John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 1:2
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia ,.... Of whom, and this edict of his, Isaiah prophesied two hundred years before he was born, Isaiah 44:28 the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth ; many he had conquered before he took Babylon, and then the whole Babylonian monarchy fell into his hands. Herodotus F12 Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 130. So Sallust, Bell. Catalin. p. 2. says, he ruled over all Asia; Xenophon F13 Cyropaedia, l. 1. in principio. reckons up many... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 1:1-4
It will be proper for us here to consider, 1. What was the state of the captive Jews in Babylon. It was upon many accounts very deplorable; they were under the power of those that hated them, had nothing they could call their own; they had no temple, no altar; if they sang psalms, their enemies ridiculed them; and yet they had prophets among them. Ezekiel and Daniel were kept distinct from the heathen. Some of them were preferred at court, others had comfortable settlements in the country, and... read more