Ezra 1:1

Ezra 1:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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,
• New International Version (NIV)In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
• English Standard Version (ESV)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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
• New King James Version (NKJV)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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

Context of Ezra 1:1

In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind. King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. His message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said: 2‘This is what Cyrus, the king of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me power over all the kingdoms of the earth. He has said that I must build a temple for him in Jerusalem, the city that is in Judah. 3Any of God's people who live among you may now return to Jerusalem. I pray that their God will be with them. They must build a temple there for the Lord, Israel's God. He is the God whose home is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:1 word by word

וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת אַחַ֗ת לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה מִפִּ֣י יִרְמְיָ֑ה הֵעִ֣יר יְהוָ֗ה אֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ כֹּ֣רֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־קוֹל֙ בְּכָל־מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now in the firstאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• of Cyrusכּ֫וֹרֶשׁkôresh kôresh · CyrusH3566
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Persiaפָּרַסpâras · PersiaH6539
• that the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• by the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• of Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫הוּyirmeyâh yirmeyâhû · JeremiahH3414
• might be fulfilledכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615
• stirred upעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
• the spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• that he made a proclamationקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: messageH6963
• that he made a proclamationעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• throughout all his kingdomמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
• also in writingמִכְתָּבmiktâb · writingH4385
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559

Cross-references for Ezra 1:1

• 2 Chronicles 36:22In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind. King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. His message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said:
• Jeremiah 25:12The Lord also says, “But after the 70 years have finished, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation. I will punish them for their sins. I will destroy the land of the Babylonians. It will be a heap of stones for ever.
• Jeremiah 29:10The Lord says, ‘You will live in Babylon for 70 years. Then I will choose to help you. I will be kind to you, as I promised. I will bring you back here to your home.
• Jeremiah 33:7I will bring back the people of Judah and Israel from foreign lands. I will make them a strong nation, as they were before.
• Ezra 5:13But later, King Cyrus of Babylon commanded that we must build God's temple again. He said this in the first year that he was king.
• Ezra 6:22Then they ate the Feast of Flat Bread for seven days. The Lord had caused them to be very happy, because the king of Assyria had helped them. The Lord had made the king think in a different way about the Jews in Jerusalem. He had decided to help them to build the God of Israel's temple.
• Ezra 7:27I praise the Lord, the God that our ancestors worshipped. He has caused the king to give honour to him. He made the king decide to make the Lord's temple in Jerusalem very great.
• Psalms 106:46He caused all their enemies to be kind to them.
• Proverbs 21:1The Lord controls the things that a king decides to do. He can change the king's thoughts, like the direction of a stream.
• Daniel 2:1When Nebuchadnezzar had been king for two years, he had many dreams. He had trouble in his mind and he could not sleep.
• Matthew 3:1While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea.
• John 1:23He said, ‘I am the voice of somebody shouting in the wilderness: “The Lord will come soon. Make a straight path for him to follow.” That is what the prophet Isaiah said a long time ago.’

Commentaries on Ezra 1:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Now in the first year - This is word for word with the two last verses of the preceding book; which stand here in their proper place and connection, but there are entirely destitute of chronological connection and reference. Cyrus - This prince, so eminent in antiquity, is said to have been the son of Cambyses king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages king of the Medes; and was born about six hundred years before Christ. Josephus accounts for his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1By the first year of Cyrus is to be understood the first year of his sovereignty over the Jews, or 538 B.C.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The history of this book is the accomplishment of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the return of the Jews out of Babylon. From its contents we especially learn, that every good work will meet with opposition from enemies, and be hurt by the misconduct of friends; but that God will make his cause to prevail, notwithstanding all obstacles and adversaries. The restoration of the Jews was an event of the highest consequence, tending to preserve religion in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1King Cyrus II ruled Persia from 559 to 530 BC. In October 539 BC, Cyrus and his Persian forces conquered Babylon, as Daniel had predicted (Daniel 5). the word...through Jeremiah: God promised to bring his people back after seventy years in exile (Jeremiah 25:11–12; 29:10). God's influence over this non-believing king led him to issue the following decree (see also Isaiah 13:17; 41:2, 25; Jeremiah 50:9). God remains in control, even when rulers and nations…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-6Commentary by Robert Jamieson 1. in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia--The Persian empire, including Persia, Media, Babylonia, and Chaldea, with many smaller dependencies, was founded by Cyrus, 536 B.C. [Hales]. that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled--(See Jr 25:12; 29:10). This reference is a parenthetic statement of the historian, and did not form part of the proclamation.Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 1:1

• Church and State
• Emancipation
• Heathen
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Jerusalem
• Obedience
• Proclamation
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Cyrus
• Jeremiah
• Persia
• Persia, Persians
• Babylon
• Captivity
• Palestine
• Raise
• Babylonia
• Chronicles, Books of

Commentaries on Ezra 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings