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Ezra 1

11 verses

TL;DR

Cyrus the Persian king, under divine instruction, issued a decree permitting the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, and the people gathered resources to aid the restoration.

Summary

In the first year of Cyrus the Persian king, a divine decree authorized the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, as foretold by Jeremiah. Cyrus proclaimed his possession of all kingdoms and commanded the construction of a house for the LORD in Judah. The chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, along with priests, Levites, and all those returned from exile, gathered to undertake the rebuilding. They contributed silver, gold, goods, beasts, and voluntary offerings to support the project. Cyrus retrieved the temple vessels that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar and brought them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, who returned them to Jerusalem. The account lists the numbers of gold and silver vessels, basins, knives, and other precious items, totaling over five thousand.

Outline
  1. Cyrus’ decree and divine mandate
  2. Assembly of Judah, priests, and Levites to rebuild
  3. Retrieval and return of temple vessels
Themes
Divine sovereignty and prophecy fulfillmentRestoration and rebuildingCollective generosity and communal responsibility
Keywords
CyrusdecreeJerusalemJudahTemplevesselsrestorationprophecy
People
CyrusJeremiahSheshbazzarMithredathchief of the fathers of Judah and BenjaminpriestsLevites
Places
PersiaJerusalemJudahBabylonhouse of the LORD
Things
temple vessels (gold and silver)basinsknivessilver chargersgold chargersbeastsoffering
Key Verses
  • Ezra 1:1: Introduces Cyrus’ decree as fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy
  • Ezra 1:5: Shows the collective response of Judah, priests, and Levites
  • Ezra 1:7-8: Describes the retrieval of the temple vessels, completing the restoration narrative
Questions
  • What does Cyrus’s decree reveal about God's sovereignty and human agency?
  • How does the collective offering of silver, gold, and goods illustrate the community’s commitment to restoration?
  • In what ways does the account of retrieving the temple vessels symbolize the restoration of Israel’s identity?
  • What lessons can modern faith communities draw from the cooperation between leaders and ordinary people in rebuilding?
Sentiment

positive
The narrative conveys hope, divine support, and communal cooperation toward restoration.