Ezra 01

EZRA-----NEHEMIAH-----ESTHER The three books form what is the closing section of the Old Testament History.

The history of the Jew's returning from Babylon, the Rebuilding of the Temple and of Jerusalem, and the Reestablishment of the Jew's National life in their home land.

They cover (536--432 B.C.) about 100 years. They can be broken into two Distinct Periods. 536--516 B.C. Under Joshua the Priest and Zerubbabel the Governor the temple was rebuilt. Ezra chapter 3 to 6 is the period belonging to Haggai and Zechariah. 457--432 B.C. 25 years under

Ezra the Priest and Nehemiah the Governor the wall was rebuilt and Jerusalem restored as a fortified city. Malachi belonged to this period.

Ezra gives an account to both periods Nehemiah gives an account of the second period Esther comes in between the two periods. Three Returns 536 B.C. Zerubbabel with 42,360 Jews, 7337 servants, 6720 asses, 736 horse, 245 mules, 435 camels200 singers,, and 5,400 gold and silver vessels. 457 B.C. Ezra with 1754 males, 100 talents of gold, 750 talents of silver, 4 months, not stated if women and children went. 444 B.C. Nehemiah, as governor, using government expense went with an army escort to rebuild and fortify Jerusalem. Chronology of the Restoration: 536 B.C. 49,897 return from Babylon to Jerusalem 536 B.C. 7th month, built an altar and offered sacrifice 535 B.C. Temple work begun, and stopped. 520 B.C. Haggai, Zechariah renewed the work 516 B.C. Temple completed 478 B.C. Esther becomes Queen of Persia 457 B.C. Ezra goes form Babylon to Jerusalem 444 B.C. Nehemiah rebuilds the Wall 432 B.C. Nehemiah returns again from Babylon. 721 B.C. ASSYRIA captured Israel 606 B.C. BABYLON captured Judah 536 B.C. PERSIA permitted the return from the captivity. The Assyrian and Babylonian king's policy was to take conquered people and deport them to other lands. The policy of the Persian kings were exactly the opposite, they would send them back to their own land. The Persian King Cyrus first acts was to authorize the return of the Jews to their own land. East of the lower end of the Euphrates-Tigris Valley was the mountain plareau called Persia. The Persian Empire was vaster in extent than the predecessors had been, extending eastward to India, and reaching westward to Greece. Its capital were Susa, and Persepolis, with the kings sometimes residing at Babylon. It lasted 200 years (536--529 B.C.) as a world empire. Its Kings were: 538-529 B.C. CYRUS: 536 B.C. conquered Babylon and made Persia a World Empire. He then permitted the Jews to return to their homelan in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy 529--522 B.C. CAMBYSES: 521--485 B.C. DATIUS I (Hystasper) Mentioned in Ezra 4:7,11,23 He is thought to have been "Artazerzes" who stopped the work on the Temple 521 -- 485 B.C. DARIUS I (Hystaspes) Made the "Behistun" inscription and authorized the completion of the Temple (Ezra 6) 485--465 B.C. XERXES (Ahasuerus) Esther was his wife with Mordecal his prime-minister and being famous for wars with Greece 465 -- 425 B.C. ARTAXERZES I (Longimanus) Authorized his cupbearer, Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem and was very favorable to the Jewes. 424 XERXES 423 -- 405 DARIUS II (NOTHIUS) 405 -- 358 B.C. ARTAZERZES II (MNEMON) 358 -- 338 B.C. ARTAZERXES III (OCHUS) 338 -- 335 B.C. ARSES 335 -- 331 B.C. DARIUS III (Codomanus) Defeaded by Alexander the Great (331 B.C.) at the famous battle of Arbela, which was near the site of Ninevch. The Rise of Greece and the fall of Persia with the Empire passing from Asia to Europe.

KING JAMES BIBLE

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2 Thus saith Cyrus 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 house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

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.

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 strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought 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.

9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers 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 captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

KING JAMES 1611

1 Now in the first yeere of Cyrus King of Persia, (that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Ieremiah, might be fulfilled) þe Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdome, and put it also in writing, saying;

2 Thus sayth Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heauen hath giuen mee all the kingdomes of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him an house at Ierusalem, which is in Iudah.

3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him goe vp to Ierusalem, which is in Iudah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God) which is in Ierusalem.

4 And whosoeuer remaineth in any place where hee soiourneth, let the men of his place helpe him with siluer, and with golde, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the free-will offering for the house of God that is in Ierusalem.

5 Then rose vp the chiefe of the fathers of Iudah and Beniamin, and the Priests, and the Leuites, with all them whose spirit God had raised to goe vp, to build the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem.

6 And all they that were about them, strengthened their hands with vessels of siluer, with golde, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things; besides all that was willingly offered.

7 Also Cyrus the king brought foorth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought foorth out of Ierusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods:

8 Euen those did Cyrus king of Persia bring foorth, by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbred them vnto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Iudah.

