Cyrus (2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4; Ezra 1:7–8; Ezra 1:11; Ezra 3:7; Ezra 4:3–5; Ezra 5:13–15; Ezra 5:17; Ezra 6:2–5; Ezra 6:14; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 45:4; Isaiah 45:13; Daniel 1:21; Daniel 6:28; Daniel 10:1)

King of Persia, whose spirit the LORD stirred up

King of Persia, named by the LORD through Isaiah as his shepherd and his anointed, whose spirit the LORD stirred up in his first year to proclaim that the house of the LORD be built in Jerusalem, who brought forth the vessels of the house and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, and whose decree was found on a roll at Achmetha.

Isaiah has the LORD speak of Cyrus by name: “He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid” (Isaiah 44:28). “Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden” (Isaiah 45:1), and again, “I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me” (Isaiah 45:4).

Ezra opens the account in his first year: “that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah 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” (Ezra 1:1). His words were, “All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:2), the same words with which 2 Chronicles closes (2 Chronicles 36:22-23). He brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah (Ezra 1:7-8), and the builders drew on “the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 3:7).

The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hired counselors against the builders “all the days of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 4:5). In the reign of Darius, when Tattenai asked who had authorized the work, the elders answered that Cyrus had made a decree, and a roll recording it was found at Achmetha (Ezra 5:13; 6:2-3). The house was finished “according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia” (Ezra 6:14). The book of Daniel places Daniel in his reign: “this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Daniel 6:28). Scripture does not record his birth, family or death.

Themes

• Called by name
• The LORD stirs the spirit
• Return from exile
• The vessels restored
• The decree of the first year

Named by Isaiah (Isaiah 44:24–28; Isaiah 45:1–13)

The LORD, through Isaiah, calls Cyrus his shepherd and his anointed, and says he shall build the city and let the exiles go free.

Named by Isaiah

The LORD, who says he “confirmeth the word of his servant” (Isaiah 44:26), “saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid” (Isaiah 44:28).

“Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut” (Isaiah 45:1). “For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me” (Isaiah 45:4).

Of him the LORD says, “I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts” (Isaiah 45:13).

The proclamation of the first year (2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4)

In his first year the LORD stirs up the spirit of Cyrus, and he proclaims in writing that the LORD has charged him to build a house in Jerusalem and that the people may go up.

The proclamation of the first year

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah 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” (Ezra 1:1).

“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:2).

“Whosoever there is 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 Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3). “And whosoever is left, 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, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:4).

The same words close 2 Chronicles, where the proclamation ends, “Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up” (2 Chronicles 36:23).

The vessels brought forth (Ezra 1:5–11; Ezra 5:14–15)

Cyrus brings forth the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away and numbers them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

The vessels brought forth

Then the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites rose up, “even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:5).

“Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 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” (Ezra 1:7-8). “All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred” (Ezra 1:11).

The elders later said that the vessels “were delivered unto one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor” (Ezra 5:14), and that Cyrus said to him, “Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in its place” (Ezra 5:15).

The grant for the cedar (Ezra 3:7)

The builders give money, food, drink and oil for cedar from Lebanon, according to the grant they had of Cyrus.

The adversaries and the work hindered (Ezra 4:1–5; Ezra 4:24)

Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the heads of fathers' houses answer the adversaries that they will build as king Cyrus commanded; the people of the land weaken their hands and hire counselors against them all the days of Cyrus, and the work ceases until the second year of Darius.

The decree found at Achmetha (Ezra 5:13–17; Ezra 6:1–5)

Tattenai asks who made the decree; the elders name Cyrus, and Darius has search made until a roll is found at Achmetha recording Cyrus's decree of his first year.

The decree found at Achmetha

The elders told Tattenai, “in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God” (Ezra 5:13). Tattenai wrote to the king that search be made “whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem” (Ezra 5:17).

“Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives” (Ezra 6:1). “And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a roll, and therein was thus written for a record” (Ezra 6:2).

“In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be builded, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid” (Ezra 6:3). “and let the expenses be given out of the king's house” (Ezra 6:4), and the gold and silver vessels were to be “restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place” (Ezra 6:5).

The house finished (Ezra 6:14–15)

The elders of the Jews build and finish the house according to the commandment of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes.

Daniel in his reign (Daniel 1:21; Daniel 6:28; Daniel 10:1)

The book of Daniel places Daniel under Cyrus: he continues to the first year of Cyrus, prospers in his reign, and sees a revealed thing in his third year.

The LORD (Isaiah 45:1–4; 2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–2)

The LORD stirred up his spirit, called him by name, and charged him to build a house in Jerusalem.

Isaiah (Isaiah 44:24–28; Isaiah 45:1–13)

The prophet through whom the LORD spoke of Cyrus by name as his shepherd and his anointed.

Jeremiah (2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1)

The proclamation was made that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished.

Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8; Ezra 5:14–15)

Cyrus numbered the vessels to him as prince of Judah and, in the elders' words, had made him governor.

Zerubbabel (Ezra 4:3)

He and the heads of fathers' houses answered the adversaries that they would build as king Cyrus had commanded them.

The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin (Ezra 4:1–5)

Refused a share in the building, they weakened the hands of the people and hired counselors against them all the days of Cyrus.

Daniel (Daniel 1:21; Daniel 6:28; Daniel 10:1)

The book of Daniel marks Daniel's years by the first year, the reign and the third year of Cyrus.

Major sections

• 2 Chronicles 36:22–23
• Ezra 1–6
• Isaiah 44:24–45:13
• Daniel 1:21
• Daniel 6:28
• Daniel 10:1

More illuminations · Harbinger's Lamp