2 Chronicles 36:22-23

23. THE EDICT OF CYRUS (2 Chronicles 36:22-23)

TEXT

2 Chronicles 36:22. 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, 23. 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. Whosoever there is among you of all his people. Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up.-'

PARAPHRASE

2 Chronicles 36:22-23. But in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to make this proclamation throughout his kingdom, putting it into writing: All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the Lord God of heaven, and he has instructed me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in the land of Judah. All among you who are the Lord's people, return to Israel for this task, and the Lord be with you. This also fulfilled the prediction of Jeremiah the prophet.

COMMENTARY

Isaiah had predicted that Cyrus, king of Persia, would be a deliverer for the Hebrew people (Isaiah 44:28). Two hundred years before Cyrus appeared he was named by Isaiah as a shepherd for Jehovah. In the year 536 B.C. Cyrus came upon the stage of world history.[81] He was a shepherd king. His origin is obscure. All of the evidence in God's Word points to Cyrus-' coming as an act of God. Daniel continued until the third year of the reign of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1). Daniel could very well have been Jehovah's agent who acquainted Cyrus with God's purpose for His people. The seventy years were fulfilled. The time had come for the Hebrews to be released. Cyrus published his decree and all of the Hebrews who desired to do so were free to go back to Palestine to build Jehovah's House, Ezra and Nehemiah tell how fifty thousand Jews (most likely a name given in derision of Judah) came back under the leadership of the Davidic prince, Zerubbabel and the priest, Jeshua, and how they finished Zerubbabel's Temple (the second Temple) about 516 B.C.[82]

[81] Grosvenor, Melville, B., Everyday Life in Bible Times, pp. 278-286. Spence, H. D. M., The Pulpit Commentary, II Chronicles, p. 440

[82] Cook, F. C., The Bible Commentary, I SamuelEsther, pp. 432-433