BIBLE STUDY MANUALS - CYRUS_WAS_HE_A

CYRUS

ANOINTED SERVANT OF GOD, GOD CALLED HIM BY HIS NAME, DECLARED HIM TO BE SHEPHERD, FUFILLER OF PROPHECY, CHAMPION OF ISRAEL:

WAS HE A BELIEVER & WAS HE SAVED?

I) [Isa 44:24-45:4]:

(Isa 44:24 NASB) "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,

(Isa 44:25 NASB) Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

(Isa 44:26 NASB) Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins again.

(Isa 44:27 NASB) It is I who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry.

(Isa 44:28 NASB) It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'

(Isa 45:1 NASB) Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

(Isa 45:2 NASB) 'I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

(Isa 45:3 NASB) I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

(Isa 45:4 NASB) For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me."

A) [Commentary On Isa 44:24-28]:

1) Isa 44:24-27 Declares The Absolute Sovereigny Of God In His Creation:

(Isa 44:25 NASB) Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

(Isa 44:27 NASB) It is I who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry,"

2) Whereupon Isa 44:28 Focuses In Upon A Future Man Named Cyrus Who Will Be Instrumental In The Outcome Of God's Sovereign Plan For His People Israel

(Isa 44:28 NASB) "It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'

Note that God declares through the prophet Isaiah that Cyrus would be instrumental in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple there. This is Isaiah’s prediction of a yet future man, called by God to be His shepherd to care for His people Israel - a powerful world conquering ruler named Cyrus - long before Cyrus was even born! It indicated what God would have him do as His shepherd yet evidently not as a believer as Isa 45:5 will indicate:

a) [Compare Isa 45:5]:

(Isa 45:5 NASB) "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me;"

There is no indication in Scripture that this future man - 150 years before Cyrus was born - would, as Adam & Eve and Abraham did, believe in God's provision of salvation. Nor does Scripture even indicate that this future man will acknowledge the God of Israel to be his exclusive God, all pagan gods aside. Cyrus was a pagan like so many others who often called upon various pagan gods to favor them as the circumstances arose - often adopting the pagan gods of other peoples for their own advantage, even for political reasons such as when Cyrus combined Medo and Persian empires under his rule and acknowledged the gods of both empires actually for practical / political purposes to better solidify his rule. Acknowledging, sacrificing to other gods often occurred especially when another people became successful at battle or something else which pagans attributed to their gods in order to gain favorable ends. So Cyrus evidently acknowledged and called upon the Israelite God knowing what Isaiah potentially foretold about a ruler such as himself performing great deeds, merging the Persians and Medes under his rule and conquering Babylon. His knowledge of the Israelite God evidently came from the prophet Isaiah whose writings came 150 years before he became ruler of Medo Persia - even before he was born. There is no stipulation in Scripture that he was a believer or even acknowledged that God was exclusively his God and had no other gods that he acknowledged, (cf Isa 45:5). Note that to acknowlege that the God of Israel was a god - to call on His name is one thing which Scripture indicates Cyrus did; but to acknowledge that God was the only God is yet another thing which is not so stipulated in Scripture; and all the more, to trust in the God of Abraham for salvation unto eternal life as Adam & Eve and Abraham did is yet another thing - which is not stipulated at all.

Notice that Scripture indicates that Cyrus did indeed call on the name of the Lord for particular benefits as pagans often call on gods, but Scripture does NOT stipulate that Cyrus believed in the God of Israel as the only God or even as a superior god; certainly not in God's one and only Son for eternal life, (cf. Isa 45:5).

b) [Compare Isa 41:25]:

(Isa 41:25 NASB) "I [God] have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay."

