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 said Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has charged 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, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

4 And whoever remains in any place where he sojournes, 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.

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, 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, beside all that was willingly offered.

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;

8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, 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 basins of gold, silver basins 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 with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

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.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

God of heaven. See note on 2Ch 36:23. Appropriate in the mouth of Cyrus, and in contrast with all heathen inscriptions.

hath given me. The son of Astyages (the venerable king = Ahasuerus) and Esther. Trained by Mordecai and Nehemiah, he was brought up in the knowledge of God and His Word.

charged me to build. Compare Isa 44:24-28; Isa 45:1-6, Isa 45:13.

an house. This proclamation put first, as it is the great subject treated of by Ezra.

Who is there . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

build = rebuild.

whosoever [of the captive people] remameth in any place, &c. Note the Figure of speech Ellipsis.

remaineth = is left.

the men of his place: i.e. his Persian neighbours.

God. Hebrew. Elohim.(with Art.) = the [true] God, App-4.

the chief of the fathers: i.e. those named in the next chapter.

chief = heads.

judah and Benjamin. But the other tribes found representatives. Compare Ezr 2:59, Ezr 2:70, where the terms "of Israel" and "all Israel" are used. In 1Ch 9:3, Ephrairn and Manasseh are mentioned by name. See note on 1Ki 12:17.

their hands = them. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), for themselves.

which Nebuchadnezzar had brought. Compare 2Ki 24:13; Ezr 25:14. 2Ch 36:1. Jer 27:18-22; Jer 28:6; Jer 52:18, Jer 52:19. Dan 1:2; Dan 5:2.

Sheshbazzar = the Chaldean name of the prince of Judah. Not Zerubbabel, which means born at Babel. Probably = Nehemiah, for he was the son of Hachaliah and Zidkijah ( Neh 10:1), and therefore a "prince of. Judah".

chargers = basons or bowls. Hebrew. ’agartal. In Numbers Ke’arah, plate or dish. Eng. "charger", from French charger, to load. Hence used of both a dish and a horse.