Discovery BoxEzra 1:1 
Context1:1 1 In the first 2 year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message 3 spoken through 4 Jeremiah, 5 the Lord stirred the mind 6 of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated 7 a proclamation 8 throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict 9 the following: 10
Ezra 3:11
Context3:11 With antiphonal response they sang, 11 praising and glorifying the Lord:
“For he is good;
his loyal love toward Israel is forever.”
All the people gave a loud 12 shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established.
Ezra 4:15
Context4:15 so that he may initiate a search of the records 13 of his predecessors 14 and discover in those records 15 that this city is rebellious 16 and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts 17 from long ago. 18 It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.
Ezra 5:14
Context5:14 Even the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had brought to the palace 19 of Babylon – even those things King Cyrus brought from the palace of Babylon and presented 20 to a man by the name of Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed as governor.
Ezra 6:11
Context6:11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled 21 on it, and his house is to be reduced 22 to a rubbish heap 23 for this indiscretion. 24
Ezra 6:22
Context6:22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion 25 of the king of Assyria 26 toward them, so that he assisted 27 them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra 7:28
Context7:28 He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 9:8
Context9:8 “But now briefly 28 we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position 29 in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes 30 and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude.
1 sn In addition to the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, there are two deuterocanonical books that are also called “Ezra.” Exactly how these books are designated varies in ancient literature. In the Septuagint (LXX) canonical Ezra is called Second Esdras, but in the Latin Vulgate it is called First Esdras. Our Nehemiah is called Third Esdras in some manuscripts of the LXX, but it is known as Second Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. (In the earliest LXX manuscripts Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as one book, as they were in some Hebrew manuscripts.) The deuterocanonical books of Ezra are called First and Fourth Esdras in the LXX, but Third and Fourth Esdras in the Latin Vulgate. The titles for the so-called books of Ezra are thus rather confusing, a fact that one must keep in mind when consulting this material.
2 sn The first year of Cyrus would be ca. 539
3 tn Heb “the word of the Lord.”
4 tc The MT reads מִפִּי (mippi, “from the mouth of”), but this should probably be emended to בְּפִי (bÿfi, “by the mouth of”), which is the way the parallel passage in 2 Chr 36:22 reads. This is also reflected in the LXX, which is either reflecting an alternate textual tradition of בְּפִי or is attempting to harmonize Ezra 1:1 in light of 2 Chronicles.
tn Heb “from the mouth of.”
5 sn Cf. Jer 29:10; 25:11-14. Jeremiah had prophesied that after a time of seventy years the Jews would return “to this place.” How these seventy years are to be reckoned is a matter of debate among scholars. Some understand the period to refer to the approximate length of Babylon’s ascendancy as a world power, beginning either with the fall of Nineveh (612
6 tn Heb “spirit.” The Hebrew noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) has a broad range of meanings (see BDB 924-26 s.v.). Here, it probably refers to (1) “mind” as the seat of mental acts (e.g., Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9; Isa 29:24; 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 6) or (2) “will” as the seat of volitional decisions (e.g., Exod 35:5, 22; Pss 51:12, 14; 57:8; 2 Chr 29:31; cf. BDB 925 s.v. 7). So also in v. 5.
7 tn Heb “caused to pass.”
8 tn Heb “a voice.” The Hebrew noun קוֹל (qol, “voice, sound”) has a broad range of meanings, including the metonymical (cause – effect) nuance “proclamation” (e.g., Exod 36:6; 2 Chr 24:9; 30:5; 36:22; Ezra 1:1; 10:7; Neh 8:15). See BDB 877 s.v. 3.a.2.
9 sn For an interesting extrabiblical parallel to this edict see the Cyrus cylinder (ANET 315-16).
10 tn Heb “in writing, saying.”
11 tn Heb “they answered.”
12 tn Heb “great.”
13 tn Aram “the book of the minutes.”
14 tn Aram “of your fathers.”
15 tn Aram “discover…and learn.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.
16 tn Aram “is a rebellious city.”
17 tn Aram “revolts they are making in its midst.”
18 tn Aram “from olden days.” So also in v. 19.
19 tn Or “temple.”
20 tn Aram “they were given.”
21 sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The latter seems the most likely.
22 tn Aram “made.”
23 tn Aram “a dunghill.”
24 tn Aram “for this.”
25 tn Heb “heart.”
26 sn The expression “king of Assyria” is anachronistic, since Assyria fell in 612
27 tn Heb “to strengthen their hands.”
28 tn Heb “according to a little moment.”
29 tn Heb “a peg” or “tent peg.” The imagery behind this word is drawn from the experience of nomads who put down pegs as they pitched their tents and made camp after times of travel.
30 tn Heb “to cause our eyes to shine.” The expression is a figure of speech for “to revive.” See DCH 1:160 s.v. אור Hi.7.