God has decreed and historically moved believers and unbelievers, even whole groups of people to do His will - to even get them to call on His name which is not necessarily that they believe in Him as their exclusive, one true God or for eternal life. In the pagan world, individuals often called on the name of one god or another depending upon the moment when they perceived there was an advantage to do that without having to be exclusive with that one god. For example, when a group had lost a battle to another pagan group, they are wont to call on the name of the god of the victorious group because their god did not bring them the victory. Pagan gods were often thought of favoring the people that sacrificed to them usually within the territorial boundaries of those people. Hence pagans tended to think that they were more secure within their home grounds. On the other hand, Pharaoh acknowledged that the God of the Israelites was superior after having lost ten battles in the 10 plagues finally acceding for a short time to the name / the authority and capacity of the Israelite God to stop the great losses. But when he rescinded, he lost it all . He evidently never trusted in the God of Israel for deliverance from further plagues, nor for eternal life as Moses and Abraham did]

2) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Isa 44:24-28]:

(Isa 44:24 NASB) "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,

(Isa 44:25 NASB) Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

(Isa 44:27 NASB) It is I who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry.

["44:24-28. The Lord, Israel's Redeemer (see comments on 43:14), who formed her (cf. 43:1, 7, 21; 44:2), is the Creator of all things including the heavens and the earth (cf. 42:5; 45:12, 18; 48:13; 51:13, 16) and the One who makes false prophets... diviners, and supposedly wise people look foolish. Those who said God could not release His people from Babylon would be proved false when God's predictions were fulfilled. Through the prophets, His messengers, He said Jerusalem would again have people living in it. Cyrus would allow the exiles to go back and rebuild their capital city Jerusalem (cf. 45:13) and the temple. In 586 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar and his forces broke through Jerusalem's walls, burned the houses and the temple, and carried many captives into exile. Cyrus, founder of the Persian Empire, first came to the throne of Anshan in Eastern Elam in 559. In 549 he conquered the Medes and became the ruler of the combined Persian and Median Empire. In 539 he conquered Babylon (Dan. 5:30) and the very next year issued a decree that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). In doing this Cyrus was serving God's purposes as if he were God's shepherd. Those returnees built the temple, completing it in 515 b.c., and years later (in 444 b.c.) Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls (see comments on Neh. 1-2; and comments on Dan. 9:25)."]

B) [Isa 44:28-45:5]:

(Isa 45:2 NASB) 'I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

(Isa 45:3 NASB) I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

(Isa 45:4 NASB) For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.

(Isa 45:5 NASB) I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me;"

1) [(Isa 45:1-5) Commentary On Isa 44:28-45:5]:

(Isa 45:2 NASB) 'I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

(Isa 45:3 NASB) I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

(Isa 45:4 NASB) For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me."

[At the end of Isaiah chapter 44 in Isa 44:28, Paul wrote, "It is I [God] Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.' So Cyrus is referred to by name and declared to be God's shepherd. And it is indicated that he will perform all that God desires of him. This is evidently including the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple; i.e., that a future man named Cyrus will evidently somehow authorize all of this rebuilding in the light of Jerusalem's and the Temple's destruction as a result of the Babylonian captivity.

Isaiah chapter 45:1-4 then continues, "Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: " 'I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me."

B) [(Isa 45:1-4) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Isa 45:1-4]:

"45:1-4. Besides issuing a decree permitting the captives to return home, Cyrus also avenged God's wrath on the nations. Amazingly the Lord called Cyrus His anointed. The word "anointed" referred to the relationship Israel's first two kings, Saul and David, had with God (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:6). Since Israel in exile had no king, Cyrus functioned in a sense as her king (the anointed one) to bring about blessing. Like the Messiah (lit., "the Anointed One") who would come after him, Cyrus would have a twofold mission: to free the people, and to bring God's judgment on unbelievers.

Cyrus would easily conquer other nations (Isa. 45:lb), with God's help (v. 2), and would receive wealth from the nations he overcame (v. 3). This he did in conquering Lydia and Babylon. All this would be for the sake of Jacob, God's Chosen People (see comments on 41:8-9). And even though Cyrus would enjoy a special relationship with God (God called him by name; cf. 43:1) and was honored by God, he still was not a believer for he did not acknowledge the Lord as the true God."