9 And this is the number of them: thirtie chargers of golde, a thousand chargers of siluer, nine and twentie kniues:

10 Thirtie basins of golde: siluer basins of a second sort, foure hundred and ten: and other vessels a thousand.

11 All the vessels of golde and of siluer, were fiue thousand and foure hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring vp with them of the captiuitie, that were brought vp from Babylon vnto Ierusalem.

Compare Verses to Verses

I == 2nd Chr 36:22-23 ; Ezra 5:13-14 ; Jer 25:12 ; 29:10

II == Isa 44:28 ; 45 :1 , 13

III == Dan 6:26

V == Phil 2:13

VII == 2nd Kings 24:13 ; 2nd Chr 36:7 ; Ezra 5:14 ; 6:5

VI == Ezra 5:14

THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE

1 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing:

2 "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!

4 Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, together with free-will offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.'"

5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites - everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so - prepared to go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

6 All their neighbors gave them help in every way, with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, and with many precious gifts besides all their free-will offerings.

7 King Cyrus, too, had the utensils of the house of the LORD brought forth which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his god.

8 Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought forth by the treasurer Mithredath, and counted out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9 This was the inventory: sacks of goldware, thirty; sacks of silverware, one thousand and twenty-nine;

10 golden bowls, thirty; silver bowls, four hundred and ten; other ware, one thousand pieces.

11 Total of the gold - and silver ware: five thousand four hundred pieces. All these Sheshbazzar took with him when the exiles were brought back from Babylon to Jerusalem.

COMMENTARIE

0n 550 BC Cyrus became the Chief Ruler of Asia, Cyrus was born in an obscure Province known as Anshan or Anzan and became it's king in 559 B.C. He then conquered Astyages, (Croesus, King of Lyda, was beyond the River Halys in Asia Minor) in 546 BC and then in 538 BC Babylon (Nabonidus, king of Babylon, a doctrinaire prince) fell into the hands of Cyrus. The Jews in Exile had never seen the making of the greastest empire in the World, all within twenty years before now, Then the Jews recieved news that must of run like wildfire and imparted to them like the shock way comparable only to a bolt of lighting. Cyrus in 537 BC issued a degree allowing all Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.

Ezra and Nehemiah deal with events in the land of Israel for about a century following the return from captivity, 538 BC. Ezra is involved in worship and rebuilding the temple, Nehemiah is primarily in civil matters and rebuilding the walls. A principle purpose of the genealogy is to establish claims to the priesthood from Aaron’s line. As there had been three deportations, there were three returns from exile. The first under Zerubbabel, 538 BC, second under Ezra, 458 BC, and third under Nehemiah, 444 BC. Not everyone was a captive for the 70 years, but Daniel was for the most of it. The book of Esther takes place between chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra. After return from captivity there was no more worship of idols or distinction between Judah and Israel. There was, however, animosity toward mixed breed Samaritans.

v 1-4. This is the first year of Cyrus over Babylon, but he had been a king for 20 years. The proclamation was in writing, there was good record keeping. It seemed profitable to him to repatriate captives to their lands and make his outlying areas friendly buffers. Of course this was the work of the Spirit of the Lord on his heart. Someone, maybe Daniel, no doubt showed him Isa. 44:28, where he was named 150 years earlier as the one who would have Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt. This would also fulfill Jer. 25:11,12 ; 29:10. He had his own false gods, but he had to recognize the God of heaven, who reigned with more authority than he did. The Spirit caused him to take this amazing prediction to heart, and he encouraged as many as chose, to go up to Jerusalem, but those who remained were commanded to assist them with gold, silver, goods, beasts, and freewill offerings to rebuild the temple.

\v 5,6. Tribal leaders and priests and Levites headed up the return party, but some others were stirred by the Lord to join them. (Most of the northern tribes had been there longer and had not the interest in Jerusalem, and not are mentioned.) Those who did not, still responded with all types of freewill gifts suggested by Cyrus. It is understandable why some chose not to go if they were not totally dedicated to the Lord. They would have to give up homes, friends, established businesses and make a difficult 1000 mile journey of 4-5 months over land which in some places was desert and others infested with robbers. On arrival they would have to sort through the rubble and begin all over again. Many who might have been interested, probably could neither take or leave older relatives.

v 7-11. Cyrus released the vessels taken from the temple into the hand of the prince of Judah, Sheshbazzar. He counted 2499 larger items with a total of 5400 items brought from Babylon to Jerusalem under his supervision. Some of these would be the golden vessels Belteshazar drank from the night he saw the hand writing on the wall. It seems fairly certain that Sheshbazzar was Zerubbabel with the name given by the Chaldeans. He was a prince, governor civil leader), of the tribe of Judah, appointed by Cyrus. He is credited in 5:16 as laying the foundation of the temple, which credit is also given to Zerubbabel in Zech. 4:9, one and the same man.