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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 1
Now Cyrus of Persia lets the Jews go back to Jerusalem to build the
temple—Cyrus returns vessels of house of the Lord taken by
Nebuchadnezzar.
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The Continuous History of Ezra
The Babylonian Talmud so gives that Ezra so
wrote/compiled the books of the Chronicle(s), Ezra and Nehemiah. And if so
they ought to be read as one continuous history. Evidence for this is quite
apparant. The first two verses of Ezra are the same as the last two verses of
Chronicles. And in addition the more ancient record of Esdras I, which is the
same name and record of Ezra, begins with the last two chapters of Chronicles
from the time of Josiah. In that the record seems to particulary point out
that the same reformation which was instituted by King Josiah, and attempted
at first by King Zedekiah, was that type of reformation needed to come about
by the Jews upon there return unto Jerusalem in order to proper rebuild the
temple unto God. This repetative pattern of reform, attempted reform and
reform again helps to solidify that which was occurring in the first year of
King Zedekiah's reign.
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1 NOW in the first year
of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of
aJeremiah might be fulfilleda,
the LORD stirred up the
spirit of bCyrus king of Persia, that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing,
saying,
2 Thus saith aCyrus king of Persia,
The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he
hath charged me to build him an bhouse at Jerusalem, which
is in Judah.
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1a that the word of the LORD by the mouth
of Jeremiah might be fulfilled Jeremiah had prophesied that the
Babylonian captivity of the Jews would last 70 years. This would pretty much
insure that none of the Jewish generation guilty for the captivity were pretty
well much deceased and a new generation of 'guiltless' Jews were next ready to
so return unto Jerusalem to so rebuild the temple.
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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 whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, 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.
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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
astrengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with
gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all
that was willingly offered.
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7 ¶ Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels
of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had abrought
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 unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
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9 And this is the number of them: thirty
achargers of gold, a thousand chargers 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 All the vessels of gold and of silver were
five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up
with them of the acaptivity that were brought up
from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
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