Ezra1

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the LORD stirred his spirit to fulfill Jeremiah's prophecy, prompting him to issue a proclamation. This decree permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, encouraging others to provide aid. Consequently, the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, priests, and Levites prepared to depart, receiving substantial support and the return of sacred temple vessels from Cyrus.
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Cyrus' Proclamation to Rebuild the Temple

1
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, andput italso in writing, saying, ​
2
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. ​
3
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. ​
4
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. ​

The Exiles Prepare to Return

5
Then rose up the heads of fathers’housesof Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. ​
6
And all they that were round 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.

The Restoration of the Temple Vessels

7
Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; ​
8
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. ​
9
And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10
thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort 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, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. ​

Study Notes for Ezra 1

Verse 1

This verse establishes God's sovereign control over world history. The seventy-year Babylonian exile (c. 605–536 BC) was ending exactly as predicted by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 29:10), demonstrating that the LORD uses even pagan kings (like Cyrus) to fulfill his covenant promises.

Verse 2

Cyrus' decree acknowledges 'the LORD God of heaven,' a standard title used by the Jews. While Cyrus was a polytheist, the language here likely reflects either the influence of Jewish advisors (like Daniel) or a diplomatic recognition of the God of the people he was addressing.

Verse 3

The specific command to 'go up' (a technical term for traveling to Jerusalem) and 'build the house' highlights the priority of restoring the covenant community's relationship with God, centered geographically in Jerusalem.

Verse 4

This mandate ensures the returnees are not impoverished upon arrival and mirrors the support given to the Israelites when they left Egypt (Exod. 12:35-36). The required financial aid shows that the rebuilding was a joint effort between those returning and those remaining.

Verse 5

The response is not merely human initiative but divine intervention. God 'stirred up the spirit' of the leaders and the people, mirroring how he stirred Cyrus (v. 1), emphasizing that the success of the return depended entirely on God’s active involvement.

Verse 7

The return of the sacred vessels, which Nebuchadnezzar had desecrated and displayed as trophies of Babylonian dominance (2 Kings 25:13-17), symbolizes the reversal of the exile and the restoration of God's honor over the gods of Babylon.

Verse 8

Sheshbazzar is identified as the 'prince of Judah' and the initial leader of the first wave of returnees. He was appointed by Cyrus to oversee the journey and the transfer of the valuables, serving as the first governor.

Verse 11

The meticulous counting and return of the 5,400 vessels validated the legitimacy of the returning community and ensured the continuity of proper Temple worship rituals, reinforcing God’s faithfulness to his people.

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