Ezra
Ezra 1
Chapter I · Vol. II, p. 892
1 The proclamation of Cyrus for the building of the temple. 5 The people provide for their return. 7 Cyrus restoreth the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar.
1 Now, in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,1 (that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,) the LORD astirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he bmade a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
A.M. 3468. B.C. 536.
1 Cyrus, the son of a king of Persia by a daughter of the king of Media, united these two kingdoms, and conquered Babylon. He was born 600 years before Christ, and reigned 30 years. His name and conquests were prophetically announced by Isaiah 200 years before his birth, and Josephus (Antiq. l.ii.? c.2) attributes his partiality for the Jews to his reading these prophecies under the instruction of Daniel.—C.
a Ps.106.46. Pr.16.7. ch.6.22. Le.26.42. De.4.30,31; 30.3; 32.36,43.
b Heb. caused a voice to pass, 2 Ch.36.22.
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth;2 and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah;
2 According to the best authorities, Cyrus at this time reigned over the Persians, Medes, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, Indians, Assyrians, Syrians, and all the countries called Lesser Asia; still these were far from being 'all the kingdoms of the earth.' The words are not, however, to be considered a mere eastern hyperbole, for they contain a literal statement, when the word earth is interpreted of its known or civilized countries.—C.
3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up3 to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
3 So far these verses are a repetition of the closing section of 2 Ch. Ezra is manifestly a continuation of the history given in Chronicles.—P.
4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place helpc him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the free-will 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 dGod had raised,4 to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
d Ne.2.12. Pr.16.1. Ze.10.12. Ex.35.5,21. 1 Ch.29.2-9.
4 The Scriptures see God in everything. Cyrus was, no doubt, kind to the Jews, but the Lord 'stirred him up,' ver. 1. The Jews loved their country, but God 'raised up their spirit.'—C.
6 And all they that were about them strengthenede their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was fwillingly offered.
7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, gwhich Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
g 2 Ki.24.13; 25.16. 2 Ch.36.7,18. Je.27.21,22. Da.1.2; 5.3,23.
8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto hSheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
A.M. 3468. B.C. 536.
h Zerubbabel. Sheshbazzar was his Babylonish name, ch.2.2; 3.8; 5.14,16. Hag.1.1.
9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand ichargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
11 Allk the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred.5 All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of lthe captivity, that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
k Ro.9.23. 2 Ti.2.19,20.
5 This verse, like so many others, has been charged with the error of a transcriber, because all the vessels in ver. 9, 10 amount but to 2499. But there is no ground for the charge. All the vessels restored by Cyrus amounted but to 2499; but all the vessels brought up to Jerusalem were 5400, including all the people had bestowed. See ver.6.—C.
l Heb. the transportation, Mat.1.11,12. ch.ii.
Notes
[Ver. 7. We read in 2 Ki. 24. 13 that when in the reign of Jehoiachin Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, 'he carried out all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord;' yet Ezra says in this place that Cyrus returned the vessels. There is no contradiction. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem twice, once in the reign of Jehoiakim, and once in the reign of Jehoiachin. On the former occasion he took the golden vessels of the temple and placed them in the temple of his god at Babylon, 2 Ch. 36. 7; Da. 1. 2. These vessels Cyrus delivered up again to the Jews when returning from exile. On the second capture of Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar appears to have stripped the gold plating from the larger vessels and furniture of the temple—from the altar of incense, the table of show-bread, the ark of the covenant, &c., he cut it in pieces and carried it away. P.]
Reflections.—Behold how God rules over the kingdoms of the earth, and always seeks to turn the hearts of princes and others for the good of his church! God is here exactly fulfilling the predictions of his word concerning the name of the deliverer; and the occasion, time, and manner of the deliverance. It is honourable for princes and men in authority to begin the exercise of their power in the service of God, as an acknowledgment of his bounty to them; and to overlook secular interests and customs of countries in order to put honour on Christ and his people. But in every good word and work the Lord must work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. And he can procure from such as know him not the greatest kindness to his interests and people. What care he took to preserve the furniture of his temple, and maintain the princely dignity of Judah, even in Babylon! But much greater is his care of whatever pertains to Jesus and his people. And it is honourable when princes and ministers are peculiarly forward to rebuild God's temple and reform his church.