Ezra 1:1

1. The first year Not the first year of his becoming sovereign of the Persians, but the first of his immediate rule over Babylon, and the provinces of Western Asia, which had previously belonged to the Babylonian empire. Upon the fall of Babylon, Darius the Mede had taken that kingdom, (Daniel 5:31; Daniel 9:1; Daniel 11:1,) and reigned there for a year or more before Cyrus assumed direct control. Daniel 6:28.

Cyrus king of Persia Concerning the birth and early life of this illustrious man the ancient authors (Herodotus, Xenophon, Ctesias, and Nicolaus Damascenus) disagree, and it is impossible to decide with certainty whose account is most correct; but all agree that with him the Persian empire arose from comparative insignificance to be the greatest power that had ever ruled all Western Asia. Cyrus’s first great act was to defeat Astyages his grandfather, according to Herodotus and Xenophon and subject the Medes to the Persians. Soon after, he conquered and added to his empire the ancient kingdom of Lydia, in Asia Minor. Then followed the fall of Babylon and of other kingdoms before his victorious armies. When he began to reign at Babylon he doubtless heard of Daniel, and, perhaps, had personal intercourse with him. Some have thought, and not without reason, that this prophet called his attention to Isaiah’s oracles concerning him, (Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1,) that he should restore the Jews and rebuild the temple, and thus show himself Jehovah’s “shepherd” and “anointed” one.

Word of the Lord by… Jeremiah See especially Jeremiah 25:12: “When seventy years are accomplished, I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity.” Reckoning from the first invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, more than a year before he became sole king of Babylon, (2 Kings 24:1, note,) we find just seventy years had elapsed at the first year of Cyrus. Thus Nebuchadnezzar 45, Evil-Merodach 2, Neriglissar 4, Nabonadius 17, Darius the Mede 2=70.

Thus the seventy years of Jewish captivity synchronized very closely with the seventy years of the Babylonian empire. Differences of opinion prevail, however, as to the period covered by the seventy years’ captivity. Some reckon them from the destruction of the first temple to the completion of the second, 588 to 515 B.C. But Jeremiah’s prophecy seems clearly to make the fall of Babylon the terminus ad quem of the seventy years, and this would place the terminus a quo at Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion of Palestine, when Daniel and other Jewish captives were taken to Babylon. See note on 2 Kings 24:1. Hence, when Babylon fell and Darius was set over that realm, Daniel understood that the seventy years were about expired. Daniel 9:1.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus Probably by the words of Daniel, who may have called his attention to Isaiah’s prophecies concerning him. It is interesting to observe in this connexion that the religion of the early Persians was monotheistic the comparatively pure system of Zoroaster; and this may explain the sympathy which Cyrus seems to have had for the Jews, and his readiness, at so early a period of his reign, to allow them to return from exile and rebuild their temple. See on the next verse.

Made a proclamation Literally, caused a voice to pass in all his kingdom; that is, announced by criers. Not only was the announcement made orally, but it was published also in writing, and probably laid up among the archives of the kingdom, from which a copy of it was taken by our author.