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.

Cyrus' Proclamation to Rebuild the Temple

1
In the first year of Koresh king of Persia, in order for the word of ADONAI prophesied by Yirmeyahu to be fulfilled, ADONAI stirred up the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, which he also put in writing, as follows: ​
2
"Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: ADONAI, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth; and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah. ​
3
Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! He may go up to Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah, and build the house of ADONAI the God of Isra'el, the God who is in Yerushalayim. ​
4
Let every survivor, no matter where he lives, be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, goods and animals, in addition to the voluntary offering for the house of God in Yerushalayim." ​

The Exiles Prepare to Return

5
The heads of fathers' clans in Y'hudah and Binyamin, along with the cohanim, the L'vi'im, and indeed all whose spirit God had stirred, set out to go up and rebuild the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim. ​
6
All their neighbors supported them by giving them articles of silver, gold, goods, animals, and valuables, besides all their voluntary offerings.

The Restoration of the Temple Vessels

7
In addition, Koresh the king brought out the vessels from the house of ADONAI which N'vukhadnetzar had taken from Yerushalayim and put in the house of his god. ​
8
Koresh king of Persia had Mitr'dat the treasurer bring them out and make an inventory of them for Sheshbatzar the prince of Y'hudah. ​
9
The list was as follows: Gold basins 30 Silver basins 1,000 Knives 29
10
Gold bowls 30 Silver bowls of a different kind 410 Other vessels 1,000
11
In all there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbatzar took all of them along when the exiles were brought up from Bavel to Yerushalayim. ​

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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