Ezr 1:1-3 | MHM | STEP | The Proclamation of Cyrus This section begins the story of the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity, fulfilling God’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah. The Jews had suffered in exile for seventy years, but they had not forgotten their identity or their God. When Cyrus became king of Persia and conquered Babylon, he issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. This was a moment of hope and restoration, showing God’s faithfulness to His people and His Word. v. 1 : In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the ORD stirred up his spirit to issue a proclamation throughout his kingdom. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that the Jews would return after seventy years of exile (Ezra 1:1; Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10 ).

‏ Ezra 1:1-3

The Proclamation of Cyrus

This section begins the story of the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity, fulfilling God’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah. The Jews had suffered in exile for seventy years, but they had not forgotten their identity or their God. When Cyrus became king of Persia and conquered Babylon, he issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. This was a moment of hope and restoration, showing God’s faithfulness to His people and His Word.

v. 1: In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the ORD stirred up his spirit to issue a proclamation throughout his kingdom. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that the Jews would return after seventy years of exile (Ezra 1:1; Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10 ^a).

v. 2: Cyrus declared that the ORD, the God of heaven, had given him all the kingdoms of the earth and had commanded him to build a temple in Jerusalem. Though Cyrus was not raised knowing God, God used him as an instrument to fulfill His purposes (Ezra 1:2; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-4 ^b).

v. 3: Cyrus invited all the Jews in his kingdom to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the ORD. He acknowledged that the ORD was the true God and wished for His presence with His people. Cyrus’s actions demonstrate how God can use even foreign rulers to accomplish His will .