the lessons which they learned in captivity.

1. They were cured of idolatry. They had previously been unable to resist the imposing rites and ceremonies of their pagan neighbours. Familiarity with the abominations of the Babylonish gods nauseated them. They longed for the living God, saying, When shall we return and appear before God?

2. They con-calved a new devotion to the Lords sanctuary. Its holy ordinances had once been a weariness; but now they were homesick for Zion. The institution of the synagogue is traced to this period.

3. They learned the value of the Scriptures (Neh 8:1-18.)

4. The stock of Israel was culled and improved. Only the choicest and best joined the restoration.

5. They were greatly knit together during the captivity. One touch of nature make the whole world kin. A common sorrow will erase the enmity of years. Pain is a mighty solvent. The Jews of to-day scattered abroad over the earth are a living witness to the unifying power of adversity.

6. The heart and intellect of the nation were broadened. This widening of vision is manifest in all their subsequent history. Thus it appears that the captivity was an essential part of the Divine plan.

II. The proclamation of Cyrus. This also was in pursuance of the Divine plan. The clock struck at precisely the right moment. Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar in 604 b.c. The proclamation was issued 586 b.c., leaving time for the beginning of the second temple in May of the year 534 b.c. The intervening period was just seventy years. Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyprus. How?

1. By the voice of His Spirit in the inner man.

2. Probably Daniel brought the matter to his attention. He may have read to him the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 29:10) and the prophecies of Isaiah (Isa 44:24-28; Isa 45:1-4).

3. It may have shaped itself in his mind as a suggestion of policy,

4. Or possibly there was a religious motive. He was a monotheist. He may have received the message and commission from Jehovah as from his own Ormuzd.

III. The return to Jerusalem. It was a voluntary movement. None were compelled to go. All were encouraged. They set forth prayerful and hopeful. In the 126th Psalm we have one of the songs of this pilgrimage. (D. J. Burrell, D. D.)

The exile ended

We may safely conclude from the events stated in this and the following chapters–

I. That the long exile of the Jews had done its appointed work. God sent them into captivity partly to punish and partly to purify them. They had now been sufficiently chastened and they had been cleansed from their iniquity.

1. We may argue from the fact of the Jews commending themselves so much as they did to Cyrus that their lives were estimable and honourable.

2. We know that after the captivity in Babylon they left idolatry behind them for ever. Trouble will sometimes teach us what nothing else will. The Church and the school may have failed to lead us into the kingdom of Christ, but the sadness of orphanage or the loneliness of the first absence from home may lead us to find a refuge in the God of all comfort, in the unfailing Friend of the human heart.

II. That God acts with gentle power on the minds of men.

1. On those of His own people. He raised the spirit of many of the Jews (Ezr 1:6). He caused them to feel deeply how excellent a thing it would be to repeople the city of Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple of God. He kindled in their hearts the fires of patriotism and of piety. He lifted them up above unworthy and unmanly fears. He made them brave and strong.

2. On those outside the Church. He girded Cyrus though that king knew Him not (Isa 65:5). It was by His all-wise direction that Greece prepared her thought and her language, and Rome her highways for the gospel in the fulness of time. Therefore–

(1) Let us ask of God that He will inspire us in our time of need. We may have before us some difficult task at school, some trying ordeal to pass through, some new sphere to enter upon, and we may shrink from going forward, but if we ask of God He will raise our spirit and make us equal to the effort.

(2) Let us intercede with God for others; they may appear to be quite outside all holy influences, but they are not without the reach of that mighty Hand that can enlighten the darkest mind and soften the hardest heart and renew the most obdurate and stubborn will.

III. That at the call of god we should be ready to undertake arduous or dangerous work. It was a long journey and a perilous one to Jerusalem.

1. It was uncertain what they would find when they reached the city of their fathers; no such tidings came to them as now come daily to our countrymen in England who are emigrating to America; they went forth not knowing what would await them. Moreover, they left behind them some home, kindred, occupation, property. Where God clearly calls us we need not be daunted by danger or by difficulty. He who summons us will clear the way, and will sustain us under every trial.

IV. That those who cannot render the greater are welcome to offer the smaller service. Of those who declined to return there would be some who might have gone but would not, either because they were too timid or because they had attachments which they were unwilling to break away from. Others there were that would have gone but could not, either because they were too aged or infirm, or because they had ties which they felt it would be wrong to sunder. Of the latter there were many who, as they could not do the best possible, did the best practical thing. They could not swell the number of the returning, but they could strengthen the hand of those who went (Ezr 1:6). We may be unable to serve Christ by missionary or ministerial or evangelistic labours, but we can strengthen the hands and cheer the hearts of those who can. We can give them gold or silver or pence. We can speak the inspiring word. We can pray for them and let them know that we are praying. We can write to those who are absent or send them that which others have written.

V. That when we obey the voice of our Master we do more than we know. The Jews who returned from Babylon no doubt believed that they were acting as patriots and were serving their country; but they could have had no conception of all that would grow out of their courageous conduct. We never know what will be the long and large result of a true and brave course. Carey did not foresee the fruits of his self-denying seal, nor Wesley of his more abundant labours, nor Livingstone of his travels and his lonely death. It is a cheering and inspiring thought that our present faithfulness may be a living seed from which a large harvest of blessing may spring.

VI. That there is a better restoration than that of precious vessels to the house of God. It was a kindly act of Cyrus (see Ezr 1:7-11), and the Jews rejoiced greatly when they saw those ancient and hallowed vessels beneath the roof of the new temple which they built. But there is a deeper joy in heaven, and there well may be on earth, when a human heart that has been taken away from the service of Christ is brought back again and is included among the spiritual treasures of the kingdom of God. (W. Clarkson, B. A.)

The captivity of evil

Sin may be conceived of as an object, but also as a power–as something to which our actions are directed, but also as something from which our actions proceed. Sin is an internal principle, and he who commits sin, who lives in it, obeys it in this sense–obeys it as a force. The whole and constant tendency and bias of the soul is a despotic rule. It is more than an external authority or verbal law. It has a more vigorous and relentless rule. It is more besetting; has a more constant presence and constraining power; it acts directly on the will; it controls and stimulates volition. That is a great bondage that overbears the will, which brings it against itself into subjection, which ignores and defies its active choice, but that is a greater far which corrupts and perverts it. There is no slavery like that in which the very seat and source of freedom is held captive. It is the salt losing its savour; it is the light leading astray; it is the king and leader falling in battle. (A. J. Morris.)

The return from the captivity–an argument for Daniels history of the Jews in Chaldea being true

The return of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon is not only a proof of the Divine authority of the Scriptures, considered as the accomplishment of a prophecy, but it is an additional proof of it in this light, that it affords a strong internal presumption that the history which Daniel gives of the manifestations of Divine power in Chaldea, during the residence of the Jews in that country, were true. That we may place this argument in a stronger light, let us consider the full importance of the measure which Cyrus now adopted, and of the benefit which he conferred upon the Jews. The practice of slavery among the ancient nations is well known. The slaves were, in that period, one great branch of property. The slaves cultivated the land, did the household business, exercised the necessary trades, and, in general, performed all that labour in which the mass of the people are now employed. The slaves, therefore, formed one great portion of private property, and of the national stock. The slaves arose chiefly, among ancient nations, from the captives taken in war. This was the great fund from which they were supplied, and constituted a very considerable branch of the profits which accrued to the conquerors in the ancient wars. They estimated the profits of the war, not more by the extent of territory which they gained than by the number of slaves whom they captured. From this view we will be enabled to conceive how very difficult it must have been in ancient times for men who were once reduced to slavery to regain their liberty. The interests of the State, as well as the rights and properties of individuals, were all against them. Where there were so many interests to be consulted, so many properties to be separated, and so many private rights to be resumed, we may conclude that the liberating of the slaves, among the ancient nations, must have been a very arduous State measure. This accounts perfectly for the difficulty which the Jewish nation found in their attempt to emigrate from Egypt. Private persons have sometimes given a slave his liberty as a reward for some distinguished service; but it was impossible, under the ancient manners, for any considerable body of men to be set free without some cause which was very extraordinary. In the edict of Cyrus, then, and the return of the Jews from Babylon, we have a very uncommon piece of history presented to us. That conqueror, among the other valuable property of the vanquished empire, found a whole nation of slaves. This, according to the ideas of these times, was an immense acquisition. It was, in fact, an immense property, the value of which, to a political prince like Cyrus, must have been fully known. Yet we find this politic and wise prince giving liberty at once to this whole nation, and sending them back, after seventy years captivity, into their own country. It is this extraordinary circumstance which Isaiah describes, and of the value of which he appears fully sensible, when he says, in his prophecy of Cyrus, He shall build My city, and he shall let go My captives, not for price nor reward. Nor was this a sudden resolution. It was not adopted in the moment of victory, nor meant to exhibit a momentary triumph over the vanquished, The Jews remained in the same state in which they had lived under the Chaldeans during one entire reign of the new empire. I say, then, that this transaction affords a strong proof of the credit in which the Jewish nation then were in Babylon, and that the history which Daniel gives of the manifestations of Divine power which were made, during that period, and by the agency of that nation, in the province of Chaldea, were true. The transaction proves itself. There are no data here necessary, but to believe that the nation of the Jews were in Babylon, and that they returned from it. Their return proves the history. It supposes all that is related, and cannot otherwise be accounted for. It is affirmed that, in this period, the God of the Hebrews wan acknowledged throughout the extensive provinces of Chaldea and Persia. At last the body of the Jews, whom the people they lived with regarded as a sacred nation, obtain their liberty, and are restored to their country. This is the history which is presented to us by their own writers; and the actual return of the Jews from their captivity, and resettlement in their own country, in opposition to so many complicated rights, in opposition to so many great interests, and in opposition to the universal practice of mankind in that period, suppose this history, and are a full proof of its authenticity. (J. Mackenzie, D. D.)

The first year of Cyrus

After making himself master of Persia and building up an empire in Asia Minor and the north, Cyrus swept down on the plains of Chaldea and captured Babylon in the year b.c. 538. To the Jews this would be the first year of his reign, because it was the first year of his rule over them, just as the year a.d. 1603 is reckoned by Englishmen as the first year of James I., because the king of Scotland then inherited the English throne. (Walter F. Adeney, M. A.)

Cyrus

The valley of the Euphrates was the centre of three out of the five great empires of antiquity–the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian. In the eighth and seventh centuries before Christ the first of these was in its strength, and from its capital, Nineveh, dominated peoples and lands from the Persian Gulf on the south to the Euxine Sea on the north; from Palestine on the west to the Caspian on the east. But among the many subject cities and tribes there was one city and there was one tribe which with special impatience bore the yoke and with special vehemence sought to east it off. The rival city was Babylon, some three hundred miles further south, situated on and watered by the Euphrates, as Nineveh was by the Tigris. In the province of Babylonia one caste or tribe, the Chaldeans, became distinguished for its energy and enterprise and gradually imprinted its character and its name upon the people of the whole province. But despite all efforts to throw off the yoke, the Assyrian grip held fast. Nineveh ruled Babylon; the Assyrian dominated the Chaldean. The rival tribe was that of the Medes, to the east and north of the province of which Nineveh was the centre. Closely allied with and kindred to the Medes was another tribe, destined through Cyrus to give a famous name to history–the Persians. As yet the more civilised Medes have the mastery, and the hardier warriors follow the standard of the Median king; but both perforce acknowledge the supremacy of the lord of Nineveh. Thus it was till nigh the close of the seventh century b.c. A common policy and hatred and the presence of two able leaders then brought Babylonians and Medes into a temporary alliance. The city of the south and the tribes of the east joined hands and forces. Nineveh was besieged and taken, and the Assyrian empire ended. Babylon now entered upon a brief but brilliant career. Hers is the Golden Empire of antiquity. Under Nebuchadnezzar she mounted to the very zenith of her greatness. Meanwhile the Median kingdom became consolidated; and still the Median supremacy over the Persians is unchallenged. But about 560 b.c. a youthful hero-prince named Cyrus summoned the archer horsemen of the clans to arms. A long and bloody struggle ensued; in the end, by the aid of the young commanders genius, the conquerors were conquered and the foundations laid of the mighty Persian Empire. Cyrus is one of the most benign figures of history. His name (from the sun, the sunny one) indicates his nature. When Xenophon sought a sovereign of sagacity and piety to sit as a model for his ideal king he found what he sought in Cyrus. On the downfall of the Medes, he conciliated the good-will of the vanquished by permitting one of their own race to be titular king, whilst the real power of both nations resided in himself. The nominal king reigns but Cyrus rules at Ecbatana. Powerful as he is, his position is one of even greater danger than power. An alliance of three out of the four Great Powers of the day is formed against him. The young lion awaits not the huntsman but prepares to spring. He selects as his first foe Croesus, the king of Lydia. He surprises and storms the city of Sardis, Croesus is taken prisoner, and the Lydian dominion is ended. The Greek cities that fringe the coast of Asia Minor next feel his power and acknowledge his sway. Then he turned his attention to the east, and compelled the Bactrian and Parthian warriors to own him as their master. Cyrus is now free for the great enterprise of his career, the struggle which is to decide whether the Persian or the Chaldean is to rule in Babylon, the seat of the worlds empire. He is now brought within the sweep of the Biblical record. There is an ethnological as well as a religious interest attached to this Persian advance upon Babylon. It is the first great collision on which clear light of history falls between two great families of nations, the final result of which was to push back the Semitic races from the front rank of humanity and to place in their stead the Aryan nations who were henceforth to occupy the high places of the field. Aryan and Semitic thus meet in arms before the walls of Babylon. It is most fitting that the advent of the leader of a movement which had such far-reaching results should be inaugurated with so sublime an expectation as that with which Cyrus is hailed by Isaiah. He was the Morning Star of the Aryan races. Persia made way for Greece, and Greece prepared for Rome, and out of Rome has sprung the modern world, and in the modern world the most vigorous branch of the Aryan stock more and more unmistakably rules. On the downfall of Babylon, Cyrus does not immediately take possession of the position he has won. With the same politic end in view as had previously caused him to make a Median Prince precede him at Ecbatana, he now places another of the same nationality upon the vacant throne of Babylon. For two years Darius reigns, then dies; and Cyrus quietly takes possession as the sole ruler of the territories he had inherited and conquered. Henceforth the Persian who rules from Babylon is The Great King. The edict for the return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the temple was issued 536 b.c. It was the Declaration of the Imperial Policy, and the basis of all that came after. It announced by implication friendship between the empire and the Jews–a friendship to which the Jews remained faithful till, two hundred years afterwards, Alexander the Great erected the Brazen Empire upon the ruins of that of Silver. Cyrus was a man of war to the close, and died in battle, disastrous according to one account, victorious according to another. (G. M. Grant, B. D.)

That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.

The fulfilment of the word of the Lord

Here are four things which claim our attention.

I. The Regard of God for His word. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, etc. (Jer 29:10; Num 23:19). Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. The Word of the Lord endureth for ever. He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself. We have in this–

1. An assurance that the prophecies and promises of His Word will be fulfilled. As the architect progressively executes every part of the plan which he has delineated, till the whole design is completed, so God in His providence performs in due order all the prophecies of His Word: a great proportion of His great scheme has already been accomplished, and revolving ages will hasten the performance of all the rest in the appointed periods.

2. An encouragement to trust in Him. Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be set on high (Psa 22:4-5; Psa 18:2).

II. The mercy of God to His people. This mercy is seen–

1. In the design and effect of the captivity. Thus the Divine word of chastisement, says Schultz, ever goes hand in hand with His word of salvation.

2. In the release from captivity.

(1) As to its time.

(2) As to its meaning.

It was an assurance of the Divine forgiveness of their sins. Their release was also the commencement of many and great blessings. What a fulness of salvation after the night of misfortune–the entire extent of Messianic redemption.

III. The influence of God upon the spirit of man. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.

1. The nature of this influence. This does not mean, says Schultz, that Cyrus was influenced in the same way as were the prophets, upon whom, with their greater susceptibility, the Spirit of the Lord came; but yet an influence in consequence of which Cyrus made the will of God his own will, and executed it in the things under consideration. God gave him the resolution and the desire to execute His intention. All the good in human life is the result of Divine influence.

2. The subject of this influence: Cyrus king of Persia. The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; He turneth it whithersoever He will. He is now using the powers of the world to promote the interests of His cause.

3. The design of this influence. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, that he made a proclamation, etc. In all the inspirations and impressions He imparts to man, His aim is to save and bless him, and to make him an agent in blessing others.

IV. The suitable response of man to the influence of God. Cyrus made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, etc. (W. Jones.)

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.–

Inspiration tested

The soul of man is the great arbiter. We need not, therefore, bow down before every man or woman who claims inspiration. We listen respectfully to the claim, and say, What does it amount to? what end would you accomplish? to what purpose does this inspiration you claim point? and if in answer there should come replies indicative of reform, progress, purification, liberation, enlargement, beneficence, verily the answer will prove the inspiration that is claimed. No man is inspired who wishes to do evil. Disclaim and repudiate, not with sorrow, but with indignation, the inspiration that would seek to curtail liberty, arrest progress, hinder the mission of philanthropy–that would overload the weak, still further impoverish the poor, and shut off from the meanest dwelling any beam of daylight. (J. Parker, D. D)

Divine communications

Last week I was in the office of one of our great Glasgow merchants, and, while we were conversing together, he suddenly asked to be excused for a moment, as there was a summons to speak with another Glasgow firm. Without moving from his seat, without being put about in the slightest, or even turning his head, he lifted from before him the telephone connection. A few minutes passed: not a word did I hear of that conversation except Goodbye. That was all I heard; but I knew that the man to whom I was talking had been put in possession of a fact which I knew nothing about, and yet all the while I had been in his presence. He had heard, through the special connection that he had, the business and the object of the firm with which he was in communication. Ah me! Sometimes at your side a man gets a communication from Almighty God that you know nothing about, and that is the reason of his activity, and that is the programme that he resolves to carry out at all hazards. He has heard from God; he has been in communication with the Almighty. (John Robertson.)

Cyrus selected

It seems strange at first that this man should have been chosen for such commission. God might have employed some one of His own people, Ezekiel, for instance, investing him with supernatural power, as Moses was invested when he delivered the nation from its first captivity in Egypt. But no; He selected rather a pagan king, whose appoint ment had been foretold by Isaiah more than a hundred years before. Often since then God has pursued a like course, employing for His purposes those who were not His professed servants–men of wealth, of learning, of position, of power. He does not count their service as excuse for withholding from Him the trust and obedience which are His due; He does not condone their idolatry; but He permits them to be His helpers, sometimes, it would seem, in order that, brought thus in line with His beneficent designs, they may be persuaded to come heartily into His kingdom. (T. J. Holmes.)

Divine stirrings in the human soul

It is taught that, besides the general moral influences, unconscious and diffused–as it were distilled, like the dew, in silence and darkness–there is an active energy, arousing, filling, impelling the souls of men. It is said that the Spirit of the Lord came upon judges, that it came upon kings, upon prophets, upon apostles–came mightily and stirred them all up. As sudden and mighty winds make trees rock, and wrench them, and even overturn them, so, as by a mighty rushing wind, the Spirit of God has descended on men–on Samuel, on David, on Isaiah, on Paul. It is taught likewise that, while this energy of the Divine mind prepared certain men for emergencies, and prepared them to act official parts, all true Christians, all godly souls, are opening to a quickening influence, if not so mighty, yet of the same general kind–an influence which stimulates, assists, ripens, and so finally sanctifies.

Revivals

There have been great awakenings in literature. Suddenly a nation has, so to say, sprung to its feet and said, Let us read! That is a mere matter of what is called profane history. Ages have passed in which men cared not to read, or write, or think; if there were any books to be opened, as a rule they lay untouched; but quite suddenly there has been what is termed a literary revival. Is such a thing possible? If it is possible to have a literary revival–that is, a revival of the love of learning, the love of reading, the love of writing–why may there not be such a thing as a religious revival, in which men shall say suddenly, but unanimously, Let us pray? And when men so moved to pray they shorten the distance between earth and heaven. It would be perhaps most difficult to believe in a religious revival if there had not been analogous revivals–revivals of learning, revivals of art. (J. Parker, D. D)

That he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom.–

The edict of Cyrus

I. The devout acknowledgment of Gods sovereignty.

1. In the bestowment of His favours.

2. In the authority of His commands.

II. The magnanimous emancipation of gods people.

1. The spirit in which this emancipation was made.

(1) It was generous.

(2) It was pious.

2. The purpose for which the emancipation was made.

III. The generous exhortation to assist Gods people,

1. Its purport.

2. The persons to whom it was addressed.

3. The pattern by which it was enforced. Rawlinson regards the free-will offering for the house of God as the gift of Cyrus himself.

He not only wished them well, but helped them to realise his wishes. Lessons:

1. Be prepared to acknowledge and appreciate moral excellence outside of the visible Church of God (Luk 7:1-10; Act 10:22).

2. Imitate Cyrus in his practical acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God.

3. When we cannot offer our labours in good enterprises, let us cheerfully offer our gifts. (William Jones.)

The proclamation of Cyrus

View it–

I. In a way of literal interpretation.

1. The person by whom this proclamation was issued.

2. The proclamation itself.

II. In a way of spiritual improvement.

1. What a sad state the men of the world at large are in. They are slaves, being in bondage to their lusts, to the world, to Satan, and to the grave (Rom 6:12; Rom 8:21; Eph 2:2; 2Ti 2:26; 2Pe 2:19; 1Jn 5:19.)

2. What an invaluable blessing the gospel is.

3. What will be necessary to obtain what it offers?

4. What is our bounden duty when it has become effectual for our good? God is said to raise the spirits of such as are ambitious for liberty; and it need not be mid to whom we are indebted if we differ from others (1Co 4:7; 1Co 15:10; Jam 1:17). (William Sleigh.)

The proclamation of Cyrus and the proclamation of the gospel minister compared

The text suggests to us a resemblance between the proclamation of Cyrus and that of a gospel preacher.

I. The proclamation of both is merciful. The proclamation of Cyrus meant restoration.

1. Restoration of lost liberty; and–

2. Of lost religious privileges. The gospel preacher has to preach deliverance to the captives and set men to rebuild the temple of the soul that has fallen into ruins by reason of sin.

II. The proclamation of both is divine. The God of heaven gave Cyrus this commission–it did not spring out of his own policy or philanthropy; it had its origin in God. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. The true gospel minister is a messenger of heaven. He has not to proclaim his own theories, but the Word of God. No man is a true gospel preacher whose spirit has not been stirred up by the Lord, and who does not feel that necessity has been laid upon him. How does God stir up a man to preach now?

1. By a powerful revelation to his soul of the miserable moral condition of humanity. He is made to see all men in bondage and in ruin.

2. By firing him with the spirit of Christly philanthropy. The love of Christ is made to constrain him, etc.

III. The proclamation of both is universal. The proclamation of Cyrus was to every Jew. Not one excluded. It is so with the gospel minister: his message is to all Go ye into all the world. He calls upon every man to repent, to believe; he invites every man to liberty and peace.

IV. The proclamation of both is practicable. Cyrus laid down no terms difficult to fulfil.

1. The power to return every Jew possessed. All necessary helps were promised.

2. Cyrus furnished them liberally with the means to rebuild their own temple (Ezr 1:7-11), so every man is enabled to obey the gospel.

V. The proclamation of both is extensively disobeyed. (Homilist.)

To build Him an house at Jerusalem.–

God is calling men to build

God is calling men to build–not necessarily in wood and stone and iron, but to build character, life, utility. And this can be done everywhere. Not to public building are all men called. What sweet homes some men have built! The moment you pass within the door you feel the genius of home welcoming and blessing you; the traveller says, I must tarry here; the hungry man says, There is bread within these wails; I know it though I do not see it. What businesses some men are building, marked by high policy, reputable for known morality, uprightness, straightforwardness–compli-cated businesses, yes every line palpitating with conscience. This kind of building is not always recognised as it ought to be; but it ought to be pointed out as a possibility to every man. We cannot all build upon the mountain-top or in the great thoroughfares of the city, but we can build privately, quietly, secretly: we can build up broken hearts, we can be confirming feeble knees, we can be towers of strength to men who are enfeebled and impoverished. (J. Parker, D. D)

Gods house built for the sake of man

What need had God for a house? He made the stars; He wears the constellations as a garment; the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot sin, in him: what does He want with a house? Nothing; but He knows that we do; He knows that the building of the house is necessary for our education. What need has He of our prayer? None. Cam we tell Him anything? No. Does He not know what things we have need of before we ask Him? Yes. Why, then, should He call upon us to tell Him what He knows, to ask Him for what He well understands we need? Why should there be any throne of grace or altar of prayer? For our sakes. This is a means of education. We lean things by doing them. (J. Parker, D. D)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

THE BOOK OF EZRA

Chronological Notes relative to this Book

-Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, whose system of chronology is most generally received, 3468.

-Year before the birth of Christ, 532.

-Year before the vulgar era of Christ’s nativity, 536.

-Year of the Julian Period, 4178.

-Year since the flood of Noah, according to the English Bible, 1812.

-Year of the Cali Yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 2566.

-Year from the vocation of Abram, 1386.

-Year from the destruction of Troy, 649. This we collect from three passages in Dionysius of Halicarnassus, (who flourished in the Augustan ages) which state that an interval of four hundred and thirty-two years elapsed from the destruction of Troy to the building of Rome.

-Year from the foundation of Solomon’s temple, 475.

-Year since the division of Solomon’s monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 439.

-Year of the era of Iphitus, who re-established the Olympic games, three hundred and thirty-eight years after their institution by Hercules, or about eight hundred and eighty-four years before the commencement of the Christian era, 349.

-Year since the conquest of Coroebus at Elis, usually styled the first Olympiad, (being the twenty-eighth Olympiad after their re-establishment by Iphitus,) 241.

-First year of the sixty-first Olympiad.

-Year of the Varronian or generally received era of the building of Rome, 218. This is upon the supposition that Rome was built in the last year of the sixth Olympiad.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Cato and the Fasti Consulares, 217. Dionysius of Halicarnassus follows this account; for he says that the metropolis of the Roman work was built in the first year of the sixth Olympiad, which was the first year of Charops, the first decennial archon of the Athenians.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Polybius, 216.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, who lived about two hundred and twenty-five years before the Christian era, 212.

-Year of the Nabonassarean era, 212.

-Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 186.

-Year from the destruction of Solomon’s temple by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 53.

-Year of Servius Tullius, the sixth king of the Romans, and father-in-law of Tarquin the Proud, 43.

-Year of Ariston, king of Lacedaemon, and of the family of the Proclidae, or Eurypontidae, 29.

-Year of Anaxandrides, king of Lacedaemon, and of the family of the Eurysthenidae, or Agidae, 28.

N. B. The kings of the Lacedaemonians of the families of the Proclidae and the Eurysthenidae sat on the throne together for several hundred years.

-Year of Amyntas, the ninth king of the Macedonians, 12.

-Year of the reign of Cyrus, computing from the year in which he dethroned his grandfather Astyages, the last king of Media, 24. But this was only his first year, if with the Holy Scriptures, as well as Xenophon in the eighth book of his Institutes, we compute the years of his reign from the time in which he was put in possession of the whole Eastern empire. See Ezr 1:1.

-Year of the Babylonish captivity, 70. The years of this captivity are generally reckoned from 606 B.C., when Jehoiakim king of Judah was put in chains to be carried to Babylon; and are supposed to be terminated by the edict of Cyrus to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. But others are of opinion that the seventy years’ captivity are to be computed from the total destruction of the Jewish monarchy; and that they reach down to the second year of Darius king of Persia, at which time Zerubbabel and Joshua were encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to proceed with the rebuilding of the temple.

CHAPTER I

The proclamation of Cyrus for the rebuilding of the temple, 1-4.

The people provide for their return, 5, 6.

Cyrus restores to Sheshbazzar the vessels taken by

Nebuchadnezzar out of the temple of Solomon, 7-11.

In the introduction to this book the reader will find the history of Ezra detailed at considerable length. It is only necessary to say here that he is generally allowed among the Jews to have been of the sacerdotal family, and therefore he is called , the priest by the Septuagint. Among the rabbins he passes for a most extraordinary critic, Divinely authorized to collect and arrange the different portions of the sacred writings, and digest them into a system. How far all they say on this subject is true, we cannot tell; he was, beyond all controversy, a very eminent man; and in all that he did, acted under the immediate direction and inspiration of the Almighty.

This history contains the transactions of about eighty-two years; from the first year of Cyrus in Babylon, according to Archbishop Usher, A.M. 3468, to the nineteenth year of Ardsheer Diraz Dest, or Artaxerxes Longimanus, who sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem, about A.M. 3550. For all other particulars, see the introduction.

NOTES ON CHAP. I

Verse 1. Now in the first year] This is word for word with the two last verses of the preceding book; which stand here in their proper place and connection, but there are entirely destitute of chronological connection and reference.

Cyrus] This prince, so eminent in antiquity, is said to have been the son of Cambyses king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages king of the Medes; and was born about six hundred years before Christ. Josephus accounts for his partiality to the Jews from this circumstance; that he was shown the places in Isaiah the prophet where he is mentioned by name, and his exploits and conquests foretold: see Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1, c. Finding himself thus distinguished by the God of the Jews, he was anxious to give him proofs of his gratitude in return and so made the decree in favour of the Jews, restored their sacred vessels, gave them liberty to return to their own land, and encouraged them to rebuild the temple of Jehovah, c.

It is very probable that when Cyrus took Babylon he found Daniel there, who had been long famed as one of the wisest ministers of state in all the East and it is most likely that it was this person who pointed out to him the prophecy of Isaiah, and gave him those farther intimations relative to the Divine will which were revealed to himself. Of his death there are contradictory accounts. Herodotus says, that having turned his arms against the Massagetes, and killed the son of Tomyris their queen, the mother, impatient to avenge the death of her son, sent him a defiance; promised to glut him with blood; and, having attacked him, pretended to be worsted and to fly; and thus she drew him and his army into an ambuscade, where he was routed and slain, and a considerable part of his army destroyed. The enraged queen having found his body, cut off his head, and threw it into a vessel full of human blood, with this most bitter sarcasm: –

, ,

, ‘ ,

, . – HEROD. Clio, c. 214.

“Although living and victorious, thou hast destroyed me in slaying my son, whom thou hast overcome by deceit; but, as I have threatened, I will now slake thy thirst with blood.”

Cyrus, thy thirst was blood, now drink thy fill.

By-Jeremiah] This prophet, Jer 25:12; Jer 29:11, had foretold that the Babylonish captivity should last only seventy years: these were now ended; Cyrus had given the Jews permission and encouragement to return to Judea, and rebuild the temple of the Lord; and thus the prediction of Jeremiah was fulfilled.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to wit, of his empire or reign in Babylon; for he had now been king of Persia for many years. Stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, i.e. put into him a mind and will to his work.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. in the first year of Cyrus kingof PersiaThe Persian empire, including Persia, Media,Babylonia, and Chaldea, with many smaller dependencies, was foundedby Cyrus, 536 B.C.[HALES].

that the word of the Lord bythe mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled(See Jer 25:12;Jer 29:10). This reference is aparenthetic statement of the historian, and did not form part of theproclamation.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,…. Not in the first of his reign over Persia, for he had been many years king over that, and now had all the kingdoms of the earth given him, Ezr 1:2, but over Babylon, and the dominions belonging to it, which commenced with Darius upon the taking of Babylon; he reigned in all thirty years, as Cicero g from a Persian writer relates; or twenty nine, according to Herodotus h; but in what year this was is not certain; Africanus i, has proved, from various historians, that it was the first year of the fifty fifth Olympiad, perhaps about the twentieth of Cyrus’s Persian government k; [See comments on Da 10:1],

that the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be fulfilled; which foretold that the Jews should return from their captivity at the end of seventy years, which fell on the first of Cyrus, reckoning from the fourth of Jehoiakim, and the first of Nebuchadnezzar, see Jer 25:1.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia; who has the hearts of all men in his hands, and even of the kings of the earth, and can turn them as he pleases; he wrought upon him, put it into his heart, enlightened his mind, showed him what was right, and his duty to do, and pressed him to the performance of it; so that he could not be easy until he had done it, and he was made thoroughly willing, and even eager to do it:

that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing; gave it in writing to his heralds to read and proclaim throughout all his dominions:

saying; as follows.

g De Divinatione, l. 1. h Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 214. i Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 10. c. 10. p. 488. k Nic. Abrami Pharus, p. 303.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

In the first year of his rule over Babylon, Cyrus king of Persia proclaimed throughout his whole kingdom, both by voice and writing, that the God of heaven had commanded him to build His temple at Jerusalem, and called upon the Jews living in exile to return to Jerusalem, and to build there the house of the God of Israel. At the same time, he exhorted all his subjects to facilitate by gifts the journey of the Jews dwelling in their midst, and to assist by free-will offerings the building of the temple (Ezr 1:1-4). In consequence of this royal decree, those Jews whose spirit God had raised up prepared for their return, and received from their neighbours gifts and free-will offerings (Ezr 1:5 and Ezr 1:6). Cyrus, moreover, delivered to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, the vessels of the temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Ezr 1:1

The edict of Cyrus. – Ezr 1:1 The opening word, “ and in the first year,” etc., is to be explained by the circumstance that what is here recorded forms also, in 2Ch 36:22 and 2Ch 36:23, the conclusion of the history of the kingdom of Judah at its destruction by the Chaldeans, and is transferred thence to the beginning of the history of the restoration of the Jews by Cyrus. is the Hebraized form of the ancient Persian Kurus, as , Cyrus, is called upon the monuments, and is perhaps connected with the Indian title Kuru; see Delitzsch on Isa 44:28. The first year of Cyrus is the first year of his rule over Babylon and the Babylonian empire.

(Note: Duplex fuit initium, Cyri Persarum regis; prius Persicum, idque antiquius, posterius Babylonicum. de quo Hesdras; quia dum Cyrus in Perside tantum regnaret, regnum ejus ad Judaeos, qui in Babylonia erant, nihil adtinuit . – Cleric. ad Esr. 1:1.)

– in the better editions, such as that of Norzi and J. H. Mich., with Pathach under , and only pointed with a graver pause, as with Silluk, 4:3, in the cuneiform inscriptions Praa – signifies in biblical phraseology the Persian empire; comp. Dan 5:28; Dan 6:9, etc. , that the word of Jahve might come to an end. , to be completed, 2Ch 29:34. The word of the Lord is completed when its fulfilment takes place; hence in the Vulg. ut compleretur , i.e., , 2Ch 36:21. Here, however, is more appropriate, because the notion of the lapse or termination of the seventy years predominates. The statement of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 25:11, etc., Jer 29:10; comp. 2Ch 36:21) concerning the desolation and servitude of Judah is here intended. These seventy years commenced with the first taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, when Daniel and other youths of the seed-royal were carried to Babylon (Dan 1:1-2) in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim; see the explanation of Dan 1:1. This year was the year 606 b.c.; hence the seventy years terminate in 536 b.c., the first year of the sole rule of Cyrus over the Babylonian empire. Then “Jahve stirred up the spirit of Coresh,” i.e., moved him, made him willing; comp. with this expression, 1Ch 5:26 and Hag 1:14. , “he caused a voice to go forth,” i.e., he proclaimed by heralds; comp. Exo 36:6; 2Ch 30:5, etc. With this is zeugmatically combined the subsequent , so that the general notion of proclaiming has to be taken from , and supplied before these words. The sense is: he proclaimed throughout his whole realm by heralds, and also by written edicts.

Ezr 1:2

The proclamation – “Jahve the God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” – corresponds with the edicts of the great kings of Persia preserved in the cuneiform inscriptions, inasmuch as these, too, usually begin with the acknowledgment that they owe their power to the god Ahuramazd (Ormuzd), the creator of heaven and earth.

(Note: Comp. e.g., the inscription of Elvend in three languages, explained in Joach. Mnant, Expos des lments de la grammaire assyrienne, Paris 1868, p. 302, whose Aryan text begins thus: Deus magnus Auramazd, qui maximus deorum, qui hanc terram creavit, qui hoc coelum creavit, qui homines creavit, qui potentiam (?) dedit hominibus, qui Xerxem regem fecit , etc. An inscription of Xerxes begins in a similar manner, according to Lassen, in Die altperisischen Keilinschriften, Bonn 1836, p. 172.)

In this edict, however, Cyrus expressly calls the God of heaven by His Israelitish name Jahve, and speaks of a commission from this God to build Him a temple at Jerusalem. Hence it is manifest that Cyrus consciously entered into the purposes of Jahve, and sought, as far as he was concerned, to fulfil them. Bertheau thinks, on the contrary, that it is impossible to dismiss the conjecture that our historian, guided by an uncertain tradition, and induced by his own historical prepossessions, remodelled the edict of Cyrus. There is, however, no sufficient foundation for such a conjecture. If the first part of the book of Ezra is founded upon contemporary records of the events, this forbids an priori assertion that the matter of the proclamation of Cyrus rests upon an uncertain tradition, and, on the contrary, presupposes that the historian had accurate knowledge of its contents. Hence, even if the thoroughly Israelitish stamp presented by these verses can afford no support to the view that they faithfully report the contents of the royal edict, it certainly offers as little proof for the opinion that the Israelite historian remodelled the edict of Cyrus after an uncertain tradition, and from historical prepossessions. Even Bertheau finds the fact that Cyrus should have publicly made known by a written edict the permission given to the Jews to depart, probable in itself, and corroborated by the reference to such an edict in Ezr 5:17 and Ezr 6:3. This edict of Cyrus, which was deposited in the house of the rolls in the fortress of Achmetha, and still existed there in the reign of Darius Hystaspis, contained, however, not merely the permission for the return of the Jews to their native land, but, according to Ezr 6:3, the command of Cyrus to build the house of God at Jerusalem; and Bertheau himself remarks on Ezr 6:3, etc.: “There is no reason to doubt the correctness of the statement that Cyrus, at the time he gave permission for the re-settlement of the community, also commanded the expenses of rebuilding the temple to be defrayed from the public treasury.” To say this, however, is to admit the historical accuracy of the actual contents of the edict, since it is hence manifest that Cyrus, of his own free will, not only granted to the Jews permission to return to the land of their fathers, but also commanded the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem. Although, then, this edict was composed, not in Hebrew, but in the current language of the realm, and is reproduced in this book only in a Hebrew translation, and although the occurrence of the name Jahve therein is not corroborated by Ezr 6:3, yet these two circumstances by no means justify Bertheau’s conclusion, that “if Cyrus in this edict called the universal dominion of which he boasted a gift of the god whom he worshipped as the creator of heaven and earth, the Israelite translator, who could not designate this god by his Persian name, and who was persuaded that the God of Israel had given the kingdom to Cyrus, must have bestowed upon the supreme God, whom Cyrus mocked, the name of Jahve, the God of heaven. When, then, it might further have been said in the document, that Cyrus had resolved, not without the consent of the supreme God, to provide for the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, – and such a reference to the supreme God might well occur in the announcement of a royal resolution in a decree of Cyrus, – the Israelite translator could not again but conclude that Cyrus referred to Jahve, and that Jahve had commanded him to provide for the building of the temple.” For if Cyrus found himself impelled to the resolution of building a temple to the God of heaven in Jerusalem, i.e., of causing the temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar to be rebuilt, he must have been acquainted with this God, have conceived a high respect for Him, and have honoured Him as the God of heaven. It was not possible that he should arrive at such a resolution by faith in Ahuramazd, but only by means of facts which had inspired him with reverence for the God of Israel. It is this consideration which bestows upon the statement of Josephus, Antt. xi. 1. 1, – that Cyrus was, by means of the predictions of Isaiah, Isa 41:25., Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1., who had prophesied of him by name 200 years before, brought to the conviction that the God of the Jews was the Most High God, and was on this account impelled to this resolution, – so high a degree of probability that we cannot but esteem its essence as historical.

For when we consider the position held by Daniel at the court of Darius the Mede, the father-in-law of Cyrus, – that he was there elevated to the rank of one of the three presidents set over the 120 satraps of the realm, placed in the closest relation with the king, and highly esteemed by him (Dan 6), – we are perfectly justified in adopting the opinion that Cyrus had been made acquainted with the God of the Jews, and with the prophecies of Isaiah concerning Coresh, by Daniel.

(Note: Hence not only ancient expositors, but also in very recent times Pressel ( Herzog’s Realencycl. iii. p. 232), and A. Koehler, Haggai, p. 9, etc., defend the statement of Josephus, l.c., (viz., the previously quoted prophecy, Isa 44:28) , as historically authentic. Pressel remarks, “that Holy Scripture shows what it was that made so favourable an impression upon Cyrus, by relating the rle played by Daniel at the overthrow of the Babylonian monarchy, Dan 5:28, Dan 5:30. What wonder was it that the fulfiller of this prediction should have felt himself attracted towards the prophet who uttered it, and should willingly restore the vessels which Belshazzar had that night committed the sin of polluting?” etc. The remark of Bertheau, on the contrary, “that history knows of no Cyrus who consciously and voluntarily honours Jahve the God of Israel, and consciously and voluntarily receives and executes the commands of this God,” is one of the arbitrary dicta of neological criticism.)

Granting, then, that the edict of Cyrus may have been composed in the current language of the realm, and not rendered word for word in Hebrew by the biblical author of the present narrative, its essential contents are nevertheless faithfully reproduced; and there are not sufficient grounds even for the view that the God who had inspired Cyrus with this resolution was in the royal edict designated only as the God of heaven, and not expressly called Jahve. Why may not Cyrus have designated the God of heaven, to whom as the God of the Jews he had resolved to build a temple in Jerusalem, also by His name Jahve? According to polytheistic notions, the worship of this God might be combined with the worship of Ahuramazd as the supreme God of the Persians. – On , J. H. Mich. well remarks: Mandavit mihi, nimirum dudum ante per Jesajam Isa 44:24-28, Isa 45:1-13, forte etiam per Danielem, qui annum hunc Cyri primum vivendo attigit (Dan 1:21; Dan 7:1) et Susis in Perside vixit Dan 8:2 (in saying which, he only infers too much from the last passage; see on Dan 8:2).

Ezr 1:3

In conformity with the command of God, Cyrus not only invites the Jews to return to Jerusalem, and to rebuild the temple, but also requires all his subjects to assist the returning Jews, and to give free-will offerings for the temple. , who among you of all his people, refers to all those subjects of his realm to whom the decree was to be made known; and all the people of Jahve is the whole nation of Israel, and not Judah only, although, according to Ezr 1:5, it was mainly those only who belonged to Judah that availed themselves of this royal permission. , his God be with him, is a wish for a blessing: comp. Jos 1:17; 1 Esdras 2:5, ; while in 2Ch 36:23 we find, on the other hand, for . This wish is followed by the summons to go up to Jerusalem and to build the temple, the reason for which is then expressed by the sentence, ”He is the God which is in Jerusalem.”

Ezr 1:4

are all belonging to the people of God in the provinces of Babylon, all the captives still living: comp. Neh 1:2.; Hagg. Ezr 2:3. These words stand first in an absolute sense, and belongs to what follows: In all places where he (i.e., each man) sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with gold, etc. The men of his place are the non-Israelite inhabitants of the place. , to assist, like 1Ki 9:1. specified, besides gold, silver, and cattle, means moveable, various kinds. , with, besides the free-will offering, i.e., as well as the same, and is therefore supplied in Ezr 1:6 by . Free-will offerings for the temple might also be gold, silver, and vessels: comp. Ezr 8:28; Exo 35:21.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

The Proclamation of Cyrus.

B. C. 536.

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

It will be proper for us here to consider, 1. What was the state of the captive Jews in Babylon. It was upon many accounts very deplorable; they were under the power of those that hated them, had nothing they could call their own; they had no temple, no altar; if they sang psalms, their enemies ridiculed them; and yet they had prophets among them. Ezekiel and Daniel were kept distinct from the heathen. Some of them were preferred at court, others had comfortable settlements in the country, and they were all borne up with hope that, in due time, they should return to their own land again, in expectation of which they preserved among them the distinction of their families, the knowledge of their religion, and an aversion to idolatry. 2. What was the state of the government under which they were. Nebuchadnezzar carried many of them into captivity in the first year of his reign, which was the fourth of Jehoiakim; he reigned forty-five years, his son Evil-merodach twenty-three, and his grandson Belshazzar three years, which make up the seventy years. So Dr. Lightfoot, It is charged upon Nebuchadnezzar that he opened not the house of his prisoners, Isa. xiv. 17. And, if he had shown mercy to the poor Jews, Daniel told him it would have been the lengthening of his tranquillity, Dan. iv. 27. But the measure of the sins of Babylon was at length full, and then destruction was brought upon them by Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian, which we read of, Dan. v. Darius, being old, left the government to Cyrus, and he was employed as the instrument of the Jews’ deliverance, which he gave orders for as soon as ever he was master of the kingdom of Babylon, perhaps in contradiction to Nebuchadnezzar, whose family he had cut off, and because he took a pleasure in undoing what he had done, or in policy, to recommend his newly-acquired dominion as merciful and gentle, or (as some think) in a pious regard to the prophecy of Isaiah, which had been published, and well known, above 150 years before, where he was expressly named as the man that should do this for God, and for whom God would do great things (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1, c.), and which perhaps was shown to him by those about him. His name (some say) in the Persian language signifies the sun, for he brought light and healing to the church of God, and was an eminent type of Christ the Sun of righteousness. Some was that his name signifies a father, and Christ is the everlasting Father. Now here we are told,

I. Whence this proclamation took its rise. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. Note, The hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord, and, like the rivulets of water, he turneth them which way soever he will. It is said of Cyrus that he knew not God, nor how to serve him but God knew him, and how to serve himself by him, Isa. xlv. 4. God governs the world by his influence on the spirits of men, and, whatever good is done at any time, it is God that stirs up the spirit to do it, puts thoughts into the mind, gives to the understanding to form a right judgment, and directs the will which way he pleases. Whatever good offices therefore are, at any time, done for the church of God, he must have the glory of them.

II. The reference it had to the prophecy of Jeremiah, by whom God had not only promised that they should return, but had fixed the time, which set time to favour Sion had now come. Seventy years were determined (Jer 25:12; Jer 29:10); and he that kept the promise made concerning Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt to a day (Exod. xii. 41) was doubtless as punctual to this. What Cyrus now did was long since said to be the confirming of the word of God’s servants, Isa. xliv. 26. Jeremiah, while he lived, was hated and despised; yet thus did Providence honour him long after, that a mighty monarch was influenced to act in pursuance of the word of the Lord by his mouth.

III. The date of this proclamation. It was in his first year, not the first of his reign over Persia, the kingdom he was born to, but the first of his reign over Babylon, the kingdom he had conquered. Those are much honoured whose spirits are stirred up to begin with God and to serve him in their first years.

IV. The publication of it, both by word of mouth (he caused a voice to pass throughout all his kingdom, like a jubilee-trumpet, a joyful sabbatical year after many melancholy ones, proclaiming liberty to the captives), and also in black and white: he put it in writing, that it might be the more satisfactory, and might be sent to those distant provinces where the ten tribes were scattered in Assyria and Media, 2 Kings xvii. 6.

V. The purport of this proclamation of liberty.

1. The preamble shows the causes and considerations by which he was influenced, v. 2. It should seem, his mind was enlightened with the knowledge of Jehovah (for so he calls him), the God of Israel, as the only living and true God, the God of heaven, who is the sovereign Lord and disposer of all the kingdoms of the earth; of him he says (v. 3), He is the God, God alone, God above all. Though he had not known God by education, God made him so far to know him now as that he did this service with an eye to him. He professes that he does it, (1.) In gratitude to God for the favours he had bestowed upon him: The God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. This sounds a little vain-glorious, for there were many kingdoms of the earth which he had nothing to do with; but he means that God had given him all that was given to Nebuchadnezzar, whose dominion, Daniel says, was to the end of the earth,Dan 4:22; Dan 5:19. Note, God is the fountain of power; the kingdoms of the earth are at his disposal; whatever share any have of them they have from him: and those whom God has entrusted with great power and large possessions should look upon themselves as obliged thereby to do much for him. (2.) In obedience to God. He hat charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem; probably by a dream or vision of the night, confirmed by comparing it with the prophecy of Isaiah, where his doing it was foretold. Israel’s disobedience to God’s charge, which they were often told of, is aggravated by the obedience of this heathen king.

2. He gives free leave to all the Jews that were in his dominions to go up to Jerusalem, and to build the temple of the Lord there, v. 3. His regard to God made him overlook, (1.) The secular interest of his government. It would have been his policy to keep so great a number of serviceable men in his dominions, and seemed impolitic to let them go and take root again in their own land; but piety is the best policy. (2.) The honour of the religion of his country. Why did he not order them to build a temple to the gods of Babylon or Persia? He believed the God of Israel to be the God of heaven, and therefore obliged his Israel to worship him only. Let them walk in the name of the Lord their God.

3. He subjoins a brief for a collection to bear the charges of such as were poor and not able to bear their own, v. 4. “Whosoever remaineth, because he has not the means to bear his charges to Jerusalem, let the men of his place help him.” Some take it as an order to the king’s officers to supply them out of his revenue, as ch. vi. 8. But it may mean a warrant to the captives to ask and receive the alms and charitable contributions of all the king’s loving subjects. And we may suppose the Jews had conducted themselves so well among their neighbours that they would be as forward to accommodate them because they loved them as the Egyptians were because they were weary of them. At least many would be kind to them because they saw the government would take it well. Cyrus not only gave his good wishes with those that went (Their God be with them, v. 3), but took care also to furnish them with such things as they needed. He took it for granted that those among them who were of ability would offer their free-will offerings for the house of God, to promote the rebuilding of it. But, besides that, he would have them supplied out of his kingdom. Well-wishers to the temple should be well-doers for it.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Ezra – Chapter 1
Decree of Cyrus, Versus 1-4
The closing verses of Second Chronicles (2Ch 36:22-23) are parallel to the first three verses of this passage, except for the last clause. In those verses the author anticipated the events of the Book of Ezra for his readers, while the author of Ezra proceeds to show how the proclamation of Cyrus was carried out and eventually accomplished.
The historical background of this first chapter of Ezra includes the fall of Jerusalem and the carrying of its inhabitants into captivity in Babylon (2Ch 36:11-21). Jeremiah had prophesied and warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem of this eventuality (Jer 25:8-14, and many other passages). Isaiah had given a very vivid description of the fall of Babylon and even named the king who would conquer it (Isa 44:24 to Isa 45:7), some hundred and sixty years before it came to pass. There is a Jewish tradition that Cyrus was fold of these prophecies by Jeremiah and Isaiah, and feeling flattered by them, immediately set about to bring it to pass.
Just what manner was used to provoke King Cyrus to allow the return of the Jews to Jerusalem is not recounted, but that it was the work of the Lord is clear from verse 1, for the “Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.” There was no delay either in the king’s compliance with the prophecy for it came in the very year of his reign. It is significant that Cyrus put his proclamation concerning the Jews and their temple in writing, for in time to come it will enable them to overcome those who would hinder their work.
Cyrus first gave his reason for the decree, the best possible, the Lord had directed him to do it. Men must do what the Lord directs them to do if they are to reap the greatest blessings of God. The decree was addressed to the purpose next, to build the Lord’s house again in the city of Jerusalem in the land of Judah. The third point of the proclamation concerns those to whom it is directed, “his people,” the people of the Lord dwelling in the empire of Cyrus king of Persia. Its direction was that all who desired should go, with God’s blessing, to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.
The decree was expanded also to those Jews who may not have been disposed to return to Jerusalem. There was an important part for them to do with relation to those who were going. They were to help those from their towns, or places of sojourning, who were returning, by giving them silver, gold, materials, animals, along with a freewill offering for the temple to be restored. h is interesting that all the Jews were to cooperate in this work. God expects all His servants to co-operate and act in harmony in carrying out His will (Mat 18:19).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

THE BUILDING ORDER
Ezra, Chapters 1 and 2.
THE relationship of Ezra to Chronicles is evident. There is not a hint of break between them. Chronicles ends,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of Heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up (2Ch 36:23),
and Ezra opens,
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah (Ezr 1:1-2).
If it were not for the name Ezra, here introduced, one would never know that he had changed Books. In fact, Ezra is additional chronicle. It is the record of temple-building and involves the revival of the national spirit and the quickening of religious interest. Ordinarily, such revivals originate with prophet or priest. Here, however, it originates with the king, and, strange to say, with a king who was no Israelite, but who seems to have been a monotheist.
Beyond all question, if we knew the Divine reasons for doing things, we would discover that they are always perfect reasons.
A king was the best adapted man to originate and see carried to a successful issue this particular revival, since it was a revival that began on the material rather than on the spiritual side and looked to the creation of a housea physical assembly placefor Gods people, rather than to a soul-quickening; although it must forever be accepted as a fact that the material was but a means to spiritual ends.
In considering this building order, we are impressed by the following facts!
First, Cyrus received it from God,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house (Ezr 1:2).
This order, then, came from God. When did a revelation ever come from any other? When did a revival ever originate with any other? If men are inspired, God inspires them. In matters of revelation this is doubtless done in two ways:First, a direct message from the lips of the Lord, and second, a stirring of the spirit in the heart of His chosen medium. It would seem in the text that the latter was the method here employed. But the language is, 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. However, it is not at all certain that God did not speak audibly to Cyrus, for, by the pen of inspiration, we are told in the last verse of Chronicles, The Lord God of Heaven * * hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
It is not at all unusual to have special revelation attended by a special revival. In fact, we should say that that was the method God commonly employeda revelation and a revival. In truth, these can never be separated. Present-day revival, when it takes place, is always the product of revelation. It is the answer to the preaching of the revealed Word. It is the fulfilment of the Divine promise,
As the rain cometh down, and the snow from Heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth (Isa 55:10-11).
There are people who seem to think that a revival will surely result if the Spirit of God falls upon the people. Possibly, and yet, let it not be forgotten that His coming assures a fresh proclamation of the Word. Witness Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. In the early part of the chapter, the Spirit of God has fallen. This is evidenced by a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, filling all the house where they were sitting, and further proclaimed in the tongues of fire that sat upon each of them. And yet, it was an answer to the preaching of the Word in a tongue wherein each was born, and the mighty proclamation at the lips of Peter that thousands were convicted and twenty-five hundred were immediately converted.
There is never a revival apart from revelation. They have a common origin. They both come from God and they commonly come together.
This revelation came to the king. Cyrus was able to say, The Lord God of Heaven * * hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and the record of it in Ezra is, 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 (Ezr 1:1).
There are people who seem to think that God has nothing to do with world governments, or world governors. They overemphasize certain features of revelation and remind us that the humble are commonly made the subjects of His revelation, and the agents of His will, saying, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called (1Co 1:26), but it is well not to forget the qualifications of Scripture here. Not many is not to be read, not one. Again and again in Old Testament times, God appeared to Kings. In fact, He seldom ignored that honored official if he happened to rule over Gods people.
There are those who seem to think that no building program that looks to spiritual ends can ever be accomplished save by a consecrated people. On the other hand, Gods great building programs have often been wrought out by the will and work of the poorly consecrated, the imperfectly yielded, and sometimes the imperfectly instructed. Solomons temple will forever remain the sample construction of the ages for spiritual purposes, and yet Solomon was a very deficient saint.
The period through which we are passing at the present is particularly a building period. Never in the history of Christianity have such expensive and attractive temples been erected as during the last ten years, and yet, it is confessedly a time of apostasy from the faith. To be sure, these temples are put up, most of them, with the intention of making them the mediums of a modernistic message. But who can tell what God may have in store for them?
A few years, if the Lord delay, and all this folly of modernism will have passed; men will have seen the end of their own philosophies and have sickened at the sight of the same, and the very buildings that are being constructed for false propagation may yet be filled with audiences that seek His face and find His favor.
In material progress, the kings of the earth are the most capable contributors. Cyrus could do here what no other living man could do, and God stirred him up to accomplish the same. The kings of finance in America today are being equally stirred to lay their money on the altar of building enterprises. They may not know the whole of the Divine purpose; they may not see the Divine objective, but God knows and sees, and may be the very one who has stirred them up to these marvelous undertakings.
This action was in fulfilment of prophecy. A student of the Bible needs to keep chronology before his face. He needs to relate history to prophecy and prophets to kingly periods. A student of this particular part of the Bible needs to know that Jeremiah preceded Cyrus by three-quarters of a century. His word was even then written and accepted as Divine, and the Book of Ezra calls attention to that fact in the language,
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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 (Ezr 1:1).
Turn, now, to Jer 25:12, and you read,
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolation.
And in Jer 29:10-14, we read again,
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I mil turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
God never forgets a promise, nor permits a prophecy to fail of fulfilment.
ISRAEL GAVE AUDIENCE TO CYRUS
They knew a building was required; they understood the place was appointed, and they knew the program included them.
They knew a building was required. That was the thing that had been charged upon Cyrus. There are people who cant understand why God wants to limit Himself to a house. Knowing, as they do, that He dwelleth in all space, they repudiate any thought of location for Him. But let it be understood that God Himself suggests these limitations. They are not the thought of the king. They are a part of revelation Divine, and they are also an essential to human understanding. God does dwell in infinite space, but man cannot follow Him there, or even find Him. It is in answer to their limitations that He locates Himself, and it is to make them sensible of His presence, in the midst, that He appoints their assemblies. Who shall ever reckon the number or character of benefits bestowed on assemblies and sanctuaries? Who will ever compute the importance of church houses in Christian progress?
The place of this temple was appointed. In Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Who will say that the location of a house is a matter of minor concern? The tragedy of Christianity is at this point. Visit any city you will in America and one-half its church houses were evidently located by men who never consulted God. They are off to one side; they are around the corner; they are in the untraversed district; they are where lots could be bought cheaply; they are not where the people are congested, where the throngs pass! What a shame! What a crime! Take the hearts of the great metropolises of America. They are black holes. Churches have moved away from them, and business has moved on to the very cite where the sanctuary should stand, and once did stand. Some trustee of the church, in order to relieve himself from making larger contributions, possibly from making any at all, lead the forces that determined the cheap location.
How many times the central down-town church lot has been sold for a sufficient sum to construct a house in some out-of-the-way section! The plethoric purse has been left untouched, and the Divine appointment of place has been despised. It is Gods right to say where His house shall stand, and as God, in the olden day, located the temple at the very center of all Israels interests, so God now would do if designing men would but let Him.
The builders also were Divinely selectedthe willing workers of Gods people.
Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem (Ezr 1:3-4).
How beautiful the record!
Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered (Ezr 1:5-6).
This is a better report than usually characterizes the history of building enterprises. There are professed Christians, supposed spiritual descendants of Judah and Benjamin, who think that the world ought to build the church, and who proceed straightway to put on a lecture course, thereby to inveigle the cash out of non-Christian pockets, or to hold a series of oyster suppers and thereby take away silver in turn for thin soup; or, if you please, employ picture shows and approach as nearly the putrid as public opinion will tolerate, that money may be made for Gods building.
When did such a program ever find in revelation a defense of itself? When and where did God ever approve of such procedure? No! when Gods house is to be builded, Gods people are to do it. The old menfathers of Judah and Benjaminand the young men, strong in the faith, are to unite their endeavors; the priest and the Levite, they are to join with the laymen in laying the foundation, and in putting in place the finial. The silver and the gold with which God has blessed them is to be. willingly brought, and the altar of sacrifice is to receive only gifts of love. Such is the procedure here suggested, surely!
But, in finishing this chapter, and in considering the next, let us see
THE KING AND ISRAEL UNITED
Cyrus made the first contribution. This contribution represented two essential features of Christian experiencerepentance and faith. These vessels had been in the hands of his predecessor and had been godlessly employed. They belonged, however, to the house of the Lord, and had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar out of Jerusalem, out of the holy sanctuary and prostituted to the ends of personal employment, as with Belshazzar (Dan 5:1-4), or devoted to the service of idols, as intimated in verse 7. This iniquity Cyrus evidently repented and turned from the worship of gods to faith in the true Godthe God of Israel. It was no mean contribution:
thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbaszar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem (Ezr 1:9-11).
Oh, how many men there are who have taken away from Gods sanctuary what belonged in it; who have kept for their own use, or have employed in the service of Venus, or Gambrinus, and other unclean gods, that which belonged originally to Jehovah, and which should now be in His service.
And yet, what is there that does not belong to Jehovah? What of wealth that He did not create; what of talent that He did not give? Joseph Parker thinks that in the day of the restoration of all things, men will bring back gold, art, music, miracles, reason, sciencethey all belong to Him; they should all be on His altar.
Oh, young man, matchless in your ability to touch the business world with a magic wand, and make it yield great heaps of gold, remember the silver and the gold are the Lords. And oh, young woman, blessed with a brilliant intellect, or sacredly endowed with rhythmic sense that makes music as natural to you as breath, or art as easy as vision; dont carry off these sacred gifts and lay them on unclean altars, devoting them to false gods, but bring them to Him whose they were and whose they are and whose you are.
Kings are not to be exceptions here, but to be examples rather. When Gods house is in need, kings of finance are not to lag back, but to lead the procession; they are not to wait and see what the people can do without them, but they are to set an inspiring example and prove what the people will attempt with them. Watch that, then, and take your next step.
Israel came quickly to Cyrus help. This statement covers the whole of Ezra 2. Let not the student stumble over this genealogical list; over the long difficult names of the children of the province that went up out of captivity and came again unto Jerusalem. They are set down that you might see who they were, and how many, and that you might appreciate the great procession as it marched toward Jerusalem. This genealogical table shows their heads of families, and enumerates descendants. It also involves more than numbers; it records talents. The Levites are there; the singers are there.
Forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore.
Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place (Ezr 2:64-68).
How marvelous the statement, they gave after their ability! Thats the very law of the New Testament. And how beautiful the collaboration of labors,
So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities (Ezr 2:70).
But, there is also a suggestion here that we cannot pass over in silence. It is found in the Nethinims.
A building enterprise proves a genealogical touchstone to them.
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim (Ezr 2:62-63);
in other words, until a priest arose who had at his command the instruments of decision, the sacred stones that were supposed to tell for or against any proposition. But let us see this clear lesson in the text. Every time a building enterprise of any considerable proportions is undertaken, it will prove the people, those whose genealogy is fully established, who have been begotten by the Holy Spirit and thereby made children of the King; they will come and gladly lay their offerings upon the altar to the Lord. That same building enterprise will prove those who have another spirit, but who have never known regeneration, and who, therefore, belong not to the family of God, but to the house of the flesh, and who, in self-love, will refuse to make sacrifices.
There are many ministers who hesitate to undertake a building enterprise because they know this truth. They know that when a great load is to be lifted and a great undertaking is to be carried through, division, discussion, controversy, contention are certain. Some will want to go forward; others will want to stand still, and bitterness ensues. On that account, the fearful minister draws back and often consents to give up an enterprise that he believes to be in the interest of truth and for the honor of God.
But is there not another side to this same proposition? Is it not worthwhile for the pastor to find out who of his people are the Lords? Is it not better to have it openly understood who they are, also, that cannot establish their spiritual genealogy? Is not a smaller church better than a larger mixed multitude? Are not a few hundred consecrated Christians more to be coveted in church fellowship than a few thousand of the godly and unregenerated, mixed?
There have been a few building enterprises in America devoted exclusively to spiritual ends that have exceeded in extent or expense those of the First Baptist Church, Minneapolis, and the Northwestern Bible School. At this, the end of thirty-one years as pastor of the church, and twenty-five in the presidency of the school, I bear truthful testimony to the fact that these building enterprises have brought, among other blessings, this, as one of great value. They have tested my people; they have proven the loyal; they have uncovered the disloyal. And in these great buildings, that cover almost two blocks, there stands an eternal memorial to the spiritual genealogy of the men who have made them possible. And while it is a history not written in stone, doubtless the Divine archives have kept a perfect record of it, namely, the history of the Nethinimsmen who were once with us, but who, when the enterprise came, preferred another dwelling place and left the true Israel to carry the load Divinely appointed, and come eventually into the blessing Divinely bestowed.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.] In this chapter we have (i.) the proclamation of Cyrus (Ezr. 1:1-4); (ii.) the preparation of the Jews for availing themselves of it (Ezr. 1:5-6) and (iii.) the restoration of the sacred vessels (Ezr. 1:7-11).
Ezr. 1:1. Now, Heb. , and] The conjunction connects the history of the restoration of the Jews with the history of the destruction of their capital and kingdom, as in 2Ch. 36:22. In the first year of Cyrus] i.e. the first year of his rule over Babylon, which was 536 B.C. Cyrus, is the Hebrew for the ancient Persian Kurus, Greek . As to the meaning of the name, says Fuerst, the ancients have already observed that it is an expression for the sun. The sun was called in old Persian Khor, Khur. is the sign of the Persian nominative s or ush. In cuneiform inscriptions the name is Khurush. Persia] signifies in Biblical phraseology the Persian Empire (comp. Dan. 5:28; Dan. 6:8, &c.)Keil. That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah] &c. The prophecy referred to is in Jer. 25:11-12; Jer. 29:10. The seventy years began in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when Nebuchadnezzar first took Jerusalem and carried Daniel and others, with part of the vessels of the house of God, to Babylon (2Ki. 23:36 to 2Ki. 24:4; 2Ch. 36:5-8; Jer. 46:2; Dan. 1:1-2). This was the year 606 B.C. And, as we have seen, the first year of the rule of Cyrus over Babylon was 536 B.C., which completes the seventy years. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus] i.e. God inspired within him the desire and the determination (comp. 1Ch. 5:26; 2Ch. 21:16; Hag. 1:14). Made a proclamation] Margin: Caused a voice to pass. The expression signifies to make known by heralds (comp. Exo. 36:6; 2Ch. 30:5; chap. Ezr. 10:7; Neh. 8:15). And put it also in writing] Schultz: And also (made known) by writing. In addition to the proclamation by heralds, Cyrus issued written edicts.
Ezr. 1:2. All the kingdoms of the earth] These words, which are not to be taken literally, are explained, from the wide extent of the Persian Empire. When Cyrus conquered Babylon, he had already subjugated to himself almost the entire eastern Asia, even to the Indian Ocean (according to Berosus in Josephus, c. Ap.). Afterwards he pressed southward also, and entered even into Egypt and Ethiopia.Schultz. He hath charged me] &c. It is a reasonable conjecture, says Rawlinson, that, on the capture of Babylon, Cyrus was brought into personal contact with Daniel, and that his attention was drawn by that prophet to the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 44:24-28; Isa. 45:1 seq.) Cyrus probably accepted this prophecy as a charge to rebuild the Temple.
Ezr. 1:3. All His people] Not Judah only, but also the descendants of the ten tribes. He is the God which is in Jerusalem] does not mean that His presence was confined to that place, but that He had chosen it as the chief seat of His worship (comp. Neh. 1:9, last clause; Psa. 48:1-2; Psa. 132:13-14).
Ezr. 1:4. And whosoever remaineth] &c. Schultz: And as for every one of the survivors (comp. Neh. 1:2; Hag. 2:3). The men of his place] signifies those who were not Israelites. Help him] Margin: Heb. lift him up. Both Keil and Schultz give the meaning to assist. Goods] Fuerst: Movable property. Schultz: Here perhaps clothing or tents. Beside the freewill offering] &c. i.e. in addition to the gifts intended for the rebuilding of the Temple.
Ezr. 1:5. With all] &c. Keil would render this, in short, or, namely, all whose spirit, &c. He says, the in serves to comprise the remaining persons, and may therefore be rendered by, in short, or namely. Many elected to remain in Babylon.
Ezr. 1:6. All they that were about them] both their heathen neighbours and the Jews who preferred to remain in Babylon. Strengthened their hands] The idea is correctly expressed in the margin: that is, helped them.
Ezr. 1:7. The vessels of the house of the Lord] &c. Most probably those mentioned in 2Ch. 36:7, and Dan. 1:2.
Ezr. 1:8. Mithredath] According to Rawlinson, the Persian is Mithradata, and is made up of Mithra, the sun-god, and data past part. of da, to give, and signifies given by Mithra. Sheshbazzar] is the Chaldee name of Zerubbabel. The etymology and meaning of the name are uncertain. The prince of Judah] He was of the royal family of Judah (1Ch. 3:19; Mat. 1:12), and was the recognised head of that tribe at this time.
Ezr. 1:9-10] The usual names for the sacred vessels are not used here, and consequently there is much uncertainty as to their meaning.
Ezr. 1:11. Five thousand and four hundred] This total is more than double the numbers which are given in detail in Ezr. 1:9-10. The statement of Keil may be correct: The difference between the two statements has certainly arisen from errors in the numbers, for the correction of which the means are indeed wanting. But we prefer the suggestion of J. H. Michaelis, that the author passed over many subordinate vessels in the detail, but in the sum total has taken them all into consideration.
THE FULFILMENT OF THE WORD OF THE LORD
(Ezr. 1:1)
Here are four things which claim our attention:
I. The regard of God for His word. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, &c. The word referred to is in Jer. 29:10 : Thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. The seventy years were now accomplished, and God proceeds to perform His word to His people. He is punctual in the fulfilment of His promises. God is not a man, that He should lie &c. (Num. 23:19). Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away. The word of the Lord endureth for ever. He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself. We have in this
1. An assurance that the prophecies and promises of His word will be fulfilled. As the architect progressively executes every part of the plan which he had delineated, till the whole design is completed, so God in His [providence performs in due order all the prophecies of His word: a great proportion of His great scheme has already been accomplished, and revolving ages will hasten the performance of all the rest in the appointed periods.Scott. (a)
2. An encouragement to trust in Him. Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be set on high. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust. See Psa. 22:4-5; Psa. 18:2. (b)
II. The mercy of God to His people. This mercy is seen
1. In the design and effect of the captivity. The captivity was the punishment of their many sins, and especially their idolatry; and was designed to eradicate their apparently inveterate tendency to idolatry. And in this it was thoroughly successful. Prone before on every occasion to adopt the idolatrous practices of the adjacent nations, the Jews now secluded themselves from the rest of the world, in proud assurance of their own religious superiority. The law, which of old was perpetually violated or almost forgotten, was now enforced by general consent to its extreme point, or even beyond it. Adversity endeared that of which in prosperity they had not perceived the value. Prone, the mass of them, all but the wiser and more enlightened, who worshipped Jehovah, to worship Him but as a national God, greater and mightier than the gods of other nations (a conception in itself polytheistic), they threw aside this lower kind of pride to assume that of the sole people of the One True God. In this way the punishment of their sins was an expression of the Divine mercy to them. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. Thus the Divine word of chastisement, says Schultz, ever goes hand in hand with His word of salvation. His chastening is in truth ever a helping; yea, His killing is a making alive. He puts to death only the dead.
2. In the release from captivity.
(1.) As to its time. The emancipation was not delayed one moment longer than was necessary. As soon as the exile had accomplished its purpose, the Lord brought it to a conclusion. Though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion, according to the multitude of His mercies.
(2.) As to its meaning. It was an assurance of the Divine forgiveness of their sins. Isaiah clearly expresses this: Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God, &c. (Isa. 40:1-2). Their release was also the commencement of many and great blessings. This chapter contains, says Schultz, nothing less than the beginning of the fulfilment of all the great and glorious prophecies with which the prophets before the exile brightened the gloomy night of the severe judgments of Godthe dawning light of the grace of God in all its greatness, that would reawaken the people of God from death and the grave, and enable them to live a new and glorious lifethe glorious liberty of the children of God in the fullest and highest sense. What a great revolution of affairs was now to be expected! What a fulness of salvation after the night of misfortunethe entire extent of Messianic redemption!
III. The influence of God upon the spirit of man. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.
1. The nature of this influence. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. This does not mean, says Schultz, that Cyrus was influenced in the same way as were the prophets, upon whom, with their greater susceptibility, the Spirit of the Lord came; but yet an influence in consequence of which Cyrus made the will of God his own will, and executed it in the things under consideration. God gave him the resolution and the desire to execute His intention. All the pure desires and noble resolutions of mens hearts are Divine inspirations. All the good in human life is the result of Divine influence. (c)
2. The subject of this influence. Cyrus king of Persia. Cyrus was the greatest king of the mightiest empire of the world; he was a heathen, but, in common with his countrymen at this period, was probably a pure Theist, believing in One Supreme Being. As a prince, he was distinguished for his justice, and for the mildness and kindness of his administration. His relations to the people of God, and the terms by which they are described in the Scriptures, are very remarkable. He is spoken of as the righteous man (Isa. 41:2); My shepherd (Isa. 44:28), and The Lords anointed (Isa. 45:1). God employed this celebrated heathen monarch in the accomplishment of His purposes, in the emancipation of His people, and the rebuilding of His Temple. (d) The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will. He is now using the powers of the world to promote the interests of His cause. We have in this an earnest of His final victory over all heathen powers. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents, &c. (Psa. 72:10-11).
3. The design of this influence. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, that he made a proclamation, &c. Divine influence was exerted upon Cyrus to cause him to do an act of great generosity and nobility. The intention of the action of God upon the spirit of man is always gracious. In all the inspirations and impressions which He imparts to man, His aim is to save and bless him, and to make him an agent in blessing others.
IV. The suitable response of man to the influence of God. Cyrus made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, &c. Gods influence upon the spirit of man is not irresistible. He impresses man, but He does not coerce him. He inspires man, but He does not compel him. Divine influence does not invade human freedom. Man may harden himself against it, may resist it to his own injury. Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, was a charge brought by Stephen against the Jews. Or, like Cyrus, man may yield to this influence, and suitably and heartily respond to it. When this is the case the Divine influence results in rich blessings. Quench not the Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. (e)
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) Is God all-mighty? Then be assured that the throne of right shall stand upon the ruins of all wrong; but here God is apparently at a disadvantage, because you cannot kill evil with the sword. The abolition of evil is a work of time, requiring the combination, the conspiring of innumerable moral influences and educational forces; but that conspiring is going on. The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness.Joseph Parker, D.D.
(b) I will go before thee. This was a Divine promise made to Cyrus; and God has made the same promise to all who put their trust in Him. It is surely something to have a Fathers promise singing in the heart. Many of us know the inspiration even of a human promise; many of us know that we never could have endured this bitter trial, or surmounted that overshadowing difficulty, had we not enjoyed the presence and hopefulness of some friendly promise in the heart. What we want to feel is the triumphant faith that says definitely to God, Thou didst promise this, and we will wait for its fulfilment.Ibid.
(c) It is taught that, besides the general moral influences, unconscious and diffusedas it were distilled, like dew, in silence and darknessthere is an active energy, arousing, filling, impelling the souls of men. It is said that the Spirit of the Lord came upon judges, that it came upon kings, upon prophets, upon apostlescame mightily and stirred them up. As sudden and mighty winds make trees rock, and wrench them, and even overturn them, so, as by a mighty rushing wind, the Spirit of God has descended on menon Samuel, on David, on Isaiah, on Paul. It is taught, likewise, that, while this energy of the Divine mind prepared certain men for emergencies, and prepared them to act official parts, all true Christians, all godly souls, are opening to a quickening influence, if not so mighty yet of the same general kindan influence which stimulates, assists, ripens, and so finally sanctifies.
The Divine Spirit works along the line of a mans own thinking power, along the channel of a mans own motive power, and wakes up in the man that which was in him. It is not said that Gods thought rolls along and becomes a parta material partof the current of our thought; on the contrary, it is said that God makes us think, makes us will, makes us feel. What is the formula? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. That is, work, work in earnest, as men do about a thing which they are afraid they shall not accomplish. Why? Because it is God that worketh in youwhat? putting His own will there and His own thought?because it is God that worketh in you to will and to do. There is the point in which the Divine influence expends itself, according to the explicit testimony of Scripture, for the development in man of that which he had in him of dormant power.H. W. Beecher.
(d) One of the designations of Cyrus, the man that executeth My counsel, furnishes the key to the prophetic view of his character and positiona view which pervades all that is said of him, and promised to him. This forms the most striking and the most sustained of the instances in which the Lord not only asserts His supremacy in the government of the world, but reveals to us the mode in which that government operates, and the form in which it is most usually conducted. The marked manner in which Cyrus and his Persians are represented as set apart to execute the purposes of the Lord, while they considered themselves pursuing their own objects, cannot fail to suggest many interesting reflections respecting the manner in which the Lord acts in executing the high purposes of His willoften by agents who little think whom they are serving, and who are, it may be, as in this case, ignorant even of His name.
The greatest difficulty is supposed to be found in the designation of Cyrus, a heathen, as a righteous man. But this title, which indicates one who acts with habitual rectitude, who would not consciously inflict wronga just man, is not in Scripture confined to Israelites; and, what is more, it correctly describes the character of Cyrus, which, not less than his military exploits, caused his name to be long held in honour by his countrymen. In fact, as Dr. Henderson remarks: It is not a little remarkable, that of all the virtuous princes of antiquity, he alone was thought worthy of being exhibited as a model of just government. Not only was he exemplary in private life, but his victories and conquests had for their object the vindication of law and justice. He is even said to have been an object of the Divine love (Isa. 48:14). His destruction of the Babylonian Empire and liberation of the Jews were special acts of righteousness; and the abolition of idolatry, which in a great measure followed the success of the Persian arms, comes also under the same head.
But the Lord had not only called Cyrus by his nameHe had surnamed him, as our translation somewhat vaguely renders it. What is meant is, not that He had given him any surnamefor the name already mentioned was his own proper namebut that He had made honourable mention of him, and bestowed upon him titles of high honour, such as no heathen prince had ever received. What were these titles and honourable distinctions? One of them, The righteous man, has already engaged our attention. Two more occur in the passage last extracted (Isa. 44:28; Isa. 45:1-4): My shepherd and Mine anointed.
As to the first of these titles, that of shepherd, we know that good kings and rulers are called shepherds in Scripture, as they are in the ancient classics. It is a fact, however, that David, Cyrus, and Christ in His Messianic character, are the only sovereigns to whom the title is personally given. In other instances it is applied to the office of sovereign rather than to the person of any particular king. What is more remarkable is, that this very title was one to which Cyrus was partial, and the purport of which he fully appreciated. Xenophon describes him as saying, The business of a good king and a good shepherd are much alike. The shepherd ought, before all things, to provide for the welfare and safety of his flock, and to make use of these creatures consistently with their happiness; and a king ought, in the same manner, to make men and cities happy, and in the same manner to make use of them.
Cyrus, again, is called the Lords anointed, in reference to the ancient custom of anointing kings with oil at their inauguration. To be merely the anointed, was, therefore, no peculiar distinction to Cyrus, but to be the Lords anointed was a very high distinction; and it is given to him obviously because the Lord had, in His providence, appointed him to be the prince under whose rule the Jews were to be restored, and the other purposes of His will accomplished.John Kitto, D.D.
(e) When we see a casket wrenched open, the hinges torn away, or the clasp destroyed, we mark at once the hand of the spoiler; but when we observe another casket deftly opened with a master key, and the sparkling contents revealed, we note the hand of the owner. Conversion is not, as some suppose, a violent opening of the heart by grace, in which will, reason, and judgment are all ignored or crushed. This is too barbarous a method for Him who comes not as a plunderer to his prey, but as a possessor to His treasure. In conversion, the Lord who made the human heart deals with it according to its nature and constitution. His key insinuates itself into the wards; the will is not enslaved but enfranchised; the reason is not blinded but enlightened; and the whole man is made to act with a glorious liberty which it never knew till it fell under the restraints of grace.C. H. Spurgeon.
We are not forced to have God; we can deliberately take up our pen and strike His name out of the page on which we intend to record our life; or, on the other hand, we can say, We are of yesterday, and know nothing; we are so wise as not to be able to tell what will occur to-morrow; we are so empty and barren as to carry our little earthly immortality in our nostrils. Lord, lead, and we shall follow; we accept Thy mercy; we will go where Thou goest. So, then, religion is no tyranny; it is no pitiless compulsion of understanding and heart which we resent, but a blessing which first makes us poor, that it may afterwards enrich us with unwasting riches of purity, and strength, and love.Joseph Parker, D.D.
RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN THE PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS AND THE GOSPEL
(Ezr. 1:1)
I. In the disposition from which it originated. The motive which actuated the Persian emperor was benevolence. The love of Christ.
II. In the deliverance which it announced. From Babylon to Canaan. From the captivity of Satan and sin to a state of salvation here and hereafter.
III. In the terms which it specified. No pecuniary compensation for liberty. Salvation by grace.
IV. In the universality of its offers. Every Hebrew captive. Every sinner is invited.
V. In the aids it promised. Provision of help for the journey. Providential and spiritual aid for Christians. There were some who did not welcome the proclamation of Cyrus.George Brooks.
THE EDICT OF CYRUS
(Ezr. 1:2-4)
Notice:
I. The devout acknowledgment of Gods sovereignty.
1. In the bestowment of His favours. Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth. The Persian Empire at this time was very vast in its extent. In Isa. 41:2, the Lord is represented as giving the nations to the righteous man from the East, and making him ruler over kings. The prophecy was remarkably fulfilled in Cyrus. (a). His attention was probably called to it by Daniel; and, perceiving its striking applicability to himself, he speaks of his wide dominions as given to him by Jehovah the God of heaven. (b). The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation; and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, &c. (Dan. 4:32; Dan. 4:34-35). Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south: but God is the Judge; He putteth down one, and setteth up another. God bestows His gifts according to His own wise and righteous will. (c).
2. In the authority of His commands. And He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. In Isa. 44:28, it is predicted that Cyrus would say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the Temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Josephus (Ant. xi. i. 1, 2) states that Cyrus having read the prophecies by Isaiah on this matter, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfil what was so written. He accepted it as a charge from God. Moreover, it is probable that God charged him by His own immediate action upon his spirit. As He stirred up his spirit to make the proclamation, He also probably charged his spirit to rebuild the Temple. And the king acknowledged His authority, accepted the charge, and proceeded to execute it. (d). All the commandments of the Lord are righteous, and are ever binding He is infinitely holy, and His will is ever authoritative on all moral beings everywhere. (e).
II. The magnanimous emancipation of Gods people. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, He is the God which is in Jerusalem. The edict of Cyrus does not grant political freedom to the Jews, but full religious liberty, with permission to go up to Jerusalem to rebuild the national Temple and restore the celebration of its worship.
Notice:
1. The spirit in which the emancipation was made.
(1.) It was generous. Who among you of all His people? He does not attempt to keep back any. All are quite at liberty to depart if they are so minded.
(2.) It was pious. His God be with him. Thus he wishes them the presence and blessing of God; and having these, they would be sure to succeed.
2. The purpose for which the emancipation was made. Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, He is the God which is in Jerusalem. He sets them free, not for purposes of war, but of worship; not for his own aggrandisement, but for the honour of God; that they might build a temple, not to Ormuzd the god of the Persians, but to Jehovah the God of Israel.
III. The generous exhortation to assist Gods people. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him, &c. (Ezr. 1:4).
Notice:
1. The purport of this exhortation. That the subjects of Cyrus should assist the returning Jews with gifts. These gifts were of two classes:
(1.) Some were for their personal use. Help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts.
(2.) The others were for the great work which they were about to undertake. The freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
2. The persons to whom it was addressed. The men of his place are those who belonged not to the Israelitesthe heathen amongst whom they had sojourned, and whose goodwill they seem to have won. We may view it as an example of the world helping the Church in its enterprises. In spiritual things the world is unable to do this, but by material gifts it may aid the Church in the prosecution of its holy mission.
3. The pattern by which it was enforced. It is probable that Cyrus enforced his exhortation by his example, in bestowing liberal gifts upon the returning exiles. Rawlinson regards the freewill offering for the house of God as the gift of Cyrus himself. This is doubtful; but there is very little reason to doubt that he did render them personal help of this kind. He not only wished them well, but helped them to realise his wishes.
LESSONS:
1. Be prepared to acknowledge and appreciate moral excellence outside of the visible Church of God. Cyrus, the centurion of Capernaum (Luk. 7:1-10), and Cornelius the centurion (Act. 10:22) are examples.
2. Imitate Cyrus in his practical acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God.
3. When we cannot offer our labours in good enterprises, let us cheerfully offer our gifts.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) In the forty-first chapter of Isaiah, the Almighty is sublimely introduced as demanding who it was that had raised up this great conqueror, this Cyrus, characterised as the righteous man from the East; who had called him to His footthat is, had made him the instrument of the high purposes of His will. Who, the interrogation proceeds,
Gave the nations before him,
And made him ruler over kings?
He gave them as the dust to his sword,
And as driven stubble to his bow.
He pursued them, and passed safely;
Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
Who hath wrought and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
I the Lord, the First,
And with the last; I am He.
This assertion of the instrumentality of Cyrusof his being in a peculiar manner the child of the Lords providence, is always thus emphatically produced, and gives the clue to his history.
The fact that the Persians had not before taken part in the affairs of the West, and, in particular, that Cyrus had not, is clearly pointed out in the lines which describe his westward march as one not previously known to his feet. In fact, he had to march so far west as to the neighbourhood of Sardis, before he was enabled to meet the enemy in full force and give him battle. This Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Empire; and it seems to have been the policy of Crsus to draw the Persian far away from his own resources, and into the district where his own means were most available, before he gave him the opportunity of coming to a decisive action.
The extent of this victory and its important consequences are indicated by the largeness of the terms employed; not one nation, but many nations, not one king, but many kings, are given as the dust to his sword, and as the driven stubble to his bow. Accordingly, the nations who had leagued against him on this occasion, and whom he subdued, were Lydians, Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, and all the nations of Asia Minor, and, taken in a large sense, with reference to the final extension of his power, it embraced the Medes, Hyrcanians, Assyrians, Arabians, Cappadocians, Phrygians, Lydians, Carians, Phnicians, and Babylonians. He ruled also, says Xenophon, over the Bactrians, Indians, and Cilicians, as well as the Sacians, Paphlagonians, and Megadinians, and many other nations, whose names even one cannot enumerate. He ruled the Greeks that were settled in Asia; and, descending to the sea, the Cyprians and the Egyptians. These nations he ruled, though their languages differed from his own, and from each other; and yet was he enabled to extend the fear of himself over so great a part of the world, as to astonish all, so that no one dared to attempt anything against him.John Kitto, D.D.
(b) Cyrus saw and acknowledged the Hand by which his path had been marked out, and his steps guided; and he hastened to testify his convictions and his obedience by executing with earnestness the remaining task to which he had been calledthat of restoring the Jews to their own land. These are the memorable words of the edict which was promulgated in writing through all his empire: Jehovah, the God of heaven, hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. There is nothing indefinite or uncertain in this. If he had said simply, the God of heaven, we might have been doubtful as to his meaning. It might have been understood of the god he had been used to worship. But here he gives Him the name by which the Lord was peculiarly known among the Hebrewsthe great name of Jehovah; and declares unreservedly his conviction that HE was the God of heaven. Surely this is a great declaration. It shows not only that Cyrus recognised the truth and inspiration of these prophecies, but that they wrought the conviction in his mind that the Jehovah, in whose name they were uttered, was, and could be, no other than the God of heaven.
That this Jehovah, the God of heaven, and not his own Ormuzd, had given him all the kingdoms of the earth, he could only have known from Isaiahs prophecy, which declared the intention to give them to him, so long before he saw the light. Indeed, if he believed anything at all of the prophecy, he could not but believe thisthat he owed all his glory and his greatness to his being the predestinated and prenominated agent of Jehovah; and that it was He, and no other, who had made the nations as dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.Ibid.
(c) The whole world is in the hand of God, let us be thankful. The whole past is under His review, let us leave it with the assurance that His judgment is righteous. The whole future is under His control, let us pass into it with the steadiness, the quietness, and the majesty of those who know that all the resources of God are placed at the disposal of all who put their whole trust in His wisdom and love.Joseph Parker, D.D.
(d) It was only through Isaiahs prophecy that Cyrus could have realised the conviction that Jehovah, God of Israel, had, as he says, charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. For nowhere else is this command given; and nothing but the convincing evidence of this command being contained in an old prophecy, which in so many other circumstances unmistakably indicates him and no other, could have invested this command, to his thoughtful and sagacious mind, with an authority and power not to be gainsaid. The intensity of his conviction is, however, manifested by the alacrity and fulness with which he discharged the high duty imposed upon him. This gives a marked intensity to the me. He hath charged ME: Me, and no other. It was not a duty imperative on any king of Persia, but on him personally and individually.John Kitto, D.D.
(e) The first act of sovereignty is the making laws. This is essential to God; no creatures will can be the first rule to the creature, but only the will of God: He only can prescribe man his duty, and establish the rule of it; hence the law is called the royal law (Jas. 2:8); it being the first and clearest manifestation of sovereignty, as the power of legislation is of the authority of a prince. Both are joined together in Isa. 33:22 : The Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King,legislative power being the great mark of royalty. God, as a King, enacts laws by His own proper authority, and His law is a declaration of His own sovereignty, and of mens moral subjection to Him and dependence on Him. His sovereignty doth not appear so much in His promises as in His precepts: a mans power over another is not discovered by promising; for a promise doth not suppose the promiser either superior or inferior to the person to whom the promise is made. It is not an exercising authority over another, but over a mans self; no man forceth another to the acceptance of his promise, but only proposeth and encourageth to an embracing of it. But commanding supposeth always an authority in the person giving the precept; it obligeth the person to whom the command is directed; a promise obligeth the person by whom the promise is made. God, by His command, binds the creature; by His promise He binds Himself; He stoops below his sovereignty to lay obligations on His own majesty; by a precept He binds the creature, by a promise He encourageth the creature, to an observance of His precept. What laws God makes, man is bound, by virtue of His creation, to observe; that respects the sovereignty of God. What promises God makes, man is bound to believe; but that respects the faithfulness of God.Stephen Charnocke, B.D.
THE PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS
(Ezr. 1:1-5)
This proclamation, interesting in itself, is adapted to convey instruction of a very edifying nature if properly considered. We may view it
I. In a way of literal interpretation.
1. And here that which first calls for our notice is the person by whom this proclamation was issued. It was Cyrus king of Persia; who, though by education ignorant of God, and how He was to be served, was yet employed as an instrument in effecting His gracious purposeswhich shows the power He exercises over the spirits of men, a power far exceeding that merely human, which extends only to their bodies.
2. But the proclamation itself is that which more particularly demands our attention. In this we see that a great event was to be effected, namely, the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon, after a long and trying captivity; which event opened to them the pleasing prospect of again worshipping Jehovah in their native land. This God had foretold by the mouth of His servant Jeremiah (Jer. 29:10); and as He did not forget His promise, so neither did He delay the fulfilment of it beyond the proper time (Isa. 44:26-28).
II. In a way of spiritual improvement. In the proclamation of Cyrus we may see
1. What a sad state the men of the world at large are in. They are slaves and captives, being in bondage to their lusts, to the world, to Satan, and to the grave (Rom. 6:12; Rom. 8:21; Eph. 2:2; 2Ti. 2:26; 2Pe. 2:19; 1Jn. 5:19). This is a humiliating, but just, view of them.
2. What an invaluable blessing the Gospel is. No one needs be told what a blessing the proclamation of Cyrus was to the captive Jews; and precisely such is the Gospel, as announcing deliverance to us (Isa. 27:13).
3. What will be necessary to obtain what it offers? However deeply all are interested in doing this, too many, alas! are well contented with their bondage, displaying thus most inconceivable madness; whereas, by repentance and faith, they should go up out of it; and by returning to God enjoy the glorious liberty of His children.
4. What is our bounden duty when it has become effectual for our good? God is said to raise the spirits of such as were ambitious for liberty; and it need not be said to whom we are indebted, if we differ from others (1Co. 4:7; 1Co. 15:10; Jas. 1:17).William Sleigh.
GOD WITH US
(Ezr. 1:3 : His God be with him)
Notice:
I. The devout wish expressed. His God be with him. It is equivalent to our Good-bye, which is an abbreviation of God be with you. This wish comprises two things
1. Personal relation to God. His God. The expression may be viewed in two aspects
(1.) His God, as opposed to the gods of the heathen. Jehovah the God of heaven be with him. He is the only living and true God.
(2.) His God, as engaged to him in covenant relation. God had condescended to enter into covenant with the Israelites (Gen. 17:1-14; Exo. 19:3-8; Jer. 32:38-41; Eze. 16:8). And in the Gospel He engages, or covenants, to forgive and save all who accept Christ by faith, to receive them as His people, and to be their God. Thus our Lord speaks: My Father and your Father; My God and your God (Joh. 20:17). All that He has, and all that He is, He gives to them as their portion, to be employed for their good. Without any presumption the true believer in Jesus Christ may say unto the great God, My God and my Father. (a). Martin Luther said that the sweetness of the Gospel consisted chiefly in its pronounssuch as me, my, thy, &c. Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20). Christ Jesus, my Lord (Php. 3:8). My Lord and my God (Joh. 20:28). It is the assurance of our personal interest in God, through Christ Jesus our Lord, that makes Him so unspeakably precious unto us. (b).
2. Realisation of the presence of God. His God be with him. He is everywhere present; but His presence is realised only by believing, loving, and reverent spirits. Such spirits feel Him nearthey have communion with Him, &c. (c). His presence is a guarantee of all the help and blessing which we need. We have all things in Him. (d). But in uttering this wish in respect to the Jews, Cyrus probably had an eye to two things which the presence of God would secure to them
(1.) Guidance and guardianship on their long journey. In the pilgrimage of life we have infallible direction and inviolable protection, if our God be with us.
(2.) Success in their great undertaking. Having the Divine Presence, the returning exiles would be able to overcome the difficulties which lay before them, and to rebuild the Temple of the Lord their God. The presence of God is the pledge of the success and triumph of His people.
II. The kind expression of this wish. The expression of this wish indicates on the part of Cyrus
1. Reverence towards God. He does not utter these words thoughtlessly, but seriously. His proclamation makes it quite clear that he entertained reverent and exalted views of the Divine Being. In our kind wishes let us never use the Divine Name except with consideration and veneration.
2. Kindness towards the captives. He wished them well, and proved the sincerity of his wishes by practically helping them in their best interests.
CONCLUSION:
1. Do we sustain this personal relation to God?
2. Do we realise the blessed presence of God?
3. Do we desire that others also may realise His gracious presence?
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) This goodness appears in the choice gift of Himself which He hath made over in this covenant (Gen. 17:7). You know how it runs in Scripture: I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Jer. 32:38); a propriety in the Deity is made over by it. As He gave the blood of His Son to seal the covenant, so He gave Himself as the blessing of the covenant; He is not ashamed to be called their God (Heb. 11:16). Though He be environed with millions of angels, and presides over them in an inexpressible glory, He is not ashamed of His condescensions to man, and to pass over Himself as the propriety of His people, as well as to take them to be His. It is a diminution of the sense of the place, to understand it of God, as Creator. What reason was there for God to be ashamed of the expressions of His power, wisdom, goodness, in the works of His hands? But we might have reason to think there might be some ground in God to be ashamed of making Himself over in a deed of gift to a mean worm and a filthy rebel; this might seem a disparagement to His majesty; but God is not ashamed of a title so mean as the God of His despised people; a title below those others, of the Lord of hosts, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders, riding on the wings of the wind, walking in the circuits of heaven. He is no more ashamed of this title of being our God, than He is of those other that sound more glorious; He would rather have His greatness veil to His goodness, than His goodness be confined by His majesty. He is not only our God, but our God as He is the God of Christ; He is not ashamed to be our propriety, and Christ is not ashamed to own His people in a partnership with Him in this propriety (Joh. 20:17): I ascend to My God and your God. This, of Gods being our God, is the quintessence of the covenant, the soul of all the promises; in this He hath promised whatsoever is infinite in Him, whatsoever is the glory and ornament of His nature, for our use; not a part of Him, or one single perfection, but the whole vigour and strength of all. As He is not a God without infinite wisdom, and infinite power, and infinite goodness, and infinite blessedness, &c., so He passes over in this covenant all that which presents Him as the most adorable Being to His creatures. He will be to them as great, as wise, as powerful, as good as He is in Himself; and the assuring us in this covenant to be our God imports also that He will do as much for us as we would do for ourselves were we furnished with the same goodness, power, and wisdom. In being our God He testifies it is all one, as if we had the same perfections in our own power to employ for our use; for He being possessed with them, it is as much as if we ourselves were possessed with them, for our own advantage, according to the rules of wisdom and the several conditions we pass through for His glory.Stephen Charnocke, B.D.
(b) Only to be permitted to contemplate such a Being as Jehovah; to see goodness, holiness, justice, mercy, long-suffering, and sovereignty personified and condensed; to see them united with eternity, infinite power, unerring wisdom, omnipresence, and all-sufficiency; to see these natural and moral perfections indissolubly united and blended in sweet harmony in a pure spiritual Being, and that Being placed on the throne of the universe; to see this would be happiness enough to fill the mind of any creature in existence. But in addition to this, to have this ineffable Being for our God, our portion, our all; to be permitted to say, This God is our God for ever and ever; to have His resplendent countenance smile upon us; to be encircled in His everlasting arms of power, and faithfulness, and love; to hear His voice saying to us, I am yours, and you are Mine; nothing shall ever pluck you from My hands, or separate you from My love; but you shall be with Me where I am, behold My glory, and live to reign with Me for ever and ever. This is too much; it is honour, it is glory it is happiness too overwhelming, too transporting for mortal minds to conceive, or for mortal frames to support; and it is perhaps well for us that here we know but in part, and that it doth not yet appear what we shall be.Edward Payson, D.D.
(c) My friend has gone away from me over the sea and beyond the mountain, but I have him in my heart; his thoughts, his views of life, his behaviour under given circumstances, his noble impatience, his magnanimous scorn of all that is low and mean, never leave me; they will mould my life, they will save me in many a temptation. He is with me always because of the realising power of love. And this that we know something about in friendship, in the family circle, in literature, reaches its highest consummation in Jesus Christ; for though He has gone away from us, He says, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Though we cannot see Him, yet He says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Though we would gladly lay hold of His wounded hand, He says it is better not. It is expedient for you that fleshly contact cease, and that you lay hold of Him by the tendrils of your love. For what if we did grasp hands, death would break up our union; but if we grasp hearts, we are one for ever.Joseph Parker, D.D.
(d) I have read, says an old divine, of a company of poor Christians who were banished into some remote part, and one standing by, seeing them pass along, said that it was a very sad condition those poor people were in, to be thus hurried from the society of men, and made companions with the beasts of the field. True, said another, it were a sad condition indeed if they were carried to a place where they should not find their God; but let them be of good cheer, God goes along with them, and will exhibit the comforts of His presence whithersoever they go. Gods presence with His people is a spring that never fails.The Sunday School Teacher.
THE RELEASE OF THE JEWS FROM BABYLON AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE REDEMPTION OF MAN FROM SIN
(Ezr. 1:3; Ezr. 1:5)
We discover an analogy in these two things as regards
I. The subjects. The Jews were exiles and captives in Babylon. Apart from the redemptive power of God, man is the captive of Satan and the slave of sin. He is taken captive by him at his will. He is the slave of sinful passions and habits. He is captive, imprisoned, and bound (Isa. 61:1; Luk. 4:18). Whosoever committeth sin is the slave of sin (Joh. 8:34). I see a law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Rom. 7:23). In his sinful state, man is an exile from his true condition and place, and the bondsman of evil powers. (a).
II. The agents. Cyrus, and Jesus Christ. The analogy between them is at least twofold.
1. Both were called of God to this work. Ages before his birth Cyrus was prenominated for this work, and spoken of as the anointed of the Lord, and as strengthened by Him for the accomplishment of this work (Isa. 44:24 to Isa. 45:6). And Jesus Christ is pre-eminently the Servant, the Anointed, the Sent of God (Isa. 42:1; Isa. 61:1-3; Luk. 4:18-19; Joh. 3:16-17; Gal. 4:4-5; 1Jn. 4:9).
2. Both effected this work by battling with and overcoming the oppressors. Cyrus had to conquer the Babylonian Empire before he could release the captive Jews. And our Lord and Saviour, as the Son of Man, encountered sin and mastered it; He resisted temptation and overcame it; He battled with the devil and vanquished him; He grappled with death and abolished it; and thus He offers freedom from sin and Satan to all men. (b).
III. The source. In both cases the blessing flowed from the free and unmerited grace of God. The Jews had no claim upon Him against whom they had so persistently and so grievously rebelled. He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to grant them release, of His own spontaneous and gracious will. In like manner He gave His Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of men. God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, &c. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, &c. (Tit. 3:5-7). He gave His Son, He bestowed the Holy Spirit, He instituted means and ministries of grace, all of His own sovereign favour. Human redemption in its origin, in its accomplishment, and in its conditions, is entirely of divine grace. It is of faith that it might be by grace. (c).
IV. The extent.
1. It is offered to all. Who is there among you of all His people? &c. Every Jew was free to go to Jerusalem if he pleased. Salvation from sin is provided for all, and freely offered to all. Christ died for all. God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, &c. God so loved the world, &c. Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Go ye into all the world, &c.
2. It is accepted only by some. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all whose spirit God had raised, &c. Great numbers preferred to remain in Babylon.
(1.) Many did not feel any deprivation or degradation in their exile and subjection. They had been born in Babylon, had passed their lives there, &c. Many do not accept the offered redemption that is in Christ Jesus because they are not conscious of the slavery of sin. Like the Jews of a later age, they say, We were never in bondage to any man. (d).
(2.) Many had attachments and interests in Babylon which they could not or would not leave. And great numbers in this day will not comply with the conditions of spiritual redemption. Their love of the things of this world, and their devotion to temporal things, bind them to the Babylon of the world and sin. When summoned to Arise, and depart, they are unwilling to obey.
V. The object. Go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. A striking illustration of the grand end of redemption, which may be expressed thus
1. The universal realisation of the presence of God. So St. John describes it: Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, &c. (Rev. 21:3).
2. The universal presentation of worship to God. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, &c. (Rev. 5:13-14).
And the Temple again shall be built
And filled as it was of yore;
And the burden be lift from the heart of the world,
And the nations all adore.
Prayers to the throne of Heaven
Morning and eve shall rise;
And unto and not of the Lamb
Shall be the sacrifice.P. J. Bailey.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) Sin may be conceived of as an object, but also as a poweras something to which our actions are directed, but also as something from which our actions proceed. Sin is an internal principle, and he who commits sin, who lives in it, obeys it in this senseobeys it as a force. Occasional acts may not represent, but belie a mans real nature; but he can do as a habit only what he is, and if that is sinful, he is the slave of sin. The whole and constant tendency and bias of the soul is a despotic rule; it is more than any external authority or verbal law. It has a more rigorous and relentless rule. It is more besetting, has a more constant presence and constraining power; it acts directly on the will; it controls and stimulates volition. That is a great bondage which overbears the will, which brings it against itself into subjection, which ignores and defies its choice, but that is a greater far which corrupts and perverts it. There is no slavery like that in which the very seat and source of freedom is held captive. It is the salt itself losing its savour; it is the light leading astray; it is the king and leader falling in battle.A. J. Morris.
Go to the intemperate man in the morning, when his head aches, his hand trembles, his throat burns, and his whole frame is relaxed and unstrung: he is ashamed, hates his sin, would not do it. Go to him at night, when the power of habit is on him like a spell, and he obeys the mastery of his craving. He can use the language of Romans 7 : That which he would, he does not; but the evil that he hates, that does he. Observe, he is not in possession of a true self. It is not he, but sin which dwelleth in him that does it. A power which is not himself, which is not he, commands him against himself.
This is a gross case, but in every more refined instance the slavery is just as real. Wherever a man would and cannot, there is servitude. He may be unable to control his expenditure, to rouse his indolence, to check his imagination. Well, he is not free. He may boast, as the Jews did, that he is Abrahams son, or any other great mans son; that he belongs to a free country; that he never was in bondage to any man; but free in the freedom of the Son he is not.F. W. Robertson, M.A.
(b) Christ came to open the prison doors and preach deliverance to the captives. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. When Paul was describing the bitter bondage of the unregenerate state, he could not finish it without the parenthetical exclamation, I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death, &c. (Rom. 8:2-4).
Yes, Christ is a Redeemer, a Redeemer from the slavery of sin, by entering into the personal contest with evil, with sin, Satan, and the world lying in wickedness; suffering, but not submitting; falling, but yet a victor; being made sin for us, though He knew no sin, and thus becoming the Author of eternal redemption to all them that obey Him. He became sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Through death He destroyed him that had the power of death. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.
This is our hope. There is no other can break our chains, or make us wish to have them broken. There is no other can rescue us from bondage, or beget in us the love and aspiration of spiritual freedom. It remains for us to lay hold of this hope. And this can be done only by believing His word. Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you.A. J. Morris.
(c) Every good thing that is in a Christian, not merely begins, but progresses, and is consummated by the fostering grace of God, through Jesus Christ. If my finger were on the golden latch of Paradise, and my foot were on its jasper threshold, I should not take the last step so as to enter heaven unless the grace which brought me so far should enable me fully and fairly to complete my pilgrimage. Salvation is Gods work, not mans. This is the theology which Jonah learned in the great fish college, in the university of the great deep, to which college it would be a good thing if many of our divines could be sent, for human learning often puffeth up with the idea of human sufficiency; but he that is schooled and disciplined in the college of a deep experience, and made to know the vileness of his own heart, as he peers into its chambers of imagery, will confess that from first to last salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.C. H. Spurgeon.
(d) Men may have a high notion of personal independence, and make a great boast of freedom, and yet be in the deepest and most degrading bondage. And we may extend this thought to other things. Moral and spiritual evil may be, and frequently is, allied to a keen sense and a tenacious hold of other kinds of good. We may live in sin, which is the worst weakness, and yet have reverence for many kinds of not the lowest power. We may live in sin, which is the deepest degradation, and yet have noble elevation of moral thought and sympathy. The thought of slavery may fire our blood with scorn and hate, and yet we may be slaves of sin.
The reason is obvious. Sin is voluntary. It must be. Compulsory sin is a contradiction in terms. Its root and fountain is in the will. It is its being willed that constitutes it sin. For, as Coleridge said, Nothing is me but my will. In sinning men do what they wish, what gives them pleasure. They feel no constraint; they are but acting out their wills.
And then, again, the practice of sin gradually destroys the power of seeing and feeling that it is slavery. We see things by means of their opposites. We estimate by contrast. And as we see we feel. It is what is good in man that resists evil, mourns over it, repents of it. One wholly evil could do none of these things, and when men are wholly evil they are lost. It is the memory, the feeling, the aspiration of freedom that makes men writhe under slavery. It is the reason not entirely blinded, the conscience not utterly seared, that sees and smarts under sin. And when the sense of liberty and the sense of holiness have died out, the man may hug his chains, and the sinner is no more able to deliver his soul or say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? And this is the curse of both slavery and sin.A. J. Morris.
THE RETURN OF THE EXILES
(Ezr. 1:5-6)
In these verses two main points claim our attention
I. The company who returned. Then rose up the chief of the father, &c. (Ezr. 1:5).
1. They were of various classes. The chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all whose spirit God had raised. It was well that the chiefs, men of experience and rank and influence, and the priests and the Levites, men who were consecrated to the service of God, should take the lead in this worthy and difficult undertaking. They who are conspicuous in position should be solicitous to act becomingly; and they whose influence is great should see to it that it is also good.
2. They were of noble character. All whose spirit God had raised. Only those marched up, says Schultz, whom the Spirit of God awakened, that is, only the zealous and the awakened, whose spirits allowed themselves to be filled from God with courage and joy to overcome all the difficulties that opposed them, and with a longing for the land of their fathers that outweighed every other consideration. This limitation was, moreover, entirely in accordance with the Divine purpose. They must bring with them a zeal for the service of the true God that could not be quenched, at least entirely, by the difficult and gloomy circumstances in Judea, that might be enkindled and fed in some of them by these very circumstances. They were men of
(1.) Piety, as we see from their zeal for the rebuilding of the Temple of God, and the restoration of their national worship.
(2.) Patriotism, or they would not have left Babylon for their desolate fatherland.
(3.) Courage, or they could not have confronted the perils of this enterprise. (a).
3. They were exalted in purpose. They went up to build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. No personal or selfish aim was theirs; but the honour of their fatherland, and the glory of their God.
What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas? the spoils of war?
They sought a faiths pure shrine!
Hemans.
4. They were comparatively few in number.
(1.) Only three of the tribes are mentioned (Judah, Benjamin, Levi) as availing themselves of the opportunity offered by the proclamation of Cyrus. There may have been some of the other tribes with them; but if this were so, their numbers were so few that they are not noticed in this place. The ten tribes of Israel are conspicuous by reason of their absence from this record.
(2.) And of the tribes mentioned only a portion returned to their own country. There is considerable uncertainty as to the exact number; but certainly there were not fifty thousand persons in all. The return home, says Schultz, was not a matter that required no consideration. Their native land lay either desolate or occupied with heathen and barbarous nations. Great dangers threatened the little nation, that would put itself in opposition with the inhabitants; and, indeed, severe tasks awaited them. In Babylon, on the other hand, their circumstances had become such that they could very well endure them, yea, they were favourable, as we can see from Isa. 56:11-12, hence many remained behind in Babylon, unwilling to relinquish their property (Joseph. Ant. XI. i. 3). (b). An illustration of those who are in love with this present evil world, and decline to enter upon the Christian life with its self-denials and difficulties.
II. The assistance which they received.
1. This was general. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands, &c. The Jews who elected to remain in Babylon would be likely to aid them liberally, in order to a certain extent to make up for their apparent neglect in remaining behind. And the Babylonians, encouraged by the exhortation and example of Cyrus, would aid them also.
2. This was spontaneous. They that were about them were not compelled to aid them at all. It is indeed stated that the gifts for rebuilding of the Temple were willingly offered; and the same cheerful liberality doubtless characterised their other gifts. They gave not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. In the hearty contributions of these heathens towards building the Temple of the true God, have we not a hint and a foreshadowing of the gathering of the heathen world into the Church of Jesus Christ?
3. This was honourable to both the givers and the receivers.
(1.) To the givers, who were not only willing that the exiles should return home, but generously aided them to do so.
(2.) To the receivers. These gifts are a proof that in the land of their captivity their conduct must have won the esteem of their conquerors.
CONCLUSION:
Apply the subject as illustrating the offers of deliverance from the bondage of sin which are made in the Gospel, and of the aids which are provided for those who accept those offers, and urge their immediate and hearty acceptance.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) The dominion of God is manifested in raising up and ordering the spirits of men according to His pleasure. He doth, as the Father of spirits, communicate an influence to the spirits of men, as well as an existence; He puts what inclinations He pleaseth into the will, stores it with what habits He pleases, whether natural or supernatural, whereby it may be rendered more ready to act according to the Divine purpose. The will of man is a finite principle, and therefore subject to Him who hath an infinite sovereignty over all things; and God, having a sovereignty over the will, in the manner of its acting, causeth it to will what He wills, as to the outward act, and the outward manner of performing it. Thus He appointed Cyrus to be His shepherd, and gave him a pastoral spirit for the restoration of the city and Temple of Jerusalem (Isa. 44:28); and Isaiah (Isa. 45:5) tells them, in the prophecy, that He had girded him, though Cyrus had not known Him; i.e. God had given him a military spirit and strength for so great an attempt, though he did not know that he was acted by God for those Divine purposes. And when the time came for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt, the spirits of the people were raised up, not by themselves, but by God (Ezr. 1:5), Whose spirit God had raised to go up; and not only the spirit of Zerubbabel, the magistrate, and of Jeshua, the priest, but the spirit of all the people, from the highest to the meanest that attended him, were acted by God to strengthen their hands, and promote the work (Hag. 1:14). The spirits of men, even in those works which are naturally desirable to them, as the restoration of the city and rebuilding of the Temple was to those Jews, are acted by God, as the Sovereign over them, much more when the wheels of mens spirits are lifted up above their ordinary temper and motion. It was this empire of God good Nehemiah regarded, as that whence he was to hope for success; he did not assure himself so much of it, from the favour he had with the king, nor the reasonableness of his intended petition, but the absolute power God had over the heart of that great monarch; and, therefore, he supplicates the heavenly, before he petitioned the earthly, throne (Neh. 2:4): So I prayed to the God of heaven. The heathens had some glance of this; it is an expression that Cicero hath somewhere, That the Roman commonwealth was rather governed by the assistance of the Supreme Divinity over the hearts of men, than by their own counsels and management. How often hath the feeble courage of men been heightened to such a pitch as to stare death in the face, which before were damped with the least thought or glance of it! This is a fruit of Gods sovereign dominion.Charnocke. For further illustration of this topic, see p. 7.
(b) Some readers may perhaps wonder that, on this proclamation of Cyrus, the Jews did not assemble in one body, and directly go and take possession of their ancient inheritance; but a little reflection shows the matter in another light. The city and Temple lay a heap of ruins, and it would cost immense labour and expense to rebuild them. The land was either wholly desolate or occupied by encroaching neighbours; and in either case it would require some time and trouble to procure for themselves habitations and provisions. The journey was long, arduous, and perilous to those who were attended with families and substance; and many enemies would endeavour to plunder them by the way, as far as they could and dared (chap. Ezr. 8:21-23; Neh. 2:7). None of the Jews had seen Jerusalem or the Temple, except such as were above fifty years of age; at which period of life the spirit of enterprise commonly begins to decline. Few were attached to the Temple by true piety: and most of them wanted even that attachment which men naturally feel for the land of their nativity, having been born in the places where they were then settled. Some persons of true and eminent piety were so situated that they did not think it their duty to remove; as Daniel in the court of Cyrus. Others would be hindered by the infirmities of old age, and the peculiar circumstances of their families and connections. In short, the difficulties, hardship, and peril were manifest; the success of the attempt would be doubtful to all but those that were strong in faith; its temporal advantages were remote and precarious, and not worth the venture, especially to such as had obtained comfortable settlements or occupations in the land of their captivity. Even the spiritual advantages would appear to the pious mind more intended for posterity than for that generation; and to engage in it, in this view, would require vigorous faith, lively hope, and an active zeal for the honour of God, and the benefit of His Church, and establishment of His worship, in ages to come.Thomas Scott.
THE RESULTS OF THE CAPTIVITY
(Ezr. 1:5-6)
It may be well to consider here what were the actual effects of the captivity upon the Jewish people. These are well stated in Dr. Smiths Dictionary of the Bible, art. Cyrus, from which we quote the following paragraphs:
The edict of Cyrus for the rebuilding of the Temple was, in fact, the beginning of Judaism; and the great changes by which the nation was transformed into a Church are clearly marked.
I. The lesson of the kingdom was completed by the captivity. The sway of a temporal prince was at length felt to be at best only a faint image of that Messianic kingdom to which the prophets pointed. The royal power had led to apostasy in Israel, and to idolatry in Judah; and men looked for some outward form in which the law might be visibly realised. Dependence on Persia excluded the hope of absolute political freedom, and offered a sure guarantee for the liberty of religious organisation.
II. The captivity which was the punishment of idolatry was also the limit of that sin. Thenceforth the Jews apprehended fully the spiritual nature of their faith, and held it fast through persecution. At the same time wider views were opened to them of the unseen world. The powers of good and evil were recognised in their action on the material world, and in this way some preparation was made for the crowning doctrine of Christianity.
III. The organisation of the outward Church was connected with the purifying of doctrine, and served as the form in which the truth might be realised by the mass. Prayerpublic and privateassumed a new importance. The prophetic work came to an end. The Scriptures were collected. The law was fenced by an oral tradition. Synagogues were erected and schools formed. Scribes shared the respect of priests, if they did not supersede them in popular regard.
IV. Above all, the bond by which the people of God was held together was at length felt to be religious and not local, nor even primarily national. The Jews were incorporated in different nations, and still looked to Jerusalem as the centre of their faith. The boundaries of Canaan were passed, and the beginnings of a spiritual dispensation were already made when the Dispersion was established among the kingdoms of the earth.B. F. Westcott, M.A.
THE RESTORATION OF THE SACRED VESSELS
(Ezr. 1:7-11)
Notice:
I. The preservation of the sacred vessels. 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; even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer. These are the vessels which are mentioned in. 2Ch. 36:7, and Dan. 1:2. They did not include all the consecrated things; for we read in 2Ki. 24:13, of some that were afterwards cut in pieces by Nebuchadnezzar or some of his soldiers. But in the providence of God these vessels were remarkably preserved, to be in due time restored to their original place and uses. Nebuchadnezzar, regarding them as sacred things, did not appropriate them to purposes of his own, but placed them in the temple of his god Merodach, or Bel, as he was called by the Greeks, at Babylon; and in this way they were preserved.
Learn:
Since God is so careful of the mere vessels consecrated to His service, may we not rest assured that He will much more preserve His consecrated people? His children are far more precious in His sight than the most costly furniture of His temples. (a).
II. The numeration of the sacred vessels. Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This numbering indicates
1. The reverent care of Cyrus for these sacred vessels.
2. The grave responsibility of Sheshbazzar for these sacred vessels. He would be held accountable for the number of them thus counted out to him.
Learn:
That persons, places, and things which are devoted to religious uses should be reverently regarded by us. Their associations should raise them far above the level of common things. (b).
III. The restoration of the sacred vessels. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
1. This was a fulfilment of prophecy (Jer. 27:22). Prophecy is a sure word. The predictions of the Holy Bible will become accomplished facts; its promises will all be fulfilled. The veracity and the power of God guarantee the fulfilment of the declarations and assurances of His Word.
2. This is an illustration of the restoration of perverted things to their true uses. Many of the gifts of God are sadly misused; e.g., wealth, when it is employed for purposes of self-indulgence or vain show, or when it is avariciously hoarded; eloquence, when it is employed to arouse and inspire men in unworthy enterprises; poetry, when it is made the vehicle of impure suggestions, or the quickener of corrupt imaginations; art, &c. All these things, like the sacred vessels of the Jews, shall be restored to their true uses. They shall be employed in harmony with the will of God, for His glory, and for the good of mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Restorer of the violated order, and the broken harmony of the universe of God. In the dispensation of the fulness of times God will gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. (c).
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels. God has jewels even amid the ruins of this shattered and degraded world. Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. Terrible as has been the havoc created by sin, there are jewels still on the earth, and no hand can rifle them. Many times have Satan and his legions sought to purloin the treasure, but the Word of the Lord is faithfulno man can pluck them out of My Fathers hand.Joseph Parker, D.D.
Beneath the wings of the Almighty God, night with its pestilence cannot smite the saints, and day with its cares cannot destroy them; youth with its passions shall be safely passed; middle age with its whirl of business shall be navigated in safety; old age with its infirmities shall become the land of Beulah; deaths gloomy vale shall be lit up with the coming splendour; the actual moment of departure, the last and solemn article shall be the passing over of a river dryshod. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, saith the Lord. They shall never perish.C. H. Spurgeon.
(b) It is a dreadful thing to trifle with sacred matters. If at any time we open the Bible, or anything out of it be opened to us, and we have not the serious design before our eyes and upon our hearts, that we would know more of divine things, that we may be made more like God, and be more fitted for His service and communion both here and hereafter, we shall be found guilty of trifling with that which is sacred; and though in this world the punishment may not be so visibly severe, yet the guilt is undoubtedly greater than that which Uzzah lay under when he rashly laid hold on the ark; and the Bethshemites, when they opened and would be curiously prying into it. When a man meddleth with the great things of God, and can give no account for what he does, but only to satisfy his curiosity, and the idle fancy of a vain mind; this, sooner or later, must have a sad issue.John Howe.
(c) The reconciliation which our Lord has effected has bearings as wide as creation. The whole creation will be restored, and inherit with man the peace and glory of Christ. Evil struggles and will yet struggle, but it is doomed. Christs death will be fulfilled in the death of evil throughout all nature. His ascension will be fulfilled in the universal diffusion of His Life, Love, and Glory. But He will not make haste. By His long patience, He gives the utmost possibility to the endeavours of evil. In the end, evil powers will work their own confusion and downfall. The Son of God is sure of final victory. He foresees it. The whole field will come about to Him. He will wait for it. In His ascension, all the elements and powers of nature are already glorified. In Him, they have all come back to God, with increase, They are no longer divided and striving. They underwent their grand decisive and bloody sweat in Him. The worst is past. The restitution of all things is certain. All things are at peace in Christ, and the peace is wonderful.
It is finished, proclaimed the end of the fallen order of nature. He is risen, announced the beginning of the new order. Christ glorified is Gods firstfruits of the whole harvest of His recovered creation. All things will be made after the pattern of Christs unity. The reconciliation of all things in Him is very Divine. And when the like reconciliation is fulfilled, both in man and nature, the work of the Mediator will be done, and the mystery of God finished.
Observe once for all, that whoever speaks merely of the redemption of mankind, mutilates the redemption of God, and is unfaithful to the New Testament. The mystery of Gods will and purpose, which Paul commends to us, is the knitting into unity, the gathering together in one, of all things in Christ, both the things which are in heaven, and the things which are on earth; even in Him. The Headship of Christ is universal. Heaven and earth, and all things therein, are to be brought under One Head; and thus into the fellowship of a divinely balanced harmony. The whole course of sin and sorrow is His chastisement, which He will bear until it melts into His own Purity and Peace.John Pulsford.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT
I. The Captives Return Under Zerubbabel (Ezr. 1:1 to Ezr. 2:70)
A. Authority is given by King Cyrus, and the captives who wish to return to Israel.
1. Cyrus issues a decree.
TEXT, Ezr. 1:1-4
1
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
2
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3
Whoever there is among you of all His people; may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.
4
And every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
COMMENT
Ezr. 1:1. Note the similarity of Ezr. 1:1-2 to 2Ch. 36:22-23. This gives support to the idea that both of these books have the same author, i.e., Ezra. The word now is the word usually translated and, to indicates continuation of a narrative; however, several of the O.T. books (including Ruth and Joshua) begin with this same word, so it cannot be concluded with finality that this is but the continuation of a more lengthy work. It may be only the authors device to indicate at the beginning that his record presumes a set of events previous to it, and that he is consciously seeking to preserve this sense of continuity of events whose record was begun by someone else. The Hebrew notion of time is involved here; while the Greeks thought of time as moving in repetitive, indecisive circles, the Hebrews thought of it as a progression of events added together, moving in a line toward an eventual goal, or purpose, or final outcome. This may explain the frequency with which the word and or now is used throughout the O.T.
The first year of Cyrus indicates the year following his conquest of the Babylonians, therefore his first year of rulership over the total Persian kingdom including Israel. From Israels point of view, then, it was his first year. This event, of the making of the decree that follows, is usually dated in 536 B.C.: the first full year of Cyrus rule over Babylon and Israel.
The word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah refers to Jer. 25:11-12; and especially Jer. 29:10, predicting that the people of Judah would remain in captivity 70 years. But if the people went into bondage in 586 B.C., this adds up to only 50 years. We recall, however, that Jerusalem suffered three invasions: in 606, when Daniel and his three friends were among the captives taken; in 597, involving Ezekiel; and finally in 586 when the remainder of the city was destroyed and the bulk of the captives taken. In this we see the generosity of God: He obviously gave them full credit toward the 70 years from the time the first persons were captured: thus, 606 to 536.
The real basis for Cyrus proclamation is that God moved him to do it. Gods power may work through persons of any rank or nationality or religion; God may be responsible for many good impulses even among pagan people throughout history.
Josephus[3] credits Isaiahs prophecy from 140 years before the temple was demolished (Isa. 44:28) in which Cyrus is mentioned by name, with influencing the surprised and grateful Cyrus to release the Jews to return to their homeland.
[3] Josephus, Antiquities of The Jews, Book XI, chap, 1.
The decree was set forth both orally and in writing; what we read at this point in Ezra may have been the oral version which the Jewish communities heard in their own language.
Ezr. 1:2. Cyrus himself gives credit to Israels God as being supreme (of heaven) and as ordering his release of these prisoners. Two observations follow: 1) While Cyrus was not a convert to Judaism nor a worshiper of their God, yet he made such statements as a regular policy; he makes similar reference to the gods of the Babylonians,[4] for example. This quotation from Cyrus in Ezra is known to be in harmony with his character, as seen in his own writings. 2) It was also a regular policy of Cyrus to liberate prisoners taken by the nations which he conquered; this is verified by contemporary documents, including the Inscription of Cyrus, After listing nine or ten lands, Cyrus speaks of the cities (beyond) the Tigris, whose sites have been founded of oldthe gods who dwelt in them I returned to their places, and caused them to settle in their eternal shrines. All their people I assembled and returned them to their dwellings. . . . May all the gods, whom I have returned to their cities, pray before Marduk and Nabu for the prolonging of my days, may they speak a kind word for me. . . .[5] (Evidently he wanted as many friends as possible in supernatural circles, and sought to ingratiate himself to all the gods of whom he had heard, to be entirely safe!)
[4] G. E. Wright, Biblical Archaeology (Hardback edition), p. 200.
[5] G. A. Barton, Archaeology and The Bible, p. 485.
So again Cyrus own records, recently excavated, confirm the description of his character and actions as they are described in the Bible.
Ezr. 1:3 contains the decree giving permission for the Israelites to return and rebuild their Temple at Jerusalem. The language reflects Cyrus polytheism, implying his belief that there is one god who presides in Jerusalem, and other gods in other lands.
Ezr. 1:4 encourages all who remain (people of Judah and Israel who remained in the land of their captivity) to contribute to the returnees for two purposes: to finance their journey, and to make offerings to the Temple; thus having a share in these two projects.
WORD STUDIES
Some of the names involved have interesting meanings.
EZRA: the name comes from a verb meaning to surround or enclose: to protect, as with a wall; hence he was a help, or aid. The word, in feminine form, is used of woman as mans helper in Gen. 2:18. It also occurs in the proper name, Ebenezer (stone of help) in 1Sa. 7:12, where Samuel raises a monument to memorialize Gods having helped them against the Philistine armies.
PERSIA: one possibility as the base meaning is to separate, or spread out (the feet): hence, horseman. This is how they appeared to their contemporaries. The same word is used in Dan. 5:25 (Upharsin) and Dan. 5:26 (Peres), and is translated, divided.
CYRUS name possibly is the Persian word for the sun. The name contains the same consonants as the Greek word Lord (kyrios). (The Hebrew was written without vowels at this time.) Cyrus is the one foreigner referred to as a Messiah in the O.T. (Isa. 45:1).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

I. THE FIRST RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL.
(1-4) The decree of Cyrus: marking an epoch of very great importance, and therefore repeated almost word for word from the end of Chronicles.
(1) The first year.Cyrus became king of Persia in B.C. 559. Twenty years afterwards he took Babylon from Belshazzar; and this first year of his rule in Babylon was his beginning as an agent in Jewish affairs and for the Kingdom of God.
Stirred up.By a direct influence, probably through the instrumentality of Daniel. This prophet we may suppose Cyrus to have found in Babylon, and to have had his mind directed to the express prediction of Isa. 44:28, where his name is mentioned. But the writer, who again and again records the prophetic intervention of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezr. 5:1; Ezr. 6:14), makes no allusion to the part that Daniel the earlier prophet had taken. He refers only to the Divine prediction by Jeremiah, which must be fulfilled: And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon ( Jer. 25:12); For thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place (Jer. 29:10).
(2) Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia.In the interpretation of this decree two courses are open. We may suppose that the spirit of Cyrus was so effectually stirred up by the Spirit of God, through the prophecies of Isaiah, as to send out a written proclamation avowing his faith in Jehovah-Elohim, and thus publicly accepting the prediction: He hath charged me to build. In this case the parenthesis of Ezr. 1:3 (He is the God) may be compared with the confession of his father-in-law, Darius the Mede: He is the living God (Dan. 6:26). Or we may assume that Ormazd in the original was reproduced in the Hebrew version that accompanied it by its equivalent, Jehovah. The latter supposition avoids the difficulty involved in making Cyrus disavow the national faith in the presence of his empire. The decree itself runs much in the style of those found in the majority of Persian inscriptions, such as By the grace of Ormazd is Darius king; and the spirit of tolerance! and piety in it is perfectly in harmony with all ancient testimonies to the character of Cyrus.
(4) Whosoever remaineth.As to all the Remnant in all places. There is a singular correspondence between this and the beginning of Nehemiah; but there this familiar name for the survivors of the great national catastrophe is used of those who had returned to Jerusalem, while here it is used for the dispersion in all the provinces of the empire (Neh. 1:3).
Where he sojourneth.Every individual Jew is thus significantly supposed to be only an exile.
Let the men of his place help him.The heathen subjects of Cyrus are required to assist the departing sojourner, and expected also to send freewill offerings to the Temple. Note that in all these terms the spirit and phrase of the Hebrew people are used; and that there was more in the decree than is here given, as appears in the sequel. Cyrus was under strong influence, both human and Divine.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

SECTION FIRST.

THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. CHAPS. 1-6.
CYRUS’S PROCLAMATION TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE, 1-4.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1. The first year Not the first year of his becoming sovereign of the Persians, but the first of his immediate rule over Babylon, and the provinces of Western Asia, which had previously belonged to the Babylonian empire. Upon the fall of Babylon, Darius the Mede had taken that kingdom, (Dan 5:31; Dan 9:1; Dan 11:1,) and reigned there for a year or more before Cyrus assumed direct control. Dan 6:28.
Cyrus king of Persia Concerning the birth and early life of this illustrious man the ancient authors (Herodotus, Xenophon, Ctesias, and Nicolaus Damascenus) disagree, and it is impossible to decide with certainty whose account is most correct; but all agree that with him the Persian empire arose from comparative insignificance to be the greatest power that had ever ruled all Western Asia. Cyrus’s first great act was to defeat Astyages his grandfather, according to Herodotus and Xenophon and subject the Medes to the Persians. Soon after, he conquered and added to his empire the ancient kingdom of Lydia, in Asia Minor. Then followed the fall of Babylon and of other kingdoms before his victorious armies. When he began to reign at Babylon he doubtless heard of Daniel, and, perhaps, had personal intercourse with him. Some have thought, and not without reason, that this prophet called his attention to Isaiah’s oracles concerning him, (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1,) that he should restore the Jews and rebuild the temple, and thus show himself Jehovah’s “shepherd” and “anointed” one.
Word of the Lord by Jeremiah See especially Jer 25:12: “When seventy years are accomplished, I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity.” Reckoning from the first invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, more than a year before he became sole king of Babylon, (2Ki 24:1, note,) we find just seventy years had elapsed at the first year of Cyrus. Thus Nebuchadnezzar 45, Evil-Merodach 2, Neriglissar 4, Nabonadius 17, Darius the Mede 2=70.
Thus the seventy years of Jewish captivity synchronized very closely with the seventy years of the Babylonian empire. Differences of opinion prevail, however, as to the period covered by the seventy years’ captivity. Some reckon them from the destruction of the first temple to the completion of the second, 588 to 515 B.C. But Jeremiah’s prophecy seems clearly to make the fall of Babylon the terminus ad quem of the seventy years, and this would place the terminus a quo at Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion of Palestine, when Daniel and other Jewish captives were taken to Babylon. See note on 2Ki 24:1. Hence, when Babylon fell and Darius was set over that realm, Daniel understood that the seventy years were about expired. Dan 9:1.
The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus Probably by the words of Daniel, who may have called his attention to Isaiah’s prophecies concerning him. It is interesting to observe in this connexion that the religion of the early Persians was monotheistic the comparatively pure system of Zoroaster; and this may explain the sympathy which Cyrus seems to have had for the Jews, and his readiness, at so early a period of his reign, to allow them to return from exile and rebuild their temple. See on the next verse.
Made a proclamation Literally, caused a voice to pass in all his kingdom; that is, announced by criers. Not only was the announcement made orally, but it was published also in writing, and probably laid up among the archives of the kingdom, from which a copy of it was taken by our author.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Edict Of Cyrus ( Ezr 1:1-4 ).
Ezr 1:1

‘Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of YHWH by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, YHWH stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,’
The first year of Cyrus II referred to was 538 BC, the dating being from his capture of Babylon, this being the date when control of Palestine passed into his hands. The title King of Persia was one proudly used by him and his successors, along with the titles the King, the Great King, King of kings, King of the lands, etc. The writer no doubt saw these other titles as impinging on the sovereignty of YHWH and thus spoke of him as the ‘king of Persia’, an exalted title, but also (to Jews) a reminder that only YHWH was King over the whole earth. An inscription dated about 600 BC spoke of Ariyaramna, the brother of Cyrus I, as ‘the great King, King of kings, King of Persia’, and indeed the title King of Persia occurs regularly in records during the period of the Persian Empire. It has been said that ‘eighteen different authors in nineteen different documents from Persian times use this title altogether thirty eight different times, and of at least six different Persian kings’. It is found on the inscriptions at Behistun of Darius I. Thus objections to its use in Ezra are invalid.
In Babylonia, and only in Babylonia (that is, outside of Scripture where it is used in Ezr 5:13 in a place where Cyrus is seen as successor to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and in Neh 13:6), the kings of Persia used the title ‘king of Babylon’. In Egypt they used the title ‘king of Egypt’ or equivalent. Compare also ‘king of the Medes’ and ‘king of Anshan’. The use of titles by Persian kings was thus very fluid and often depended on who was being addressed. But ‘king of Persia’ was widely used and aptly described Cyrus.
‘That the word of YHWH by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished.’ The writer sees what follows as resulting from ‘the word of YHWH’. His word is going forth and accomplishing His purpose (compare Isa 55:11). The particular word of YHWH is described as that spoken by Jeremiah the prophet. This is probably a reference to Jer 51:1 where we read, ‘Behold I will stir up against Babylon — the spirit of a destroyer.’ This can be read in parallel with Jer 25:12 ff; Jer 29:10 ff).
‘YHWH stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.’ Whatever Cyrus might say, and whatever other people might believe, the writer knew that it was YHWH who had brought about what would now happen. It was He Who had ‘stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia’, with the result that Cyrus had issued an edict and made a public proclamation to the effect that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and there build a Temple to YHWH in accordance with the king’s command.
This was fully in accordance with Cyrus’ policy of restoring native communities and their gods. Thus in what we call ‘the Cyrus cylinder’ Cyrus wrote, “the holy cities beyond the Tigris, whose settlements had been in ruins over a long period, the gods whose abode is in the midst of them, I returned to their places and housed them in lasting abodes. I gathered together all their inhabitants, and restored (to them) their dwellings.” Judah were not unique in this regard.
‘So that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying —.’ The proclamation made ‘throughout all his kingdom’ may well have been in more general terms, with the writer only being interested in what was put into writing concerning Judah. On the other hand it may be that Cyrus had all his edicts read out in popular form in each place in order to impress both his subject people and their gods. Alternately ‘throughout all his kingdom’ may simply be intended by the writer to signify all places where Jews might be present, and they were pretty widespread.
‘Put it also in writing.’ It was common for important oral edicts to also be put in writing. Compare 2Ki 19:9-14; 2Ch 17:9; 2Ch 30:1.
Ezr 1:2
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has YHWH, the God of heaven, given me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”
Similar wording to this, in the form of a proclamation and altered to suit the particular situation, was probably used by Cyrus in many parts of his kingdom as he caused permanent sanctuaries to be rebuilt in many major religious centres and restored to people their gods which had been plundered by Babylon. He wanted full credit for what was happening so as to gain the support of the people, and what was equally important in his eyes, the support of their gods. Here the wording of his decree is particularised, presumably by Jewish advisers, in order to apply to the situation of the Jews, possibly as influenced by Isa 44:28 to Isa 45:1. Cyrus was unconsciously fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, something which the Jews may well have brought to his attention (something which Josephus claims, for, although he is not reliable for this period, it is not unlikely).
‘All the kingdoms of the earth.’ A slight exaggeration. But the idea was of those kingdoms within his purview. He did not in fact conquer Egypt, that would be left to his son Cambyses after his death. For an example of such an exaggerated description compare 1Ki 4:34.
‘Has YHWH the God of heaven given me.’ Cyrus saw all the gods as on his side. After all had they not given him control over his world? And thus he did genuinely believe that ‘YHWH, the God of Heaven’ had given to him all the kingdoms of the world (as had Marduk also, see citation above) and that YHWH had charged him to build him a house in Jerusalem (just as other gods had charged him to rebuild their sanctuaries). That the edict was not too personal to him comes out in that he made no effort to ensure that the building of the Jerusalem Temple actually took place. For whilst an initial foundation was laid early on, it would not be until after his death that the Temple was actually built. Thus he left the actual fulfilment of the charge to the initiative of the local communities. We must not, however, underestimate the value of the decree. It gave official permission, from the highest possible earthly source, to erect the Temple.
The title ‘the God of Heaven’ and its equivalents was one used to describe YHWH to outsiders, and was therefore the one used by those who were living outside Palestine. Thus it was used by Jonah to foreign seamen (Jon 1:9), and by Daniel in exile (Dan 2:18-19; Dan 2:37; Dan 2:44; compare also Dan 4:37; Dan 5:23). See also Neh 1:4-5; Neh 2:4; Neh 2:20. Compare its use in the Elephantine papyri addressed to the Persian governor in Judea.
Ezr 1:3
“Whoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of YHWH, the God of Israel, he is God, which is in Jerusalem.”
Permission was also given for all exiles who wished to do so to return to their native land. This was important. Prior to this they had had a certain level of freedom, but they did not have permission to leave the place where they were. Had they attempted to leave the Babylonians would immediately have stepped in to prevent it. Now, however, Cyrus was giving official permission for them to return home. The permission was voluntary. There was no compulsion. But it was valid for all who wanted to return. Note Cyrus’ plea that in the case of each who wanted to return his God would be with him, and it was with a view to YHWH’s house being rebuilt in Jerusalem. Cyrus was concerned to keep YHWH on his side.
‘Which is in Judah.’ The Jewish advisers, and no doubt the Persian officials, would be concerned to ensure that all recognised where the Jerusalem in mind was. This is a touch of authenticity.
Ezr 1:4
“And whoever is left, in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with domestic animals, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”
Those Jews who did not want to return were nevertheless called on to give material assistance towards the project. They were to provide silver, gold, materials and provisions, and domestic animals. This would include horses, camels and asses for travelling, and cattle, sheep and goats which would supply provisions. The reference to the freewill offering for the house of God may have in mind that it was a freely given contribution towards the building fund, or it may have been a regular amount given freely by many Jews towards the upkeep of worship in Jerusalem.
It must be considered unlikely that the intention was that non-Jews should also contribute towards their welfare, although of course some might, even though some see it that way. There was no reason why they should, unless out of pure friendliness. They probably had no great desire to see the Jews depart.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Edict Of Cyrus And Its Result ( Ezr 1:1-11 ).

In 538 BC Cyrus issued an edict allowing Jews to return to their homeland, and authorising the rebuilding of the Temple with state help. The wording of the edict given here is in terms that would be appreciated by the Jews. It was a ‘popular’ version, to be proclaimed to the outside world, and was no doubt worded by a ‘secretary of state for Jewish affairs’ who preceded the time of Ezra, or by officials given responsibility for Jewish affairs. We should not see it as unique, except in its detail. In basic idea it would have been similar to other edicts promulgated concerning the gods of other nations. For Cyrus was concerned to claim the personal support of the gods of all the nations of his empire, whom he saw as having helped him to where he was. They had, after all, proved their support by the fact that the empire was now his. For example, he could claim of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, that ‘the entirety of all the lands he (Marduk) surveyed and examined. He sought out a righteous prince, the desire of his heart, who would grasp his hand. Cyrus the king of Anshan, whose name he uttered, he called for kingship over all’. An official version of the Ezra 1 edict in a different format, written in Aramaic, giving practical details concerning the building of the Temple, and promise of state funding, was, according to Ezr 6:3-5, at the same time lodged among the state records held in Achmetha (Ecbatana).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Ezr 1:1-11 Ezra’s Divine Commission Ezr 1:1-11 records Ezra’s divine commission. We often find a divine commission at the beginning of the story of God’ servants in the Scriptures. We see in the book of Genesis that Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each received their commissions at the beginning of their genealogies, which divide the book of Genesis into major divisions. We also see how Moses received his divine commission near the beginning of his story found within Exodus to Deuteronomy. Joshua received his commission in the first few verses of the book of Joshua. In addition, we see that Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel each received a divine commission at the beginning of their ministries. The book of Ezra opens with a divine call to rebuild the Temple and the book of Nehemiah begins with a call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which callings Ezra and Nehemiah answered. In the New Testament, we find Paul the apostle receiving his divine commission in Act 9:1-22 at the beginning of the lengthy section on Paul’s life and ministry.
Each of these divine callings can be found within God’s original commission to Adam in the story of Creation to be fruitful and multiply. For these men were called to bring the about the multiplication of godly seeds. The patriarchs were called to multiply and produce a nation of righteousness. Moses was called to bring Israel out of bondage, but missed his calling to bring them into the Promised Land. Joshua was called to bring them in to the land. Esther was called to preserve the seed of Israel, as was Noah, while Ezra and Nehemiah were called to bring them back into the Promised Land. All of the judges, the kings and the prophets were called to call the children of Israel out of sin and bondage and into obedience and prosperity. They were all called to bring God’s children out of bondage and destruction and into God’s blessings and multiplication. The stories in the Old Testament show us that some of these men fulfilled their divine commission while others either fell short through disobedience or were too wicked to hear their calling from God.
Ezr 1:1-4 King’s Cyrus’ Decree to Restore Jerusalem and End the Babylonian Captivity Ezr 1:1-3 are a repetition of 2Ch 36:22-23, which is evidence to a common authorship between the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles and Ezra.
It is interesting to note the words of Josephus regarding Cyrus’ decree. This ancient Jewish historian tells us that Cyrus was stirred in his spirit as a result of reading the prophetic passage of Isa 44:28, which was written one hundred and forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem.
“This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision: “My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.” This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the Divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem, (2) and the temple of God, for that he would be their assistant, and that he would write to the rulers and governors that were in the neighborhood of their country of Judea, that they should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the temple, and besides that, beasts for their sacrifices. ( Antiquities 11.1.2)
Josephus says Cyrus was so moved by the fact that his name was mentioned in this Scripture that he issued the following decree to send the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple.
“And these things God did afford them; for he stirred up the mind of Cyrus, and made him write this throughout all Asia: “Thus saith Cyrus the king: Since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of the habitable earth, I believe that he is that God which the nation of the Israelites worship; for indeed he foretold my name by the prophets, and that I should build him a house at Jerusalem, in the country of Judea.” ( Antiquities 11.1.1)
Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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,
Ezr 1:1 “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia” Comments The times of the Gentiles (Luk 21:24) was ushered into world history through the prophecies of Daniel, where Israel’s dominance subsided and the Gentile nations of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greek, and Roman empires would rise. This time began with the fall of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Dan 1:1 is the last biblical event in redemption history that is dated by the calendars of the kings of the nation of Israel. At this point forward, all redemptive events recorded in the Holy Scriptures will be dated around Gentile rules (Dan 2:1; Dan 7:1; Dan 8:1; Dan 9:1; Dan 10:1; Dan 11:1, Ezr 1:1; Ezr 6:3; Ezr 7:1, Neh 2:1, Est 1:1-3, Luk 2:1-2; Luk 3:1-2). Even the book of Ezekiel seems to blend the Jewish calendar with the fall of Israel by the Babylonians in his collection of prophecies.
Luk 21:24, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
Comments – Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian Empire, ruling over various parts of this region from 559-530 B.C., a period of twenty-nine years. His rule began in 559 B.C. in Anshan, a region of the Median Empire. His reign was extended in 550 B.C. when he overthrew the Median king, taking full control of Media. Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., extending his reign over most of the Middle East. [32] The Old Testament references to Cyrus the Great date his reign beginning with the overthrow of Babylon in 539 B.C. (2Ch 36:22-23, Ezr 1:1-8; Ezr 3:7; Ezr 4:3; Ezr 4:5; Ezr 5:13-17; Ezr 6:3; Ezr 6:14, Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1, Dan 1:21; Dan 6:28; Dan 10:1), perhaps because his role in redemptive history did not begin until this period of history. Thus, in the first year of his reign as king ( ) over the Medo-Persian Empire in 538 B.C., Cyrus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (740 – 701 B.C.), who ministered about one hundred and fifty years before this event took place, by ordering the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1), and by asking the Jews to return and fulfill this decree, thus ending the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews after seventy years, as prophesied by Jeremiah (Eze 1:1-4). During the third year of his reign (535-534 B.C.), Daniel was given the vision recorded in Daniel 10-12.
[32] Jack Martin Balcer, “Cyrus the Great,” in The World Book Encyclopedia, vol. 4 (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1994), 1208.
Isa 44:26-28, “That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: 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.”
Isa 45:1, “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;”
Ezr 1:1-2, “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”
Ezr 1:1 “that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled” Comments – Jeremiah’s prophecy of the end of the Babylonian Captivity and Israel’s restoration is recorded in Jer 25:11-12; Jer 29:10.
Jer 25:11-12, “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.”
Jer 29:10, “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”
Ezr 1:1 “the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” Scripture Reference – Note:
Pro 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Proclamation of Cyrus
v. 1. Now, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, after the conquest of the Babylonian empire, the new empire, including Persia, Media, Babylonia, and Chaldea, having been founded in 536 B. C. that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Jer 25:12-13, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, by having special couriers cry out the message, and put it also in writing, saying,
v. 2. Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, his empire at that time being a world empire; and he hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah, either by direct Revelation or through the instruction of the prophet Daniel, who may have informed him of the prophecies concerning him and his career as written down by Isaiah some two hundred years before, Isa 44:28; Isa 46:1-4.
v. 3. Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God, whom Cyrus acknowledged and worshiped as the one true God) which is in Jerusalem.
v. 4. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, having settled down according to the advice of the Lord by Jeremiah, Jer 29:4-7, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, for pack-animals and for traveling, giving such a one all possible assistance, beside the free-will offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem, thereby contributing liberally toward the rebuilding of the Temple. Thus God uses also the mighty ones of the earth in His service as He chooses, thereby bringing the days of tribulation upon His people to an end.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

PART 1
1. THE FIRST RETURN FROM THE CAPTIVITY
EXPOSITION
THE DECREE OF CYRUS (Ezr 1:1-4). The origin of the return is found in an exertion of Divine influence on the mind of a heathen king, who was moved thereby to put forth a proclamation or decree, addressed to all the people of the Lord God of Israel dwelling in any part of his dominions, granting them free permission to return to their own land, and at the same time recommending his other subjects to expedite their departure by giving them out of their abundance gold, silver, goods, and cattle, so that none should be hindered by poverty from taking advantage of the king’s kindness. Many things are remarkable in this decree:
1. Its promulgation by a heathen king, spontaneously as it would seem;
2. Its recognition of a single supreme God, “the Lord God of heaven;”
3. Its declaration that the supreme God had “charged” the king to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem; and
4. Its actual origination in a “stir” of the king’s spirit by God himself.
The secret government of the world by Jehovah is, in part, opened to us, and we see how great political events, anteriorly improbable, are brought about by his action on men’s hearts; we see that he does not leave, has never left, the heathen wholly to themselves, but condescends to put thoughts into their minds, and bend their wills, and so bring about his purposes. We see, moreover, that the heathen were not universally without some knowledge of the true God; and especially we perceive that in Persia at this date there was a distinct recognition of a single supreme Deity, and an identification of this Deity with Jehovah, the God of the Jews. This fact throws light on the whole history of the Jews under the Persianson the friendly tone of the decrees of Darius (Ezr 6:6-12) and Artaxerxes (Ezr 7:12-26), on the amicable relations between the latter king and Nehemiah (Neh 2:2-8), on the position occupied by Mordecai under Ahasuerus (Est 10:2, Est 10:3), on the quiet submission of the entire people to the Persian yoke for above two centuries, and on their faithful adherence to the cause of the last Persian king when he was attacked by Alexander (Joseph. ‘Ant. Jud.,’ Neh 11:8, Neh 11:3). A religious sympathy, it is clear, united the two nations. We must not, however, carry this notion too far, or regard the Persian religion with too favourable an eye. The native literature shows that the Persians worshipped more gods than one, although one was supreme, and that their religion was moreover dualistic, involving a belief in a principle of evil, co-eternal and almost co-equal with the principle of good.
Ezr 1:1
In the first year of Cyrus. The context shows that it is the first year of Cyrus at Babylon which is intended. Cyrus the Great became King of Persia by his final defeat and capture of Astyages, in b.c. 559 probably. His conquest of Babylon was, comparatively speaking, late in his reign (Herod; Xenoph.), and is fixed by the Canon of Ptolemy to b.c. 538. He took the city on the night of Belshazzar’s feast (Dan 5:30), when Daniel had just been appointed to the third place in the kingdom (ibid. verse 29), and was practically at the head of affairs. Thus the great king and the great prophet of the time were brought into contact, and naturally conferred together, as may be gathered from Josephus (‘Ant. Jud.,’ 11.1). That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The reference is to Jer 25:11, Jer 25:12, and Jer 29:10. Jeremiah had prophesied not only the fact, but the date of the return, by assigning to the captivity a duration of “seventy years.” There might be some doubt when exactly this term would run out, since the year of 360 was in prophetic use no less than the year of 365 days (‘Dict. of the Bible,’ s.v. YEAR), and, moreover, the exact date of the commencement of the captivity admitted of question; but Daniel appears to have calculated in b.c. 538 that the term was approaching its termination (see Dan 9:2-19). If the captivity were regarded as commencing in the third year of Jehoiakim (Dan 1:1, Dan 1:2), which was b.c. 606-605, and if years of 360 days were regarded as intended, this would clearly be so, since 360 x 70 = 25,200, and 365 68 = 24,820, so that in b.c. 538 only another year was wanting. For the prophecy to be fulfilled, it was requisite that the first steps towards bringing about the return and the cessation of desolation should not be delayed beyond the close of b.c. 538. The Lord, accordingly, in this year stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. As God in earlier times had worked on the minds of Abimelech (Gen 20:3) and Balaam (Num 23:5, Num 23:16), and more recently of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:28), so now, it would seem, he directly influenced the heart and will of Cyrus. This is the less surprising, as Cyrus was, in the Divine counsels, fore-ordained to do this work, and had been raised to his high station for the purpose (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1-4). Cyrus was thus induced to make a proclamation (literally, “to make to pass a voice”) throughout the whole kingdom, which reached from the AEgean Sea to the borders of India, and from the Caucasus to the Persian Gulf, and even to put it in writing, b’ miktab, that so it might be sure to become generally known. Writing was probably of recent introduction into Persia; but there is positive evidence in the native remains of its use by Cyrus. His proclamation was probably issued in at least two languages, Persian and Chaldee.
Ezr 1:2
Thus saith Cyrus. Persian inscriptions do not ordinarily commence in this way; but the formula “says Darius the king,” “says Xerxes the king” is frequent in them. King of Persia. So the Behistun inscription: “I am Darius, the great king, the king of kings, the king of Persia.“ The Lord God of heaven, Yehovah Elohey hashshamayim. “God of heaven” seems to have been a usual title of the Supreme Being among the Persians (see below, Ezr 6:9, Ezr 6:10; Ezr 7:12, Ezr 7:23), and perhaps designated Ormuzd in contradistinction to Ahriman, who was lord of the infernal regions. The use of the term “Jehovah,” instead of Ormuzd, is remarkable, and was probably limited to the Hebrew transcript of the proclamation. Hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth. An acknowledgment that they have .received and hold their royal power from Ormuzd is universal on the part of all the Persian kings who have left inscriptions of any length; but they do not often indulge in such a hyperbole as this of Cyrus. Artaxerxes Ochus, however, calls himself “king of this world”. The mention of the “kingdoms of the earth” is appropriate, since Cyrus had not inherited his empire, but built it up by the conquest of a vast number of independent states (‘Herod.’ 1. passim). His earn feeling that God had in all cases given him the victory harmonizes with the statement of Isaiah in Isa 45:1. He hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem. The he is emphatic, and is expressed by in the Septuagint and ipse in the Vulgate. He himself, Jehovah-Elohim, has given it me in charge to build him a house. Most critics rightly explain by referring to Isa 44:28, and accepting the statement of Josephus (‘Ant. Jud.,’ Isa 11:1) that the passage was shown to Cyrus shortly after his capture of Babylon. He understood the prophecy as a command, and proceeded to obey it. Which is in Judah. The addition of this clause marks strongly the oblivion into which the ruined city had fallen. Apparently, it was necessary, to recall its situation to men’s minds by an express mention of the province whereof it had been the capital. Note the repetition of the clause in the next verse.
Ezr 1:3
Who (is there) among you of all his people? Cyrus does not limit his address to the Jews, or even to Judah and Benjamin, but extends it to the whole people of Jehovah, i.e. to all the tribes equally. Gozan and Media, to which the ten tribes had been transported by the Assyrian monarchs, were within his dominions no less than Babylonia. That many non-Jewish Israelites did return appears from 1Ch 9:3. His God be with him. A pious wish, almost a blessing, indicative of the deep religious feeling and great goodness of heart which characterized Cyrus alone of Persian monarchs. Among the Greeks, AEschylus, who first speaks of him, calls him kindly” or “gracious” (); Herodotus says he ruled his subjects like a father; Xenophon makes him a model prince; Plutarch observes that “in wisdom and virtue and greatness of soul he excelled all other kings;” Diodorus ascribes to him a remarkable power of self-command, together with good feeling and gentleness. The Latin writers, Cicero and others, add their meed of praise; and altogether it may be said that, so far as the evidence reaches, no nobler character appears in ancient history. The Scriptural notices, whether in this book or in Isaiah, are in remarkable accord. Let him go up. Jerusalem was on a much higher level than Babylon, and the travellers would consequently have to ascend considerably. And build the house. The “charge” to Cyrus did not require him to take a personal share in the building. He was simply to “say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid” (Isa 44:28). He is therefore content to assign the actual work to others. He is the God. The Septuagint and the Vulgate attach the last clause of the verse to these words, and render “He is the God who is in Jerusalem,” which greatly weakens the force of the expression. According to this punctuation, Cyrus makes Jehovah a mere local Deity; according to the far preferable arrangement of the A. V; he declares emphatically that Jehovah is the one true God, beside whom there is no other. Compare the very similar confession of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 6:26).
Ezr 1:4
Whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth. Literally correct; but the meaning is, “And with regard to all those who remain (of the captive people) in any part of the country where they have their temporary abode, let the men of his district help him with silver,” etc. Cyrus finishes his decree by calling upon his heathen subjects to come to the aid of the poorer Israelites, and assist them with money, cattle, and other commodities, in order that none may be hindered by poverty, or by the want of beasts of burthen, from joining the band of emigrants, and setting out on their return to Jerusalem. Again, the kindliness of his disposition is apparent. Beside the freewill offering. So the Septuagint; but the Vulgate has, “Except the freewill offering,” etc. The Septuagint and the A. V. are right. Cyrus means that money, cattle, and goods are to be made over to the poorer Israelites, in addition to any offering that might be intrusted to them for conveyance to Jerusalem, either by himself or by his subjects. Individually, he was about to send “a freewill offering,” consisting of a number of gold and silver vessels for the service of the temple. His words suggest that his subjects might follow this good example.
HOMILETICS
Ezr 1:1
The crisis.
The very first word of this book (literally “and,” Keil, Wordsworth, etc.) has its importance. It shows the book to be an additional and continuous portion of that most important of all histories, the history of the Jews. How large is the place of that history in the Bible, beginning at Gen 12:1-20. and hardly passing again to that of the Gentiles at Act 10:1-48. How interesting a story in itself! No people so favoured (Amo 3:2; Rom 3:1; Rom 11:28). No people so exalted (Exo 4:22; Jer 31:9; Joh 1:47). How important a story to us! So instructive (1Co 10:11, etc; etc.). So vital (Gen 12:1-3; Num 24:9, etc.). We are all the better or the worse for the lessons of the story of the Jewish people. This opening verse of Ezra introduces us to this singular people at a very important juncture, and relates, in connection with their history, a very momentous event.
I. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JUNCTURE. We find the people, e.g; in very great tribulation. They are under the rule of a stranger, counting the years of their history by the years of a “king of Persia.” This not so in former days (see 2Ch 34:8; 2Ch 35:19; and, as perhaps an instance of transition in this respect, Jer 52:12). We are thus pointed backward to the invasions of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, and to those three successive waves of desolation which came over the land under him. See 2Ch 36:6, 2Ch 36:7; Dan 1:1, Dan 1:2, for the first invasion, in the days of Jehoiakim or Eliakim, about 607 b.c. For the second, in the days of Jeconiah or Jehoiachin, about 599 b.c; see 2Ki 24:13; 2Ch 36:9, 2Ch 36:10. For the third, in the reign of Zedekiah, b.c. 588, see 2Ki 25:14; Jer 52:8. Some idea of the desolation thus caused in the land itself may be inferred from what is said in 2Ki 24:14, of only “the poorest sort of the people” remaining after the second incursion; and from what is said in Jer 42:2, after the third; as also from what we are told respecting the “few” mentioned there in Jer 43:5-7 No wonder we read the prophet lamenting, as in Lam 1:1; Lam 5:18. Awful indeed was that gray and silent Sabbath which had fallen on Judah’s cities and fields! As to the people thence carried away, equally desolate were their hearts. How grievous their reproach and “confusion of face” (Dan 9:7, Dan 9:8). How bitter their recollections (Lam 1:10; Lam 4:10, Lam 4:20, etc.). How inconsolable their anguish (Psa 137:4). Could any sorrow be worse (Lam 1:12; Dan 9:12)? At the precise moment, however, when our story begins there was a little light in this darkness. Some of the people evidently were in expectation of some change for the better. The name of the king mentioned seems to show this to begin. Also the fact of its being the “first year” of his reign. Now that he had come to the throne, what would he do? See, for evidence of the great interest elsewhere attached to this date, Dan 1:21, as compared with Dan 6:28 and Dan 10:1. How exceedingly natural is this interest if we believe Isa 41:25; Isa 44:28, etc; according to the best commentators, to be prophecies of this Cyrus by name! What a great turning-point in the history of the exile, his capture of Babylon, and subsequent coming to the throne. Another ground of great expectation at this juncture is also hinted at in the text. The prophecies of Jeremiah, a prophet whom many of the exiles may have heard for themselves, had foretold seventy years of sorrowful “rest” to the land (see Jer 25:12; Jer 29:10, compared with 2Ch 36:21, and Le 26:34, 35, 43). The end of those seventy years coincided with this first year of King Cyrus. There was one at least amongst the exiles who knew this “by books” (Dan 9:2). This same man had been the tried friend and chief adviser of the immediate predecessor of Cyrus (Dan 6:3, Dan 6:14, Dan 6:26), and had a deep thought and constant love for his people and land (Dan 6:10). From a man of such a character, and with such influence and knowledge, what might not be hoped for at such a time? And how exceedingly welcome, in such a condition of misery, would be any such hope!
II. The EVENT RELATED was quite in accordance with these natural expectations. While the people were thus anxiously listening, there came a sound on their ears. This new ruler had spoken; he had issued a proclamationno unimportant thing in itself. We do not expect kings to speak unless they have something to say. It was also, as they would soon learn (a more important point still), a proclamation about themselves. Further yet, it was made in two ways, each worthy of note. On the one hand, to make it public, it was made orally, by word of mouth, throughout all his kingdom, for the information of all who could hear (comp. Dan 3:4). On the other, to make it sure, it was “put in writing,” as a thing meant to abide (comp. Dan 6:8, Dan 6:10). How momentous, therefore, even thus far, the thing which had happened. It was a loud knocking at the door of their prison-house, whatever it meant. Observe, in conclusion
1. The fulness of God’s word. How much here (apparently) beneath the surface; viz; the prophecies of Isaiah; the influence of Daniel; also in the reference to the Sabbatical years, the legislation of Moses; and, finally, in the appearance of Cyrus as a predicted restorer and deliverer, the promise of Christ himself.
2. The consistency of God’s word. How many, how various, and from what widely-distant parts of it are the stones, as it were, thus brought together. Yet how admirably they fit together, and what a whole they compose.
3. The promptness of God’s mercy. Many centuries passed before God visited his people for their neglect of the Sabbatical years; but as soon as the seventy years of enforced compensatory rest are concluded, that moment his mercy shines forth. See this characteristic illustrated in the case of Israel (Gen 15:16; Exo 12:41). In the case of the world (Gal 4:4).
Ezr 1:2-4
The edict.
When the proclamation, which captive Israel had heard of with such interest and expectation, came to be examined, what was it found to contain? Besides a proper preamble, showing in whose name and by whose authority it was issued, three principal things; viz.,
1. a remarkable confession;
2. a satisfactory permission; and
3. a considerate command.
I. A REMARKABLE CONFESSION. A confession or acknowledgment
1. Of Jehovah’s existence. Cyrus, brought up as a worshipper of Ormuzd, begins his proclamation here by mentioning Jehovah by name.
2. Of Jehovah’s greatness. Jehovah the “God of heaven”so he goes on to describe himi.e. according to Persian usage (see Keil in loc.), the supreme God, the Most High. This the more remarkable because neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Darius before, nor Artaxerxes afterwards, when much impressed with the power of Jehovah the God of the Jews, speak of him in this way (comp. Dan 2:47; Dan 3:29; Dan 6:26; Ezr 7:15; also Ezr 6:12).
3. Of Jehovah’s goodness. “He has given me all the kingdoms of the earth.” How great a possession! how true a gift! This language very significant from the lips of a Persian king (comp. “By the grace of Ormuzd I am king,” as quoted in Lange on this passage).
4. Of Jehovah’s authority. “He hath charged me.” With all this authority laid upon me, I am under his authority still (comp. Mat 8:9). Cyrus speaks here of himself just as God had spoken before of Nebuchadnezzar (see Jer 25:9; Jer 27:6). And
5. Of Jehovah’s will. “He hath charged me to build him an house.” This is the special thing which he desires me to accomplish. Also a significant acknowledgment, if we suppose (and there is really no other supposition before us) that Cyrus understood the declarations of Isaiah respecting him (see above) to imply a charge of this kind. At the same time, with all that we know from other sources of the singular integrity of his character, and with all that we can infer from the Bible of his probable intimacy with and respect for Daniel, only a natural thing in his case. Who so likely as his prime minister Daniel to draw up this “king’s speech;” and if he drew it up, to commence it in this way? Certain it is that no beginning, taking it for all in all, could have been more full of hope and promise to the Jews.
II. A SATISFACTORY PERMISSION (verse 3).
1. Satisfactory as to its object. The great thing that Israel needed for their true restoration and deliverance from captivity was the restoration of Jehovah’s House. On the one hand, there could be no restoration of Israel without that of Jerusalem (see Psa 137:1, Psa 137:5, Psa 137:6; Dan 6:10; Dan 9:16), and no true restoration of Jerusalem without that of the Temple (see Psa 122:4, Psa 122:9, etc.). On the other hand, with Jerusalem and its Temple restored, and all Israel going up to its feasts, the whole people, even if in part dispersed, would still be one nation, one Church (comp. Act 26:7). This seems to have been the exact ideal of the post-captivity Church. Israel before the captivity was national, local, and centralized; identified with one race, one land, one house. The true Israel since Christ has been none of the three (Mat 28:19, Mat 28:20; Joh 4:21; 1Co 1:2; Gal 4:26). Israel in the intermediate centuries was in a kind of intermediate condition, still national and still centralized, but only local in partin part, on the contrary, becoming almost as much dispersed as the “Catholic” Church is itself (Act 2:5-11). In these intermediate centuries, therefore, the importance of the” house,” as a central bond by which to prevent the dispersion from ending in total obliteration, was almost greater than ever. Accordingly this whole book of Ezra has to do in the main with this question, and may be called, not inaptly, the Book of the Restoration of the House. Also the prophecies of Zechariah are greatly concerned with the same subject, and the prophecy of Haggai in particular does not speak of much else. This also is the great object of this permission of Cyrus: “Let him go up and build the house;” the great topic, in fact, of the whole proclamationbeing mentioned in some way in each verse. See, finally, how it is all summed up on a subsequent page: “Let the house be builded” (Ezr 6:3). In other words, “Let that be done which is needed the most.” So Cyrus speaks in this place.
2. The manner of the permission was equally satisfactory. It was very definite, being addressed, it seems, to all Israel, and yet to Israel alone, as was right (see beginning of verse 3). Contrast the Samaritans afterwards, who offered to help in building God’s house, though none of his people. It was very cordial. “Jehovah” (see 2Ch 36:23) “his God be with him, and let him go up.” Cyrus would not only have them go up, but go up with a blessing, such a blessing as he himself had already received. Compare the words of Jacob (Gen 48:16). It was very complete. Cyrus would have them “go,” or leave where they were (Isa 51:14); he would have them go up, or reach the place they desired (Psa 122:2); he would have them “go up and build,” i.e. do the very thing that was needed. What could he do more to show his goodwill?
III. The CONSIDERATE COMMAND which we have in verse 4 seems to answer this question. Besides saying “Be ye warmed and filled” (Jas 2:16), he “gave” to the Israelites in various ways what was “needed” in their case. He did so, partly, so we understand the words, by a tax. There were various places in his dominions where some of the “remnant” of Israel (“whosoever remaineth”: comp. Neh 1:2, etc.; Hag 2:3, etc.) were “sojourning” as strangers. In any such “place,” if any Israelites wished to go up, the men of that place were hereby commanded (the request of such a sovereign would be a special command) to assist them by their gifts. But this was not all. The king helped the Israelites also in their great undertaking by his personal gifts. So we understand those gifts distinguished as “freewill offerings,” and mentioned at the end of verse 4 (and again at end of verse 6) as being “beside.” Not improbably we find these afterwards partly specified in Ezr 6:3,
4. At any rate, we learn from that passage that the king did give of “his own.” Both by his people, therefore, and by himself he did what he could. So far as a mere proclamation could do such a thing, he not only permitted, he enabled them to go up. In this proclamation, as thus understood, may we not see a picture of that great declaration of liberty to the captives (Luk 4:18), the gospel of Christ Jesus? How many the points of resemblance. How “definite” its language. “Whosoever will, let him come” (Rev 22:17). How “cordial” its invitations. “I will in no wise cast out” (Joh 6:37). How “complete” its provisions (Joh 4:14; Col 2:10, etc; etc.). How ample and “considerate” its gifts, God Almighty both, as it were, taxing the whole world for the benefit of his true servants (Rom 8:28; 1Co 3:21, 1Co 3:22), and also being pleased to give them indeed of” his own” (Joh 3:16; Rom 8:32).
NOTE.It is interesting to observe how the intermediate condition of Israel or the Church in the “fourteen generations” between Salathiel and Christ (Mat 1:17), as above noted, by leading to the establishment of synagogues throughout the Roman world, prepared for the subsequent founding of the New Testament Church or Israel. See, inter alia, how the synagogues are mentioned in Act 9:2, Act 9:20; Act 13:5, Act 13:14, etc.; Act 14:1; Act 16:13 (the Proseucha); Act 17:1, Act 17:2 (as his manner was), 10, 17; Act 18:4; Act 19:8, etc; etc. The effect also of so many thousand Jews coming up to Jerusalem at the time of Christ’s death (the Passover) and at the descent of the Spirit (the Pentecost) should be considered in this connection.
HOMILIES BY J.A. MACDONALD
Ezr 1:1
The sovereignty of God.
Dualities are everywhere seen. Amongst these are things passive and active; things ruled over and things ruling. The mechanical heavens are active and rule the passive earth. In animated nature rulers and subjects are individualized; most remarkably so in the kingdom of men. Passing into the spiritual world, we still find order and rule; “principalities and powers in the heavenlies”amongst angels of light, also amongst angels of darkness. But behind all these sovereignties and over them is the glorious sovereignty of God.
I. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD IS ALL–CONTROLLING.
1. “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.”
(1) This he did by means. Josephus says that Cyrus was shown the places in Isaiah where he was mentioned by name and his exploits indicated about a century before he was born (see Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1-5). Possibly Daniel, who was in Babylon when Cyrus entered it, and the fame of whose wisdom was far-reaching, may have pointed them out to him.
(2) By his Spirit God made the means he employed effective. “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.” “He can turn the hearts of princes as the rivers of the south.” Means are ineffectual without his blessing. That blessing should be sought upon all our undertakings.
2. By means of Cyrus God moved the Persian empire.
(1) The royal edict was issued.
(2) It was vocally proclaimed. Hebrews, caused a voice to pass, etc. This form of proclamation is for the multitude. For the multitude God causes his gospel to be preached.
(3) It was also written. This was for the magistrates. Also for reference. The word of the truth of the gospel is also written. This fixes its certainty.
3. The sequel shows how cordial was the response. As the exodus from Egypt was a figure of the emancipation of the believer in Christ from the bondage of sin, so was the return from the captivity of Babylon.
II. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD IS ALL–PERVADING.
1. He rules the world according to a grand plan.
(1) This fact is seen in the Scriptures of prophecy. Broad outlines of future history of the world drawn (see for example Gen 9:25-27). Here consider “the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah” (see Jer 25:12; Jer 29:10).
(2) Further seen in the conversion of prophecy into history. Examples abound. Example before us in the restoration of Judah from the captivity of Babylon. The time was “in the first year of Cyrus.” This was b.c. 536. Add to this the seventy years of Jeremiah’s prophecy, and we have the year b.c. 606, the very year in which “Nebuchadnezzar carried Jehoiakim and the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon (see 2Ch 36:6, 2Ch 36:7).
2. The plan of Providence includes the means to be employed for the accomplishment of his purposes.
(1) Stirs up the spirits of men to study his word (see Dan 9:2). Stirred up the spirit of Cyrus also. Daniel was stirred up to pray; Cyrus, to act. It is God’s order that his people should pray for their blessings (see Eze 36:37). There is often a connection between the prayers of the good and the better actions of the wicked.
1. Learn that there is no such thing as chance.
(1) Afflictions do not spring out of the dust.
(2) See the hand of God in our deliverances.
2. Learn that providences are often retributive.
(1) The seventy years of captivity were in retribution for seventy sabbatic years in which selfishness refused the land her rest, and consequently the poor their privileges (comp. Le 25:1-6, and 2Ch 36:21).
(2) If we open our eyes we may see the operation of retributive providences every day. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”J. A. M.
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
Ezr 1:1-4, Ezr 1:7-11
The wide reach of the rule of God.
We are accustomed to pray that the kingdom of God may come; we desire, and therefore ask, that men may offer themselves in willing subjection to the service of their Divine Sovereign. For this we must labour and pray, and always shall do so the more earnestly as we ourselves are the more unreservedly subject to his benign and gracious rule. Meantime there is a sense in which God’s rule is a present thing. The kingdom of God is among us; the arms of his power are around us; the hand of his skill is directing our affairs. And this rule of the Supreme is wider than some suppose; its reach is far beyond the thought of many, perhaps of most of us. These verses will suggest to us how far it goes.
I. FURTHER THAN THE CHURCH IS APT TO THINK. “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus,” etc. “The Lord God of heaven hath charged me” (Cyrus) (Ezr 1:1-4). The Jewish Church was slow to believe that God had much to do with any nation beside Israel. Jehovah was, in their thought, the God of Abraham and of his seed in a very distinctive if not positively exclusive sense. His action on those outside the sacred pale was, they popularly imagined, to punish or subdue rather than to control or rule them. They did not expect him to manifest himself to “the uncircumcised,” or to use them in his service. But he was governing those outside nations, and he did act upon others than the children of the faithful. He who inspired Balaam to utter those exquisite words of poetic prophecy (Num 23:1-30; Num 24:1-25. ) now “stirs up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia;” makes this heathen monarch “his shepherd, performing his pleasure” (Isa 44:28); calls him his “anointed one whose right hand he has holden” (strengthened) (Isa 45:1), and constrains him to render signal service to his people which had great and enduring issues. The Christian Church is slow to believe that the hand of God is at the helm of all national and international affairs, and that he lays that hand of Divine power and wisdom upon men and things whether these be counted among his own servants or not. “Upon whom doth not this light arise?” It was by his all-wise direction that Greece prepared her thought and her language, and Rome her highways for the gospel in the “fulness of times.” We know not to whom God is speaking, or whose hand he is guiding, in civilized or savage lands, but we may be sure that he is where we do not suspect his Presence, and is acting through men we should not have ranked among his servants, as the end will one day show. “His kingdom ruleth over all.”
II. FURTHER THAN THE WORLD SUPPOSES (Ezr 1:2). We smile now as we read that Cyrus imagined that God had given him “all the kingdoms of the earth” (Ezr 1:2). The heathen monarch little dreamt what God was doing elsewhere, and what strong workmen he had in other spheres that were outworking his holy will, his gracious and redeeming purposes. Little does the world know, greatly does it under-estimate, the work which God is doing in the midst of it.
III. FURTHER IN INDIVIDUAL MEN THAN THEY ARE THEMSELVES AWARE. Cyrus did not know what use the Lord was making of him. “I girded thee, though thou hast not known me” (Isa 45:5). The Persian king could not foresee that God was inducing him to take a step which should have not only wide and lasting, but worldwide and everlasting, issues and influences. God may be prompting us to take stepsas he has with many since the days of Cyruswhich, when taken, will lead on to the most happy and fruitful consequences, stretching on far into the future, reaching wide over land and sea.
IV. THROUGH THE HEART AND MIND TO THE HAND OF MEN (Ezr 1:3, Ezr 1:4, Ezr 1:7-11). God so acted on Cyrus that that king was
(a) inclined in his heart to take the generous course of liberating the Israelites and causing the temple to be rebuilt. It was generous on his part, for he was thus denuding his country of many of his most industrious and skilful subjects, and he was acting on behalf of a religion somewhat different from his own. And, thus disposed, he
(b) took every necessary and desirable step for its thorough execution. He
(1) issued a proclamation, which he put into writing, authorising all Jews in his kingdom to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord (Ezr 1:2, Ezr 1:3);
(2) invited his subjects to aid the Israelites with money, cattle, and other valuable gifts (Ezr 1:4); and
(3) restored the sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem (Ezr 1:7-11).
God may use us whether we know it or not, whether we will or not. He may employ us in his service even if, like Cyrus, we have a very partial knowledge of his will, and some inclination to do it, though we are not fully and wholly on his side. We may be, as many among the heathen have been, instruments in his hand. But how much better to be, as Ezra and Nehemiah were, agents of his, deliberately opening our minds to his truth, fixedly and finally yielding our hearts and lives to his service, consciously and rejoicingly working with him in his beneficent design. It is only such co-workers that will win his final acceptance and, hearing his “well done,” enter into his glory.C.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Ver. 1. Cyrus Concerning Cyrus, see Isa 44:28. It is probable, that this decree of Cyrus in favour of the Jews was in a great measure owing to the good offices of Daniel. Cyrus, at his first coming to Babylon, found him there, an old minister of state, famed over all the east for his great wisdom; and accordingly we find, that he not only employed him as such; but, upon settling the government, made him first superintendant, or prime minister of state, over all the provinces of the empire. In this station of life, Daniel must have been a person of great authority at court, and highly in the esteem of his prince; and it is not improbable, that he might shew him the passages in Isaiah referring to him; for it is evident from the decree itself, that Cyrus had seen those prophesies.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

PART FIRST
The Temple as the Place of the Lord. (Period previous to Ezra)
Chaps. 16
FIRST SECTION
The Most Important Fundamental Facts
Ezra 1, 2
A.THE DECREE OF CYRUSTHE DEPARTURE FROM BABYLONTHE RESTITUTION OF THE SACRED VESSELS
Ezr 1:1-11
I. The Decree of Cyrus. Ezr 1:1-4
1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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, 2Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a 3 house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the free-will offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
II. The Departure from Babylon. Ezr 1:5-6
5Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. 6And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
III. The Restitution of the Vessels of the Temple Ezr 1:7-11
7Also 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; 8Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of 9Judah. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand 10chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, Thirty basins of gold, silver basins of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Shesh bazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Ezr 1:1-4. The decree of Cyrus placed here at the beginning constituted the basis of all that followed, first of all, of the re-establishment of the temple and the renewal of the congregation. And although this decree was issued by a heathen prince, it yet involved a great act of fulfillment on the part of the Lord. It is manifest from the first verse that the Lord was there present and acting to fulfil His word.
Ezr 1:1. And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia.The (and), which under other circumstances might be deemed unimportant, here, in view of 2Ch 36:22, connects the subsequent re-establishment with the previous destruction. The first year of Cyrus naturally refers to that first year, in which he began to come into consideration as ruler with reference to the Jews, that is, over Babylon, and indeed not mediately, as the sovereign of Darius the Mede, in view of Dan 6:1, but immediately. It was the year 536 B. C.[Rawlinson contends that by the first year of Cyrus is to be understood his first year at Babylon, which was the first year of his sovereignty over the Jews. This was B. C. 538.Tr.] corresponds with the old Persian kurus, the Greek , and is perhaps connected with kurus the name of prince in ancient India [and the kuru race, according to Rawlinson, who also thinks that the Masoretic pointing is incorrect for .Tr.].Vid. Delitzsch, Com., Isa 44:28. (in the best editions with pathah under resh, for which we have qametz in strong pause, as with silluq, Ezr 4:3) is in the cuneiform inscriptions Paraa, in the native dialect Para, vid. Schrader, Keilinschriften, S. 244 [Rawlinson, Appendix to Com. on Persian words in Ezra.Tr.].That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. would generally be rendered: in order that it might be completed. The subject would then be properly regarded as the period of seventy years which the divine word had determined (so Berth, and Keil); yet as this is not the subject, but rather the word of the Lord itself, we are compelled to render: in order that it might be fulfilled. means properly to be ready, and thence, on the one side, to be finished, e. g. Exo 39:32, especially of buildings, as of the temple, 1Ki 6:38, but likewise of predicted events, Dan 12:7; in the Piel, to finish, 1Ki 7:1 sq.; in Pual, to be completed, Gen 2:1; on the other side, to pass away. Taking it thus, is essentially the same as , which is used as its synonym, 2Ch 36:21 (Vulg. ut compleretur), although this term rests on a different idea. The word of God is not as with to be regarded as a measure to be filled full, but as the vital beginning of that which is to be carried out.That our author, as well as the author of Dan 9:1, brings into consideration above all the prophecy of Jer 25:11 sq. and Jer 29:10, not that of Isa 41:2-4; Isa 41:25; Isa 44:24-28; Isa 45:1-6; Isa 45:13; Isa 46:11; Isa 48:13-15, is to be explained from the fact that he is concerned, as we see from 2Ch 36:21, not merely with the deliverance after the exile, but likewise with the time of that deliverance, that is, with its beginning, after the expiration of the seventy years of the exile, which is foretold in Jeremiah alone. Besides the prophecies of Jeremiah were the more popular as they were older and more fundamental.1 The seventy years of the exile, to the first year of Cyrus, can only be made out by going back to the first beginning of all the Chaldean wars, conquests and captivities of Israelthat is, to the victory of Nebuchadnezzar over PharaohNecho at Carchemish in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, 606 B. C. [Rawlinson and Smith both make the date 605 B. C. The former contends that seventy is a round number sufficiently fulfilled by sixty-eight years, which he makes between 605 and 538.Tr.], when Jeremiah first uttered the prophecy under consideration. (comp. Jer 25:1 sq. and Jer 46:1). We are fully justified in doing this, as is now again generally recognized. That already in the fourth year of Jehoiakim there was really a conquest of Jerusalem and a carrying into captivity of Jews of the principal families, is shown not only by the fact that this year had to Jeremiah the significance of an important crisis, comp. Ezra 25, not only, moreover, from the statement, 2 Kings 26:1, that Nebuchadnezzar made a first expedition against Jehoiakim, and then reduced him to submission for a long time, but likewise from the combination of very definite historical statements. Here belongs especially the remark of Jer 46:2, that Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho in the fourth year of Jehoiakim at Carchemish, and in connection therewith the account of Berosus, that he pursued the Egyptians in conquest into their own land, and then when the account of the death of his father recalled him, had carried away captive the Jews among other nations. Besides, 2Ch 36:6 may be adduced as an evidence of this fact (with Bertheau), since the account there manifestly taken from ancient sources, that Nebuchadnezzar had ordered Jehoiakim to be bound with an iron chain, in order to bring him to Babylon, cannot be referred to the last campaign against Jehoiakim, in which he perished in his native land, but only to a previous expedition. The fact that Jeremiah makes no mention of a capture of Jerusalem in the fourth year of Jehoiakim cannot count for the contrary opinion; for Jeremiah touches upon the history of Jerusalem only in so far as it determined his own history; and there is no more importance to be given to the fact that Jeremiah, Jer 36:9 sq., caused to be read in the fifth year of Jehoiakim and the ninth month a prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar would come and destroy the land. Jehoiakim was ever thinking of rebellion, and the people were of like spirit, and would not believe that ruin actually threatened them from the Chaldeans. They were therefore still in especial need of such a threatening, even if the misfortune had already begun. It might also under these very circumstances be as unwelcome to them as it appears from Jer 36:11 sq. In contrast with their hopes and efforts it was certainly the most undesirable (against Bhr on 2Ki 24:1). At that time they held a fast, and that they thereby would lament a misfortune already suffered, and not merely avert one that was to be feared, is in connection with the false security so natural to them, and their effort to suppress those gloomy thoughts that were anywhere about to have vent, is at least highly probable.The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.This does not mean that Cyrus was influenced in the same way as were the prophets, upon whom, with their greater susceptibility, the Spirit of the Lord came; but yet an influence in consequence of which Cyrus made the will of God his own will, and executed it in the things under consideration. God gave him the resolution and the desire to execute His intention, comp. 1Ch 5:26; 2Ch 21:16; Hag 1:14 sq. That the Lord at this time chose a heathen, and indeed the ruler of a heathen empire, as His instrument, was in accordance with the new position that the empires of the world were henceforth to assume with reference to the kingdom of God.He made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also (made known) by writing. Usually means to cause to be made known through heralds, comp. Ezr 10:7; Neh 8:15; 2Ch 30:5; Exo 36:6; that it is to be taken here in the same sense is clear from the use of before , which is thus adjoined in zeugma, so that we must supply a new verb with a general meaning, such as he made known.
Ezr 1:2. The decree of Cyrus immediately following was not merely designed for the Jews; accordingly was by no means merely to be communicated to them secretly; but, according to Ezr 1:4, it was directed to all the subjects of the Persian empire. All the more striking therefore is the open confession of Jehovah, which Cyrus makes at the very beginning.All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah the God of heaven given me, and He hath charged me to build Him a house.We are not therefore to suppose that the author simply imputed to Cyrus the acknowledgment of Jehovah or indeed that he altogether invented this entire edict. Chapter Ezr 5:17; Ezr 6:3 suffice to disprove this supposition. It is not to be supposed, indeed, that Cyrus spake in his edict of Jehovah as the God of heaven who had given him the lands; for his subjects would have regarded it as an apostasy from the Persian religion, which might have been fatal to him; moreover such a thing would be without any analogy.2 Against this view there cannot be cited the case of that king of Hamath who in the inscription of Sargon at Khorsebad and Nimrud is called Jahubihd, in another inscription however Ilubihd who thus seems not only to have employed the name of El., but likewise of Jehovah. Comp. Schrader, l. c., S. 3 sq. Without doubt the Persians had an entirely different self-consciousness from the Syrians, who as a matter of course were much more closely related to the Israelites. Notwithstanding this, however, it is clear from the fact of the edict itself and the dismission of the Jews, that Cyrus tolerated the religion of Jehovah, at least as much as so many others in his wide realm, yea we may certainly conclude therefrom that he favored it. He would not only have Jehovah recognised as a God alongside of other gods; for such a polytheistic syncretism would have accorded but little with the strong monotheistic bent of the Persian religion, and would still less accord with that recognition of Jehovah which is declared in the decree before us. Cyrus might very well have regarded the Jewish religion as a method of worshipping the highest God, which deserved a preference above many other sensuous conceptions of the Deity. He might have seen in Jehovah, so to speak, only another name for Ahura mazda, and might have been so much the more inclined to this conception, as the Persians had an idea of God which in itself was purer than that of other nations, which has been obscured for the first time by more sensuous religious elements, pressing in upon them from Media and the West. Comp. Dllinger, Heidenthum und Judenthum, S. 351 sq. [also Rawlinsons Ancient Monarchies, III., p. 97]. A good impression in this respect might have been made upon him by the fact that his conquest of Babylon had been very desirable to the Jews, yea that they had placed their hopes at once in him as their deliverer. It is then but probable that they made their disposition and expectations known to him, and if they laid before him, as Josephus (Arch. IX., i. 7) informs us, at once likewise the prophecies referring to him in Isa 41:2-4; Isa 41:25 sq.; Isa 44:24-28; Isa 45:1 sq., this must have given him a very favorable disposition towards them. Moreover, as Cyrus recognised in the Jewish God, so might the Jews easily find in the Persian God one closely related to their own, yea identical with Him. Without regard to the fact that the divine name Ahura = asura, from as = esse, to a certain extent coincides with (compare Bttcher, Rudimenta mythologi semitic, spec. I.), the Zoroastrian religion was nearer to the religion of Jehovah than any other, and it is very remarkable that it is predicted in Isa 41:25; Isa 45:3, not only that Cyrus will call upon and proclaim the name of the Lord; that he will recognise Jehovah as the one who has chosen him, but likewise that he will be a mighty instrument in the hand of the Lord for overcoming the respect of the Chaldean gods. In fact, since Cyrus and the establishment of the Persian empire, the temptation to the rude worship of idols has declined as never before, not only in Israel, but likewise there gradually came over the other nations, even over the Greeks and Romans from that time forth more and more a spirit of enlightenment that certainly paved the way for the agency of the second great instrument of God, the servant of the Lord foretold in Isaiah 42.The introduction given by Cyrus to his decree: all the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah the God of heaven given me, and hath charged me with building him a house in Jerusalem, corresponds with the beginnings of the proclamations of the Persian kings, as they are preserved to us in the cuneiform inscriptions. These likewise frequently begin with the confession that they owe their dominion to the highest God, the creator of heaven and earth. (Comp. I assen, Die altpersischen Keilinschriften, Bonn, 1836, S. 172; and more recently Joach. Menant, Expose des elements de la grammaire Assyrienne, Par., 1868, p. 302 sq., according to whom the trilingual inscription of Elvend begins thus: deus magnus Ara-mazda, qui maximus deorum, qui hanc terram creavit, qui hoc clum creavit, qui homines creavit, qui potentiam (?) dedit hominibus, qui Xerxem regem fecit, etc. [Also Rawlinsons Monarchies, III., 348, and his Com. on Ezra, where he gives the inscription of Darius: The great God, Ormazd, who is the chief of the gods; he established Darius as king; he granted him the empire; by the grace of Ormazd is Darius king.Tr.]). The words: all the kingdoms of the earth are explained from the wide extent of the Persian empire. When Cyrus conquered Babylon, he had already subjugated to himself almost the entire eastern Asia, even to the Indian Ocean (according to Berosus in Joseph, c. Ap.). Afterwards he pressed southward also, and entered even into Egypt and Ethiopia. The words of Cyrus: He hath charged me to build Him a house, would be possible and justified even if he had merely felt himself charged by circumstances to build the temple at Jerusalem, but is still better explained if the Jews, as Josephus, l. c., says, laid before him Isa 44:24; Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1 sq. [So also Rawlinson, who says: It is a reasonable conjecture that, on the capture of Babylon, Cyrus was brought into personal contact with Daniel, and that his attention was drawn by that prophet to the prophecy of Isaiah.Cyrus probably accepted this prophecy as a charge to rebuild the temple. Keil also refers to Daniel 6., which states that Darius the Mede made Daniel one of the three presidents of the one hundred and twenty satraps of the empire, and valued him greatly at court.Tr.]. J. H. Michaelis therefore explains the passage thus: mandavit mihi, nimirum dudum ante per Jesaiam, cap. Isa 44:24-28; Isa 45:1-13. The reference to these prophecies is all the more apparent since there, as well as here, the same fundamental fact is so strongly and repeatedly emphasized, namely, that the Lord gave to him the kingdoms of the earth, comp. especially Isa 41:2-3; Isa 41:25; Isa 45:1 sq. Comp. A. F. Kleinert, Ueber die Echtheit smmtacher in dem Buch Jesaia enthaltenem Weissagungen, Berlin, 1829.
Ezr 1:3. Cyrus would first call upon the Jews, but yet turn to all his subjects with his address; because he had something to say to those also who were not Jews, but were dwelling with the Jews.Who among you, of all His people, etc. With all the people of Jehovah he also properly includes the descendants of the ten tribes. Yet these seem not to have been thought of, nor does it seem that any important element of them made use of the permission of Cyrus. The blessing:His God be with himthus emphatic in position, shows that that which follows is not so much command as permission, as if he would say: His God be with him should he go up and build. Besides, this wish involves not only the permission to build the temple, but at the same time the consent to all that was necessarily connected therewith, especially the emigration to Palestine.3 The additional clause, He is the God who is at Jerusalem, which would give the motive for building the temple of Jehovah, does not mean that Jehovah is present only in Jerusalem, and only has power in Canaan, for Cyrus has already ascribed to Him the power over the kingdoms of the earthbut it simply expresses the idea that. He has chosen Jerusalem, above all other places, as the holy place which He would have distinguished for His worship. [Compare the confession of Darius, Dan 6:26, He is the living God.Tr.]
Ezr 1:4. And as for every one of the survivors, let the people of his place assist him, etc.The heathen, on their part, are to assist. , is accusative absolute, placed before for emphasis. The designation of the exiles as survivors, properly those left over, is connected with the thought of the great and severe judgments that had overtaken Israel, and is found therefore especially among the Israelites themselves, comp. Neh 1:2 sq.; Hag 2:3 sq. This thought, however, was natural enough even for the heathen. The words: From all the places where he sojourneth, can only be connected with the subsequent clause. The Piel here means to assist, as in 1Ki 9:11, etc.With silver and with gold, and with goods (here perhaps clothing or tents) they are to enable the departing to emigrate.Besides the free-will offering. This was something additional ( comp. Ezr 1:6) to the gifts, by which they were to contribute directly to the building of the house of God. Comp. Ezr 8:25; Exo 35:29; Lev 22:25. [Rawlinson regards the free-will offering as that of Cyrus himself.Tr.]
Ezr 1:5. The permission to march to Jerusalem was made use of by the heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites.We are to conclude as a matter of course that with the heads of the fathers4 the fathers themselves set out, and with the fathers their families; that is, that the divisions of a higher and lower degree accompanied their heads. But it does not mean that all of the heads of the three tribes mentioned set out, but all whose spirit God had raised.It certainly must have been the most of them, otherwise it would not have been said so distinctly the heads of the fathers. The simple (to be distinguished from , Ezr 7:28) does not serve, in enumerations, to add in a short and summary way all the others, which have not yet been mentioned, as if the meaning were that besides the heads there were others also who set out (Berth. [A. V.]), but it adds to that which has been already said a still closer definition, which is important to the context, (comp. Neh 11:2; 1Ch 13:1; 2Ch 5:12), so that it corresponds with our namely, that is [Ew. 310 a]. properly here, as elsewhere, indicates the belonging to a class or kind. The author has then, in a manner peculiar to himself, subordinated the following relative clause to the without . God must awake the spirit of those who would ascend, that is, must make them willing (comp. Ezr 1:1); for the return home was not a matter that required no consideration. Their native land lay either desolate or occupied with heathen and barbarous nations. Great dangers threatened the little nation, that would put itself in opposition with the inhabitants and indeed severe tasks awaited them. In Babylon, on the other hand, their circumstances had become such that they could very well endure them, yea, they were favorable, as we can see from Isa 56:11-12, hence . (Many remained behind in Babylon, unwilling to relinquish their property (Joseph. Arch.XI. 1, 1).
Ezr 1:6. All they that were about them.The call to assist the returning exiles was obeyed and their neighbors, who certainly included the Israelites, who remained behind, who if they had means, would especially contribute with liberality (comp. Zec 6:9) in order to a certain extent to make up for what they seemed to neglect by their remaining behind. But there were surely heathen, also, whom Cyrus had chiefly in view, under the supposition that the Israelites could not let his permission go by without using it. The example of the king and his exhortation must have already made them willing, but there were certainly here and there some who were influenced by their friendly relations to the departing. means, like first of all to take by the hand, in order to hold or support (Berth., Keil), then passes over as the German jemanadem unter die Arme greifen, immediately to the meaning assist (although he construction with is against a full equivalence of the expression with the frequentlyoccurring ) as is clear from the context, which demands the meaning, assist, the before the following noun , and the corresponding to it in Ezr 1:4Besides all that was willingly offered. is here connected with , (which properly would have sufficed by itself), for the usual Gen 32:12. Comp. Exo 12:37; Num 29:39. after is certainly to be taken as neuter. which is closely connected with the foregoing must have supplied not only , but also the subject what he, namely, the giver, gave as an offering. means properly to act freely, is frequently used in this sense by our author, so likewise here to give freely, comp. 1Ch 29:9; Ezr 2:68; Ezr 3:5, and indeed in the liturgical sense give for the temple, to a certain extent as an offering, . Comp. Ezr 1:4.
Ezr 1:7-11. It was Cyrus himself who especially helped the returning exiles by bestowing upon them the vessels that had been plundered from the temple. These vessels might have been taken away by Nebuchadnezzar, at the very first capture of Jerusalem in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, comp. 2Ch 36:7; Dan 1:2. That nothing of the kind is mentioned either in 2 Kings 24, or by Jeremiah, is explained naturally from the fact that in general so little is expressly said with reference to that first campaign of Nebuchadnezzar. When Jehoiachin (Jechoniah) was carried away captive, there was certainly a plundering of the temple, and that seemed more worthy of mention, 2Ki 24:13; Jer 27:16; Jer 28:1 sq.; whilst it is expressly said, 2Ki 24:13, that Nebuchadnezzar at this time brake off the gold of the vessels, which seems to indicate that there were no longer vessels of massive gold, but merely vessels overlaid with gold. When Zedekiah was set aside by the governor of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan (2Ki 25:13 sq.; Jer 52:18 sq.), the vessels remaining were mostly of brass.
Ezr 1:8. Cyrus delivered over the vessels by the hand of the treasurer Mithredates.5, that is, so that he had at the same time to take them in his hands to inspect them, to recognize them as the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem, accordingly under his supervision. Comp. Ezr 8:33; Est 6:9. is the Zend gazabara, treasurer, whilst the other form, pl. Dan 3:2-3, corresponds with the old Persian gada–bara (gaint bara, modern Persian geng war) from gada or ganda. Comp. Keil, Dan. 5:36, Anm. 1.Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, to whom Mithredates counted out the vessels, meets us again in the Chaldee passage, Ezr 5:14; Ezr 5:16, and indeed as pecha or governor of the new community in Judea, who laid the foundation of the new temple, so that without question he is identical with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:2; Ezr 3:8; Ezr 4:3) the son of Shealtiel (Ezr 3:2; Ezr 3:8; Ezr 5:2; Hag 1:1, etc., comp. also Mat 1:12; Luk 3:27), who, 1Ch 3:19, is likewise a son of Pedaiah, a brother of Shealtiel, and belongs to the family of Daniel. Alongside of the more Chaldee name of Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel was used as a more Hebrew name. The latter occurs even in the Chaldee part of the book, Ezr 5:2. In the same way Daniel and his three companions had with their Chaldee names, which they received when they entered into the service of the king of Babylon, likewise Hebrew names, Dan 1:7. The meaning of Sheshbazzar is still more uncertain than that of Zerubbabel. Not even the pronunciation of the word is certain. The Alex. version has, in most accordance with the Masoretic form , but likewise , and . The latter form is found in accordance with the best MSS. Esdras, where the reading alongside of it is .
Ezr 1:9. In the enumeration of the vessels their names, as well as their numbers, afford difficulties. Instead of the usual names for temple vessels, others are chosen here, perhaps, because they were preferred as more comprehensive and popular terms. The detailed numbers do not correspond with the sum total in Ezr 1:11. Thirty golden and one thousand silver were numbered first of all, according to the Alex. version (wine coolers), Ezr 2:11,, cups for drink-offerings, according to the interpretation of the Talmud in Aben Ezra from to collect, and , lamb, vessels for collecting the blood of lambs, which is certainly untenable. Probably we have in the Arabic kirtallat, Syriac kartolo, Greek , the same term, accordingly a basket coming to a point below (see Suidas). The twenty-nine which follow, are judged according to their small number merely a subordinate kind of the preceding, which differed from them in some special kind of decoration or arrangements, thus not cultri, sacrificial knives (Vulg.), according to rabbinical interpretation, from to penetrate, to cut in two, but rather according to = braids, Jdg 16:13; Jdg 16:19, adorned with net work (Ew.) or provided with holes above, designed for incense (Berth.), or likewise from in Piel and Hiph. to change, sacrificial dishes serving for the pouring out of the blood of the sacrifices.
Ezr 1:10. The thirty golden cups (properly covered vessels, 1Ch 28:17) are followed by silver ones in parallelism with verse 9. has been taken by the ancient and more recent interpreters as an adjective in the sense of secundarii, as if the silver cups were thereby compared with the golden as expressive of a less good, merely second sort and quality. Since this closer definition seems strange and at any rate superfluous, it is more appropriate to suppose that (pointing it, as it were, as a Piel participle) designates a subordinate kind of cups, corresponding with the in the previous ver. and with essentially the same meaning, which likewise served for pouring out; or it has arisen from a numeral, perhaps (Ezr 2:12), so that not 410 but 2410 silver cups were returned. If we find a subordinate sort indicated by , then the number must be supplied to the previous principal sort. Of the subordinate sort there were 410, and of other vessels 1,000 more.
Ezr 1:11. The sum total, 5400, is more than double the detailed numbers given in our text of the 9th and 10th verses, 2499, and can only be made out by conjecturing the number of the silver cups as 1000 or 2000. If we supply 2000, the sum total of 4499 results, thus in round numbers 4500, and it is possible this may be the correct sum, arisen from 5400 by transposition of numbers. But at any rate the LXX. already favored the text, as we have it, and Esdras which has 1000 golden and 1000 silver ; 29 silver , 30 golden, and 2410 silver , and 1000 other vessels, in all 5469, has ventured to conjecture, in order to reach the sum total in some measure. [So Keil, but Ewald, Gesch. IV. p. 88, Bertheau et al. more properly find the key to the difficulty in Esdras.Tr.]. It is however possible that the author, as J. H. Michaelis asserts against Clericus, passed over many subordinate vessels in the detail, but in the sum-total has taken them all into consideration. [Rawlinson thinks the sum-total in our passage a corruption.Tr.].All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with (or at) the bringing up of the captives.( is the infin. Niph. with passive meaning as in Jer 37:12). This statement passes over lightly the long and difficult journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. It is possible that the documents used by our author, contained something more on this subject. But the author himself has hardly given anything more that has been lost, but he hastens to his proper topic, to come to the building of the temple in Jerusalem. In Ezr 5:1-6 some verses are found respecting the journey of those who returned under Darius. Darius sent with them 1000 cavalry, in order to bring them in peace to Jerusalem, with musical instruments, with kettledrums and flutes, and all their brethren played, etc. Fritzsch and Bertheau are of the opinion that these verses were taken from a Hebrew original and conjecture that they originally stood in our book of Ezra, and referred to the return under Cyrus. But their contents are so cheerful that we have no reason for finding any greater authority for them than that afforded by 1Ch 13:8, and similar passages.
THOUGHTS UPON THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION
Ezr 1:1. That it might be fulfilled.This chapter contains nothing less than the beginning of the fulfilment of all the great and glorious prophecies with which the prophets before the exile brightened the gloomy night of the severe judgments of Godthe dawning light of the grace of God in all its greatness, that would re-awaken the people of God from death and the grave, and enable them to live a new and glorious lifethe glorious liberty of the children of God in the fullest and highest sense. What a great revolution of affairs was now to be expected! What a fulness of salvation after the night of misfortunethe entire extent of Messianic redemption! The beginnings were very small, very insignificant. There was no king to rule in strength out of Zion and conquer the world, to restore the ancient theocracy in the political sense, if it were only in the old proportions, not to speak of greater proportions and a more complete form. There were no people, great and strong, of their own increase in numbers, breaking through their boundaries and imparting themselves to the world (comp. Mic 2:12-13). There was no territory, broad and free, yea, not even a little piece of land, that the people could really call their own, on which they could really feel that they were free. In other cases, when the Lord had redeemed His people from severe afflictions, or had intended to produce a new and better beginning of their development, He had awakened from their midst an instrument endued with an especial fulness of the Spirit and power. But now even this failed them. It was the heathen king whom He used as His instrument. Moreover not the people as such, but only a small portion of them, were permitted to re-people Jerusalem. The reorganization of a political commonwealth was not allowed, but only the re-establishment of the temple and its worship. Instead of a people, who might have organized and vindicated themselves as such, there could now only be a religious congregation in Jerusalem and Judah. Faith in Gods faithfulness and truth, in Israels lofty destiny and future glory, so far as it at all existed, or was about to awaken afresh, was now once more put to a severe test, even when its confirmation seemed to be in prospect. But if the Lord had so often and so long been obliged to wait until Israel turned in repentance to Him, how unreasonable and presumptuous would it have been, if now Israel had been unwilling likewise to wait and see whether the Lord would yet again turn in grace to them. The Lord was obliged to have such extraordinary patience with men, that men, if they knew themselves even to a very limited extent, could never find reason or justice in being impatient with the Lord. Besides it was very well calculated for those who were to be placed on a higher stand-point and have the eyes of their faith made more sensitive, and certainly for those who came after them, who might look over these small beginnings, in connection with their results, because of its very insignificance, to enable them to foresee, or at least forebode therein, the indications of the highest and brightest end, and to wonder all the more at the really divine operation of God; as indeed it was permitted to more than one pious singer, looking at the glorious end, to raise already his triumphal cry and ever re-echo it anew: the Lord is King, He clothes Himself with salvation. Comp. Psa 93:1; Psa 96:10; Psa 97:1; Psa 99:1 (on the basis of Isa 52:7).
The word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah.All the previous prophecies of the impending judgments of God, and the temporary ruin of Israel, had again combined in the words of Jeremiah, and developed into the greatest definiteness. As a great prophet, who on the of a critical period, yea, immediately on the brink of the abyss, had caused the call to repentance once more to sound forth with mighty power, and bad brought the prophecy of the impending judgment to a conclusion; like Elijah he became typical of the angel which the Lord would send before Him, before the coming of the great and terrible day, Mal 3:1. As the Jews expected Elias, so did they Jeremiah, before the advent of the great Messianic events, Mat 16:14; Luk 9:19; Bertholdts Christol. S. 58. Now it was just this preacher of repentance and chastisement who had become for the exile times and those immediately following, the most important preacher of salvation, as is clear likewise from Dan 9:2. The Lord could not limit through him the duration of the time of chastisement without therewith at the same time predetermining the time of the beginning of the period of redemption, so that, so long as the question of the time seriously occupied the soul, the references were made chiefly to Jeremiah. Thus in fact the divine word of chastisement ever goes hand in hand with His word of salvation, and His negative with His positive working. His chastening is in truth ever a helping; yea, His killing is a making alive. He puts to death only the dead.
The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia.The Lord had hitherto made use of the heathen nations and their kings, when He would chastise Israel. They had been His rods and had been obliged to act in a negative relation to Israel. Now, on the other hand, He makes the mightiest empire of the world, yea, its greatest king, to assist in the accomplishment of very positive ends, in the realization of His most important and greatest designs of redemption. Egypt had once been obliged to help Israel with her possessions (Exo 11:2), being a weak type, so now the heathen who had previously plundered Israel were obliged to restore a part of their possessions; and Cyrus, the king of the same empire that had robbed Israel of her most sacred possessions, was obliged to restore the holy vessels, in order to assist in rebuilding the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Comp. Esth. 8:25 sq.; 2Ma 3:35; 2Ma 13:23. This was in fact much more and bore stronger witness to the truth of the Lord and His final victory over the heathen world and its idolatry than the awakening of a great king and prophet in Israel. It already involved something of what the great prophet had uttered in the severest times of affliction as the greatest consolation, that the same heathen who threatened to tread Israel as a worm under their feet, should bring the children of Israel near in their bosom; yea, in that the mightiest king of the earth, the great king of Persia, had assisted Israel even to the accomplishment of their highest and noblest task, the honoring of their God, the word that the kings should be the nursing fathers of Israel, and their queens their nursing mothers (Isa 49:22-23), already received the very best fulfilment. But it involved something still greater and more important. Since Israel remained in such a weak and dependent position, and was no longer able to give their spiritual blessings political security by a mighty commonwealth of their own; it must be shown, as never before, that the truth, whose bearers they were called to be, was able to stand by its own indestructible power, and was strong enough of its own fulness and glory to protect the congregation of its adherents and preserve them, notwithstanding their external dependence, in internal freedom and independence.
Ezr 1:2. With exalted self-consciousness Cyrus could say not only that all the kingdoms of the earth had been given to him, but also that God the Lord Himself had given them to him. Moreover he says this with humility, for it is with the feeling and recognition of the task thereby imposed upon him by God of building His temple. Naturally enough, he does not behold,yea, he does not even surmise, what a high mission he has, that he is thereby bringing into existence the bud out of which the kingdom of God in its time is to break forth as the loveliest blossom and noblest fruit as well to the blessing of all nations, as for the complete glorification of the divine name; but however little he understood this, he yet nevertheless in praiseworthy respect before the holiest things of a nation reached forth his hand full of help, and fulfilled unconsciously the highest mission of a temporal prince. What he accomplished was indeed still something in embryo, but we can see in the covering still wrapped about it already the sprouting forth of the richest and most wonderful life. Hence it is that the sacred Scriptures have accorded him a significance that is given to no other foreign king. The Lord does not call him His servant as Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 25:9; Jer 27:6; Jer 43:10), but His shepherd, who will fulfil all His pleasure, yea, His mashiah (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1). It has been said that in Isaiah 40-48. Cyrus comes into consideration even for Messianic prophecy; for the servant of the Lord is placed in prospect for the accomplishment of the higher Messianic hopes, Cyrus for the lower. This is correct, inasmuch as the external political work that is necessary for the accomplishment of salvation is assigned chiefly to him, since indeed the proper mediator of salvation is to execute a higher spiritual ministry. It may therefore be said with a certain propriety (Starke) that he is a type of Christ in His royal office. Placed at the beginning of a new period, when the congregation was to be constituted no longer as a political, but as a religious body, he is the first of those who put external political affairs in such a relation to that body, that whilst something different from, they are yet friendly, supporting and protecting; and he is well adapted to represent for all time this ministry of the patron. His name has been incorrectly explained as sun. In modern Persian the sun is char; in Zend, hvare; sunshine is charsid, with a weak initial ch, which, according to Rawlinson, Spiegel, et al., would lead us to expect in ancient Persian uwara, whilst Cyrus on the monuments is kuru or khuru, on a block of marble in the valley of Murghab, near the tomb of Cyrus; Kurus, so likewise Beh. 1:28, 39 etc. (comp. Schrader, l. c., S. 244), with initial hard k. But the prophet did actually view him as possessed of a sunny nature and activity, since he represents the Lord as inquiring with reference to him; who raised up righteousness from the east; called him to his foot, etc. (Isa 41:2), and is constantly putting him in relation to the sunrise (Isa 41:25; Isa 46:11).
Ezr 1:3. Let him go up and build.In former times Israel had needed external political independence and a government of their own, simply because they were still too weak to preserve the pound entrusted to them for the entire human race, without external props and means of protection; because the sweet and saving kernel which was to develope in Israel could only ripen as it were in a sufficiently firm shell. The danger of their giving themselves over internally to heathenism was for the most part overcome by their having been externally abandoned in exile among the heathen. The tendency to heathenism, that previous to the exile broke out again and again with ever-increasing strength, and which in the previous centuries could have been overcome with difficulty, owing to the fact that it had the appearance of being an advance in enlightenment beyond the ancient faith of their fathers, had been rendered disgusting to them by the cruelty and severity of the heathen themselves. Thus it was now possible that there should be a new form of life and activity entirely different from any thing previous. It was the most important change of affairs that could take place at any time before Christ (comp. Ewald, Gesch. Israels IV. S. 35). The task of establishing a grand independent form of government for the national life, and securing it by the development of power externally, could now be abandoned; the task of cultivating the worship of the true God could be made much more preponderating in its influence; Israel could become a religious congregation instead of a political commonwealth; they couldexpressing the idea with the words of Cyrusgo up and build the temple of the Lord. That this great change was now actually accomplished, in that there was so little cohesion in Israel itself, and, for the most part, there was so little thought of again constituting a powerful body externally, whilst Cyrus, on his part, did not afford them political freedom, but only religious liberty; that was in truth no hindrance to the development of the kingdom of God, but an indication of what the Lord would accomplish with His people, a preparation of the kingdom of God as a kingdom which is not of this world, which in truth deserves to be called the kingdom of heaven. The blessing that was to come from Israel upon the families of the earth was thus too spiritual and internal to be brought about among the nations through a government with external means. Israels proper and highest task could henceforth only be to let the external opposition to the nations of the world more and more pass away, to subordinate themselves more and more in external and temporal things; at the same time disappearing among them as an external body, in order to permeate them so much the more internally with the holy and divine things committed to their trust.
Ezr 1:5. And the heads of the fathers arose.It was also already a step nearer to the end and a hint of what must transpire in greater and greater proportions, that Israel no longer as such, or according to an external necessity of nationality, but that only a part of Israel by virtue of free resolution marched to Jerusalem to constitute the new religious community at that place. Individual freedom, and accordingly the importance of the single person and the right of the personal subject, have their proper place in the kingdom of God. Only those marched up whom the Spirit of God awakened, that is, only the zealous and the awakened, whose spirits allowed themselves to be filled from God with courage and joy to overcome all the difficulties that opposed them, and with a longing for the land of their fathers that outweighed every other consideration. This limitation was, moreover, entirely in accordance with the divine purpose. They must bring with them a zeal for the service of the true God that could not be quenched, at least entirely by the difficult and gloomy circumstances in Judea, that might be enkindled and fed in some of them by these very circumstances. For although those remaining behind still retained an importance with reference to the kingdom of God, yet the most direct and greatest importance was henceforth to be given to the congregation in Judea; they were to constitute first and chiefly the ground in which the highest and noblest things might become possible.
Ezr 1:6. And all their neighbors helped them. The world generally will be pleased only with the worldly members of the congregation, the lukewarm and faint-hearted. The more decided and zealous provoke opposition, and are often enough met with hostility, oppression and affliction. Yet there are times when the world is obliged to make manifest the fact that they have more respect for the zealous than for the indifferent, when they cannot but show their goodwill and friendship, yea, act favorably towards those very efforts that are directed towards divine things. Even the men of the world have, so long as they have not become entirely hardened, two kinds of hearts within them, and it is only necessary that a suitable impulse should be given them, that the better heart may assert itself within them. Even they have a certain feeling that their best and deepest needs can only be satisfied by God and His Spirit, as He comes near to them in the true congregation.
Ezr 1:7-11. And Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord.Israel had not then been brought so far as to have been able to recognize with full clearness their pure spiritual calling, as to have been able to separate altogether with entire certainty the spiritual and the divine, in which their calling consisted, from the external, earthly and temporal. The time when God would have His place of worship neither in Jerusalem nor on Gerizim, could only come with a new and higher stage of the divine revelation of Himself, yea, only with the fulfillment of that revelation. Until that time the Lord had Himself ordered, in accordance with the lower and limited stand-point of His people, that one particular, chosen place, a special sanctuary, with its vessels, and a priesthood set apart from the people, should to a certain extent share in the sanctity which was properly appropriate only to the Holy One Himself. As the Lord brought about the restoration of the temple itself, so He did also the restitution of the sacred vessels; and the great numbers of them given back to the returning exiles, although in itself unimportant, yet was notwithstanding an evidence that He could re-establish His worship in a magnificence and dignity as great as possible in accordance with the ideas of the times.In connection with the awakening of the enthusiasm for the ancient and honorable sanctuaries, it might easily happen that their sanctification might be overdone, yea, that they might take the place of the essence of religion itself, so that the externalizing of religion, although in a new form, might creep in anew, that a hierarchy might arise instead of the kingdom of God; but a congregation, in which the only truly holy one has once been recognized so decidedly as in Israel, carries the kernel of reformation ever in itself. And by the fact that the hierarchy also shows itself as something unsatisfying, empty and vain, the hunger after that of which it is the mere phantom must be awakened with all the more strength, at least in the souls of the more spiritual.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
The pledges of redemption possessed by the congregation of the Lord even in the severest afflictions: 1) Gods unchangeable faithfulness, which fulfils the promises He has given at the right time; 2) Gods infinite grace, which chastises indeed, but does not give over to death, but, on the contrary, breaks forth anew in its time in spite of the severest judgment; 3) Gods unsearchable wisdom, which advances towards the end, even in the most improbable manner; 4.) Gods all-conquering power, which even makes use of the powers of the world and their means. The redemption from Babylon a type of the redemption from the bonds of the devil and hell: 1) With reference to the Redeemer; He breaks into the kingdom of the enemy (Babylon) and conquers it; 2) With respect to the Redeemed; the susceptible arise in order to march home; 3) With respect to the end of redemption; the temple of the Lord, a tabernacle of God among men, is built. Or: 1) With reference to its occasion; the greatness of the misery excites Gods compassion; 2) With reference to its source; it is the divine grace notwithstanding human sin; 3) With reference to its extent; the susceptible are awakened to accept redemption; 4) With reference to its end; it is the glorious freedom and blessedness in the internal communion with the Lord. Brentius remarks respecting those remaining behind in Babylon: adumbrant omnes illos, qui fiduciam suam in hunc mundum collocant, satius esse existimantes, felicitate hujus mundi frui, quam per infelicitatem ad perpetua gaudia ingredi.Divine grace after wrath: 1) Its time; it waits until Gods chastening judgment has been accomplished, but does not tarry, but rather corresponds with the divine veracity; 2) its method; it works often secretly, but shows itself to be all the more appropriate and glorious whether we regard the instruments that it uses or the persons in whose behalf it is employed, or the gracious acts that proceed from it; 3) its end; it is the highest and noblest that there is, the building of the temple, that is, the reconciliation of man with God for their salvation and His glory.Gods wonderful ways, that He chooses in leading His people: 1) Out of the depths up on high; 2) By changing enemies into friends; 3) From small beginnings to a glorious end.
Ezr 1:2. The universality of Gods revelation of Himself: 1) To whom made; even the heathen, even a Cyrus; 2) What it reveals: a) that God is the author of all things, the source of all power and strength; b) That He is the end of all things, that every one is obligated to honor Him.The prince endowed with Gods grace: 1) He derives his power from God: 2) He puts himself at the service of the divine honor.Man in his true subordination to God: 1) he ascribes his possessions to God; 2) he employs them in the divine honor.
Ezr 1:3. The work of the redeemed: 1) to be pilgrims, namely, on the march to the holy city; 2) To build the temple of God; 3) To honor God therein and be saved.
Starke: Ezr 1:1. No one will be ashamed who patiently waits for divine help (Psa 25:3; Sir 2:7; Sir 16:13). The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as brooks of water, and He inclines it whither He will (Pro 21:1; Job 12:24). God often touches the hearts even of unbelieving princes, etc.; therefore let us ever pray for them (1Ti 2:12).
Ezr 1:2. As Cyrus was of humble origin, lived in his childhood as an humble shepherd, and then God had been with him in a truly wonderful manner, used him, moreover, to deliver the people of God from captivity, so all this is to be found in Christ, although in a much more extraordinary manner. It is a very easy thing for God to make His enemies the benefactors of His Church (Pro 16:7).
Ezr 1:6. We are bound, in whatever station in life we may be placed, to employ our means for the advancement of the true worship of God (1 Chron 30:6; 2Ch 24:4; 2Ch 31:10).
[Scott: When God has work to do, they whom He hath chosen to perform it find their minds enlarged to entertain noble designs.That which is devoted to the service is entrusted to the protection of the Lord.Henry: Those are much honored whose spirits are stirred up to begin with God and to serve him in their first years.Well-willers to the temple should be well-doers for it.Our spirits naturally incline to this earth and to the things of it; if they move upwards in any good affections, or good actions, tis God that raiseth them.Wordsworth: Cyrus is contrasted with Pharaoh, who resisted Gods Spirit.Egypt gave up its gold and silver and jewels to Israel at their Exodus; Babylon gave back the vessels of gold and silver to Gods house. The enemies of Christ will one day be made subjects tributary to Him (Act 2:35; 1Co 15:25).Tr.]
Footnotes:
[1][The author adopts the view of Ewald, Hitzig, et al., that the second part of Isaiah was written by the great unknown in the latter part of the exile. This view is to be rejected, and the unity of Isaiah maintained with most evangelical critics. Hence the authors statement of the priority of Jeremiah falls.Tr.]
[2][We have here not a citation of the very words of the decree, as is so often the case in Ezra and Nehemiah, but rather a free reproduction of it.Tr.]
[3]I see no sufficient ground, with Ewald, Lehrbuch, 734, either to strike out entirely or change it into , after 2Ch 34:23. In Ezr 2:5 we have for it .
[4][ for the fuller form , Exo 6:14, that is, heads or chiefs of the fathers houses or families, which were subdivisions of the , as the latter were of the or tribes. Thus the fathers houses of the going up from Babylon are in striking contrast with the tribes of the going up from Egypt.Tr.]
[5][Mithredath. Rawlinson: The occurrence of this name, which means given by Mithra. Persian Mithradata=Mithra, the Sun-God, and data past part. of da= to give, or dedicated to Mithra, is an indication that the sun worship of the Persians was at least as old as the time of Cyrus. (Comp. Xen, Cyrop. Ezr 8:3, 24.Tr.]
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS
The book of Ezra, from the commencement of it to the conclusion, contains a very interesting record in the history of the church. It opens with the proclamation of Cyrus, king of Persia, to permit the Jews to return from their captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem. Here is an account of the return of certain of the people. The rebuilding of the temple; and the vessels of the temple, carried away in the captivity, brought back and restored.
Ezr 1:1
This first year of Cyrus was immediately upon the finishing the 70th year of Israel’s captivity. This is a great point in this history to attend to, inasmuch as it becomes a confirmation of the word of God concerning the desolation of Jerusalem. Jer 25:11-12 . Now, whoever is desirous to make the calculation will find, that it corresponds; perhaps to a day, as the case of Egypt, in the deliverance of Israel from thence, did before. Exo 12:40-42 . Calculating by the reigns of the several kings of Judah, and comparing with the reigns of the kings of Babylon from the first of Judah’s captivity, it will be found completing the seventy years exactly. Jer 52 with 2Ki 25:27-30 . The captivity of the people began in the first year it should seem, of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned 45 years. To him succeeded his son Evilmerodach, who reigned twenty-three years. And after him his son Belshazzar, whose reign was about two years. So that those periods added together make seventy years. But what is worthy also of equal regard is, that the end of Israel’s captivity was the end of the Babylonish empire. The Lord had taken Babylon as a rod to correct his people; but when that purpose was accomplished, the rod is cast away. No doubt Babylon mightily oppressed poor Israel, as we read in that pathetic mournful song of the church on the occasion, Psa 137 . And Daniel intimates as much when standing up before Nebuchadnezzar, Dan 4:27 . But Reader! perhaps the most interesting account of any to be attended to in this wonderful subject, was concerning the instrument by whom the Lord wrought the deliverance of his people, I mean Cyrus, concerning whom the prophet Isaiah had been commissioned two hundred years before Cyrus was born, to tell the church both of his name and the deliverance he should accomplish. Before you go further in the history, I beg you to pause here, and to read the forty-fifth chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, and diligently attend to what the prophet, or rather the Holy Ghost by the prophet, tells the church. The two leaved gates, which the Lord promised to open him, were probably those mighty gates under the walls of Babylon which had no entrance but through the great river. And the loins of kings the Lord promised to loose. Now was this astonishing prediction accomplished when Belshazzar trembled in the very night when the impious monarch was slain and Babylon taken? Dan 5:30Dan 5:30 . And may we not add, that as the Lord condescended to call Cyrus his anointed on this grand concern, was he not a type of our adorable anointed Jesus, whom the Father from everlasting anointed to deliver the prisoners out of prison, and them that sat in darkness out of the prison house? Isa 42:6-7 . Reader! never lose sight of this, I beg of you. For what a sweet testimony is here afforded of Jesus, that everything, and all events, had a reference to him. And is not this indeed the first and principal sense and meaning of what Jehovah said to Cyrus on this occasion before he was born, (calling, as the apostle saith, things that are not as though they were) when the Lord said, For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect. Isa 45:4 . Is not Jacob here named for Jesus? And was not Jacob’s seed blessed in and for Jesus’s sake? Yes! Jesus is the Holy One, the elect, the beloved of the Father. And in his name, and for his sake, both Israel and his seed are blessed.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 1

1. Now [And] in the first year of Cyrus [in Babylon] king of Persia [Cyrus became king 559 b.c.], that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah [whose writings Daniel consulted] might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up [probably through the instrumentality of Daniel] the spirit of Cyrus [so named by God more than a hundred years before he was born ( Isa 44:28 )] king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2. Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged [visited] me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah [Jerusalem is partly in Judah and partly in Benjamin], and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (he is the God), which is in Jerusalem.
4. And whosoever remaineth [compare this with the beginning of Nehemiah] in any place where he sojourneth [as an exile], let the men of his place [the heathen was to help the Hebrew] help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised [true inspiration], to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
6. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things [metals], beside all that was willingly offered [the people, too, were stirred up].
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 [Bel and Nebo];
8. Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath [Mithra was the sun-god of the Persians] the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar [the Chaldee name of Zerubbabel], the prince of Judah.
9. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10. Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort [inferior quality] four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
11. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem [vessels which had been desecrated at the feast of Belshazzar].
The Proclamation of Cyrus

WHAT have we to do with a history so ancient? Is there anything here for men of our century? Are not all these green and mouldy gravestones hardly worth deciphering? What if this chapter be quick with pulses which ought to express our own best life? What if this be in its substance and in its meaning the only chapter worth writing in the active life of the Church? Let us be careful where we step, for every place is holy ground, and life is lying thickly around us, and one rude or thoughtless step may crush some thing of beauty. Let us hold our peace in these ancient halls: the very stones will be eloquent in their silence, if we will be but quiet if we will but listen. All old things have deep meanings. He is no student who seizes the present as if it were the only thing worthy of attention: the present is the past, with a new accent, some new phasis, some transient change. We are to-day what we were yesterday.
Here is a great mental awakening.
“The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” ( Ezr 1:1 ).

Why do we limit this mighty wind of God? Why do we say, It blew long centuries ago, but is not blowing now, either in great hurricane or in gentle breeze? We have supposed that inspiration has ceased. We now represent it by some kind of effigy, and we approach the effigy with a superstition which we sometimes mistake for veneration. If God lives, why should inspiration cease? There may be differences of method in defining inspiration, but as to its substantial meaning and happy uses inspiration must be continuous with the existence of God must be the parallel line to the Divine duration. Has history nothing to say about these great winds from heaven? Suppose there were no Bible, are there not certain facts in history which can only be accounted for by some such theory as that of inspiration? Say, The gods let us be polytheistic for a moment excited the imagination of men. Even that would be a fact not to be sneered at, but to be reckoned with in adding up the forces which have controlled and directed human history. There have been great awakenings in literature. Suddenly a nation has, so to say, sprung to its feet and said, Let us read! That is a mere matter of what is called profane history. Ages have passed in which men cared not to read, or write, or think; if there were any books to be opened, as a rule they lay untouched: but quite suddenly there has been what is termed a literary revival. Is such a thing possible? If it is possible to have a literary revival that is, a revival of the love of learning, the love of reading, the love of writing why may there not be such a thing as a religious revival, in which men shall say suddenly, but unanimously, Let us pray? And when men so moved so pray they shorten the distance between earth and heaven. It would be perhaps more difficult to believe in a religious revival if there had not been analogous revivals revivals of learning, revivals of art. We have even ventured to apportion certain historical periods as periods of the “new birth” or new beginning in painting; so pictures take their date from this period or from that: critics can trace whole schools of art to such-and-such awakening, upstirring of the mind. So then it cannot be so romantic after all, that there should also have been spiritual awakening, times when men saw heaven opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. Why not sneer at the revival of learning? Why not question the revival of art? Why not say that artists have chosen long French names for the purpose of indicating certain supposed facts which are no facts after all? That would be a fine field for sneering, and for supercilious criticism, and for the display of general ignorance. The point to be observed is this, that, account for it as we may, there have been in history great mental awakenings, great spiritual movements, and when these have taken a religious turn they have been dignified and sanctified by the name of “revivals.” There is nothing to be ashamed of in that word.
But how are we to judge inspiration? A man may suppose himself to be inspired; are we, therefore, to bow down to him at once and concede him a position of priority or influence? Nothing of the kind. Even inspiration is to be tested. The Bible asks only to be put to the proof. Noble book! chivalrous speaker! saying always, Try me, test me, probe me, take nothing for granted; if I fail at any one vital point dismiss me as an empiric and an impostor. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” Inspiration is always to be judged by its results. We must hear what Cyrus says; we must read the proclamation for ourselves. There is a spirit in man which enables him to say Yes or No to certain bold propositions and theories. It does not always enable him by some intellectual miracle so to analyse them as utterly to disprove them, abolish them, or drive them away as in a tempest of derision; but there is a spirit in man which says, Although I am short of words, although I cannot explain why, yet I know that this proposition, or that, is not true. That is what is termed the verifying faculty the great power with which God has entrusted men. “The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat,” and the mind trieth propositions, statements, so-called gospels. The soul of man is the great arbiter. We need not, therefore, bow down before every man or woman who claims inspiration. We listen respectfully to the claim, and say, What does it amount to? what end would you accomplish? to what purpose does this inspiration you claim point? and if in answer there should come replies indicative of reform, progress, purification, liberation, enlargement, beneficence, verily the answer will prove the inspiration that is claimed. No man is inspired who wishes to do evil. Disclaim and repudiate, not with sorrow but with indignation, the inspiration that would seek to curtail liberty, arrest progress, hinder the mission of philanthropy, that would overload the weak, still further impoverish the poor, and shut off from the meanest dwelling any beam of daylight.
We may pray for great mental awakenings; we must not hasten them. We cannot organise inspiration; we cannot make mechanical arrangements for the getting-up of enthusiasm; but this we can do we can keep ourselves from sneering at an enthusiasm we do not understand; we can occupy the dignified position of saying, We wait results; we will watch the end: we will take note of the upshot of the whole thing, and if we see in it signs of beneficence we shall instantly embrace it, and say, This is the breath of God, the pentecostal wind, the very fire of heaven’s altar. People do respond to the right kind of inspiration.
Cyrus felt a great personal responsibility in this matter; he said
“He hath charged me to build” ( Ezr 1:2 ).

Man cannot be always doing nothing and yet be happy. There comes a time when rest is monotony, and monotony is weariness. Nor can man always be pursuing a destructive career; there is a time when the soldier lets his sword fall down, saying, It cannot be right to pursue age after age this work of destruction. What then is man to do? Destruction fails, rest cries out for change: what is the alternative? Construction, edification, putting things together and into shape, until they stand like a completed house ready for the occupation of God. We have had destruction enough, both in the Church and out of it; we have been fighting long enough over old theories, and foolish superstitions, and vain imaginings, and half-instructed criticisms; we may now have come upon a period when controversy may be set aside for instruction. What are we building? Some men never build; they do not give time enough to build; they fly a good deal; they move about with a rapidity which dazzles the eye which would follow them in all their rapid and eccentric movements: but they do not halt long enough at any given place to dig foundations, and lay great corner-stones, and rear solid edifices. This question can always be asked of every Cyrus and every inferior man, What is his record? Where has he spent his life? What has he done? At what targets has he been aiming? What plans has he been executing? Produce the record, and let us peruse it. There will come a time when this question will be forced, and every man will have to yield up an account of the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. God is calling men to build, not necessarily in wood and stone and iron, but to build character, life, utility. And this can be done everywhere. All men are not called to public building. What sweet homes some men have built! The moment you pass within the door you feel the genius of home welcoming and blessing you: the traveller says, I must tarry here; the hungering man says, There is bread within these walls; I know it though I do not see it. What businesses some men are building, marked by high policy, reputable for known morality, uprightness, straightforwardness, complicated businesses, yet every line palpitating with conscience. This kind of building is not always recognised as it should be; but it ought to be pointed out as a possibility to every man. We cannot all build upon the mountain-top, or in the great thoroughfares of the city, but we can build privately, quietly, secretly: we can build up broken hearts, we can be confirming feeble knees, we can be towers of strength to men who are enfeebled and impoverished. There are many such men, but they die too soon. Had we our way, how many men should we remove before we touched the princes of beneficence, the very leaders and monarchs of charity and philanthropy! But this is not in our hands. We are under the divine government, and it is for God to call his servants when he needs them, or when he sees they need rest. It should be ours not only to resign ourselves to inevitable losses, but to say, Who will occupy the vacant places? There is room now for men to come to the front; there are great gaps made in the very front line of public philanthropy and private charity. It is not enough to carve an urn and set it upon some pedestal, and write epitaphs eloquent with lamentation; the great answer to all such providences as remove the builders of society is to go forward, and offer in God’s grace and strength to take their places and continue the uprearing and consolidation of the divine temple.
The people answered nobly. When Cyrus said, “Who is there among you?” the people answered and went forward of their own free will. All service is worthless if it is not voluntary. The loyalty of a nation cannot be judged by its taxation; the taxes may all have been paid, and yet the spirit may not be truly loyal. We cannot live in mere duty. It may be questioned whether that word is not narrowing and impoverishing a good many lives. You cannot discharge your duty to your family and rest there, unless, indeed, in one way, and that is by a definition of duty which includes love and passion and sacrifice; if such terms are included in the word duty, then the word duty will be sufficient, but usually “duty” is a kind of military term or commercial phrase, a quid pro quo , a doing of certain things for certain exchanges, a beginning at a definite hour and a ceasing at a specific time. Cyrus called for spontaneous replies: Who will do this? That is the question which God puts to us. Who will go? Who will represent the right and the true, the pure and the beautiful, to those who have never seen those fair images or obeyed their high demands? We must do nothing by constraint. The moment a man begins to feel his work to be irksome there is no value in it, no virtue, no honour, no real acceptableness. What if the fragrance be part of the value of the flower the thing it is always giving off, throwing upon the breezes that it may be carried where it may? This religious relationship of ours to one another and to God is not a commercial one; it is not giving so much for so much. As we have said again and again, Christianity is everything or it is nothing.
The people were led by the old
“Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin” ( Ezr 1:5 ).

Men must never say they are too old to take part in new building movements. They might with some show of reason take refuge in this species of excuse; but the truly good man is never old; he takes no note of time, he takes no note of weather: the call has come, and it is his to obey. Some Christian people are leaving a good deal to posterity. They seem to have more faith in posterity than they have in themselves. They propose that the next generation shall complete the building, pay off the debt, and do all sorts of pious and noble things. We do not read much about posterity in this reply to the king’s proclamation. Is it generous of us thus to be treating posterity? Has posterity ever begged this favour at our hands, saying, Do leave something for us to do? Posterity never committed itself to so foolish a prayer. There may be no posterity: the thing may have to be done this day, and living men must do it. It is not for us to measure men’s philanthropy. There may be some subtle and inscrutable passion of the heart which takes an ineffable interest in posterity, and it would be unwise in any preacher to question the mysterious operations that are proceeding in the human soul; at the same time, posterity is now at least a little too impalpable for us to have much to do with it. The question is, What answer are we going to make to great demands? The opportunity is always urgent, and always a means of education to those who avail themselves of it.
What need had God for a house? He made the stars; he wears the constellations as a garment; the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him: what does he want with a house? Nothing; but he knows that we do; he knows that the building of the house is necessary for our education. What need has he of our prayer? None. Can we tell him anything? No. Does he not know what things we have need of before we ask him? Yes. Why then should he call upon us to tell him what he knows, to ask him for what he well understands we need? Why should there be any throne of grace or altar of prayer? For our sakes. This is a means of education. We learn things by doing them. We get answers by prayer and in prayer. Prayer is oftentimes its own answer. We may have been too critical, and exercising a vain discrimination in these matters, in distinguishing between a prayer offered and an answer given: we may not yet have seen that whilst we are praying we are being answered that to pray is to receive. The man does not pray who simply asks for favours. No wonder that he is dissatisfied with the reply; he is a mere beggar or suppliant; he is not a communing son, entering with grace and joy into communion and fellowship with God, being absorbed in the divine nature, and returning from his high contemplation and pure devotion with a chastened spirit, an ennobled charity, and a beneficence that has consummated in sacrifice.
What a restoration there was after this revival!
‘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” ( Ezr 1:7 ).

Observe that as a period of restoration. Things that had been stolen were brought back; vessels that had been alienated were set in their rightful places. There was a great restoration of misappropriated property. What a restoration there will one day be! What have men taken away from God’s Church? Nearly everything they could lay hands on. They have taken away Gold, Art, Music, Miracles, Inspiration, Rationalism, Morality, Science, and they have left God a very bare house. When the period of spiritual revival has come, and the holy issue is written out in all its meaning, these things will be brought back again: Art will come with her brush and pencil, and say, I will beautify the house of God’s revelation; Music will bring back her harp and her instrument of ten strings, and her cymbals and organ, and say, Make me a handmaid in God’s house, for all I have and am must belong to him; and Reason exiled, expatriated Reason shall return, saying, They have kept me in vile servitude admit me to my Father’s house; and Science will come and pray; and Morality will say, They have been trying to divorce me from theology, from right religious motive and impulse, and I have died like a flower that has been plucked; restore me to my vital relations, and I will once more bloom in the house of God. What a return, too, of prodigal sons there will be, of men who thought there was not scope enough for them in God’s house; clever men who for the moment had forgotten themselves, and went forth into the outer world to find more room. They will come in, saying, What fools we were; we did not see the staircase winding upward into infinite spaces; we thought the Church was all dead level walling, and having laid our lines and measurements upon it, we said the Church was not big enough for us; but now we see, where we ought to have seen before, an opening door, and, beyond, a staircase, leading away, away; let us also return!
Judge the inspiration by the restoration. Do not be content with reading the proclamation of Cyrus, but see what it leads to. Do not be content with reading the Bible, but see what that reading results in. Do not be content when any priest or preacher tells you that any book is inspired; reply to him, Let me read the book for myself, through and through, carefully, word by word, and when I have finished I shall know whether the book is inspired or not. If I be enlarged, inflamed, lifted up, ennobled; if I melt in charity, if I abound in love, if I would have all men come and read the same book and drink at the same fountain, then I shall know that it is God’s Book, a living Book, sweet, tender, gracious, complete, touching life at every point, and answering it with infinite replies. By that test God is willing that his Book or proclamation should be judged.
Prayer

Almighty God, thou hast set above all things the cross of Jesus Christ thy Son. All things are now changed by that cross all values, and meanings, and influences. Those things that were princely have become mean; ambitions have been rebuked, powers have been overthrown, and the weakness of God is stronger than the might of men. We now see these truths as we never saw them before, and they make us glad. We have been blind, we have been groping in infinite darkness, not knowing the right hand from the left; but now that we have seen the cross we know how all things lie, where heaven is, where thy throne is set, and we see a great light far away, shining like an infinite welcome. We bless thee for the cross of Christ: it is the way to heaven; it is the mystery of love; it is high above us like a great sky, yet round about us like a living air. We will not glory but in the cross: its shame is greater in glory than is all the pride in creation; its very weakness is almightiness; its condescension is majesty. Thy love is shown in the cross of Jesus; and we need that cross more and more as we see what sin is, and feel how poor and weak we are ourselves. Blessed cross! tree of death, yet tree of life; an open way for sinners only into heaven’s eternal peace. Precious cross of Christ! the life of the world, the security of the universe; we gather round thee and bless the love that set thee up. We are crucified with Christ: nevertheless we live; yet not we, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and gave himself for us. No man entereth into this wisdom but he who is taught of God. Verily it is folly of all folly to those who serve the flesh and are greedy for the world. How nobly wise, how tenderly beautiful, is the cross of Christ to those who have begun to see that without the cross the world is a deception and life an intolerable lie! We praise thee for what visions we have had of the cross: they have made us glad; we can never forget them; they have given a new setting and tone to our whole life: we are debtors to the cross, and our debt we can never pay. Help us to think upon these things with steadfastness of attention. May we know that these are the deep things of God, that the universe is but a temporary accident, the momentary clothing of God, to be thrown off and forgotten, but at the heart of things lies the eternal fact of sacrifice. Save us from distracted attention; save us from mistaking things for great because they are only near; give us the genius of the heart which sees things as they really are; and give us that true wisdom which knows where to build the altar and to what to offer the tribute of our life. We are here but for a day or two; we are pilgrims and can tarry but for a night; we are on the high road: we cannot see more than one step at a time; the next step may be the grave, or there may be long chequered years yet before us and to be traversed: help us to lay hold of thy hand, O Leading One; to stop where thou dost stop; teach us that to obey is to conquer, that to receive God’s will and live it is to be in God’s heaven: then shall we have no unrest, or disquiet, or cancer of the heart eating out our love and peace; we shall be calm with God’s tranquillity and steadfast in God’s almightiness. Regard us as men who need daily light and daily care. Thou didst never put two days into any man’s hand at once. We are not to boast of tomorrow. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men: the true, the noble, the beautiful, the good are taken away like shadows; those whom we accounted as rocks are overturned, and we shall see their faces no more; the great and the small die. Help us to know that though we too must die, yet whilst we live we may live a doubly energetic or beneficent life. May we work with both hands earnestly, sparing nothing, hiding in our hearts the sweet thought that the Son of man may come to-day. Blessed are they who shall be found ready when he opens heaven’s door, and comes down to claim the issue of his sacrifice. May he see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied! In that spirit would we wait and toil and hope, not as fools but as wise, seizing time with a strong hand, and filling it to the full with duty and with sacrifice. Heal our broken hearts; dry our penitential tears; subdue our unholy anger, and lead us in the way everlasting. Speak to the old man, and he will be young again; lay thy hand, so gentle because so mighty, on the youngest child and the weakest life, and it shall become dignified and noble. Visit our sick-chambers; we steal up to them, lest the very noise of the footfall should injure those we love; do thou go in with the boldness of love, and heal our sick with the momentary health of the body or with the immortality which comes through faith. Watch us; care for us; be pitiful to us. We are bruised reeds; we are as smoking flax; we are as a flower which cometh for a little time and then passeth away because the wind is cold. We know our prayer shall be heard; for thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXI
THE RETURN AND REORGANIZATION UNDER ZERUBBABEL
Ezra 1-6

This section embraces the return unto the dedication of the Temple, 536-516 B.C. (Ezra 1-6). First, we have the decree of Cyrus, Ezr 1:1-4 , issued 536 B.C. In this remarkable decree Cyrus gives his authority for issuing it, as Jehovah, the God of Israel. This does not imply that Cyrus was a monotheist or a believer in the God of Israel, but it does imply that he recognized the existence of the God of the Hebrews and acknowledged him as the promoter of their welfare.
There are five remarkable things about this decree, viz: (1) It was promulgated by a heathen king. (2) It recognized Jehovah as the dispenser of the kingdoms of the world, saying, “All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me.” (3) It declares that the supreme God had “charged” him to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. (4) It originated in a “stir” of the king’s spirit by God himself. (5) It provided for money and free will offerings for the Temple. All this may have been brought about as tradition says, by Daniel showing Cyrus the prophecy of Isaiah, thus causing him to issue this decree. However this may be, we have here some great lessons on God’s government of the world, viz: First, God’s universal sovereignty over the kings of the earth. Second, these heathen people had some light of the true God which perhaps, they received from the Jews. Third, God’s prophecy cannot fail and his promise is made sure, as in the case of Caesar Augustus, who issued the decree that all the world should be enrolled, fulfilling a prophecy of Micah some five hundred years before. It may be added that all this shows that the Persians during this period recognized the one supreme God, though they worshiped others gods, and that Isaiah had foretold this decree giving the very name of the king and bringing us the lesson that God’s foreknowledge is unlimited making possible all predictive prophecy.
Next follows the first return and genealogy, Ezr 1:5-2:67 . The company was composed of those whom the Spirit of God stirred up, which was not large comparatively speaking, perhaps, because the larger part of them were engaged in commerce and did not wish to take chances on transferring their business interests. He charged their friends to help them freely, which has a parallel in the case of the children of Israel leaving Egypt, though without order from the king. Cyrus was honest in his decree. All the vessels that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar were returned. They numbered in all 5,400. A partial list of them is given, but only the best materials are mentioned, such as the silver and the gold.
The genealogy in the second chapter gives only the heads of the various tribes or representatives of them: this list had been carefully preserved through the Exile. This company of returning pilgrims is the “remnant” so frequently spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. The total number was 42,360 Jews, and 7,337 servants. Their beasts numbered 736 horses, 250 mules, 435 cattle, 6,720 asses a large caravan. The mention of the actual heads of the tribes in Ezr 2:2 and Neh 7:7 , gives evidence that the twelve tribes were represented in this return, the prophetic proof of which is found in Jer 3:18 ; Jer 16:15 ; Jer 30:3 ; Eze 11:15 ; Eze 11:17 . These prophecies show that Israel and Judah both were to return to their land. There is also abundant historical proof that Israel returned with Judah. After the division of the kingdom and before the captivity ‘of Israel there were four defections from Israel to Judah. Then the history of the Jews after their return proves it (See Zec 11:14 ) ; the twelve tribes were there in Christ’s day, and James addresses the twelve tribes. This exact numbering here in Ezra has the historical value of preserving the genealogy and the details here given show the poor and insignificant beginning they had upon their return.
The first attempt was to rebuild the Temple, Ezr 2:68-3:13 . There was a considerable amount of wealth among those who returned in this company. The larger part of them settled in the various cities of Judah, comparatively few of them in the city of Jerusalem. We have an account of the first offering toward the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezr 2:69 ) amounting to about $450,000.00. In the seventh month they gathered together under the leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel and erected an altar; the starting of the worshiping of God in sacrifices. They had learned in the Exile that it was impossible to have a religion without a temple. It is probable that the stone upon which this altar was erected is the stone now under “The Dome of the Rock.” They offered their burnt offerings and then kept the “Feast of the Tabernacles” as best they could. In the next year under the direction of the leaders they laid the foundation of the Temple. This probably occurred in 535 B.C. It was attended with joyful ceremonies as recorded in Ezr 3:10 . It is possible that the song they sang then was the whole or part of Psa 136 . There were those present who remembered the former Temple and they thought of the destruction of that grand building and doubtless they lived over again the fifty years intervening. The younger members of the congregation were overjoyed at the present success, and the old men as truly were grateful, but gave vent to their feeling with a wailing of sorrow at the memory of the former Temple. Fifty years had passed since their former beautiful Temple had been destroyed, and they could not but think over the awful past, when it went down in ruins. So the younger men rejoiced but the older men wept and wailed.
We find the first hindrance to the work in Ezr 4:5-24 . This is by the Samaritans) that mixed race to the north of Judah. Their first offer was friendly, to co-operate with and help the Jews build the Temple, and from Ezr 4 we see that Zerubbabel did not accept their offer, but promptly rejected it because they saw the outcome of such an alliance; then, they showed that the decree of Cyrus had appointed them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The refusal angered the Samaritans and they succeeded in putting a stop to the work of erecting the sacred edifice. In Ezr 4:24 we are told that the work on the house of the Lord ended until the second year of the reign of Darius the king of Persia. This would be 520 or 519 B.C.
In Ezr 4:4-5 we have a general statement of the opposition in this language: “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 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.” Then follows the opposition in particular: In a letter to Ahasuerus (Cambyses) they bring an accusation against Judah and Jerusalem, but there are no particulars given. Then in a second letter to Artaxerxes (Pseudo-Smerdis), they brought an accusation against Jerusalem with the following particulars: (1) they are building the rebellious and bad city; (2) they have finished the walls; (3) the people are preparing to avoid tribute, custom and toll; (4) the records show this to be a rebellious and hurtful city, and there should be an investigation to see if these things are so; (5) this means that Persia will have no portion beyond the river Euphrates. The result was that Artaxerxes responded that he had examined and found records as they had charged, and therefore he ordered the work stopped, and did stop it by force.
There are some critical matters just here that call for consideration: (1) “Ahasuerus” and “Artaxerxes” are royal titles and are applied to various monarchs of Persia; (2) these are not the “Ahasuerus” and “Artaxerxes” of Esther and Nehemiah, making Ezr 4:6-23 parenthetical as some say, but they refer to “Cambyses” and “Pseudo-Smerdis” as indicated above, and Ezr 4:6-22 connects directly with the preceding and following verses; (3) “the rebellious city” has a certain basis of truth in three instances: It rebelled (a) in the reign of Jehoiakim, (b) in the reign of Jehoiakin, and (c) in the reign of Zedekiah; (4) the statement, “have finished the walls,” is an Oriental exaggeration (Ezr 5:3 ) ; (5) “no portion beyond the river” has basis of truth in the reigns of Solomon and Menahem.
The work was stopped, for probably seventeen or eighteen years, and apparently no efforts were made to continue it. At this time there appeared two prophets upon the scene, Haggai, an older prophet, and Zechariah a younger one. They aroused the people to activity by a series of prophecies which we find recorded in their books. Haggai says, “The time has come for you to build God’s house.” The trouble was they had taken time to build houses for themselves and neglected God’s house. He says they ought to consider their ways; that the present drought and hard circumstances existed because they had neglected the building of the house of God (Hag 1:7-11 ). Zechariah by a series of visions co-operates with Haggai and the people are at length aroused to a genuine effort to build, or rather rebuild the Temple.
As they were rebuilding the Temple the matter was reported to Tattenai, the Satrap, who had charge of all this part of the Persian Empire. It caused him some apprehension. He wished to know for certain whether the Jews had authority to rebuild the Temple or not. They answered that the decree of Cyrus was their authority. Then Tattenai entered into correspondence with the king about the matter.
The history of the old Temple, the Jews’ disobedience and captivity, and the decree of Cyrus was all recited in the correspondence between Tattenai and Darius. The king ordered a search for the Cyrus decree, the decree was found, and the work was ordered to go forward. This decree granted all that the Cyrus decree did and added the help of the governor with gifts of various kinds and for various purposes. The date of this decree was 519 B.C. If we compare this letter of Tattenai to Darius with the former one, we find that there is a vast difference. The former was characterized by bitterness and false accusations, while the latter was a fair statement and a legitimate inquiry into the merits of the case.
We note here that credit is given to the prophets for the success of the work, though it was four years, five months, and ten days after they began to prophesy before the work was completed. It is well to note here also the points made by the prophets bearing directly on the work of rebuilding the Temple. Haggai reproves them for excusing themselves from the building under the plea that it was not time to build and refers to their building themselves houses to live in and neglecting the house of God. Zechariah by a series of visions confirms Haggai’s work and encourages them to undertake the great task of building. (Here the student should read Haggai and Zechariah they will be interpreted later in the course).
The Temple was finished and dedicated 516 B.C. (Ezr 6:13-22 ). This great event occurred about seventy years after the destruction of the first Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. The nation now had a religious center. A new era for Judaism dawned. This Temple remained until A.D. 70, when it was destroyed by the Romans. Haggai promised that the desire of all the nations should come into it. In the courts of this same building Jesus of Nazareth walked and talked. There was a note of joy in this dedication. They offered sacrifices as they did at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, but this exercise did not compare with Solomon’s in magnificence. There was also a resetting here of the priests and Levites in the service of the Temple. Then followed a great celebration of the Passover. Few other such celebrations of this feast are recorded in sacred history. Along with this one may be named the one in Egypt at its institution, the one at Gilgal upon the entrance into the land, another in the days of Hezekiah, yet another in the days of Josiah, and the last one in the days of Jesus when he instituted his Supper to take the place of the Passover.
QUESTIONS

1. By whose decree did the first exiled Jews return to their country and what was the date of this decree?
2. What five remarkable things about this decree and how brought about?
3. What great lessons here on God’s government of the world?
4. What light does this give us on the religious condition of Persia during this period?
5. What great prophet had foretold this decree giving the very name of this king and what the lesson?
6. What, in general, was the response to this decree, what kindness shown to them by the Persians, what parallel found in earlier Jewish history and why was the response so small?
7. Who were the men named in Ezr 2:2 (cf. Neh 7:7 ), counting the regular Israelites, the Nethinim, the servants and singers, how many people and how many beasts of burden in this first return, and what evidence that all the twelve tribes were represented in this return?
8. What prophetic proof that the ten tribes were not wholly lost?
9. What historical proof?
10. Why this exactness in numbering and detail?
11. What was the first thing they did upon their arrival in Jerusalem and what was the amount of this offering?
12. When did they set the altar and inaugurate regular service, who were the leaders, what was the first feast kept, what was the next step, what steps did they take now toward rebuilding the Temple, and where did they get their material? (See your Bible.)
13. When did they lay the foundation, what correspondence here (see 1Ki 6:1 ), what the ceremonial on this occasion, what Psalm did they sing; how did they sing it and how did the people give expression to their emotion?
14. From whom did opposition come to the work of rebuilding the Temple, what proposition did they make, what the subtlety of it, how was it met and why?
15. Where do we have a general statement of the opposition, in what form does the opposition appear in particular, what points made, what result and what critical matters in this connection?
16. How long did the work of building cease, who stirred them up to renew the work, what new opposition arose, what form did it take, what history was recited in the correspondence, what was the result, what enlargement of this decree over the Cyrus decree, what was the date of this decree and how does the correspondence here compare with the former letter to the king?
17. What credit is here given to the prophets for the success of the work, and how long after they began to prophesy to the completion of the work.?
18. What were the points made by these prophets bearing directly upon the work or rebuilding the Temple?
19. Describe the dedication service, contrast it with Solomon’s dedication of his Temple and note the resetting here in the service of this Temple.
20. What great Jewish festival did they keep at this time and how many great occasions of a like celebration in the history of Israel can you name?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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,
Ver. 1. Now ] Heb. And; for the former history, recorded in the Chronicles, is continued by Ezra, that ready scribe, and perfect in the law, Ezr 7:6 . Yet not so prompt or perfect can I deem him, as that he should, by memory, restore the Bible that was burnt, together with the temple, by the Babylonians. And yet that was the opinion of many ancients, grounded upon some passages in that Apocryphal Esdras (Irenae., Tertull., Clem. Alex., Jerome, Aug., Euseb.). We read also of one Johannes Gatius Ciphaleditanus, who, out of the vain confidence of his learning and memory, was wont to give out, that if the Holy Scripture should be lost out of the world, he would not doubt, by God’s grace, to restore it whole again. Of Cranmer indeed (a far better man, and a profounder divine) it is storied, that he had memorised most of the New Testament by heart. And of Beza, that, being more than eighty years of age, he could say perfectly, without the book, any Greek chapter in St Paul’s Epistles (Mr Leigh, Annot. on Joh 5:39 ).

In the first year ] Heb. In the one year. The Hebrews oft use one for first. So do also the apostles in Greek, Mat 28:1-20 : Joh 20:1 ; Joh 20:19 1Co 16:1-24 : 2Ki 6:1 ; one being the first number; neither was it without a mystery that Pythagoras bade his scholars ever to have respect, ; as Moses also his, saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord,” Deu 6:4 .

Of Cyrus ] Heb. Coresh, so named by God more than a hundred years before he was born, Isa 40:28 , and so honoured by the Persians (as the founder of their monarchy) that they liked the better of all that were hawk-nosed, like unto him. See the like of Josiah, 1Ki 13:2 . The Persian word signifieth a lord, or great prince, as Hen. Stephanus noteth; and thence the Greeks have their , authority, , lord; and we our word sir, as some will have it. Plutarch, in Artaxerxes, saith that the Persians call the sun Cyrus. And it may very well be so, for the Hebrews also call the sun Cheres, from its glistering brightness.

King of Persia ] So he had been more than twenty years before this, and done many great exploits; but this was the first year of his empire, of his cosmocraty Ruler of the world , of the monarchy translated from the Babylonians to the Persians. The greatest kingdoms have their times and their turns, their rise and their ruin, when they shall live by fame only. Persia, having oft changed her masters since Cyrus, remaineth a flourishing kingdom to this day; but wholly Mahometan. Which abominable superstition the Turks received from them when, in the year 1030, they won that country under their Sultan Tangrolipix. Where it is hard to say, saith mine author, whether nation lost more, the Persians, by the loss of so great a kingdom, or the Turks, by embracing so great a vanity. To this day they acknowledge the Persians better Mahometans than themselves, which maketh the Turks far better soldiers upon the Christian than upon the Persian.

That the word of the Lord ] For it was he that spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, Luk 1:70 , and his word cannot be broken, Joh 10:35 , for he is the God of Amen, as the prophet David calleth him, Psa 31:5 ; and all his promises are the issue of a most faithful and right will, void of all insincerity and falsehood, Pro 8:8 .

By the mouth of Jeremiah ] That admirable preacher (as Keckerman calleth him), that most eminent prophet (as another), with whose writings, about this very restoration, Daniel consulted, and therehence collected, that the time was come, Dan 9:2 , which put him upon that heavenly prayer; for he knew that God’s promises must be put in suit; and it was to him that the angel afterwards said, I came for thy word, Dan 10:14 . God will come, according to his promise, but he will have his people’s prayers lead him. This liberty here granted to the Jews, after so long captivity, was the fruit of many prayers, founded upon the promise, Jer 25:12 ; Jer 29:10 .

Might be fulfilled ] As indeed it was exactly by the death of Belshazzar, slain by Cyrus, who succeeded him: Dan 5:30 , “In that night was Belshazzar slain,” because then exactly the seventy years were ended. So, for the same reason it is noted, Exo 12:40-41 , that at midnight the firstborn of Egypt were slain, because just then the four hundred or four hundred and thirty years foretold were expired. So punctual is God in keeping his word. It is not here, as with men, A day breaketh no square, &c., for he never faileth at his time.

The Lord stirred up the spirit ] It was the mighty and immediate work of God (in whose hand are the hearts of all, both kings and captives, lords and lowlies) to bring this wise and great prince, in the very first entrance into his monarchy, before things were fully settled, to dismiss so great and so united a people, in respect of their custom and religion, and so given to insurrection (as was generally held) into their own country, with such a fair and full patent. This was the Lord’s own work, and it was justly marvellous in the eyes of his people; who could hardly believe their own eyes, but were for a while like those who dream. Then was their mouth filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing, &c., Psa 126:1-2 . Then was the great power and goodness of God, in stirring up Cyrus to do this, acknowledged. Then also was the king’s clemency and courtesy no less cried up and magnified than was that of Flaminius, the Roman general, at Athens, where, for delivering them from servitude, he was little less than deified; or that of our Queen Elizabeth, who, for her merciful returning home certain Italians that were taken prisoners in the eighty-eight invasion, was termed St. Elizabeth by some at Venice; whereof one told the Lord Carleton (afterwards Viscount Dorchester), being there ambassador, that although he was a Papist, yet he would never pray to any other saint but that St. Elizabeth.

That he made proclamation ] Heb. He caused a voice to pass, sc. by his messengers and ministers. The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, Est 3:15 , even those Angarii. The Lord Christ also proclaiming liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, Isa 61:1 , causeth his word to run and to be glorified, to spread like a sunbeam, as Eusebius saith the gospel did at first; to be carried as on eagles’ wings, or on angels’ wings, as it was through all Christendom, when Luther first sent forth his book, De Captivitate Babylonica, of the Babylonish Captivity.

And put it also in writing ] That it might be posted up, and everywhere published. Vox audita perit: littera scripta manet. Christ hath written for us also the great things of his law; and should they, then, be counted a strange thing? Hos 8:12 . See Trapp on “ Hos 8:12 “ His Gospel likewise he hath written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God, 1Jn 5:13 , and ponder his passion especially, which is, therefore, so particularly set down by four faithful witnesses, that men may get it written, not on the nails of their hands (as one once did), but upon the tables of their hearts, there to abide as a perpetual picture; Non scripta solum, sedet sculpta, as he said; that we therein beholding, as in a glass, the love of our Lord, might be changed into the same image, till our hearts became a very lump of love to him who “loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and his Father,” Rev 1:5-6 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Ezra Chapter 1

God had given a sample of His kingdom upon the earth, in partial measure, either in David or in Solomon. Still, it was only the type of that which is yet to be, when the kingdom of God shall be established in its power, with its great central seat in Jerusalem, but also a most powerful system of blessing for the earth. We know there will be more than this, but this is not given us in the early books. In the prophets we find the Holy Ghost shows us a universal kingdom – a kingdom of all under the whole heaven.
And this touches the glory of God in a very special way, for in point of fact, it is to this that all Scripture turns. Whatever has been points onward to the future, for God has never yet had, except in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ – never yet had His full glory in the earth. And even in the Lord Jesus Christ, although there is nothing that ever will be so deep, nothing in which God’s eye sees such perfection, nothing in which we who know Him and love Him may also have such communion with God in the delight of His own Son, still it was not His kingdom: it was the King, but not the kingdom. It was a kingdom given in His person, but not the kingdom given in power.
It was not yet the establishment of it; there was a display of the power in His person, that will cast out the devil, and that is the reason why so much scope and importance is attached in the Gospels to the expulsion of demons from men, and why it is the very first sample of power put forth in that Gospel which, the most deeply of all, shows us what the power of Satan is now, and what the kingdom of God will be by and by, namely, the Gospel of Luke. It does not begin there with other works, but with that particularly. So also, in another way, Mark shows us similarly the power of Satan met and overcome by the superior power of God in the person of the Lord Jesus. It was a demoniac that is first healed in both cases. But we find, further, the painful history of the decline and fall of what God once established in Israel.
We now come to a fresh point in God’s history – the intervention of grace towards a remnant whom He brings back from captivity into the land; and we have here in two books – Ezra and Nehemiah – both sides of the mighty work of God in His goodness; not power, but grace – not the establishment of anything according to the mind of God, but the grace of God intervening to sustain a remnant where there was not the authority of God establishing things according to His own mind – where the things were very far from it, but, nevertheless, where God’s grace led those who enjoyed His secret – those that had faith – to confide in God under any circumstances, and, therefore, full of instruction to us who find ourselves now in a state of things remarkably analogous to that of the remnant that returned from Babylon. We shall find abundant proofs of this in the slight sketch that I may be enabled to give at this time.
I take up, of course, the first of them – Ezra – where the great point is the house of God. In Nehemiah we shall find the great point is the city: not the house, but the city. But still it is the relation of the remnant to God, and the ways of God’s goodness in dealing with the remnant – whether it be the building of the temple or the building of the wall – which is the main subject of these two books respectively.
And, first of all, we see the mighty change that had taken place in the fact that Cyrus the Persian is so prominent a Gentile. How strange that a Gentile should be in power! He sends a proclamation calling upon Israel, and in the name of Jehovah as a most open acknowledgment of His power. The truth is that Cyrus, so far, is a type of a greater than Cyrus, and for this reason it is that he appears in the judgment of Babylon. Now, Babylon, as it was the first great power of the world that was raised up in God’s providence to chastise and parry away the ancient people of God because of their sins, so the judgment of Babylon sets forth the judgment of the world-power in its last shape. In this way, therefore, Cyrus in the prophecy of Isaiah is clearly viewed as a precursor on a small scale of a great deliverer who will come, the last act of the power of God at the end of the present dispensation being the fall of Babylon, followed by the coming of the Lord Jesus to take the kingdom. It is under the seventh vial that Babylon is finally judged, and then comes the Lord Jesus in the clouds of heaven to establish the people of God upon the earth, as well as to display the church and all the other heavenly saints above.
Now it is evident that the measure in which Cyrus prefigures this mighty deliverer is but small. Still, I have no doubt that God had all this in view when He was pleased in His own wonderful way to send out such a call by him, Cyrus king of Persia, who pronounces that the Jehovah God of heaven had given him all the kingdoms of the earth. We know how truly this will be the case with Christ – that He is really the righteous man whom Cyrus set forth in a very small measure – that He is the one who will trample down the kings of the earth like mortar – that He is the one who will judge – that they shall be as stubble before His bow. But now Cyrus proclaims that the road was open to Jerusalem, and so far from hindering the return of the people of God, he encourages them in every possible way. He exhorts them to go up and build the house of God, and, further, that all people were to lend them their help along the road. Cyrus himself sets the example of that which he proclaims to others. For instead of contenting himself as a king naturally would with having let go a large band – a considerable band – of a race which had been so opposed to all other kingdoms (for so the Gentiles regarded Israel), he, furthermore, brings out the vessels of the house of God, and brings out the gold and the silver which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from Jerusalem. All this is now given back to Israel in order that they might go with this confidence, not only that God providentially had made the road back, but that God had inclined the heart of the Gentile himself to the honour of the Jehovah God of heaven.
These, then, are the circumstances which come before us in the first chapter. But then, the state of things at that time in no wise answers to the reality that will be by and by. For instead of the Gentile being supreme, the plan and intention of God, we know well all through Scripture, is that Israel shall be the head and the Gentiles the tail. And, in fact, it is this alone which enables us to understand the history of the world, and the extraordinary state of the world ever since the Gentile times began. Men are and have long been, very boastful of this very time that God calls the times of the Gentiles. What is it in God’s mind? A state of confusion only controlled in God’s providence by His setting up the basest of men to rule over it. So it is that God speaks of it. How humiliating! Whilst Gentile pride vaunts itself in its great men that govern the world, I repeat, God characterises it as a season – a mere interval of time – that has merely come in because of the rebellious, apostate sin of Israel, and, accordingly, He allows in His providence that the worst shall gain the upper hand. We cannot form a right judgment of the state of the world and of its history on a large scale without bearing that in mind.
This does not in the smallest degree hinder the Christian – the believer – from paying honour to the powers that be, for that is clearly our duty. As honour is not at all based upon their personal character, we have nothing at all to do with their origin, how they got their power, or how they use their power. All that we have got to do, as believers, is to own God and the magistrate. Perhaps the magistrate, or the king, does not own God himself. That is a serious thing for him, but it does not change our relation. Our duty, even if the kings or the magistrates were all infidels, is to acknowledge them to be God’s ministers, no doubt blindly serving, but still as accomplishing in their position God’s purpose, though they little think it themselves. In short, we are bound to pay this honour to the powers that be, and it is no question what their particular shape may be. It may be a monarchy or an empire, or a republic, or whatever men may own for the moment. Our business is to render honour and subjection to the higher powers. This makes the Christian’s path extremely simple, and I press it, beloved brethren, because we are in a time when altogether different views prevail. The spirit of the age is totally against what I am now saying. I give you, therefore, full warning as to it.
You must not expect to find what I am now saying in the thoughts of men, in the mouths of men, in the writings of men; but the contrary. Men regard themselves as the source of power, not God. They think it is purely a question of man’s will. I grant you it may be man’s will, as the mere outer source of it. But what people forget is this, that it is God that evermore governs, even though wicked men may be the instruments that come forward publicly. Our part is not with the instruments at all, but to own God in whatever He allows for the time being to have power upon the earth. And this the Lord Jesus Himself has shown us in the most clear and decided manner, for there were very different thoughts in Israel when the Lord Himself was here. But He has touched upon this question and shown it in that memorable answer of His to the Pharisees and the Herodians when He demanded of them to produce the coin, and pointed to the image and superscription of Csar, and gave them this decisive word, “Render to Csar the things that are Csar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
This is what belongs to the time meanwhile; but how great the change when all things in heaven and on earth shall be put under the King – “the Great King” – when the Lord Jesus will be not only the acknowledged Jehovah, but King over all the earth – when what was only in a partial and boastful manner said of the king of Persia, who was called “the great king,” will be emphatically and intrinsically true of Him and of Him alone! Then how infinite the blessing! when the heavens and earth shall be united all to His praise, and all the fruit of His grace, and all joined in His glory. This is what we wait for, and we know that by the grace of God we shall be with Himself on high. We shall be with Him and appear with Him in glory when He appears in glory. But this was only a partial type and so much the more partial because the state of things is real, and the confusion where God only holds the reins providentially though it might be by men who were heathen, for such is the state of the times of the Gentiles. And the times of the Gentiles you will remember began with Nebuchadnezzar, and will go on till the Lord Jesus appears in glory. We are in the times of the Gentiles now, only we are called out of the world by the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. On this, however, I do not touch.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

Ezra
THE EVE OF THE RESTORATION
Ezr 1:1 – Ezr 1:11 .
Cyrus captured Babylon 538 B.C., and the ‘first year’ here is the first after that event. The predicted seventy years’ captivity had nearly run out, having in part done their work on the exiles. Colours burned in on china are permanent; and the furnace of bondage had, at least, effected this, that it fixed monotheism for ever in the inmost substance of the Jewish people. But the bulk of them seem to have had little of either religious or patriotic enthusiasm, and preferred Babylonia to Judea. We are here told of the beginning of the return of a portion of the exiles-forty-two thousand, in round numbers.
‘The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.’ That unveils the deepest cause of what fell into place, to the superficial observers, as one among many political events of similar complexion. We find among the inscriptions a cylinder written by order of Cyrus, which shows that he reversed the Babylonian policy of deporting conquered nations. ‘All their peoples,’ says he, in reference to a number of nations of whom he found members in exile in Babylonia, ‘I assembled and restored to their lands and the gods . . . whom Nabonidos . . . had brought into Babylon, I settled in peace in their sanctuaries’ Sayce, Fresh Light from the Ancient Monuments , p. 148. It was, then, part of a wider movement, which sent back Zerubbabel and his people to Jerusalem, and began the rebuilding of the Temple. No doubt, Cyrus had seen that the old plan simply brought an element of possible rebellion into the midst of the country, and acted on grounds of political prudence.
But our passage digs deeper to find the true cause. Cyrus was God’s instrument, and the statesman’s insight was the result of God’s illumination. The divine causality moves men, when they move themselves. It was not only in the history of the chosen people that God’s purpose is wrought out by more or less conscious and willing instruments. The principle laid down by the writer of this book is of universal application, and the true ‘philosophy of history’ must recognise as underlying all other so-called causes and forces the one uncaused Cause, of whose purposes kings and politicians are the executants, even while they freely act according to their own judgments, and, it may be, in utter unconsciousness of Him. It concerns our tranquillity and hopefulness, in the contemplation of the bewildering maze and often heart-breaking tragedy of mundane affairs, to hold fast by the conviction that God’s unseen Hand moves the pieces on the board, and presides over all the complications. The difference between ‘sacred’ and ‘profane’ history is not that one is under His direct control, and the other is not. What was true of Cyrus and his policy is as true of England. Would that politicians and all men recognised the fact as clearly as this historian did!
I. Cyrus’s proclamation sounds as if he were a Jehovah-worshipper, but it is to be feared that his religion was of a very accommodating kind. It used to be said that, as a Persian, he was a monotheist, and would consequently be in sympathy with the Jews; but the same cylinder already quoted shatters that idea, and shows him to have been a polytheist, ready to worship the gods of Babylon. He there ascribes his conquest to ‘Merodach, the great lord,’ and distinctly calls himself that god’s ‘worshipper.’ Like other polytheists, he had room in his pantheon for the gods of other nations, and admitted into it the deities of the conquered peoples.
The use of the name ‘Jehovah’ would, no doubt, be most simply accounted for by the supposition that Cyrus recognised the sole divinity of the God of Israel; but that solution conflicts with all that is known of him, and with his characterisation in Isa 45:4 as ‘not knowing’ Jehovah. More probably, his confession of Jehovah as the God of heaven was consistent in his mind with a similar confession as to Bel-Merodach or the supreme god of any other of the conquered nations. There is, however no improbability in the supposition that the prophecies concerning him in Isaiah xlv, may have been brought to his knowledge, and be referred to in the proclamation as the ‘charge’ given to him to build Jehovah’s Temple. But we must not exaggerate the depth or exclusiveness of his belief in the God of the Jews.
Cyrus’s profession of faith, then, is an example of official and skin-deep religion, of which public and individual life afford plentiful instances in all ages and faiths. If we are to take their own word for it, most great conquerors have been very religious men, and have asked a blessing over many a bloody feast. All religions are equally true to cynical politicians, who are ready to join in worshipping ‘Jehovah, Jove, or Lord,’ as may suit their policy. Nor is it only in high places that such loosely worn professions are found. Perhaps there is no region of life in which insincerity, which is often quite unconscious, is so rife as in regard to religious belief. But unless my religion is everything, it is nothing. ‘All in all, or not at all,’ is the requirement of the great Lover of souls. What a winnowing of chaff from wheat there would be, if that test could visibly separate the mass which is gathered on His threshing-floor, the Church!
Cyrus’s belief in Jehovah illustrates the attitude which was natural to a polytheist, and is so difficult for us to enter into. A vague belief in One Supreme, above all other gods, and variously named by different nations, is buried beneath mountains of myths about lesser gods, but sometimes comes to light in many pagan minds. This blind creed, if creed it can be called, is joined with the recognition of deities belonging to each nation, whose worship is to be co-extensive with the race of which they are patrons, and who may be absorbed into the pantheon of a conqueror, just as a vanquished king may be allowed an honourable captivity at the victor’s capital. Thus Cyrus could in a sense worship Jehovah, the God of Israel, without thereby being rebellious to Merodach.
There are people, even among so-called Christians, who try the same immoral and impossible division of what must in its very nature be wholly given to One Supreme. To ‘serve God and mammon’ is demonstrably an absurd attempt. The love and trust and obedience which are worthy of Him must be wholehearted, whole-souled, whole-willed. It is as impossible to love God with part of one’s self as it is for a husband to love his wife with half his heart, and another woman with the rest. To divide love is to slay it. Cyrus had some kind of belief in Jehovah; but his own words, so wonderfully recovered in the inscription already referred to, proved that he had not listened to the command, ‘Him only shalt thou serve.’ That command grips us as closely as it did the Jews, and is as truly broken by thousands calling themselves Christians as by any idolaters.
The substance of the proclamation is a permission to return to any one who wished to do so, a sanction of the rebuilding of the Temple, and an order to the native inhabitants to render help in money, goods, and beasts. A further contribution towards the building was suggested as ‘a free-will offering.’ The return, then, was not to be at the expense of the king, nor was any tax laid on for it; but neighbourly goodwill, born of seventy years of association, was invoked, and, as we find, not in vain. God had given the people favour in the eyes of those who had carried them captive.
II. The long years of residence in Babylonia had weakened the homesickness which the first generation of captives had, no doubt, painfully experienced, and but a small part of them cared to avail themselves of the opportunity of return. One reason is frankly given by Josephus: ‘Many remained in Babylon, not wishing to leave their possessions behind them.’ ‘The heads of the fathers’ houses [who may have exercised some sort of government among the captives], the priests and Levites,’ made the bulk of the emigrants; but in each class it was only those ‘whose spirit God had stirred up’ as he had done Cyrus’ that were devout or patriotic enough to face the wrench of removal and the difficulties of repeopling a wasted land. There was nothing to tempt any others, and the brave little band had need of all their fortitude. But no heart in which the flame of devotion burned, or in which were felt the drawings of that passionate love of the city and soil where God dwelt which in the best days of the nation was inseparable from devotion, could remain behind. The departing contingent, then, were the best part of the whole; and the lingerers were held back by love of ease, faint-heartedness, love of wealth, and the like ignoble motives.
How many of us have had great opportunities offered for service, which we have let slip in like manner! To have doors opened which we are too lazy, too cowardly, too much afraid of self-denial, to enter, is the tragedy and the crime of many a life. It is easier to live among the low levels of the plain of Babylon, than to take to the dangers and privations of the weary tramp across the desert. The ruins of Jerusalem are a much less comfortable abode than the well-furnished houses which have to be left. Prudence says, ‘Be content where you are, and let other people take the trouble of such mad schemes as rebuilding the Temple.’ A thousand excuses sing in our ears, and we let the moment in which alone some noble resolve is possible slide past us, and the rest of life is empty of another such. Neglected opportunities, unobeyed calls to high deeds, we all have in our lives. The saddest of all words is, ‘It might have been.’ How much wiser, happier, nobler, were the daring souls that rose to the occasion, and flung ease and wealth and companionship behind them, because they heard the divine command couched in the royal permission, and humbly answered, ‘Here am I; send me’!
III. The third point in the passage is singular-the inventory of the Temple vessels returned by Cyrus. As to its particulars, we need only note that Sheshbazzar is the same as Zerubbabel; that the exact translation of some of the names of the vessels is doubtful; and that the numbers given under each head do not correspond with the sum total, the discrepancy indicating error somewhere in the numbers.
But is not this dry enumeration a strange item to come in the forefront of the narrative of such an event? We might have expected some kind of production of the enthusiasm of the returning exiles, some account of how they were sent on their journey, something which we should have felt worthier of the occasion than a list of bowls and nine-and-twenty knives. But it is of a piece with the whole of the first part of this Book of Ezra, which is mostly taken up with a similar catalogue of the members of the expedition. The list here indicates the pride and joy with which the long hidden and often desecrated vessels were received. We can see the priests and Levites gazing at them as they were brought forth, their hearts, and perhaps their eyes, filling with sacred memories. The Lord had ‘turned again the captivity of Zion,’ and these sacred vessels lay there, glittering before them, to assure them that they were not as ‘them that dream.’ Small things become great when they are the witnesses of a great thing.
We must remember, too, how strong a hold the externals of worship had on the devout Jew. His faith was much more tied to form than ours ought to be, and the restoration of the sacrificial implements as a pledge of the re-establishment of the Temple worship would seem the beginning of a new epoch of closer relation to Jehovah. It is almost within the lifetime of living men that all Scotland was thrilled with emotion by the discovery, in a neglected chamber, of a chest in which lay, forgotten, the crown and sceptre of the Stuarts. A like wave of feeling passed over the exiles as they had given back to their custody these Temple vessels. Sacreder ones are given into our hands, to carry across a more dangerous desert. Let us hear the charge, ‘Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord,’ and see that we carry them, untarnished and unlost, to ‘the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.’
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 1:1
1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Ezr 1:1 in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia The close of 2Ch 36:22-23 is similar to the opening of Ezra. Some scholars assert that the lexical and syntactical style suggests one author. However, it may simply be a way of showing that Ezra-Nehemiah continues the history of Chronicles.
SPECIAL TOPIC: Medo-Persian Empire: Survey of the Rise of Cyrus II (Isa 41:2; Isa 41:25; Isa 44:28 to Isa 45:7; Isa 46:11; Isa 48:15)
in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah This refers to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy-year captivity (cf. Jer 25:11-12; Jer 29:10; Jer 50:18-19). It is hard to find an exact 70 year time-frame unless one adds (1) from the time of King Jehoiakim or (2) from the destruction of Solomon’s temple in 586 B.C. to the rebuilding of the second temple in 516 B.C. However, it is possible that the number 70 refers to a round number or the expected life span of an individual.
the stirred up the spirit of Cyrus This VERB (BDB 734 I, KB 802, Hiphil PERFECT, cf. John Joseph Owens, Analytical Key to the Old Testament, vol. 3, p. 1, and Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles Briggs [ed], of William Gesenius’ Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament) also occurs in Ezr 1:5, where the stirs up the exiles to return home. The major thrust of this recurrent theme is that God is in control of historyall history, by arousing humans to action (cf. Ezr 6:22; 1Ch 5:26; 2Ch 21:16; 2Ch 36:22; Isa 13:17; Jer 51:1; Jer 51:11; Hag 1:14)!
Cyrus seems to have had a unique concern for the Jews. Many commentators believe this was because Daniel, who lived into Cyrus’ reign (cf. Dan 10:1), showed him his name and the prophecies of Isaiah (cf. Isa 41:2; Isa 41:25; Isa 44:28 to Isa 45:7, Isa 45:12-13; Isa 46:11; Isa 48:15), which relates to YHWH calling one from the east to do His bidding of allowing His people to return to Judah and rebuild His temple. Josephus, Antiq. 11.1, says that the Jews showed Cyrus the text, Isa 44:28.
Cyrus’ knowledge of Isaiah’s prophecies may be the source of his words in Ezr 1:2. The same word, stirred up or aroused (BDB 734), is used in Isa 41:2; Isa 41:25; Isa 45:13. Daniel himself was concerned about the rebuilding of YHWH’s temple (cf. Daniel 9).
and also put it into writing saying Cyrus’ decree (538 B.C.) that all of the exiled people groups could return to their native lands (Cyrus Cylinder, cf. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament by J. B. Pritchard, pp. 315-316) and re-establish their religious traditions was an attempt to assure loyalty and to try to appease the gods for his reign.
The term writing (BDB 508) is a technical term for written posters. It is possible that the Hebrew account of Cyrus’ decree in chapter 1 was spoken (i.e., he sent a proclamation, BDB 876) as well as posted notices (i.e., put it in writing) throughout the Empire. The Aramaic in Ezr 6:3-5 was the official written document put in the archives.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Cyrus. The son of Astyages and Esther. See App-57, on the genealogy of the Persian kings. So named Neh 200 years before he was born (Isa 44:28). The book of Esther precedes the book of Ezra-Nehemiah, and Neh 1:1 Neh 7:4 precedes Ezr 1:1-14. See note on Neh 1:2. Est 3:8; Est 10:3, and App-57.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
mouth. Compare 2Ch 36:21-23. Jer 29:10-14.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Let’s turn now to the book of Ezra.
The book of Ezra, the first part was probably written by Ezra but written from the records. Actually at the time that Cyrus gave the decree to build the temple, Ezra wasn’t even alive. Ezra doesn’t come into the story, into a firsthand account until you get to chapter seven. The first six chapters deal with the first of the repatriation of the nation Israel after the Babylonian captivity.
Now in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all of his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus the king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah ( Ezr 1:1-2 ).
Now he mentions here, “In order that the word of the prophecy of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” And as you turn to Jeremiah chapter twenty-five, we find that the Lord hath predicted that they would be in Babylonian captivity for seventy years, Jer 25:11 . “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it” ( Jer 25:11-13 ).
And then also in Jeremiah chapter twenty-nine, verse ten, “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, they are thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you an expected end. And ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, I will gather you from all the nations, and from all of the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive” ( Jer 29:10-14 ).
All right, now turn to Daniel chapter nine. “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by the books the number of years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed to God, and made my confession” ( Dan 9:1-4 ), and so forth. So that Daniel, knowing the prophecy of Jeremiah that the period of captivity would be seventy years, during this period he began to seek the Lord as to what part the Lord might have him to play in the repatriation of Israel.
Now let’s turn to Isaiah chapter forty-four, verse twenty-eight. Now remember, “now in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” Now in Isa 44:28 ,”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. Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings” ( Isa 44:28-28 Isa 45:1-1 ).
You remember how Belshazzar, it says that his knees smote together the night that he heard that the, he saw the handwriting on the wall, and it says that his knees began to smite one against another. And so here is a prophecy of that experience that Belshazzar had. “I will loose the loins of the kings to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, the hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though you have not known me” ( Isa 45:1-4 ).
So here the prophecy of Isaiah was uttered two hundred years before this particular event where we read now, “In the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia.” The fellow that, even according to Isaiah the man that God names, that “I’ve named you even though you haven’t known Me.” God named him two hundred, hundred and fifty years before he was born God named him and declared that he would be the one that would allow the people to go back and to start rebuilding the temple. So fascinating prophecies, many of you see how much scripture is tied together in really just the first verse here in Ezra as we see the prophecies of Isaiah, the prophecies of Daniel. For Daniel predicted that the Medo-Persian Empire would overthrow the Babylonian empire, and of course, the prophecies of Jeremiah, the seventy years of their captivity in Babylon and then that God would release them from that captivity.
So it’s exciting times in Bible history when you come down to the point where God is now fulfilling the things that He promised. When you start seeing the things fall together. When you know that the Lord said, “Seventy years will be your time of captivity.” And you can count and you know when seventy years are up, you start getting excited. All right, God’s going to start moving, you know, because the seventy years are about up.
When Cyrus is the name of the general that takes over in Babylonian, then you really get excited because you know that God said, “Hey, I’ve called you by your name and I’ve surnamed you though you haven’t even known Me. And you will do my bidding. You will do my desires in allowing the people to go back from their captivity.” So you see things beginning to come together and there’s always a lot of anticipation and excitement.
And hey, the day in which we live today is just that kind of a day, because we see things coming together. And it’s exciting to see the things happening in the world because all of a sudden we think, “Yeah, that’s what the prophet Ezekiel said was going to be. Yeah, that’s what the Lord said would happen there in Isaiah. Yes.” And you see how God is setting the whole thing together, and we’re moving again to a period of history just like it was here in the first chapter of Ezra where God is getting ready to fulfill His promises and His word, and He has set the stage. Things are coming to pass, and there’s just an excitement in the air because you know that God’s word is being fulfilled around you, and you know what’s going to be happening. As God has declared these events, they are going to take place. So we look at the world today and we realize that Russia will soon be making her move into the Middle East.
We know that Russia’s going to attack the Middle East, and for us, as Christians, it’s really exciting because we know what a threat Russia is to our own security and to our own peace. And to realize that they’re going to make this military mistake and blunder and try to take Israel first before she goes against the United States. We know what’s going to happen and so we rejoice that God has given to us advance warning, advance notices, so that we will actually believe when we see these things happen.
Jesus said, “I’ve told you these things before they come to pass, so that when they come to pass, you might believe” ( Joh 13:19 ). And so it’s always exciting to live in those periods of history when God starts to put things together and you know, hey, this is the time that the prophets were speaking about. These are the events God said were going to take place. Wow, this is it. Look at that! And you see the whole thing beginning to just sort of well together and it’s just really exciting times.
Now Daniel had predicted that the Medo-Persian Empire was going to overthrow the Babylonian Empire, and Daniel actually became a counselor. He was a counselor in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. However, by the time that Belshazzar his grandson came around, Daniel was sort of in retirement, and when the handwriting came on the wall, they brought Daniel in. And Belshazzar really didn’t know him. “Are you that Daniel that helped my grandfather?” And so forth. And Daniel then interpreted the dream for Belshazzar telling him that that night his kingdom was going. That was it. He had had it. His days were numbered and finished. That was all for him. And he had a very short span on the scene.
Daniel was probably at this time close to ninety years old. He probably lived to be a hundred and ten, a hundred and fifteen. He lived to the time that the temple was rebuilt. And he, because it was, as we get tonight, it was Darius who gave the order to start work again. Cyrus gave the order to start, and about fifty thousand of the Jews returned, as we will be reading, and started rebuilding the temple and resettling the land.
Then about, then actually, Cyrus was removed. Another king came in who wrote and stopped the building of the temple. And then Darius came on the throne, and he wrote and started the whole project again about sixteen years later. Now it is the same Darius that was a close friend of Daniel. It was Darius the king who was tricked into making the decree, “If any one prays to any god other than me for thirty days, you know, let him be thrown in the lion’s den.” And he signed this proclamation and then they came and said, “Hey, there’s a guy down here that broke your law and he’s got to go on the lion’s den.” And he said, “Who is it?” “It’s Daniel.” And of course, he was grieved because he loved Daniel. And he sought all day to try and reverse things, but the law of the Medes and the Persians could not be changed once it had been sealed. And so he encouraged Daniel and said, “Daniel, the God you serve, He is able to deliver you out of the hand of the lions.” And Daniel said, “Don’t worry; I’m an old tough customer. I’ll get by okay.”
So they threw Daniel into the lion’s den, and of course, the king didn’t sleep all night long. He was really troubled over the whole thing. And in the morning he went out early, and I like it; the Scriptures said, “And he cried in a lamentable voice, ‘Oh, Daniel,'” however the lamentable voice was. “Is your God able to deliver you?” And he said, “Live forever, king. God sent an angel down and stopped the mouths of the lions, and I’m in good shape.” So they brought Daniel out, and then the guys that conspired against Daniel were tossed into the lion’s den. And before they could even hit the bottom of the den, they were devoured of the lions.
Now this is the Darius that we will get to in a little while, who gave the order to start building again, even ordered them to pay whatever money they needed to help. So we’ll start putting the story together for you as we move along.
So Cyrus the king made a proclamation that whatever people there were of the Israelites who wanted to return could go up to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, for He is the God which is in Jerusalem.
And whosoever remains in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. So there rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, and all of them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, gold, with goods, with beasts, and precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem, and put in the house of his gods; even those did Cyrus the king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto the prince of Judah. And the number of them: were thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, twenty-nine knives ( Ezr 1:4-9 ),
And so forth.
It was the policy of the Assyrians and of the Babylonians when they conquered people to take them out of their land and to just place them in other lands that they might lose their national identity and they might any fighting spirit. It was the policy of the Persians, they were far more humane than were the Assyrians or the Babylonians, and the Persian’s policy was to sort of repatriate the people.
Now it is mentioned here that those of Judah, the Levites and Benjamin; later on we’ll find that it also mentions those of Manasseh and those of Ephraim that returned. I make mention of that because there is what is referred to as the ten lost tribes of Israel and those who try to make an identity of the Anglo-Saxon nations with Israel and say that we are a part of the ten lost tribes. The Bible never refers to ten lost tribes. In fact, in the New Testament there are references “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greetings” ( Jas 1:1 ). And there were people from the twelve tribes that were living and still identified with those tribes during the times of the New Testament. And so you really don’t have lost tribes. That’s sort of a misnomer that people have developed saying the ten lost tribes.
Even here there were those from the tribe of Benjamin which was, well, that was a part of Judah and Benjamin were together, but then those of Manasseh, those of Ephraim and the Levites. And of course, you have the tribe of Judah so that even already we have many of the tribes identified. And by the New Testament, Paul the apostle said he was of the tribe of Benjamin, and he knew the tribe from which he came. And of course, there was the Levites and all during the time of Jesus Christ. So there, they may not know their identity today as to which tribe they’re from. It isn’t necessary. It was only necessary to keep the tribal distinctions until the coming of Jesus Christ.
It had to be that He was of the tribe of Judah, and once He came forth from the tribe of Judah, not necessary to keep tribal distinctions any longer. It was all fulfilled. But God knows where they are. In fact, God is going to seal them, twelve thousand from each tribe, in just a very short time as He gets ready to put the final touches upon the whole earth system before the return of Jesus Christ. God is going to seal twelve thousand from each of the tribes of Israel, 144,000 all together. So God knows exactly who they are, where they are, and all. Even though they themselves may not know what tribe they’re from, yet the Lord does know.
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Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Ezr 1:1-4
Introduction
THE LORD MOVED TO FULFIL HIS PROMISE OF ENDING THE EXILE
The seventy years of Israel’s captivity had expired, exactly as Jeremiah had prophesied; and one of the most unbelievable events in human history promptly occurred, when, during the very first year of Cyrus’ authority over the Chaldean kingdom (which at that time included Israel), the great ruler of Persia not only granted Israel permission to return to Palestine, but aided them very substantially in other ways also. There was no precedent whatever for such a thing. Where, in all the wretched history of the human race, was there ever anything that could be compared with a development like this? The very uniqueness of this return of Israel to their homeland is the only proof needed that it was accomplished by the direct intervention of God Himself in the sordid affairs of sinful men.
Isaiah had prophesied the end of Israel’s captivity, even foretelling the very name of the key instrument of God in the accomplishment of it, declaring emphatically that Cyrus would accomplish the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple (Isa 44:28 to Isa 45:7). Only those who are blinded by the false axiom of radical critics who deny the possibility of predictive prophecy can accept their unfounded, passionate, and vehement denials of this passage in Isaiah. There it stands! And here in Ezra, as well as in the final verses of Second Chronicles, we have the record of God’s fulfillment of his sacred word.
Ezr 1:1-4
CYRUS’ DECREE AUTHORIZING THE RETURN OF ISRAEL TO PALESTINE
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezr 1:1). A number of scholars place this date at 538 B.C., but Darius was ruler of Persia (as Cyrus’ deputy) for a couple of years; and Keil’s placement of this date at 536 B.C. is a more accurate discernment, as that was Cyrus’ first year of sole sovereignty over Babylon.
“That the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished” (1). This is a reference to Jer 15:12-14 which records that prophet’s announcement of the seventy-year duration of the exile.
Oesterley asserts that, “The seventy years is a designation for a long period of time, and is not to be taken in a literal sense.” However, this comment, in spite of its being echoed by a number of scholars, is simply not true. The captivity began in 606 B.C. and lasted until 536 B.C., a period of exactly seventy years, as Keil has fully explained. The point which many scholars overlook is that from the very first day of the accession of Jehoiakim, Israel was no longer an independent nation. That the seventy years was indeed a precise and exact prophecy, and not a mere idiom for “a long time,” is proved by the fact that God designed it to give the land its sabbaths, which Israel had totally neglected during the 490 years from the accession of Saul to the Captivity. It required exactly seventy years to accomplish that. This fact is stressed by the sacred author in 2Ch 36:21.
“Cyrus … made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and put it also in writing” (Ezr 1:1). This statement that the proclamation was made both orally and written, “Should not be surprising; it was quite usual in the ancient world for oral messages to be backed up by written documents, as in 2Ki 19:9-14.”
Many critics have challenged the authenticity of Cyrus’ edict; but, “Archaeology has demonstrated that Cyrus’ concession to Jewish exiles was not an isolated act, but the general policy of a remarkably humane leader of conciliating his new subjects by showing favor to their religions.” Some have pointed out that Cyrus’ knowledge of the true God Jehovah was by no means perfect and that in a similar way he honored the pagan deity Marduk and the Moon god, Sin. Still, the honors and guidance of his successes which Cyrus mentioned in the particular proclamations mentioned here as pertaining to Jehovah, the God of Israel, are certainly included in those inscriptions found upon the bricks in one of the gates of Babylon, namely, “The great gods have delivered all lands into my hands; the land I have caused to dwell in a peaceful habitation.”
The objection may then be raised that Cyrus’s knowledge of Jehovah was far from perfect. So what? Did not Isaiah’s prophecy indicate that very fact regarding Cyrus? “I have called thee by thy name; I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me” (Isa 45:4). It was altogether natural, therefore, that the author of Ezra should have stressed Jehovah alone, and not the pagan deities, in his report of the decree.
“All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me” (Ezr 1:2). Williamson and others have repeated the inaccurate declaration found frequently in the writings of early 20th-century critics that, “The God of heaven makes its first appearance here as a description of the God of the Bible.” There is only one thing wrong with such a comment; it is simply not true! In the eighth century B.C., Jonah told the mariners on their storm-threatened ship that, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the God of heaven who hath made the sea and the dry land” (Jon 1:9). Furthermore, the very first book in the Bible, namely, Genesis, refers to the God of heaven twice (Gen 24:3; Gen 24:7)!
The absolute historicity and validity of this great decree of Cyrus is impossible of any intelligent denial. Furthermore, the Biblical narrative of how it came about that Israel was delivered from Babylonian captivity must be accepted as the only logical explanation of it. Unbelievers may scoff at the pertinent prophecies God gave through Jeremiah and Isaiah; but what else could have led to that remarkable deliverance? If God Himself did not indeed “stir up the spirit of Cyrus,” as related in Ezr 1:1, then who did? The entire operation that brought Israel back to Palestine, rebuilt Jerusalem, and the Second Temple, and reestablished a nation that had languished in slavery for seventy years – that whole operation, first and last, was an act of Almighty God.
“Let the men of his place help him with silver and gold” (Ezr 1:4). It is disputed as to whether or not the helpers here were Israelites only, or if they also included their neighboring Babylonians. There is more than a hint of the Exodus here; for it will be remembered that the Egyptians enriched the children of Israel on the occasion of their leaving Egypt. Something of that same Divine Providence might have been effective upon this occasion also.
One might wish that all Israel had heeded the edict of Cyrus and made their way back to Palestine; but it was not to be. Isaiah’s great prophecy of “The Remnant” would be literally fulfilled. Only a relative handful of the captives, considerably less than 50,000, ever made their way back to Judah and Jerusalem. The vast majority had accommodated themselves to the lifestyle, the riches, and the religion of the Babylonians.
E.M. Zerr:
Ezr 1:1. First year of Cyrus. This means his first year as ruler over Babylon. He had been king of the Persians for some 20 years up to the time of his taking this city. It will throw some light on this part of the subject to quote from Myers’ Ancient History, pages 88, 89: “Cyrus the Great (558-529 B. C.) founds a Great World Empire.—–The leadership of the Median chieftains was of short duration. A certain Cyrus, king of Anshan, in Elam, overthrew their power, and assumed the headship of both Medea and Persians. Through his energy and soldierly genius Cyrus soon built up an empire more extended than any over which the scepter had yet been swayed by Oriental monarch, or indeed, so far as we know, by any ruler before his time. After the conquest of Media and the acquisition of the provinces formerly ruled by the Median princes, Cyrus rounded out his empire by the conquest of Lydia and Babylonia.” A more extended account of the taking of Babylon may be found in Five Great Monarchies, by George Rawlinson; Vol. 3, pages 69-72. Between the close of the preceding book, and the beginning of this, some 51 years have passed in history. That space of time was what remained of the 70 years’ captivity after the taking of Zedekiah, last Jewish king to sit on the throne in Jerusalem. Many events that occurred in the course of the famous 70 years will be referred to and discussed when we come to the books of the prophets. It is enough now for us to know that the captivity came to an end with the same event that ended the Babylonian Empire, which was brought about by the victory of Cyrus over Babylon, which is mentioned above. Passing over the history of the 70 years for the present, the inspired writer takes up the line at the beginning of the reconstruction in Jerusalem under the orders of Cyrus. By the mouth of Jeremiah. The prophet had foretold the conquest of Cyrus over Babylon, which put him in position to release the Jews from captivity and to permit them to restore their city and country. See Jer 33:6 ff. Stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. God has used various kings and other persons of the world, both good and bad, to accomplish his purpose. See Exo 9:16; Numbers 22-24; 1Ki 19:15; Isa 10:5-6. Cyrus was one of the good (morally) heathen kings. On this point I shall again quote some history: “Almost universal testimony has ascribed to him (Cyrus) the purest and most beneficent character of any Eastern monarch.” Myers’ Ancient History, P. 90. Cyrus not only released the Jews from their bondage (yet retaining them as citizens under him), but authorized them to return to their former country. Made a proclamation was an official order put out to the public notice, but applying to the Jews. Put it in writing would be necessary for two reasons. The dominions of Cyrus now were so extensive that the proclamation would have to be circulated by postman. Another reason was to prevent any misunderstanding of the requirements.
Ezr 1:2. Lord God of heaven. Cyrus was a heathen, but when God saw fit to use him he made himself known to him in the things he wished him to do. It had nothing to do with his moral character, before or after the service. He was used as an instrument of God for a certan purpose. But in order for him to be available for the work, it was needful for God to assure him that he was being directed by a Being whom he should not ignore. Moreover, he was given to understand that the conquests he had made over the nations and kingdoms were made possible by this very God. Given me all the kingdoms of the earth. This was no vain boast, but was in fulfillment of a prophecy of Daniel in his book, Dan 2:38-40. It pertained to the 4 great world empires of which we will hear much in later studies of the Bible. Those empires were, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece or Macedonia, and Rome. Cyrus was king of the second of these world empires, hence it was necessary to give him all those kingdoms as he just claimed. He announced that he had been charged to build the Lord a house in Jerusalem. Not that he would personally supervise the work, but that he would see that the necessary provisions were made for the building. There was a political reason for this official procedure. Jerusalem had been destroyed while in a state of revolt, and the restoration of it might be interpreted as an act of renewed rebellion. In fact the attempt was made to bring such a charge as we shall see in the progress of operations. So without the sponsorship of Cyrus the work of rebuilding would fail.
Ezr 1:3. Cyrus called for volunteers to take up the work which was charged upon him to have done. He gave his good wishes for the favor of his (the volunteer’s) God upon him, and gave his royal authority for him to leave the borders of Persia and go to Jerusalem. But let it be noted that it was not merely a furlough to make a journey of pleasure. He was to go to Judah to build the house of the Lord. And since there are lords many and gods many, Cyrus specified what one he meant; the God of Israel. He is the God was not a primary acknowledgment of God as the supreme One. He meant to say that the God of Israel was the God to be recognized in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:4. The Jews are no longer captives, for that period was ended by the overthrow of Babylon by the Persians. But they are still the citizens of the country that is being ruled by the successors of the Babylonian Empire. That relationship makes them accountable to the Persians in all matters pertaining to a national government. Even their religious privileges are subject to the “powers that be,” and their exercise will depend on the will of the same. Fortunately, the incoming government is friendly toward the people of God, just as the Lord had predicted by his prohpets that it would be. In taking possession of the Babylonian Empire, the Persians also gained control of the countries that had been under the control of that great power, which included Palestine and its adjacent territories. These facts should explain why Cyrus would have any business whatever in the affairs of the people sojourning in any place. Since that would include men who would be scattered throughout the various provinces in the Mesopotamian lands in general, as well as all Syria and Palestine, we should understand this verse in the light of the remarks at the beginning of this paragraph. Therefore, in all of the places indicated, there were individuals who might be interested in the restoration of the Jewish interests in Jerusalem. The proclamation indicated in this verse was to make them feel free to show their friendliness toward that work, and be willing to assist it. It went further than permitting the men interested to lend a hand in the work. Such action would call for materials, and Cyrus ordered that the people of the communities among whom these others were sojourning, were to cooperate by furnishing them with materials for the building, and animals that they might use in their altar services.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

The Book of Ezra contains an account of a most important epoch in the history of the people of God. After seventy years of captivity, a return from captivity was made possible by the decree of a Gentile king. This Book gives us the story of that return, and the building of the Temple. It is not consecutive history, for while, with the Book of Nehemiah, covers a period of about one hundred years, there is a gap of sixty years. There are two main divisions, first, the story of the return under Zerubbabel and the building of the Temple, and then, after sixty years, the story of the coming of Ezra and the work he undertook.
God may seem to tarry in carrying out His purposes. He never abandons them. Indeed, there is a very true sense in which He never tarries even for a moment in carrying them out. The wreck of the chosen nation we have seen in previous books. The people had become scattered and peeled, having lost national position and power, and, to a very large extent, national consciousness. Notwithstanding all this, God still moved on toward His great ultimate purpose of redemption, not merely for these people, but for the world. During the seventy years, through the process of suffering, He prepared a remnant to return and rebuild and hold the fort until He, the true seed and servant, should come.
The history of the return sets forth clearly the truth concerning this overruling of God. He compelled the most likely instruments to accomplish His will. Babylon had carried His people into captivity, and so fulfilled His purpose. They had, however, treated the conquered nation with undue severity; and in process of time, in fulfillment of the distinct prophesying of Jeremiah, Cyrus the Persian had broken the power of Babylon. This Cyrus was now chosen and commissioned as the instrument of the chosen peoples return. Cyruss proclamation opened the door. It was the result of divine dealing with him, of which he was conscious. The God who opened the door stirred up men, and made them willing to respond. This is ever so in the divine economy. The opportunity, the willingness to obey and the leaders necessary, all come together under Gods direction.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

Gods Promises Fulfilled
Ezr 1:1-11
God will ever be mindful of His covenant. There were also many remembrancers as Daniel and other like-minded exiles who gave Him no rest and were ever asking Him for Davids sake to bring his people from captivity. See Isa 62:6-7. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, Ezr 1:1-11, and the spirits of the people, Ezr 5:1-17. How clearly the minds of men are subject to His promptings! May we never be disobedient to the heavenly visions that visit us, but always on the alert to work out with fear and trembling whatsoever He may work in. Whenever we yield to the divine promptings, it is remarkable how everything seems to cooperate with us. The stars in their courses fight for us. All things serve the man who serves Christ. In the present instance, all that were round about strengthened their hands. Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which had been in safe-keeping during those years of anarchy and confusion, like the precious manuscripts of Scripture during the Middle Ages. But when they were needed, God brought them out of their hiding-place. Trust in Him; He makes no mistakes.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Ezra: Chapters 1-5
Chapter 1
Separated Vessels
There are seven Old Testament books most intimately linked together;-three historical, three prophetic and one both historical and prophetic. I refer to Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther in the first group, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi in the second; and Daniel standing alone as the third.1 All have to do largely with a special work of God, subsequent to the close of the seventy years captivity predicted by Jeremiah in which the land of Palestine was to make up her lost sabbatic years (Jer 25:11-14; 2Ch 36:21; Dan 9:2). During this period of desolation her people were in bondage to the king of Babylon first, and after his overthrow, to the king of Persia. Babylon was the fountain-head of idolatry, and in its false worship, demon-inspired, was found in germ every evil teaching that Satanic ingenuity has ever devised for the turning away of unbelieving men from the revelation given by God in His holy Word.
It was to cure the people of Judah of their deeply-rooted love for idolatry that Jehovah gave them up to serve the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation. Dwelling in the midst of the heathen, surrounded on all sides by the detestable creations of the human mind energized by wicked spirits, they learned to the full the folly and wretchedness of forsaking the Guide of their youth for the gods many and lords many of the nations. Their experiences in this stronghold of paganistic corruption cured them effectually of the worship of images, and resulted in a gracious revival under Gods good hand which gave to His word a place of importance in their souls that it had not previously held. Unhappily, this blessed work of Gods Spirit soon lost its power and degenerated into a mere cold intellectual bibliolatry, in which the letter of the Word was clung to tenaciously while the spirit was quite ignored. So devoted were the Pharisaic successors of the men of the great synagogue (as Ezra and his companions were afterwards called) to the study of the sacred writings, that they even counted the words and letters of the law, while a great body of expository literature was produced, most of it pedantic and imaginative in the extreme, but all testifying to the veneration in which the Scriptures were held. Yet when He who is Himself the Spirit of the entire Old Testament, and of whom Moses and all the prophets wrote, appeared in their midst, He was not discerned by faith and was rejected and crucified by the descendants of the very remnant whose zeal for God is commended in the book of Ezra. Though He came in fulfilment of the very writings they read every Sabbath in public, and often in private, as the Babe of Bethlehem Ephrata, the Light of Galilee of the nations, and the lowly Prince of Peace riding upon an ass, they fulfilled other prophecies in rejecting Him and spurning His claims.
As a result of this stupendous blunder, in a day yet to come and now undoubtedly drawn very near, the mass of the Jews are to sink to a lower form of idolatry than ever, when they receive and own the Antichrist of the future as Messiah of Israel and minister of a god whom their fathers knew not, the Roman Beast who will be worshiped by the apostate Jews and Christendom alike as the god of forces (Dan 11:36 to end; Rev. 13).
This perversion of the word of God and insensibility to the Spirits work is exceedingly solemn, and may well have a voice for saints of God in this last end of the present dispensation of His grace, who have been largely delivered from Romish abominations and Protestant misconceptions of Scripture, and brought again to own in simplicity the headship of Christ, the presidency of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and the authority of the written Word over the consciences of all who call upon the name of the Lord. Here also there is grave danger of holding fast the letter, while losing sight of the tremendous importance of walking in the Spirit in living, realized fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, to whose peerless name God would gather all His own. Already a declension of no slight character has come in, and against those who seek to hold fast the Word and not deny the one only Name, the world, the flesh and the devil have combined to render powerless the testimony to the failure of the Church at large, and the abiding unity of the body of Christ.
It cannot therefore be other than salutary to prayerfully trace again some of Gods dealings with a remnant of old, that we may learn afresh His mind for His people to-day. In this spirit we would turn to the record of Ezra the scribe, a portion of Holy Scripture of intensely practical character, and abounding with suggestive teaching for believers in all ages.
The first two and a half verses of chapter one are quoted from the ending of 2 Chron., thus suggesting that Ezra was, perhaps, the chosen instrument to complete the earlier record, and which God would not have concluded without a pledge of restoration.
But these first verses of Ezra are not really the beginning of the work of God of which he treats. The true starting point will be found in the 9th of Daniel. There we find a man of God on his knees over the word of God-a lovely sight and one that ever foretells coming blessing. There are three 9th chapters in this series of books that are in large measure of the same character, namely, the 9th of Ezra, of Nehemiah and of Daniel. In all three alike we have men, each one whose heart is under the power of the truth for his times, in the place of confession before God. Such an attitude of soul well becomes all who recognize in any degree the advancing apostasy and the growth of the spirit of insubjection to the Holy Scriptures now so prevalent.
In Daniels case, he understood by books that the seventy years of affliction were very nearly run. He was a student of prophecy, and as he pored over Jeremiahs serious messages, he recognized that the time for their fulfilment of the Word as to the restoration had drawn near. What is the result? It drives him to his knees. He was no mere intellectual Bible student like so many to-day. The Scriptures had power over his soul and brought him to prayer and confession. He made the approaching deliverance a matter of earnest supplication coupled with a self-judgment that was the outcome of being in the realized presence of God. He confessed his own sin and the sin of his people. There was no harsh criticism of others while congratulating himself on his own faithfulness. He had been faithful, no doubt, but he does not claim anything on that ground. He confesses the failure of the nation to which he belongs and acknowledges their sin as his own. We have sinned is his cry, not they have sinned.
And what is the happy outcome of all this? We get it in the beginning of Ezra. Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia (ver. 1). Thus had God begun to hear and answer His servants prayer, in fulfilment of His own word given through Jeremiah.
People are often stumbled as to the relations of prayer and the purpose of God. If God has counseled, shall He not bring it to pass, whether we pray or not? The answer is that prayer is a part of Gods purpose He has willed to act when His people pray; and one of the first evidences that He is about to perform a certain thing is that the spirit of prayer and supplication is poured out upon His people in regard to that particular work. Here He moves the heart of a king in his palace to accomplish His word, after Daniel has made it a matter of prayer.
Cyrus issues a decree saying, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God), which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem (vers. 2-4).
In the beginning of this proclamation we see how evidently Cyrus was inspired of the Lord in the very title given to Jehovah. He is the God of heaven. This is the name by which He is largely known in the series of books indicated above. It was a title He took when His throne was removed from the earth, and He gave His people into the hands of the Gentiles. He went add returned to His place, as Hosea puts it. He Forsook the temple at Jerusalem, dissolved the theocracy and became the God of heaven. Such He is still to His ancient people, and so He will remain till He returns to Jerusalem to establish His throne again as the Lord of the whole earth.
It is likewise of note that Cyrus issues no command for any one to return to Jerusalem. There is to be nothing legal in this movement. It must be the result of grace working in the soul. So the king gives permission, and all who have heart for it are free to go up to the place where of old the Lord had set His name.
For nature there was little indeed to attract any one to Jerusalem. It lay a burned, ruined heap in the midst of a land of desolation. But for faith there was an attraction which nature could not understand. It was the city of God, the place of the Name,-the only place on, earth to which a grateful people could scripturally bring their offerings and where the guilty could bring a sacrifice for sin.
For believers now there is no such hallowed spot in this scene; Neither in Jerusalem, nor at this mountain is our place of worship. But our Lord has said: Where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst. Where He is acknowledged as sole Head and Lord and His redeemed are gathered to Himself, is what answers to the place where He set His name of old. As so gathered He leads His saints into the heavenly sanctuary, and there draws out their hearts to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. To get back to this simplicity, as it was at the beginning, may well be the desire of our hearts. Ever since the rising light of the Reformation there have been such stirrings of heart and conscience among the children of God;- yearnings after more of the simplicity of early days, with a larger appreciation of Christ, a separation from the unholy and profane.
It would be a grave blunder to make the scenes of Ezra typical of any one movement in Christendom. It rather has suggestive lessons by which saints may profit when any special work of gathering back to Christ in the Spirits power is going on. And this is one of the first and most important lessons. Such a movement must be of the working of grace. It cannot be a legal thing or all its freshness and power are lost. Hence the unwisdom of trying to force people into a position where grace has not been drawing them.
It is customary in some quarters to rail against human systems and to put the leaving them on peoples consciences as a matter of duty. By this means many take an outward place of separation who are not really drawn to Christ. It follows that such are very likely to be hard and legal in their ways and words, and will know little of that stirring of heart and attraction to the Lord Himself that we have pictured here in Ezra. The 5th verse tells us that certain of the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, together with priests and Levites, and all them whose spirit God had awakened, arose to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. This was most precious to God. The voluntariness was a lovely evidence of grace working in their souls.
Some there were, perhaps the majority, who did not go up, and it is not for us to judge them as to this; for we cannot tell what natural hindrances there may have been. But the book of Esther is witness that God did not take the same pleasure in those who remained as in the company who for the Names sake ascended to Jerusalem. He watched over them still, but He did not link His name openly with them as He did with the rest.
There was no enmity or spirit of judgment between the two classes. Those who remained helped their brethren who went up with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things beside all that was willingly offered (ver. 6).
The action of Cyrus to which our attention is next directed, in separating the vessels that had of old belonged to Jehovahs temple, from the treasure of the kings devoted to the heathen deities, is most suggestive, reminding us of the word of the Lord in 2 Tim. as to separating between vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor. What was of and for God must be purged out from the mixture. And this remains true for to-day.
The separated vessels are all numbered and committed to Sheshbazzar, called generally Zerubbabel (a stranger in Babel) the prince of Judah. It is noteworthy that this prince of Davids line claims no honors by virtue of his illustrious descent. It was a day of weakness and of small things. Zerubbabel therefore takes his place as one whose faith others can follow, but he claims nothing- as Davids son and heir.
This may speak to the hearts of those who today are exercised as to the lack of sign-gifts and who desire something great that the eye may see. The time for great things is over, the dispensation is closing in failure on mans part as to all committed to him. It becomes those who really have understanding of the times to be through with pretension, and in simplicity to go along with the lowly. The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His way.
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

Analysis and Annotations
I. THE RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL AND THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
CHAPTER 1
1. The proclamation of Cyrus (Ezr 1:1-4)
2. The response of the chiefs of Judah and Benjamin (Ezr 1:5-6)
3. The vessels of the house of the LORD restored (Ezr 1:7-11)
Ezr 1:1-4. Cyrus (meaning the Sun) the King of Persia was, according to ancient historians, the son of Cambyses, Prince of Persia, and Mandam, daughter of Astyages, King of the Median Empire. The theory that he was the offspring of Ahasuerus and Esther, and was trained by Mordecai and Nehemiah, lacks all historical foundation. The heart of Cyrus in the beginning of his reign was stirred by the LORD, because the time had come that the Word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled. And this was the Word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: For thus saith the LORD, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place (Jer 29:10). The seventy years were ended and God was about to act in behalf of His people Israel. Daniel was praying in Babylon after also having read the words of Jeremiah (Dan 9:1-2). Cyrus was the chosen instrument of the LORD to bring about the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of the temple. Almost two hundred years before his birth the LORD had revealed his name and his work to the prophet Isaiah. Twice Isaiah mentions the name of this Persian King: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasures, even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1). I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build my city and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of Hosts (Isa 45:13). This was written by this prophet of God over a century before the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Previously in Isaiah Jehovah had spoken his challenge to the idol-gods to show their power: Let them bring forth, and show us what shall happen, let them show the former things, what they be … or declare us things for to come; show the things that are to come afterward (Isa 41:22-23). In naming Cyrus the king, and the great work he would do for the exiles and for Jerusalem, the LORD demonstrates His power to declare things to come and to make the future known. And who would doubt that an omniscient God, who knows all things, the end from the beginning, could do this? Only infidels and destructive critics. The latter have invented a Deutero-Isaiah who, it is claimed, wrote the above prophecies concerning Cyrus after he had come into existence and done the work.
It will be seen that the Spirit of God through Isaiah spoke of Cyrus as the shepherd, the anointed, the man of my counsel (Isa 46:11); whom the LORD loveth (Isa 48:14); whose right hand the Lord upholdeth (Isa 45:1); who will perform the LORDs pleasure (Isa 44:28); and yet he is also called a ravenous bird from the East (Isa 46:11). Cyrus is, as the chosen instrument, a type of the Messiah, Christ. A comparison of Cyrus with Christ, the work Cyrus did for Israel and the work Christ will do in His second coming, is interesting.
The proclamation which Cyrus issued and sent in writing throughout his kingdom speaks of God as the LORD God of heaven, and in his edict Cyrus declares, He hath charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. How did Cyrus receive this knowledge? Beyond question he knew Daniel, and may have heard from his lips the history of Nebuchadnezzar as well as the great prophecies. This prophet may also have acquainted Cyrus with the prophecies of Isaiah. According to Josephus, the great Jewish historian, Cyrus read the book of Isaiah himself. When he came to the place in which Isaiah mentioned him by name, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was written in these prophecies. From the record here we learn that it was the LORD who stirred him up to issue the proclamation. In it permission was granted to those Jewish exiles throughout his kingdom to return to Jerusalem to build the house of the LORD; and those who remained were to help with silver and gold, with goods and beasts, besides free-will offering for the house of God. Thus Gods Word spoken over two hundred years before was fulfilled in this proclamation of Cyrus: He shall let my captives go; Saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid; these were the two great prophetic statements of the work he was to do. And so it came literally to pass. All predictions of a future restoration of Israel to their land, not through a Gentile king, but through the coming of Heavens King, the Shepherd of His sheep, will soon find all their literal fulfillment likewise.
Ezr 1:5-6. There was at once a response from the heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites. What joy must have filled their hearts when they read the proclamation of Cyrus. What they had longed and prayed for had come at last. God was acting in their behalf and His promises were about to come to pass. It was the LORD who stirred them to action and to turn their faces towards Jerusalem. But not all were ready to go back; only a small remnant was willing. The great majority preferred to remain in Babylon. There was nothing to attract them to Jerusalem–the city of ruins, with the once magnificent temple in ruins. Those who returned, loved Jerusalem, the place the LORD had chosen, where alone the appointed offerings and sacrifices could be brought. They belonged to those who sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept when they remembered Zion and said, If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning; if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy (Psa 137:5-6). And the Jews who remained helped them generously in every way.
Ezr 1:7-11. Then Cyrus restored the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and put into the house of his gods (Dan 1:2). His grandson, Belshazzar, defiled them at his licentious feast (Dan 5:2). In that night Belshazzar was slain and Babylon fell. No doubt Cyrus had these vessels collected and carefully guarded. Mithredath the treasurer handed them to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This prince was Zerubbabel: Sheshbazzar was the name the Babylonians had given him. He was born in Babylon; his name Means stranger in Babylon. He became the princely leader of the returning exiles. Besides being mentioned in Ezra we find his name also in the book of Zechariah. In all there were 5,400 vessels of gold and silver which were handed over to Zerubbabel to take back to Jerusalem. How it all shows that God had not forgotten His people, and when His appointed time came He manifested His power in their behalf. Nor has He forgotten His promise to bring a remnant back from the great dispersion among all the nations of the world. When that return comes, a greater than Zerubbabel the prince of Judah will be the leader. The Lord Jesus, the Son of David, will be their Deliverer.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

Now in the: 2Ch 36:22, 2Ch 36:23
Cyrus: Cyrus is said to have been the son of Cambyses, king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Media: he was born about 600 years before Christ, and died at the age of 70, after a reign of 30 years. He was mentioned by name, and his conquests foretold, by the prophet Isaiah, about a century before his birth. Josephus states the partiality he evinced towards the Jews, arose from the circumstance of these prophecies being shown him, probably by Daniel.
by the mouth: Jer 25:12-14, Jer 29:10, Jer 33:7-13
the Lord: Ezr 5:13-15, Ezr 6:22, Ezr 7:27, Psa 106:46, Pro 21:1, Dan 2:1
made a proclamation: Heb. caused a voice to pass, Mat 3:1-3, Joh 1:23
Reciprocal: Deu 30:3 – gather thee 1Ki 8:34 – forgive the sin 1Ki 11:23 – God 2Ch 6:25 – forgive the sin 2Ch 18:31 – God moved them 2Ch 21:16 – the Lord 2Ch 36:20 – until the reign Ezr 1:5 – whose spirit Ezr 4:3 – king Cyrus Ezr 6:3 – the first year Ezr 6:14 – Cyrus Ezr 9:9 – in the sight Ezr 10:7 – they made Neh 1:11 – grant Psa 102:13 – the set Psa 126:1 – turned again Isa 13:3 – them that Isa 40:9 – General Isa 41:27 – I will give Isa 44:28 – saying Isa 45:1 – to subdue Jer 27:22 – until Jer 50:9 – I will raise Jer 51:11 – the Lord hath Eze 37:12 – and bring Dan 6:25 – king Dan 6:28 – and in Dan 10:1 – Cyrus Mic 4:10 – there shalt Hag 1:14 – stirred Mat 1:22 – that Mat 21:3 – straightway Act 7:23 – it came Phi 2:13 – to will
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

TURNING AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF ZION
The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.
Ezr 1:1
Of this chapter little is necessary to be said in the way of homiletic analysis. The theme may be more easily handled, possibly, in a series of observations or topics.
I. For example, we see how the kingdom of Gods providence works into the kingdom of Gods grace.Judah had deeply sinned in those old, sad days of folly; and God had sent His fearful retributions upon the wrong-doers. But what if some did not believeshould such a wickedness make the promises of Jehovah of none effect? The time came at last when the nation would have to resume its former life; so Jerusalem must be rebuilded, and the land of the ancient covenant would be repeopled. For the tribe of Judah was that in particular in which the promised Messiah was to be born. It would not do to leave this genealogical line to become mingled and smothered among the Persians, or to be mysteriously suffered to fall out of history, as did the other ten lost tribes of Israel. The New Testament was all in this crisis period of the Old. The gospel had some claims of its own, and so now the historic development of the race of redeemed ones was resumed.
II. We see, in the next place, how unconsciously every mans life is formed upon the plan of God concerning him.This classic Cyrus, with whose name all schoolboys are familiar, had been mentioned in prophecy by name. So striking is the passage that it should be read in full before we undertake to move on in the story. It appears that the life of Cyrus had been moulded according to a fixed purpose of Almighty God from the beginning. It was for Jacob His servants sake that He had called him; on account of Israel His elect, He first mentioned and chose him; He surnamed him before he was born. The deliverer was raised up before the captivity came.
III. Once more: we learn from this story how the entrance of Gods Word gives light even to the mind of a heathen.It is a delightful surprise to find such a man as Cyrus confessing and declaring so much concerning the Deity Whom Judah worshipped. In the language of this one decree he acknowledges the existence of the Almighty One, and that by His own name. He makes no impertinent inquiry like Pharaoh in the old time: Who is Jehovah? but he describes Him as supreme, Lord God of heaven. This man Cyrus may have been a fire-worshipper, like the rest of the people about him; but that work for which the great God chose him changed him. Josephus tells us that those passages which related to himself were read to Cyrus just as they had been written more than a century before. So the instant he opened his mind to such sudden and vast revelation from heaven above, that he was to be an instrument in Jehovahs hand, he was filled with a sense of what it meant; it subdued and educated him. He could then exclaim, Jehovah, the God of IsraelHe is the God!
Illustration
God will ever be mindful of His covenant. And there were also many remembrancers, as Daniel and other like-minded pious exiles, who gave Him no rest, and were ever asking Him, for Davids sake, to bring His people from captivity. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus (1), and the spirits of the people (5). How clearly the minds of men are subject to His promptings! May we never be disobedient to the heavenly visions that visit us, but always on the alert to work out with fear and trembling whatsoever He may work in.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

THE CLOSING VISION, granted to the prophet Daniel, was given to him in the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia. If now we open our Bibles at the book of Ezra, we are carried back to the first year of that great monarch, whom the prophet Isaiah mentioned by name some two centuries before he ascended the throne. If we turn to Isa 44:28, we read the prediction of what he would do. Ezr 1:2 records his doing what Isaiah foretold.
The opening verse of the chapter refers to the prophecy of Jeremiah, which so stirred the spirit of Daniel, as he recorded in his ninth chapter. The prediction is found in Jer 25:11-14. Daniel saw that its fulfilment must be near, and it moved him to the remarkable prayer that is recorded. Ezra has placed on record the exact way in which it was fulfilled.
The word ‘Lord’ in verse Ezr 1:2 is of course Jehovah, and Cyrus recognised Him as the ‘God of Heaven’, and not merely of the kingdoms of the earth. Nebuchadnezzar had been brought to a similar confession, as we saw in Dan 4:37. As one reads the summary of the proclamation that Cyrus issued, recorded in verses Ezr 1:2-3, one cannot but think that he must have been informed of the prophecy, recorded in the opening verses of Isa 45:1-25, as well as the closing verse of the preceding chapter. It was no small thing that Cyrus should acknowledge the supreme glory and power of God in this striking way, and act in obedience to what God had commanded. It is not surprising that God should have spoken of him as, ‘His anointed’.
The proclamation did not name any person or persons who were to go to Jerusalem and build the house, but rather threw the door open for any Jew to go, whose heart stirred him up to do so, giving him the assurance that he was to be liberally helped in the project before him. Being thus worded it meant that those who responded would be in the main men of piety, whose hearts were alive to the glory of God and to the place of His Name, while the more worldly-minded and selfish would be inclined to remain in their comfortable homes, established during the seventy years of captivity, and leave the task to others who were prepared to face the difficulties and privations.
It is to be noted that what Cyrus had in view was the building of ‘the house of the Lord’, and he was not concerned with the desolate state of the city. It was Nehemiah who, at a later date, became so concerned about the waste and desolate condition of Jerusalem that he obtained the permission of Artaxerxes to restore and to build the city. The decree granted to Nehemiah is the starting point of the prophecy of the ‘seventy weeks’, as noted in Dan 9:25. It was a case of God’s house, first; the city where men dwelt, second. This is a principle of abiding significance.
Yet the tendency to forget it is very strong. Those who answered to the proclamation of Cyrus soon forget it, as we discover when we read Haggai’s prophecy. Very soon they were building their ‘ceiled houses’, while the house of God was lying ‘waste’. The same tendency is strongly at work amongst the people of God today.
So let us carefully observe the analogy that exists between what happened in the history of Judaism and what has happened in the history of Christendom.
In Judaism the law given through Moses was largely ignored, and the kingly authority, established in David, so corrupted that the Babylonian captivity fell upon them. In Christendom the purity of the Gospel was soon lost, and the rule of the Spirit, through the Word, was perverted and corrupted into the carnal rule of men, called ‘popes’ in Rome, many of whom were leaders in iniquity. This corruption reached a climax in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Now, just as a revival of an outward and geographical sort began under Cyrus – though a number of men of true piety were engaged in it – so in the sixteenth century God granted the beginning of a revival of a more inward and spiritual sort in the history of Christendom; and out of the spiritual ‘Babylon’, an emergence began, which has continued to our day. In the light of this, let us see what lessons we may learn from the opening chapters of the book of Ezra.
Verse Ezr 1:5 of the first chapter shows that there was a real work of God in the souls of many, including leaders both civil and religious, which led them to embrace at once the opportunity that was given for a return to the land of their fathers, to re-establish the worship of God by rebuilding His house. In the providence of God this was actively promoted by Cyrus, in addition to vessels of value, given by Jews who did not participate in the expedition to Jerusalem, he restored all the holy vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had placed in the house of his gods. The spiritual work of God in the souls of His people was matched by a providential work of God in the surrounding world. Thus it has been again in more recent times.
Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary

BACK TO THE HOMELAND
CYRUS PROCLAMATION (Ezra 1)
Babylon has had its days, and with its downfall has come that of the Assyrian Empire. The Medes and Persians, with Cyrus at their head, are now in power, and in the providence of God, Daniel, the Jewish prophet and statesman, has influence at this court, as in that of Nebuchadnezzar. By a study of the earlier prophets, especially Jeremiah, he has become aware that the time is nigh for the captivity of Judah to end and his people to return to their land (Dan 9:1-2; Jer 25:12-14). He knows, also, that two hundred years earlier, Isaiah had, by the Holy Spirit, mentioned Cyrus as the monarch by whose ukase this return would be brought about (Isaiah 44-45).
Doubtless he told these things to Cyrus, who issues this proclamation (Ezr 1:1) not from any intelligent desire to please Jehovah, but for political reasons. Nevertheless, thus is fulfilled again Rom 8:28.
The words of Cyrus, (Ezr 1:2) are not merely oriental hyperbole, as we may judge by Jeremiah 27 and Daniel 2. It is anticipating too much to enter on these prophets now, further than to say that the dominion they speak of as divinely entrusted to Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, was to be transferred to their successors down to the end of this age. Of these successors Cyrus and the Persians were the first.
Sheshbazzar (Ezr 1:8) is the Persian name for Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:8; 5-16), who, though born in exile, was recognized as heir to the throne of Judah.
ZERUBBABELS COMPANY (Ezra 2)
Province (Ezr 2:1) refers to Judah, and indicates that it is no longer an independent kingdom, but a dependency of Persia. Children is not to be taken in the sense of little ones, but that of descendants or posterity. Tirshatha (Ezr 2:63) means governor.
Verse 64 says, The whole congregation, together, was forty-two thousand three hundred and threescore. This amount is 12,000 more than the numbers when added together. Reckoning up the smaller numbers we find they amount to 29,818, in this chapter, and to 31,089 in the parallel chapter of Nehemiah. Ezra also mentions 494 persons omitted by Nehemiah, and Nehemiah mentions 1,765 not noticed by Ezra. If, therefore, Ezras surplus be added to Nehemiah, and Nehemiahs to Ezra, they will both become 31,583. Subtracting this from 42,360, there will be a deficiency of 10,777. These are omitted because they did not belong to Judah and Benjamin or to the priests, but to the other tribes. The servants and singers are reckoned separately (Ezr 2:65), so that putting all these items together, the number of all who went with Zerubbabel amounted to 50,000 with 8,000 beasts of burden.
THE ALTAR AND THE TEMPLE (Ezra 3)
The seventh month (Ezr 3:1) corresponds to our September 15-October 15, and was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). Jeshua (Ezr 3:2) was the hereditary high priest. His [or its] bases (Ezr 3:3) means the old foundations of the altar. After the altar which was necessary to be built first in order to sacrifice unto the Lord, the foundations of the temple begin to be laid (Ezr 3:8-11). The sorrow of the older men (Ezr 3:12) was caused by the contrast between the prosperous circumstances under which Solomons temple had been built, and those of the present. This second temple would be inferior in size and costliness, and destitute of the Ark, the Shekinah, the Urim and Thummim, and other features which contributed to the glory of the first temple. Read Haggai in this connection.
ADVERSARIES (Ezra 4)
In verse one Judah and Benjamin, and the children of the captivity are identical. The adversaries, were the people settled in the land of Israel by the Assyrians after the captivity of the ten tribes. They intermarried with the Israelites who had been left behind, and their offspring went under the general name of Samaritans. Originally they were idolaters, but having received some instruction in the knowledge of the true God they claimed to be worshipping Him, though of course, in an ignorant and superstitious way. (Compare 2Ki 17:24-41.) The refusal of their co-operation by the Jews was proper, but it brought serious and prolonged trouble to them (Ezr 4:4-5). (Compare Joh 4:9.) Verse 6 shows the nature of this trouble, where Ahasuerus as commonly understood is another name for the famous Xerxes, king of Persia, although some maintain that he is identical with Darius Hystaspes. The conspirators continued in the next reign also (Ezr 4:7-16). The great and noble Asnapper (Ezr 4:10) is another name for Esar-Haddon, met with before, who transported these foreigners into the waste cities of Samaria after the captivity of Israel. The result of their efforts is shown in Ezr 4:23-24. Darius is sometimes known as Darius Hystaspes, and was the second of that name since Cyrus. The work ceased for about fifteen years.
RENEWAL OF THE WORK (Ezra 5-6)
Do not omit to read Zechariah at this point, and observe the effect of his words, heaven-endued, upon the leaders (Ezr 5:1-2). The men of verse 3, like those of chapter 4, verses 7-8, were satraps or viceroys of Persia set over provinces in proximity to Judah, who felt it their duty thus to inquire and protest. Verse four seems a mistranslation, and probably means that they inquired of the Jews instead of the reverse (see Ezr 5:10).
The Darius of chapter five acted differently from any of his predecessors. Achmetha (Ezr 6:2) is better known as Ecbatana, the summer residence of the early kings of Persia. The work of the temple may proceed (Ezr 6:7), the Persian satraps are to assist (Ezr 6:8-10), penalties are to follow interference (Ezr 6:11-12), and henceforth the turbulent Samaritans had better take care!
The work is ended (Ezr 6:15). Dr. Lightfoot says the foundation was laid April, 536 B.C., and the completion accomplished February 21, 515 B.C. The dedicatory feast is held with joy. Note the explanatory reason (Ezr 6:22). God receives the glory.
QUESTIONS
1. What world-empire succeeded the Assyrian or Babylonian?
2. What prophet is used of God for the return of His people to Palestine?
3. Have you read Isaiah 44, 45?
4. Are you familiar with Daniel 2?
5. What distinction belonged to Zerubbabel?
6. How many people of all classes returned in the first company?
7. What was the first religious work they set about?
8. What prophets, whose written works have come down to us, belong to this period?
9. Give the history of the Samaritans, so-called.
10. How many kings of Persia were named Darius?
Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary

Ezr 1:1. Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia This is that famous Cyrus who, one hundred and forty years before the temple was destroyed, and two hundred years before he was born, was mentioned by name in the prophecies of Isaiah, as raised up, and appointed by God, for the restoration of his people, Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1; Isa 45:4. This remarkable prediction, it is probable, Daniel showed to Cyrus, and that it induced him to give forth the following edict. So Prideaux thinks, with many other learned men. Cyrus, it appears, at his first coming to Babylon, found Daniel there, an old minister of state, famed for his great wisdom over all the East; and hence he not only himself employed him as such, but, upon settling the government, made him first superintendent, or prime minister of state, over all the provinces of the empire. In this station of life Daniel must have been a person of great authority at court, and highly in the esteem of his prince; and, as there could be no doubt but he would use his good offices in behalf of the enlargement of the Jews, so it is not likely he should use them in vain, especially if he showed Cyrus the prophecies just mentioned, which, it is evident from the decree itself, that Cyrus had seen. It must be observed that, strictly speaking, this decree was not given forth in the first year of Cyruss reign; for then the Jews were not his subjects; but in the first year after his conquest of Babylon, where the Jews then lived in captivity.
That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled Who foretold that after seventy years the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans should be destroyed, and the people of Judah restored to their own land. This prophecy was first delivered in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar; and the same year Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judea, besieged and took Jerusalem, made Jehoiakim his subject and tributary, transported the finest children of the royal family and of the nobility to Babylon, to be bred up there for eunuchs and slaves in his palace, and also carried away the vessels of the house of the Lord and put them in the temple of his god at Babylon. Seventy years from this time will bring us down to the first year of Cyrus, (2Ch 36:22; Ezr 1:3,) when he made his proclamation for the restoration of the Jews, and for the building of the temple at Jerusalem. This computation of the seventy years captivity appears to many to be the truest and most agreeable to Scripture. But, if we fix the commencement of these seventy years at the time when Jerusalem was burned and destroyed, their conclusion will fall about the time when Darius issued his decree for rebuilding the temple, after the work had been suspended and stopped. Or, if we fix their commencement at the time when Nebuzaradan carried away the last remainder of the people, and completed the desolation of the land, their conclusion will fall about the time when the temple was finished and dedicated, and the first passover was solemnized in it. So that, as Dean Prideaux says, taking it which way we will, and at what stage we please, the prophecy of Jeremiah will be fully and exactly accomplished concerning this matter. It may be said to have been accomplished, indeed, at three different times, and in three different manners, and therefore, possibly, all might have been intended, though the first, without doubt, was the principal subject of the prophecy.
The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia God, who had long before designed him for this work, now suggested these thoughts and intentions to him, and excited him to begin to prosecute them, (for it was not all accomplished in the first year of Cyrus,) which he did, not only by causing his will and pleasure to be proclaimed, but to be put in writing, that none might mistake his meaning.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezr 1:1. In the first year of Cyrus. Darius had the title of king of Babylon; but according to Xenophon, Cyrus had the throne, and remained in the city. After two years Darius died, and left him the whole of the empire. It is very remarkable that the Assyrian and the Babylonian empires, which successively commanded the east, should both fall when there was no appearance of serious danger, nor the most distant expectation of ruin a little before the event. These empires were wicked beyond a name; and while they seemed to slumber on the lap of pleasure, heaven from little clouds was gathering the vengeance which so suddenly burst upon their heads. When the time is come, God is rich in resources to punish the wicked, and to protect his people. Cyrus left Persia with about thirty thousand well appointed men. He made a circuitous expedition through six or seven states; and partly by force, but more by generosity, he gained a prince and an army to accompany him from every nation. With these forces, and forces emboldened by success in every expedition, he gave the Babylonians battle in the plain before their city. The immense and effeminate multitude of his foes scarcely awaited the first charge before they fled, and exposed their retreat to prodigious slaughter. There was however one column of veteran Egyptian troops which kept their ground, and boldly stood alone like a rock in the ocean surrounded with waves. Crossing their pikes, and covering themselves with their shields, they bade defiance to every charge, whether of chariots, or of cavalry. Cyrus, finding force of no avail; for one of his kings and many of his best troops lay dead at their feet; ordered his men to retreat, and approached this brave column with a trumpeter, and asked what they meant to do. In short, he was obliged to promise them lots of land before they would surrender.
After the battle, he encompassed the city with a very deep ditch to make the blockade easy for his men; for the walls were too high and too thick to be sealed. The Babylonians were confident that nothing but famine could reduce them, and that the rainy season would oblige their enemies to decamp. In this confidence Belshazzar kept his great feast, when the handwriting appeared on the wall, which Daniel interpreted: and the venerable prophet had little more than passed sentence on this most profligate court, before heaven executed the blow. In that same night, Cyrus, presuming on the intoxication of the city, opened a wide communication between the river and his trenches, which so diminished its stream, that his army marched into the city in the bed of the river, slew all they found in the streets, stormed the palace, and killed the king. So Babylon in all its pride, and wealth, and crimes, fell to rise no more. Daniel 5. Xenophons Cyropedi. Rollins Ancient History.
Ezr 1:8. Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. His Hebrew name was Zerubbabel, or exile in Babylon, being born there; but his benefactors had probably changed it for a more elegant name, equivalent to the sources of all riches, or rejoicing in tribulation.
REFLECTIONS.
The accession of Cyrus to the throne and empire of Babylon, though Darius, called Cyaxares, his uncle, took it for awhile in name, was the most happy revolution for the long afflicted Jews. Daniel, who had grown old, acting the high affairs of heaven, saw at last the oppressors oppressed; and looking for the salvation of his people, began to seek their emancipation. He knew by Jeremiahs prophecies that the time was accomplished, and he deemed the overthrow of the old empire a favourable opportunity. The old tyrants were distinguished by cruelty; they opened not the house of their prisoners; but Cyrus was distinguished by humanity. Therefore, what Josephus says, that Daniel showed him the prophecy of Isaiah, chap. 44. and 45., in which this illustrious prince was designated by name two hundred years before, as the conqueror of Babylon and the deliverer of Israel, is highly probable. The truth of this seems to be confirmed by the zeal with which Cyrus engaged in the work. The prophet wept and prayed and fasted for one and twenty days, till at length Gabriel the archangel appeared to him, and assured him that his prayer was heard, though the answer had been delayed.
The proclamation of Cyrus for the emancipation of Israel was universal. It extended to all the Jews in every province and nation, and to every one that sojourned in any place whatsoever. The proclamation required the governors of every place to aid the Hebrews with money, with goods, and beasts for their return, besides the freewill-offerings to the Lord. Add to these, the giving up of all the vessels of silver and gold, which Nebuchadnezzar had found in the temple of Jerusalem. How well God acts for his people when he undertakes their cause! Daniel himself could scarcely expect grace of this kind. The proclamation, and the liberality of Cyrus, had a most reviving effect on all the rulers of Judah and Benjamin, and on many others. They sacrificed all their little establishments in Babylon, to return to the inheritance of their fathers. The whole valley of dry bones, to use the words of Ezekiel, who thought their hope lost, heard the Lords voice, and revived as from the dead; and yet strange to add, many of this people seemed indifferent about their return.
In this gracious proclamation and glorious deliverance we see a faint epitome of the effects of the gospel, and the conversion of sinners. Deliverance is now preached to the captives, and the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound. The Lord enriches the willing convert, not indeed with gold, but with the richer favours of his grace. The kindness is above all that we could ask or think. The soul which has been sowing in tears, returns with sheaves of joy. The harps of Israel, so long hung on the willow, now celebrated the praises of the Lord, and of Cyrus his servant. But the christian, celebrating the praises of Him who has delivered his soul from a greater captivity than Cyrus did the Jews, makes a joyful noise unto God, and glorifies him with a nobler song.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

PART I (Ezra 1-6). The Return under Zerubbabel to the Completion of the Temple.
Ezr 1:1-4. The Edict of Cyrus.Cf. 2Ch 36:22 f., where Ezr 1:1-3 a is reproduced almost verbally. These verses are here in their proper place; they were added to the end of 2 Ch., when this was separated from Ezr.Neh. in order to make that book conclude with a joyous note. The edict here reported does not give the original wording; it is an abbreviation in the Chroniclers words, who has also moulded it in accordance with his ideas.
Ezr 1:1. the first year: 537 B.C.Cyrus: on Babylonian inscriptions the form of the name is Kurash and Kurshu; he became king in 559 B.C., but from the Chroniclers point of view, as a Jew, the first year of his reign was that in which his direct connexion with Jewish history began.the word . . . accomplished: cf. Jer 25:11*, Jer 29:10; the seventy years is a designation for a long period of time, and is not to be taken in a literal sense.the Lord stirred up . . . Persia: cf. Isa 45:1, where Cyrus is spoken of as Yahweha anointedhe made a proclamation: lit. he caused a voice to pass, i.e. that of a herald.throughout all his kingdom: this could hardly have been necessary as the edict only concerned Jews, and they were congregated in definite districts, all of which were probably in Babylonia; the words are due to the Chronicler.
Ezr 1:2. All the kingdoms . . . given me: Oriental exaggeration; that Cyrus should have ascribed his victories to Yahweh is improbable; but this would be the Chroniclers belief. The expression God of heaven (cf. Neh 1:4 f; Neh 2:4; Neh 2:20,) was not Israelite, it does not occur in pre-exilic times; in all probability it was borrowed from Babylonian use.he hath . . . Judah: according to the form of the edict given by the Chronicler it was issued for the purpose not so much of proclaiming liberty to the Jews as for furthering the building of the Temple.
Ezr 1:4. The text is not in order; the meaning probably is not that the Babylonians are to send gifts for the building of the Temple, but that the wealthier Jews who would prefer to remain in their present homes should help their poorer brethren who were about to return.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

THE CAPTIVES OF JUDAH LIBERATED
(vv. 1-11)
When the Medes and Persians defeated Babylon, Darius the Mede was ruler, and not until Cyrus the Persian took the throne was liberty proclaimed to Judah. This was God’s time, as He had foretold by Jeremiah (Jer 25:12) and Isaiah (Isa 44:28). The proclamation of Cyrus is definite and specific, that he was persuaded that the Lord God of heaven had commanded him to build a house at Jerusalem. It seems rather strange that a Gentile king would be so emphatic in thus speaking for God, but it is recorded that God Himself had stirred up the spirit of Cyrus (v.1).
He invited and encouraged God’s people, the Jews, to return to Jerusalem with the object of building God’s house there. Notice, he does not give any honor to the idols of Persia, but says of the God of Israel, “He is God” (v. 3). He also gave instructions to neighbors of anyone who was concerned about taking this journey to Jerusalem, to “help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God, which is in Jerusalem” (v. 4). This was not only a matter of liberating slaves, but enriching them. Thus Cyrus was rightly representing a God of grace.
This proclamation had positive effect on the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin and on priests and Levites, as well as others whose spirits God had moved. Of course, their number was small compared to the number who had been taken captive, but God is pleased with every response of faith to His working.
People in the vicinity of those who purposed to go were willing to help them as Cyrus had directed, giving them articles of silver and gold, goods and livestock and precious things, that is, things of special value(v. 6).This shows at least that those so exercised to go to Jerusalem had not incurred the contempt of the people among whom they lived.
More importantly still, King Cyrus had all the articles that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem, brought out from the temple of his idols, to send them back to their rightful place. He knew that Babylon’s idols were not God. The Persian treasurer, Mithredath, counted these out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. The record of them was faithfully kept, 30 gold platters, 1000 silver platters, 29 knives, 30 gold basins,410 silver basins, and 1000 other articles. The total number of gold and silver articles was 5,400.Sheshbazzar took charge of all these, to bring them from Babylon to Jerusalem (vv. 9-11).
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

1:1 Now in the {a} first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the {b} mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the {c} spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,
(a) After he and Darius had won Babylon.
(b) Who promised deliverance to them after 70 years were past, Jer 25:12.
(c) That is, moved him and gave him heart.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Cyrus’ edict 1:1-4
"It is not strange according to the Semitic style to start a book with a waw ["And" or "Now"], especially when the author intended to write a continuation of the history of his people. He connects the history which he wants to write with the already-written history of his people by using the conjunction ’and.’" [Note: Fensham, p. 42. Cf. Exodus 1:1; Joshua 1:1; Judges 1:1; et al.]
One of Cyrus’ first official acts after capturing Babylon was to allow the Jews to return to their land. This took place in his "first year" (Ezr 1:1), that is, as king over all Medo-Persia including Babylonia (i.e., 538 B.C.). The writer of Ezra regarded 539 B.C. as the beginning of Cyrus’ reign probably because when Cyrus defeated Babylonia he gained authority over Palestine that had until then been under Babylonian sovereignty.

Chronology of Ezra 1-6

539

Cyrus conquered Babylon and took over the Babylonian Empire.

538

Cyrus’ first year. He issued his decree (Ezr 1:1).

537

Sheshbazzar returned with almost 50,000 Jews (Ezra 2).
The returnees rebuilt the altar in Jerusalem, offered sacrifices, and celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezr 3:2). [Note: Andrew E. Steinmann, "A Chronological Note: The Return of the Exiles under Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel (Ezra 1-2)," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 51:3 (September 2008):513-22, argued that Sheshbazzar arrived in Jerusalem in 533 B.C., and in the same year the Jews completed the altar in Jerusalem and offered the first sacrifices on it. He believed the Jews began rebuilding the temple the following year, 532 B.C., and that work on the temple halted in 531 B.C.]

536

The returnees laid the temple foundation (Ezr 3:8-10).
Reconstruction ceased due to opposition (Ezr 4:1-5; Ezr 4:24).

535

534

533

532

531

530

Cyrus died and Cambyses II began reigning.

529

528

527

526

525

Cambyses conquered Egypt.

524

523

522

Cambyses died and Darius I (Hystaspes) began reigning.

521

520

Haggai urged the people to resume temple construction, and they did so.
Darius confirmed Cyrus’ decree.
Zechariah began ministering.

519

518

517

516

515

The people completed temple construction and celebrated the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread (Ezr 6:15).

About 150 years earlier, Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonian captivity would last 70 years (Jer 25:12; Jer 29:10). Cyrus proclaimed his edict 67 years after the first Babylonian deportation from Judah (605 B.C.). Important matters were put in writing in the ancient Near East. [Note: Breneman, p. 68.]
Ezr 1:2 reads as though Cyrus was a believer in Yahweh. However, Isaiah presented him as an unbeliever (Isa 45:4-5). Evidently he was a polytheist and worshipped several gods. [Note: See Edwin M. Yamauchi, "The Archaeological Background of Ezra," Bibliotheca Sacra 137:547 (July-September 1980):200.] On the "Cyrus Cylinder," the clay cylinder on which Cyrus recorded his capture of Babylon, the king gave credit to Marduk for his success. He said he hoped the people under his authority would pray for him to Bel and Nebo. [Note: James B. Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East, pp. 206-8. Cf. Amelie Kuhrt, "The Cyrus Cylinder and Achaemenid Imperial Policy," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 25 (1983):83-97.] Probably Cyrus gave lip service to all the gods his people worshipped, but the evidence suggests that he did not believe that Yahweh was the only true God.
Apparently Cyrus knew about Isaiah’s prophecies concerning himself (Ezr 1:2; cf. Isa 41:2; Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1; Isa 45:4-5; Isa 45:12-13).
He ". . . read this, and . . . an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written." [Note: Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 11:1:2.]
The "house in Jerusalem" (Ezr 1:2) was, of course, the house of Yahweh, the temple. Cyrus not only gave permission for the Jews to return to Jerusalem (Ezr 1:3), but he encouraged them to rebuild the temple (Ezr 1:3). He also urged their neighbors to support this project financially (Ezr 1:4).
"The Holy City and the house of God are both prominent subjects in Ezra-Nehemiah. Jerusalem occurs eighty-six times, and the phrases ’temple,’ ’house of the Lord,’ and ’house of God’ appear fifty-three times." [Note: Yamauchi, "Ezra-Nehemiah," p. 602.]
"Although they are neither great literature nor important historical sources, the Murashu documents do provide a significant glimpse into the social and commercial life of a Babylonian city [i.e., Nippur] under Persian rule, and thus help to augment our knowledge of the onomastic practices, occupations and circumstances of the Diaspora. Like their contemporaries at Elephantine [in Egypt], by the fifth century B.C. the exiles at Nippur had become fully integrated into the economic life of their society, fulfilling the injunctions of Jer 29:5 ff. Perhaps even more thoroughly than the prophet had intended!" [Note: Michael D. Coogan, "Life in the Diaspora," Biblical Archaeologist 37:1 (1974):12.]
"Onomastic" means relating to, connected with, or explaining names.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

CYRUS
Ezr 1:1
THE remarkable words with which the Second Book of Chronicles closes, and which are repeated in the opening verses of the Book of Ezra, afford the most striking instance on record of that peculiar connection between the destinies of the little Hebrew nation and the movements of great World Empires which frequently emerges in history. We cannot altogether set it down to the vanity of their writers, or to the lack of perspective accompanying a contracted, provincial education, that the Jews are represented in the Old Testament as playing a more prominent part on the worlds stage than one to which the size of their territory-little bigger than Wales-or their military prowess would, entitle them. The fact is indisputable. No doubt it is to be attributed in part to the geographical position of Palestine on the highway of the march of armies to and fro between Asia and Africa; but it must spring also in some measure from the unique qualities of the strange people who have given their religion to the most civilised societies of mankind.
In the case before us the greatest man of his age, one of the half-dozen Founders of Empires, who constitute a lofty aristocracy even among sovereigns, is manifestly concerning himself very specially with the restoration of one of the smallest of the many subject races that fell into his hands when he seized the garnered spoils of previous conquerors. Whatever we may think of the precise words of his decree as this is now reported to us by a Hebrew scribe, it is unquestionable that he issued some such orders as are contained in it. Cyrus, as it now appears, was originally king of Elam, the modern Khuzistan, not of Persia, although the royal family from which he sprang was of Persian extraction. After making himself master of Persia and building up an empire in Asia Minor and the north, he swept down on to the plains of Chaldaea and captured Babylon in the year B.C. 538. To the Jews this would be the first year of his reign, because it was the first year of his rule over them, just as the year A.D. 1603 is reckoned by Englishmen as the first year of James I, because the king of Scotland then inherited the English throne. In this year the new sovereign, of his own initiative, released the Hebrew exiles, and even assisted them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their ruined temple. Such an astounding act of generosity was contrary to the precedent of other conquerors, who accepted as a matter of course the arrangement of subject races left by their predecessors; and we are naturally curious to discover the motives that prompted it.
Like our mythical King Arthur, the Cyrus of legend is credited with a singularly attractive disposition. Herodotus says the Persians regarded him as their “father” and their “shepherd.” In Xenophons romance he appears as a very kindly character. Cicero calls him the most just, wise, and amiable of rulers. Although it cannot be dignified with the name of history, this universally accepted tradition seems to point to some foundation in fact. It is entirely in accord with the Jewish picture of the Great King. There is some reason for believing that the privilege Cyrus offered to the Jews was one in which other nations shared. On a small, broken clay cylinder, some four inches in diameter, discovered quite recently and now deposited in the British Museum, Cyrus is represented as saying, “I assembled all those nations, and I caused them to go back to their countries.” Thus the return of the Jews may be regarded as a part of a general centrifugal movement in the new Empire.
Nevertheless, the peculiar favour indicated by the decree issued to the Jews suggests something special in their case, and this must be accounted for before the action of Cyrus can be well understood.
Little or no weight can be attached to the statement of Josephus, who inserts in the very language of the decree a reference to the foretelling of the name of Cyrus by “the prophets,” as a prime motive for issuing it, and adds that this was known to Cyrus by his reading the Book of Isaiah. Always more or less untrustworthy whenever he touches the relations between his people and foreigners, the Jewish historian is even exceptionally unsatisfactory in his treatment of the Persian Period. It may be, as Ewald asserts, that Josephus is here following some Hellenistic writer; but we know nothing of his authority. There is no reference to this in our one authority, the Book of Ezra; and if it had been true there would have been every reason to publish it. Some Jews at court may have shown Cyrus the prophecies in question; indeed it is most probable that men who wished to please him would have done so. Plato in the “Laws” represents Cyrus as honouring those who knew how to give good advice. But it is scarcely reasonable to suppose, without a particle of evidence, that a great monarch, flushed with victory, would set himself to carry out a prediction purporting to emanate from the Deity of one of the conquered peoples, when that prediction was distinctly in their interests, unless he was first actuated by some other considerations.
Until a few years ago it was commonly supposed that Cyrus was a Zoroastrian, who was disgusted at the cruel and lustful idolatry of the Babylonians, and that when he discovered a monotheistic people oppressed by vicious heathen polytheists, he claimed religious brotherhood with them, and so came to show them singular favour. Unfortunately for his fame, this fascinating theory has been recently shattered by the discovery of the little cylinder already referred to. Here Cyrus is represented as saying that “the gods” have deserted Nabonidas-the last king of Babylon-because he has neglected their service; and that Merodach, the national divinity of Babylon, has transferred his favour to Cyrus; who now honours him with many praises. An attempt has been made to refute the evidence of this ancient record by attributing the cylinder to some priest of Bel, who, it is said, may have drawn up the inscription without the knowledge of the king, and even in direct opposition to his religious views. A most improbable hypothesis! especially as we have absolutely no grounds for the opinion that Cyrus was a Zoroastrian. The Avesta, the sacred collection of hymns which forms the basis of the Parsee scriptures, came from the far East, close to India, and it was written in a language almost identical with Sanscrit and quite different from the Old Persian of Western Persia. We have no ground for supposing that as yet it had been adopted in the remote southwestern region of Elam, where Cyrus was brought up. That monarch, it would seem, was a liberal-minded syncretist, as ready to make himself at home with the gods of the peoples he conquered as with their territories. Such a man would be astute enough to represent the indigenous divinities as diverting their favour from the fallen and therefore discredited kings he had overthrown, and transferring it to the new victor. We must therefore descend from the highlands of theology in our search for an explanation of the conduct of Cyrus. Can we find this in some department of state policy?
We learn from the latter portion of our Book of Isaiah that the Jewish captives suffered persecution under Nabonidas. It is not difficult to guess the cause of the embitterment of this king against them after they had been allowed to live in peace and prosperity under his predecessors. Evidently the policy of Nebuchadnezzar, which may have succeeded with some other races, had broken down in its application to a people with such tough national vitality as that of the Jews. It was found to be impossible to eradicate their patriotism-or rather the patriotism of the faithful nucleus of the nation-impossible to make Jerusalem forgotten by the waters of Babylon. This ancient “Semitic question” was the very reverse of that which now vexes Eastern Europe, because in the case of the Jews at Babylon the troublesome aliens were only desirous of liberty to depart: but it sprang from the same essential cause-the separateness of the Hebrew race.
Now things often present themselves in a true light to a newcomer who approaches them with a certain mental detachment, although they may have been grievously misapprehended by those people among whom they have slowly shaped themselves. Cyrus was a man of real genres: and immediately he came upon the scene he must have perceived the mistake of retaining a restless, disaffected population, like a foreign body rankling in the very heart of his empire. Moreover, to allow the Jews to return home would serve a double purpose. While it would free the Euphrates Valley from a constant source of distress, it would plant a grateful, and therefore loyal, people on the western confines of the empire-perhaps, as some have thought, to be used as outworks and a basis of operations in a projected campaign against Egypt. Thus a far-sighted statesman might regard the liberation of the Jews as a stroke of wise policy. But we must not make too much of this. The restored Jews were a mere handful of religious devotees, scarcely able to hold their own against the attacks of neighbouring villages; and while they were permitted to build their temple, nothing was said in the royal rescript about fortifying their city. So feeble a colony could not have been accounted of much strategic importance by such a master of armies as Cyrus. Again, we know from the “Second Isaiah” that, when the Persian war-cloud was hovering on the horizon, the Jewish exiles hailed it as the sign of deliverance from persecution. The invader who brought destruction to Babylon promised relief to her victims; and the lofty strains of the prophet bespeak an inspired perception of the situation which encouraged higher hopes. A second discovery in the buried library of bricks is that of a small flat tablet, also recently unearthed like the cylinder of Cyrus, which records this very section of the history of Babylon. Here it is stated that Cyrus intrigued with a disaffected party within the city. Who would be so likely as the persecuted Jews to play this part? Further, the newly found Babylonian record makes it clear that Herodotus was mistaken in his famous account of the siege of Babylon where he connected it with the coming of Cyrus. He must have misapprehended a report of one of the two sieges under Darius, when the city had revolted and was recaptured by force, for we now know that after a battle fought in the open country Cyrus was received into the city without striking another blow. He would be likely to be in a gracious mood then, and if he knew there were exiles, languishing in captivity, who hailed his advent as that of a deliverer, even apart from the question whether they had previously opened up negotiations with him, he could not but look favourably upon them: so that generosity and perhaps gratitude combined with good policy to govern his conduct. Lastly, although he was not a theological reformer, he seems to have been of a religious character, according to his light, and therefore it is not unnatural to suppose that he may have heartily thrown himself into a movement of which his wisdom approved, and with which all his generous instincts sympathised. Thus, after all, there may be something in the old view, if only we combine it with our newer information. Under the peculiar political circumstances of his day, Cyrus may have been prepared to welcome the prophetic assurance that he was a heaven-sent shepherd, if some of the Jews had shown it him. Even without any such assurance, other conquerors have been only too ready to flatter themselves that they were executing a sacred mission.
These considerations do not in the least degree limit the Divine element of the narrative as that is brought forward by the Hebrew historian. On the contrary, they give additional importance to it. The chronicler sees in the decree of Cyrus and its issues an accomplishment of the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah. Literally he says that what happens is in order that the word of the Lord may be brought to an end. It is in the “fulness of the time,” as the advent of Christ was later in another relation, {Gal 4:4} The writer seems to have in mind the passage-“And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment: and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans: and I will make it desolate forever” {Jer 25:11-12} as well as another prophecy-“For thus saith the Lord, After seventy years be accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” (Jer 29:10) Now if we do not accept the notion of Josephus that Cyrus was consciously and purposely fulfilling these predictions, we do not in any way diminish the fact that the deliverance came from God. If we are driven to the conclusion that Cyrus was not solely or chiefly actuated by religious motives, or even if we take his action to be purely one of state policy, the ascription of this inferior position to Cyrus only heightens the wonderful glory of Gods overruling providence. Nebuchadnezzar was described as Gods “servant” {Jer 27:6} because, although he was a bad man, only pursuing his own wicked way, yet, all unknown to him, that way was made to serve Gods purposes. Similarly Cyrus, who is not a bad man, is Gods “Shepherd,” when he delivers the suffering flock from the wolf and sends it back to the fold, whether he aims at obeying the will of God or not. It is part of the great revelation of God in history, that He is seen working out His supreme purposes in spite of the ignorance and sometimes even by means of the malice of men. Was not this the case in the supreme event of history, the crucifixion of our Lord? If the cruelty of Nebuchadnezzar and the feebleness of Pilate could serve God, so could the generosity of Cyrus.
The question of the chronological exactness of this fulfilment of prophecy troubles some minds that are anxious about Biblical arithmetic. The difficulty is to arrive at the period of seventy years. It would seem that this could only be done by some stretching at both ends of the exile. We must begin with Nebuchadnezzars first capture of Jerusalem and the first carrying away of a small body of royal hostages to Babylon in the year B.C. 606. Even then we have only sixty-eight years to the capture of Babylon by Cyrus, which happened in B.C. 538. Therefore to get the full seventy years it is proposed to extend the exile till the year B.C. 536, which is the date of the commencement of Cyruss sole rule. But there are serious difficulties in these suggestions. In his prediction of the seventy years Jeremiah plainly refers to the complete overthrow of the nation with the strong words, “This whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment.” As a matter of fact, the exile only began in earnest with the final siege of Jerusalem, which took place in B.C. 588. Then Cyrus actually began his reign over the Jews in B.C. 538, when he took Babylon, and he issued his edict in his first year. Thus the real exile as a national trouble seems to have occupied fifty years, or, reckoning a year for the issuing and execution of the edict, fifty-one years. Instead of straining at dates, is it not more simple and natural to suppose that Jeremiah gave a round figure to signify a period which would cover the lifetime of his contemporaries, at all events? However this may be, nobody can make a grievance out of the fact that the captivity may not have been quite so lengthy as the previous warnings of it foreshadowed. Tillotson wisely remarked that there is this difference between the Divine promises and the Divine threatenings, that while God pledges His faithfulness to the full extent of the former, He is not equally bound to the perfect accomplishment of the latter. If the question of dates shows a little discrepancy, what does this mean but that God is so merciful as not always to exact the last farthing? Moreover it should be remarked that the point of Jeremiahs prophecy is not the exact length of the captivity, but the certain termination of it after a long while. The time is fulfilled when the end has come.
But the action of Cyrus is not only regarded as the accomplishment of prophecy; it is also attributed to the direct influence of God exercised on the Great King, for we read “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia,” etc. It would indicate the radical scepticism which is too often hidden under the guise of a rigorous regard for correct belief, to maintain that because we now know Cyrus to have been a polytheist his spirit could not have been stirred up by the true God. It is not the teaching of the Bible that God confines His influence on the hearts of men to Jews and Christians. Surely we cannot suppose that the Father of all mankind rigidly refuses to hold any intercourse with the great majority of His children-never whispers them a guiding word in their anxiety and perplexity, never breathes into them a helpful impulse, even in their best moments, when they are earnestly striving to do right. In writing to the Romans St. Paul distinctly argues on the ground that God has revealed Himself to the heathen world, {Rom 1:19} and in the presence of Cornelius St. Peter as distinctly asserts that God accepts the devout and upright of all nations. {Act 10:34-35} Here even in the Old Testament it is recognised that God moves the king of Persia. This affords a singular encouragement for prayer, because it suggests that God has access to those who are far out of our reach; that He quite sets aside the obstruction of intermediaries-secretaries, chamberlains, grand-viziers, and all the entourage of a court; that He goes straight into the audience chamber, making direct for the inmost thoughts and feelings of the man whom He would influence. The wonder of it is that God condescends to do this even with men who know little of Him: but it should be remembered that though He is strange to many men, none of them are strange to Him. The Father knows the children who do not know Him. It may be remarked, finally, on this point, that the special Divine influence now referred to is dynamic rather than illuminating. To stir up the spirit is to move to activity. God not only teaches; He quickens. In the case of Cyrus, the king used his own judgment and acted on his own opinions: yet the impulse which drove him was from God. That was everything. We live in a God-haunted world; why then are we slow to take the first article of our creed in its full meaning? Is it so difficult to believe in God when all history is alive with His presence?
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary

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539	Cyrus conquered Babylon and took over the Babylonian Empire.
538	Cyrus’ first year. He issued his decree (Ezr 1:1).
537	Sheshbazzar returned with almost 50,000 Jews (Ezra 2). The returnees rebuilt the altar in Jerusalem, offered sacrifices, and celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles (Ezr 3:2). [Note: Andrew E. Steinmann, "A Chronological Note: The Return of the Exiles under Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel (Ezra 1-2)," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 51:3 (September 2008):513-22, argued that Sheshbazzar arrived in Jerusalem in 533 B.C., and in the same year the Jews completed the altar in Jerusalem and offered the first sacrifices on it. He believed the Jews began rebuilding the temple the following year, 532 B.C., and that work on the temple halted in 531 B.C.]
536	The returnees laid the temple foundation (Ezr 3:8-10). Reconstruction ceased due to opposition (Ezr 4:1-5; Ezr 4:24).
535
534
533
532
531
530	Cyrus died and Cambyses II began reigning.
529
528
527
526
525	Cambyses conquered Egypt.
524
523
522	Cambyses died and Darius I (Hystaspes) began reigning.
521
520	Haggai urged the people to resume temple construction, and they did so. Darius confirmed Cyrus’ decree. Zechariah began ministering.
519
518
517
516
515	The people completed temple construction and celebrated the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread (Ezr 6:15).