B) [(Isa 45:1-7) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

(Isa 45:1 NASB) "Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

(Isa 45:2 NASB) I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

(Isa 45:3 NASB) I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

(Isa 45:4 NASB) For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.

(Isa 45:5 NASB) I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me;

(Isa 45:6 NASB) That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other,

(Isa 45:7 NASB) The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these."

"45:1-7 The last five verses of chapter 44, for all their majesty, contain only one main statement, which is one of the simplest that is grammatically possible: "I am the Lord (v.24). All else leads into or amplifies this great affirmation. It is repeated in vv.3, 5, and 6. This is surely significant in an address to a pagan king. "His anointed" (v.13 and "My shepherd" (44:28) explain each other, for both, though possessing wider areas of application, meet in the concept of a divinely chosen and divinely employed king [who is a pagan who does not worship God]. There is precedent for the divine anointing of a non-Israelite king, though in one passage only (1 Kings 19:15-16).

1) [Compare 1 Kgs 19:15-16]:

(1 Kgs 19:15 NASB) "The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;

(1 Kgs 19:16 NASB) and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place."

Although the living God normally employed Israelites for such purposes, He is sovereign and may use whom He will. In [Isa 45:1-7] some of God's promises to Israel are echoed (cf. 40:4; 41:13; 43:1). Because in God's purpose Cyrus functions for Israel, he comes into the good of some of God's promises to that people. He would enjoy great triumphs over his enemies and would find their fortified cities no obstacle to his advance (v.1). Herodotus (1. 179) wrote of Babylon: "There are a hundred gates in the circuit of the wall, all of bronze with bronze uprights and lintels." The reference to great wealth in v.3 could refer equally well to the treasures of Lydia - the riches of whose ruler, Croesus, were proverbial - or to Babylon, and in fact Cyrus overcame both. That all these victories were for the sake of little Israel is one of the ironies of God's control of history. What to man is laughable is nevertheless true, for God's ways are not our ways.

We have noted that Cyrus has been introduced already, though not by name, in chapter 41 (see comments at 41:2, and at 25). The prophet declared that Cyrus calls on the Lord's name (41:25). Here too it is said that God's support of Cyrus has as its purpose that he might know that Israel's God is the Lord. Yet twice over it is denied that Cyrus acknowledges him. In the Cyrus Cylinder (see Introductory Articles: "Persian Period"), the king attributes his victories to Marduk, god of Babylon; yet in Ezra 1, Cyrus is quoted as asserting that the Lord had given him dominion. Clearly Cyrus used the names of deities without any sense of exclusiveness. Josephus (Antiq. XI, 5 [i.2]) recorded that "these things Cyrus knew from reading the book of prophecy which Isaiah had left behind two hundred and ten years earlier."

D) The Works of Flavius Josephus, Translated by William Whiston

"HOW CYRUS, KING OF THE PERSIANS, DELIVERED THE JEWS OUT OF BABYLON AND SUFFERED THEM TO RETURN TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND TO BUILD THEIR TEMPLE, FOR WHICH WORK HE GAVE THEM MONEY.

1. In the first year of the reign of Cyrus (1) which was the seventieth from the day that our people were removed out of their own land into Babylon, God commiserated the captivity and calamity of these poor people, according as he had foretold to them by Jeremiah the prophet, before the destruction of the city, that after they had served Nebuchadnezzar and his posterity, and after they had undergone that servitude seventy years, he would restore them again to the land of their fathers, and they should build their temple, and enjoy their ancient prosperity. And these things God did afford them; for he stirred up the mind of Cyrus, and made him write this throughout all Asia: "Thus saith Cyrus the king: Since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of the habitable earth, I believe that he is that God which the nation of the Israelites worship; for indeed he foretold my name by the prophets, and that I should build him a house at Jerusalem, in the country of Judea."

2. This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision: "My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple." This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the Divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem, (2) and the temple of God, for that he would be their assistant, and that he would write to the rulers and governors that were in the neighborhood of their country of Judea, that they should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the temple, and besides that, beasts for their sacrifices.

3. When Cyrus had said this to the Israelites, the rulers of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites and priests, went in haste to Jerusalem; yet did many of them stay at Babylon, as not willing to leave their possessions; and when they were come thither, all the king's friends assisted them, and brought in, for the building of the temple, some gold, and some silver, and some a great many cattle and horses. So they performed their vows to God, and offered the sacrifices that had been accustomed of old time; I mean this upon the rebuilding of their city, and the revival of the ancient practices relating to their worship. Cyrus also sent back to them the vessels of God which king Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged out of the temple, and had carried to Babylon. So he committed these things to Mithridates, the treasurer, to be sent away, with an order to give them to Sanabassar, that he might keep them till the temple was built; and when it was finished, he might deliver them to the priests and rulers of the multitude, in order to their being restored to the temple.

Cyrus also sent an epistle to the governors that were in Syria, the contents whereof here follow: “KING CYRUS TO SISINNES AND SATHRABUZANES SENDETH GREETING.

"I have given leave to as many of the Jews that dwell in my country as please to return to their own country, and to rebuild their city, and to build the temple of God at Jerusalem on the same place where it was before. I have also sent my treasurer Mithridates, and Zorobabel, the governor of the Jews, that they may lay the foundations of the temple, and may build it sixty cubits high, and of the same latitude, making three edifices of polished stones, and one of the wood of the country, and the same order extends to the altar whereon they offer sacrifices to God. I require also that the expenses for these things may be given out of my revenues. Moreover, I have also sent the vessels which king Nebuchadnezzar pillaged out of the temple, and have given them to Mithridates the treasurer, and to Zorobabel the governor of the Jews, that they may have them carried to Jerusalem, and may restore them to the temple of God. Now their number is as follows: Fifty chargers of gold, and five hundred of silver; forty Thericlean cups of gold, and five hundred of silver; fifty basons of gold, and five hundred of silver; thirty vessels for pouring [the drink-offerings], and three hundred of silver; thirty vials of gold, and two thousand four hundred of silver; with a thousand other large vessels. (3) I permit them to have the same honor which they were used to have from their forefathers, as also for their small cattle, and for wine and oil, two hundred and five thousand and five hundred drachme; and for wheat flour, twenty thousand and five hundred artabae; and I give order that these expenses shall be given them out of the tributes due from Samaria. The priests shall also offer these sacrifices according to the laws of Moses in Jerusalem; and when they offer them, they shall pray to God for the preservation of the king and of his family, that the kingdom of Persia may continue. But my will is, that those who disobey these injunctions, and make them void, shall be hung upon a cross, and their substance brought into the king's treasury." And such was the import of this epistle. Now the number of those that came out of captivity to Jerusalem, were forty-two thousand four hundred and sixty-two."

II) [2 Chr 36:22-23]:

(2 Chr 36:22 NASB) "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia - in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah - the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

[Notice that there is no stipulation in verse 22 that Cyrus was a believer or that he being a pagan viewed God as the One true God, or the only God; only that the Lord "stirred up the [human] spirit of Cyrus king of Persia]

(2 Chr 36:23 NASB) 'Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!' "

[So Cyrus king of Persia stated, "the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He [God] has appointed me to build Him a house [a Temple] in Jerusalem, which is in Judah." At first glance, this might indicate that Cyrus indeed did believe in the God of Israel, even unto eternal life. But did he believe in the one and only Creator God, or did he simply believe in a god to give him all the kingdoms of the earth and appoint him to build the Temple because of what he had learned of the prophecies about him from the book of Isaiah and chose to believe them - perhaps with Daniel's assistance. What did he have to lose? Most pagan believers in their gods find out that their gods are not perfect in their promises; so why not believe and see if it comes to pass? After all Isaiah did not require anything from Cyrus did he? Furthermore, Isaiah had indeed a perfect record of fulfillment of prophecy so far, albeit Cyrus may not have known that. Yet Daniel might well have been available to advise Cyrus, if only through others on what the Scriptures said about Cyrus. For Daniel had a stake in the outcome being held captive in Babylon. Finally, had "the God of heaven" as portrayed in Isaiah not been able to fulfill His promises, then Cyrus would not have been any the worse off]

A) [Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

["22 In October 539 Babylon fell to "Cyrus king of Persia," as he overthrew Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar, who were its last native rulers (Dan 5). Cyrus's policy of cooperating with local religions and of encouraging the return of exiles has received explicit archaeological confirmation from the inscriptions of the king himself (cf. esp. the famous "Cyrus Cylinder," ANET, p. 315.

[Note that Cyrus actually stipulated the god Marduk as the god behind his success on this cylinder]).

["23 Words such as the following which were authorized by Cyrus: "The LORD [Yahweh], the God of heaven, has given me all kingdoms," should be recognized from the viewpoint of contemporary Persian government they would probably have been understood more as diplomatic language (cf. on 35:21). Cyrus could thus address a Babylonian audience, saying, "Marduk, king of the gods [confessedly, the leading deity of the pantheon of Babylon, but not of Persia!]... designated me to rule over all the lands"

[The famous Cyrus Cylinder (538 b.c.), which records his capture of Babylon and his program of repatriating his subject peoples in their homelands, includes this statement: "May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities daily ask Bel and Nebo for a long life for me.). But this monarch was still God's instrument for the providential restoration of Israel (Isa 44:28-45:5)."]

B) [Bible Knowledge Commentary]:

"The Decree of Cyrus (36:22-23)
36:22-23. The chronicler closed his historical narrative on an optimistic note. God had brought His people into the judgment of exile but He also eventually delivered them, a chastened and repentant people who would form the nucleus of a continuing Davidic dynasty. To accomplish this the Lord raised up the mighty Cyrus king of Persia (559-530 B.C.). In his first year over Babylon (538) he issued a decree which allowed the people of Judah to return to their land and rebuild their temple. This proclamation—identical to Ezra 1:2-3a (see comments there) and confirmed by the discovery of a Babylonian inscription—was prompted by the LORD... God as fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophetic word (Jer. 25:12; 29:10; cf. Daniel's prayer in Dan. 9:4-19). Most of the kings of Israel and Judah had failed to obey the Lord and to lead the people in godliness. Ironically God stirred up the spirit of a pagan king to make possible the historical events which will eventually lead to the second coming of Jesus Christ, the incarnate God and King of Israel."

III) [Ezra 1:1-11 & 6:1-5]:

(Ezra 1:1 NASB) "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

(Ezra 1:2 NASB) Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

(Ezra 1:3 NASB) 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

(Ezra 1:4 NASB) 'Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'

A) [(Ezra 1:1-4) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Ezra 1:1-4]:

"A. The proclamation of Cyrus (1:1-4)

1:1. Cyrus, the king of the extensive Persian realm (see the map "The Persian Empire"), drafted a proclamation that allowed the Israelites to return to their land and rebuild their temple. Cyrus made the proclamation in his first year (538 b.c.). This was the first year of his reign over Babylon, but he had been king over other territories for more than 20 years. He had been in power since 559 when he became the king of Anshan. Then he became king of Medo-Persia about 550 b.c. He conquered Babylon in October 539, and became the king of Babylon, a title of honor denoting the highest position in the civilized world. (See the chart "Chronology of the Postexilic Period.")

As is evidenced from Cyrus' attitude concerning the God of Israel (whom he did not worship) he was not a true believer in Yahweh. Cyrus' concern was to establish strong buffer states around his empire which would be loyal to him. Also by having his subject peoples resettled in their own countries he hoped to have the gods in various parts of his empire praying for him to his gods Bel and Nebo. The famous Cyrus Cylinder (538 b.c.), which records his capture of Babylon and his program of repatriating his subject peoples in their homelands, includes this statement: "May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities daily ask Bel and Nebo for a long life for me."

