Ezra Chapter 1

From The Open Bible Project

1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of [1] Yahweh [See Ezra Footnotes 1] by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh 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 Argument - As the Lord is always merciful to his Church, and does not punish them, but so that they should see their own miseries, and be exercised under the cross, that they might contemn the world, and aspire to the heavens: so after he had visited the Jews, and kept them in bondage 70 years in a strange country among infidels and idolaters, he remembered his tender mercies and their infirmities, and therefore for his own sake raised up a deliverer, and moved both the heart of the chief ruler to pity them, and also by him punished those who had kept them in slavery. Nonetheless, lest they should grow into a contempt of God’s great benefits, he keeps them still in exercise, and raises domestic enemies, who try as much as they can to hinder their worthy enterprises: yet by the exhortation of the prophet they went forward little by little till their work was finished. The author of this book was Ezra, who was a priest and scribe of the Law, as in (Ezra 7:6). He returned to Jerusalem the sixth year of Darius, who succeeded Cyrus, that is, about fifty years after the first return under Zerubbabel, when the temple was built. He brought with him a great company and much treasure, with letters to the king’s officers for all things needed for the temple: and at his coming he fixed that which was amiss, and set things in order.
• (a) After he and Darius had won Babylon.
• (b) Who promised deliverance to them after 70 years were past, (Jeremiah 25:12).
• (c) That is, moved him and gave him heart.

1:2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'Yahweh, the [2] God [See Ezra Footnotes 2] of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

• (d) For he was chief monarch and had many nations under his dominion, which this heathen king confesses to have received from the living God.

1:3 Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

1:4 Whoever is left, in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, besides the freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'"

• (e) If any through poverty were not able to return, the king’s commission was that he should be furnished with all he needed.
• (f) Which they themselves should send for the repairing of the temple.

1:5 Then the heads of fathers' [houses] of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem.

1:6 All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

• (g) The Babylonians and Chaldeans gave them these presents: thus rather than have the children of God be in need, he would stir the heart of the infidels to help them.

1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Yahweh, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;

1:8 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.

• (h) So the Chaldeans called Zerubbabel who was the chief governor, so that the preeminence still remained in the house of David.

1:9 This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,

• (i) Which served to kill the beasts that were offered in sacrifice.

1:10 thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels one thousand.

1:11 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 to Jerusalem.

• (k) With the Jews who had been kept captive in Babylon.