Ezra 1:1–2

Footnotes

1. 1 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 () canonical Ezra is called Second Esdras, but in the Latin it is called First Esdras. Our Nehemiah is called Third Esdras in some manuscripts of the , but it is known as Second Esdras in the Latin . (In the earliest 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 , but Third and Fourth Esdras in the Latin . 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. 2 The first year of Cyrus would be 539 B.C. Cyrus reigned in Persia from 539–530 b.c.
3. 3 Heb “the word of the Lord.”
4. 4 The reads מִפִּי (mippi, “from the mouth of”), but this should probably be emended to בְּפִי (béfi, “by the mouth of”), which is the way the parallel passage in 2 Chr 36:22 reads. This is also reflected in the , which is either reflecting an alternate textual tradition of בְּפִי or is attempting to harmonize Ezra 1:1 in light of 2 Chronicles. Heb “from the mouth of.”
5. 5 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 b.c.) or with Nebuchadnezzar’s coronation (605 b.c.) and continuing till the fall of Babylon to the Persians in 539 b.c. Others take the seventy years to refer to the period from the destruction of the temple in 586 b.c. till its rebuilding in 516 b.c.
6. 6 Heb “spirit.” The Hebrew noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) has a broad range of meanings (see 924–26 ). 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. 925 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. 925 7). So also in v. 5.
7. 7 Heb “caused to pass.”
8. 8 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 877 3.a.2.
9. 9 For an interesting extrabiblical parallel to this edict see the Cyrus cylinder ( 315–16).
10. 10 Heb “in writing, saying.”
11. 11 Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh ( 108 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).
12. 12 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .