Ezra Chapter 1 — The Proclamation of King Cyrus
King Cyrus of Persia issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and returns the sacred vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar.
1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s*When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh). word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD 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,
2“Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God†The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim). 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.
3Whoever 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 the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.
4Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the free will offering for God’s house which is in Jerusalem.’ ”
5Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up, rose up to build the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem.
6All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered.
7Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;
8even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
9This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,
10thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second kind, and one thousand other vessels.
11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Ezra 1:1
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom...”
This verse establishes that the return from exile is a direct fulfillment of God's earlier promises through the prophets.
Ezra 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 the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.”
This is the core of Cyrus's decree, granting the Jewish people the religious freedom to return and rebuild.
Ezra 1:7
“Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;”
The return of these specific items signifies the restoration of the Temple's identity and sanctity.
Chapter Summary
Ezra Chapter 1 begins with the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy during the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia. Moved by the LORD, Cyrus issues a proclamation across his kingdom permitting the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. He acknowledges that the God of heaven has given him his kingdoms and commanded this restoration. Cyrus encourages those remaining in Persia to support the returning exiles with gold, silver, and other goods. In response, the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites, prepare to depart. To assist in the restoration, Cyrus returns over 5,400 gold and silver vessels that King Nebuchadnezzar had previously looted from Jerusalem. These items are entrusted to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, to be carried back to the holy city. This chapter marks the formal beginning of the return from the Babylonian exile.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the text, the LORD stirred the spirit of King Cyrus to fulfill a prophecy spoken by Jeremiah. Cyrus acknowledged that the God of heaven had given him his kingdom and commanded him to build a house in Jerusalem.
Sheshbazzar is identified as the 'prince of Judah' to whom Cyrus entrusted the gold and silver vessels from the Temple. He was responsible for bringing these sacred items from Babylon back to Jerusalem.
Cyrus returned 5,400 vessels made of gold and silver, including platters, bowls, and knives. These were the original items that King Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the Jerusalem Temple and placed in his own temples in Babylon.
Study Note
The opening verses of Ezra 1 are nearly identical to the concluding verses of 2 Chronicles, suggesting a strong literary and historical link between the end of the exile and the beginning of the restoration.
Related Chapters
Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah's prophecy regarding the 70-year exile is explicitly referenced as being fulfilled in Ezra 1.
2 Chronicles 36
The conclusion of 2 Chronicles records the same decree by Cyrus that begins the book of Ezra.
Isaiah 44
Isaiah's prophecy specifically names Cyrus as the ruler who would command the restoration of Jerusalem.
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