The fulfilling of Jeremiah's words (Jer. 29:10; cf. Jer. 25:11-12) was totally God's doing. Seventy years of Jewish captivity in Babylon were about to end. The first deportation of Jews to Babylon was in 605 b.c. Cyrus' decree in 538 was 67 years later. By the time the people returned and built the altar in 536, 70 years were almost up.

The edict came about because the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus. The Hebrew words translated "moved the heart" (also trans. "stirred [up] the spirit") were a favorite expression of biblical writers in the postexilic period (Ezra 1:5; 1 Chron. 5:26; 2 Chron. 21:16, "aroused"; 36:22; Jer. 51:11; Hag. 1:14). This shows the sovereign hand of God behind the events of history.

1:2-3. Cyrus said that Yahweh, the God of heaven, had appointed him to build a temple... at Jerusalem. Part of this decree is recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:23. Also the decree was filed in Ecbatana, where Darius I found it about 520-518 b.c. (Ezra 6:1-5). God had promised the Jewish remnant that He would raise up Cyrus as His servant to restore the fortunes of His people (Isa. 44:28; 45:1, 13). Under the Holy Spirit's guidance, the Prophet Isaiah referred to Cyrus by name about 150 years before the king made his decree. Josephus wrote that Cyrus was shown the prophecy in Isaiah 44:28 and wanted to fulfill it (The Antiquities of the Jews 11. 1. 1).

"The God of heaven" is a title of God used 9 times in Ezra (1:2; 5:11-12; 6:9-10; 7:12, 21, 23 [twice]—more than in any other Bible book—and 10 times in other exilic and postexilic books (2 Chron. 36:23; Neh. 1:4-5; 2:4, 20; Dan. 2:18-19, 28, 37, 44). Elsewhere in the Old Testament that phrase occurs only four times (Gen. 24:3, 7; Ps. 136:26; Jonah 1:9). It points to God's sovereignty. He is the One who made heaven (Gen. 14:19, 22; 2 Chron. 2:12; Ps. 115:15), who is in heaven (Deut. 4:39; 1 Kings 8:30, 39, 43, 49; Ecc. 5:2), and who reigns from His throne in heaven (Isa. 66:1). Though Cyrus was a monarch over an extensive empire, Yahweh is far greater for He rules from heaven.

The emphasis in Ezra 1:2-3 on the temple sets the tone for this and other postexilic books. The temple was of utmost importance in the life of the people of Israel. Without the temple there could be no sacrificial system, which was the nation's lifeblood in its relationship to God. "The God of heaven" (v. 2) is also the God of Israel who Cyrus said was in Jerusalem.

1:4. Cyrus' edict also instructed the returnees' neighbors in Persia to give them the equivalent of money (silver and gold), material goods... livestock, and freewill offerings (cf. v. 6). The freewill offerings were for the temple and the other gifts were for the people themselves. This is reminiscent of the Exodus from Egypt when God miraculously took the nation out of bondage and had the Egyptians aid them with gifts of silver, gold, and clothing (Ex. 3:22; 11:2; 12:35). Now God was effecting a new "Exodus," again bringing His people who had been in bondage back into the land of promise, much as He had done under Moses and Joshua. The people had been in bondage to Babylon because of their failure to keep their covenantal obligations, which Moses had given them during the first Exodus. Once more God was miraculously working in the life of the nation.]

(Ezra 1:5 NASB) Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

(Ezra 1:6 NASB) All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering.

(Ezra 1:7 NASB) Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;

(Ezra 1:8 NASB) and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

(Ezra 1:9 NASB) Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates;

(Ezra 1:10 NASB) 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles.

(Ezra 1:11 NASB) All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem."

B) [(Ezra 1:5-11) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Ezra 1:5-11]:

"1:5-11. The religious leaders (priests and Levites) along with the heads of the two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) that had been taken into exile by the Babylonians spearheaded the return to Israel to rebuild the temple, the house of the Lord. The Jews who returned totaled 49,897 (2:64-65). The neighbors of the returnees obeyed the king's decree by contributing to the effort (1:6). Even Cyrus contributed to the return by giving back the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord. These were the dishes... pans... bowls, and other articles (vv. 9-10) Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Jerusalem temple in 605 b.c. (Dan. 1:2), in 597 b.c. (2 Kings 24:13), and in 586 b.c. (2 Kings 25:14-15; Jer. 27:16; 52:18-19; cf. Ezra 5:14; 6:5; Dan. 5:2-3) and placed in a temple in Babylon, perhaps the Esagila temple built in honor of the god Marduk. Mithredath is a Persian name, and the word for treasurer (gizbār) is also Persian.

In Ezra 1:9-10 the articles total 2,499 but in verse 11 the total number of gold and silver items was 5,400. Why the difference? Surely Ezra would not be so foolish as to make a major mistake such as that when he so carefully wrote the rest of the book under the Holy Spirit's inspiration. Even if one were to assume (as do many critics) that a redactor brought together in verses 9-11 two variant traditions, it would seem likely that Ezra would try to reconcile them in some way. It seems better to suppose Ezra first listed some of the items, perhaps the bigger and more valuable ones (vv. 9-10), then referred to the total number of items both the larger and more valuable and the smaller and less significant (v. 11).

Another problem pertains to Sheshbazzar (v. 11), who was called the prince of Judah (v. 8). Three views about his identity are suggested:

(1) Some feel that Sheshbazzar was a Persian name for Zerubbabel. Both are said to have laid the foundation of the temple (3:8-10; 5:16). Zerubbabel, which means "begotten in Babel," was a grandson of Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:17-19), who had been deported to Babylon but had been released from confinement (2 Kings 25:27-30). Zerubbabel's relationship to Jehoiachin would explain the title "the prince of Judah." However, it would seem strange that Zerubbabel would have a second pagan name rather than having one name that reflected Yahweh worship (Sheshbazzar being a pagan deity). If Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar were two names of the same person, it is strange that he was never again referred to by the name Sheshbazzar except in Ezra 5:15-16.

(2) A second view is that this man was a Jew who was appointed governor by Cyrus but who died shortly after arriving in Palestine and was replaced by Zerubbabel. Though plausible, no solid evidence exists for this view.

(3) A third view is that Sheshbazzar was the Shenazzar in 1 Chronicles 3:17, and therefore was Zerubbabel's uncle.

(4) A fourth view is that Sheshbazzar was a Persian official who was sent to oversee the use of the king's money and to make sure the king's wishes were carried out. It has been suggested that because Sheshbazzar was a Persian official the returnees later referred to him (Ezra 5:15-16) to support their claim of legitimacy for their building project. (See comments on 5:13-16.)]

(Ezra 6:1 NASB) "Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon.

(Ezra 6:2 NASB) In Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: "Memorandum -

(Ezra 6:3 NASB) In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: 'Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;

(Ezra 6:4 NASB) with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.

(Ezra 6:5 NASB) 'Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.' "

C) [(Ezra 6:l-4) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Ezra 6:1-5:

"6:1-5. Tattenai (cf. Ezra 5:3-5), had requested that Babylon's archives be searched for the document (5:17) but it was not found there. Instead the scroll (of papyrus or leather) was found in... Ecbatana (modern Hamadan), 300 miles northeast of Babylon and capital of Media (6:1-2). The scroll was in Ecbatana, because that is where Cyrus had spent the summer of 538, when he issued the decree. This Ecbatana record was an official "minute" with three details that the verbal and written proclamation (1:1-4) apparently did not contain: (1) The temple was to be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers (cf. 5:8; 1 Kings 6:36). (2) The project was to be financed by funds from the royal treasury. This shows the earnestness of Cyrus' repatriation program. (3) The returned gold and silver articles were to be put in their places in the temple."