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.

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 Chronicler's 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 Chronicler's 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 Yahweh-' a anointed he 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 Chronicler's 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.

The Return of the Jews under Sheshbazzar with the Holy Vessels. The carrying out of the decree.

Ezr 1:5. even all. Jerusalem: implying that many did not avail themselves of the opportunity of returning. The lot of many of the exiles was far from unhappy, while the prospect for those who might decide to return was not bright.

Ezr 1:6. all they that were round about them: i.e. those of their own race. beside all that was willingly offered: the free-will offerings for the Temple; the other gifts were personal.

Ezr 1:7. the vessels. his gods: see 2Ki 24:13; 2Ki 25:14 f., 2Ch 36:7.

Ezr 1:8. Mithredath: dedicated to Mithra, the Persian sun-god. Sheshbazzar: not to be identified with Zerubbabel, whose predecessor he was as governor (nasi) of Judah (Stade, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, ii. 100f.).

Ezr 1:11 a. The Chronicler's exaggeration in numbers is characteristic