Ezra — Chapter 1

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1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:

2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.

3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

4And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”

5So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

6And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings.

7King Cyrus also brought out the articles belonging to the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the temple of his gods.

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

9This was the inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 silver utensils,

1030 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls, and 1,000 other articles.

11In all, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

1Now 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,

2Thus 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.

3Who 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.

4And 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.

5Then 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.

6And 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.

7Also 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;

8Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

10Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

11All 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.

1Now 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,

2Thus 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.

3Whosoever 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.

4And 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.

5Then rose up the heads of fathers` [houses] of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem.

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

7Also 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;

8even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives,

10thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

1In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in fulfillment of the Lord’s message spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord motivated King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his kingdom and also to put it in writing. It read:

2“This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3Anyone of his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

4Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

5Then the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites—all those whose mind God had stirred—got ready to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.

6All their neighbors assisted them with silver utensils, gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention all the voluntary offerings.

7Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord’s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed in the temple of his gods.

8King Cyrus of Persia entrusted them to Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the leader of the Judahite exiles.

9The inventory of these items was as follows: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver utensils,

1030 gold bowls, 410 other silver bowls, and 1,000 other vessels.

11All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, Yahweh 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“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahweh, the God 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 Yahweh, 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, besides the freewill 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 Yahweh’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, besides all that was willingly offered.

7Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of Yahweh’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 sort, 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.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the LORD fulfills Jeremiah's prophecy by stirring Cyrus to issue a decree freeing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple (vv. 1-4). God stirs the spirits of the heads of Judah, Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites to go up, while their neighbors strengthen their hands with silver, gold, goods, and freewill offerings (vv. 5-6). Cyrus also brings out the sacred Temple vessels Nebuchadnezzar had carried off to Babylon, entrusting them to Sheshbazzar through the treasurer Mithredath (vv. 7-8), and the chapter closes with an inventory of 5,400 vessels restored to Jerusalem (vv. 9-11).

Authorship & Background

Author: Ezra the priest and scribe (likely author/compiler). Written approximately 450-400 BC. Ezra covers two returns from Babylonian exile: (1) Zerubbabel's return and Temple rebuilding (538-516 BC, chapters 1-6); (2) Ezra's return and spiritual reform (458 BC, chapters 7-10).
Classification: Historical Narrative — Post-Exilic
Key Themes: Jeremiah's seventy years reaching their term, a pagan emperor's spirit stirred to issue the decree, willing returnees rather than conscripts, and stolen vessels handed back by the hands that held them
Historical Context: Chapter 1 records the pivotal moment when God fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10) that the exile would last seventy years. In 539 BC, Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, and in his first year (538 BC) issued a decree permitting the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This was not mere political generosity — the text declares "the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus" (v.1). God moved the heart of a pagan emperor to accomplish His redemptive purposes. The chapter records three responses to the decree: (1) Cyrus issued the proclamation and restored the Temple vessels (vv.1-4, 7-8); (2) God stirred the spirits of willing returnees from Judah, Benjamin, and the priestly/Levitical families (v.5); (3) surrounding neighbors provided material support (v.6). The return of the Temple vessels — specifically numbered at 5,400 — symbolizes God's faithfulness in restoring what was lost. What Nebuchadnezzar had stolen and placed in pagan temples, God now brought back through a pagan king's own hands. The chapter sets the theological tone for the entire book: God is sovereign over empires, faithful to His promises, and active in stirring hearts to accomplish His will.
Jeremiah's Seventy Years Fulfilled (vv.1-2): The book opens by tying a political event to a prophecy: in the first year of Cyrus, that the word of the LORD by Jeremiah might be fulfilled. Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10 had set the exile at seventy years, and Cyrus took Babylon in 539 BC. The explanation given is not diplomatic calculation but that the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, and the decree that follows is quoted in the king's own voice crediting the God of heaven.
Cyrus's Proclamation (vv.3-4): The terms are generous and specific: whoever is willing may go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and those who stay are to help with silver, gold, goods and beasts. Persian policy did favor restoring displaced peoples and their temples, which is documented outside Scripture, so the decree fits the empire's practice. The book's claim is about who moved the policy rather than whether it was characteristic.
Those Whose Spirit God Had Raised (vv.5-6): The response is voluntary and comes from Judah, Benjamin, the priests and the Levites — and again the wording is that God raised their spirit. The same verb is used of Cyrus, which sets emperor and returnee under the same action. Their neighbours strengthen their hands with vessels of silver and gold, an echo of Israel leaving Egypt with the goods of their neighbours.
Five Thousand Four Hundred Vessels (vv.7-11): Cyrus brings out the temple vessels Nebuchadnezzar had taken and put in the house of his gods, and they are counted — five thousand four hundred in total, itemised by type. The detail matters because these are the same objects, not replacements. What was carried off as trophies of a defeated God is handed back by the treasurer of a later empire, and the inventory is the proof.

Map & Geography

  • The geographic arc: BabylonJerusalem (~900-mile journey through the Fertile Crescent). Two returns: 538 BC under Zerubbabel and 458 BC under Ezra.
  • Jerusalem is the destination — the Temple is rebuilt (516 BC) and worship restored.
  • The journey followed major trade routes along the Euphrates River, through Syria, then south into Judah — a 4-month trek (Ezra 7:9).

Places on this map

  • Babylonnear Hillah, IraqOn the Euphrates about 55 miles south of modern Baghdad. Judah's exiles were marched roughly 900 miles to get here, the long way round the Arabian desert, which is why the journey took months and the return was a genuine undertaking rather than a short trip home. Wikipedia
  • JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
  • EuphratesTurkey, Syria, IraqThe longest river in western Asia, running about 1,700 miles from eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf. It is the northern limit named in the promise to Abraham and the boundary Assyria and Babylon crossed to reach the Levant. Wikipedia
  • AramSyriaThe Syrian interior north-east of Israel, a set of city-states rather than one kingdom, with Damascus the strongest. Aramaic, its language, became the everyday speech of the whole region including Judea. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the remarkable sovereignty of God in using Cyrus, noting that God "stirred" both king and people — showing that divine initiative precedes human response. He highlights the parallel with the Exodus: just as Israel left Egypt with Egyptian wealth (Exodus 12:35-36), the returning exiles left Babylon enriched by their neighbors.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Ezra 1 | A New Exodus | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

A Summary of the Book of Ezra | GotQuestions.org
Got Questions Ministries

Ezra & Nehemiah: The Bible Explained
Spoken Gospel

Books of Ezra-Nehemiah Summary: A Complete Animated Overview
BibleProject

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Ezra -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • God's Sovereignty Over Rulers (v.1) — The LORD stirred the heart of a pagan king to fulfill a seventy-year-old prophecy, moving Cyrus to free the exiles and fund the Temple's rebuilding. Where do you need to trust that God is directing rulers and circumstances, even when it doesn't look like it from where you stand?
  • God Stirs Hearts Before He Moves People (v.5) — Before anyone packed for the journey, God awakened a willingness in the hearts of specific families and priests to go up and rebuild. Is there a stirring in your own heart right now that you've been hesitant to act on?
  • Supporting a Calling That Isn't Yours (v.6) — Neighbors who weren't called to make the journey themselves still gave generously to equip those who were. Who around you is stepping into something hard, and how could you strengthen their hands even if you're not the one going?
  • Restoration of What Was Taken (vv.7-11) — The sacred vessels Nebuchadnezzar looted decades earlier were counted out and returned intact through the hand of the very empire that replaced Babylon. What has been taken from you that you're trusting God to restore in His timing?