The royal edict permitting Jews to return to their land and rebuild the temple must have startled the captives. Their freedom came as the result of an edict by a pagan king who did not share their faith.
King Cyrus of Persia had conquered the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians in rapid succession between 549 and 539 B.C. As he led his people in becoming a superpower on the world stage, Cyrus extended unprecedented privileges to exiles living in his lands. He allowed most to return home and to the worship of their own gods.
Cyrus decreed that the Jews could rebuild their temple, a structure the Babylonians had reduced to rubble (2 Chr. 36:19). While Cyrus did not worship the God of the Hebrews (Is. 45:5), his decree acknowledged that God had given him “all the kingdoms of the earth” and had commanded him to build a temple at Jerusalem (Ezra 1:2; 2 Chr. 36:23). So God used a pagan king to fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Jews would return to the land after seventy years of exile (Ezra 1:1; Jer. 25:12; 29:10), evidence that God can use virtually any means to accomplish His purposes.
More: For more on this important ally of the Israelites, see Cyrus’s profile at 2 Chr. 36:23.
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Cyrus transformed Persia from a regional kingdom to a potent empire that flourished between 539 and 331 B.C. His rise to power began with his ascent to the throne in 559 B.C. He secured the empire’s future through a cunning victory over Babylon (539 B.C.; see “The Fall of Babylon” at Dan. 5:30, 31).
Unlike previous Middle Eastern rulers, Cyrus treated his defeated opponents humanely, enacting a policy that let vassal states retain their religions and recover idols seized by the Babylonians. This policy also allowed the Jews to return home following their long captivity (2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1–4; see also “Cyrus: The Anointed Shepherd” at Is. 44:28—45:1).
Cyrus governed his expanding empire through a system of provinces, called satrapies, ruled by governors answering directly to him. Cyrus’s son and successor Cambyses II (530–522 B.C.) added Egypt to the Persian empire, and Darius I (521–486 B.C.) defeated nine kings to claim all twenty-three Persian satrapies, bringing a vast territory under Persian control—an empire nearly three thousand miles long and as wide as fifteen hundred miles (compare Esth. 1:1; 10:1). Darius unified his empire through gold coinage, road networks, and a more efficient postal system. In his second year, he ordered reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple to resume after a fourteen-year delay (Ezra 4:24; 6:1). His generous subsidy made it possible to complete the temple.
Xerxes I (called Ahasuerus; see his profile at Esth. 1:1) ruled Persia (486–465 B.C.) after Darius. The Book of Esther tells how the Jewish woman Esther became queen in the seventh year of his reign and used her position to save her people from genocide. Under Artaxerxes I (464–424 B.C.), two of three waves of Jews returned from captivity. The Book of Nehemiah describes the return in 444 B.C. This mission to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls was led by the royal cupbearer Nehemiah.
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No known records reveal how many of Judah’s inhabitants went into exile in 586 B.C. King Uzziah had tallied more than three hundred thousand men of military age (2 Chr. 26:12, 13), so the total population of Judah under Uzziah and later kings—counting women, children, the elderly, priests, and Levites—probably numbered in the millions.
The Babylonians killed thousands of Jews during multiple campaigns against Judah, but they likely marched tens if not hundreds of thousands back to Babylon (see “The Beginning of the Exile” at 2 Kin. 24:10–12). After the Persians captured Babylon in 539 B.C., the emperor Cyrus relaxed government controls on captive peoples including the Jews, making possible a gradual return to Palestine. Repatriation occurred in three major waves:
• Zerubbabel’s return (538–537 B.C.; Ezra 2:2) (brown trail)
• Ezra’s return (458 B.C.; Ezra 7:1–9) (purple trail)
• Nehemiah’s return (444 B.C.; Neh. 2:1–9) (purple trail)
Of all the exiles taken into or born into captivity, only 42,360 returned during the first and most substantial wave (Ezra 1:11; 2:1, 64), implying that a majority of the Jewish people preferred to stay in Babylon. After seventy years in captivity, many would have had few emotional ties to their homeland. The few adults who remembered Judah pictured their capital in ruins, with its temple destroyed and fields run wild or taken over by others.
Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and other leaders had to overcome these barriers to repatriation. Only steadfast faith and perseverance enabled them to rebuild the temple, repair Jerusalem’s walls, and resettle the land. For more on their brave adventures, see “Actions and Assertions” at Ezra 8:21–23.
More: The Exile was one of many incidents that scattered the Jews throughout the ancient world. By the time of Jesus and the early church, more Jews may have lived outside Palestine than within it, a circumstance that helped the spread of the gospel following Pentecost. See “The Dispersion of the Jews” at Jer. 52:28–30 and “The Nations of Pentecost” at Acts 2:8–11.
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As grandson of Jehoiachin, Judah’s king in exile during Jerusalem’s fall (see “A Long Layover” at Ezek. 1:2), it was fitting that Zerubbabel led the first returnees back to Jerusalem. For more on Zerubbabel and his activities after the Exile, see his profile at Haggai 1:12.
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When Zerubbabel and the returnees arrived back in their homeland of Judah, they faced the overwhelming task of sorting out which lands belonged to which families. The Babylonians had burned much of Jerusalem, probably destroying most of the city’s records. The men of Anathoth may have been able to provide some proof of ownership. Their predecessor Jeremiah, who had been allowed to stay behind at the start of the captivity (Jer. 40:1–6), had carefully preserved a deed for his family’s lands as a testimony that God would preserve a remnant of His people through the Exile. To learn more about the significance of this prophecy, see “The Deed of Purchase” at Jeremiah 32:7, 14, 15.
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Governments have long counted their populations for the purposes of drafting soldiers, conscripting laborers, and collecting taxes. Data from the census of Jews who returned to Palestine from Babylon (Ezra 2:1), however, found other purposes:
1. Returning properties to their owners. Generations earlier, Moses had numbered the Israelites as they prepared to enter Canaan, using the census to divide the land among Israel’s tribes (Num. 26). When the people finally took the land, they settled in their allotted territories (Josh. 13–19). Land was to stay in families from that time forward, with laws helping to ensure that no family lost its land permanently if forced to sell for financial reasons (see “The Year of Jubilee” at Lev. 25:8–17; “The Redeeming Relative” at Lev. 25:25; “Family Responsibilities” at Num. 27:4; and “A Web of Technicalities” at Ruth 2:1). When the exiles returned, they needed to trace their lineage to verify their claims to family lands, or in the case of priests and Levites, to Levitical cities (Ezra 2:3–58; see also “The Levitical Cities” at Josh. 21:1–3). Priests who could not prove their heritage had to wait until another priest could consult God about their status (Ezra 2:59–63; Neh. 7:61–65).
2. Collecting resources to rebuild the temple. The census became an occasion for returnees to give toward building a new temple (Ezra 2:68, 69).
3. Repopulating Jerusalem. Several years after this census, Nehemiah studied its data again when he realized that much of Jerusalem felt empty and lifeless (Neh. 7:4, 5). Lots were cast to relocate one-tenth of Judah’s population to the capital (11:1, 2). This last use of Ezra’s census might prompt us to revisit cities with abandoned buildings and neglected neighborhoods. We might see astounding results if one-tenth of us moved to rebuild, revitalize, and reclaim these communities, impacting our neighbors with the life of the gospel.
More: Ezra’s census was the sixth of seven major censuses recorded in the Bible. To learn more, see “A Second Census” at Num. 26:2.
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When Jeshua and Zerubbabel and their brothers surveyed the state of Jerusalem, they began their efforts to redevelop the community by gathering the people for worship. They set up an altar and broke ground on the temple even before the city walls were repaired. The Israelite priests no doubt realized that worship celebrations not only give glory to God but also help mobilize a community. Their example shows us to seek God as our first priority and worship Him as we launch projects to change our communities.
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Newer Is Not Necessarily Better
The oldest of the Jerusalem returnees could not help but compare the new temple with the glorious temple of Solomon remembered from their youth. They wept aloud as they realized that their new house of worship would never equal the first (compare Hag. 2:3). Yet they may have also wept with joy as they witnessed a portion of Israel’s past magnificence restored.
Christians may feel mixed emotions as they witness rapid and far-reaching change. Growing older often teaches us that newer is not necessarily better, making it easy to dismiss change and seek security in the past. But God calls us to meet the needs not of yesterday but of today and tomorrow. It is a contradiction for people of faith to resist change. Innovation is inescapable if we want to remain relevant to the people among whom God has called us to spread His message. So as we carry on the truths of the past, we greet new challenges with joy. After all, God’s faithfulness is timeless and enduring, available to every age and generation.
More: Critics opposed the new things that God was doing through Jesus, who told several parables to illustrate the need for change. See Matt. 9:15–17.
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Name means: “Great King.”
Also known as: Longimanus.
Home: Babylon and Shushan (Susa) in Persia.
Family: Son of and successor to Ahasuerus (Xerxes).
Occupation: King of Persia (464–424 B.C.).
Best known for: Empowering Ezra, Nehemiah, and other Jewish leaders to lead their people back to Jerusalem and rebuild their country (Ezra 7:1–28; Neh. 1:11—2:9).
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King Darius of Persia (Ezra 4:5) gave the Jews strategic help as they worked to reestablish themselves in their homeland. This ruler is not the same as Darius the Mede, the governor of a district of Babylon after it fell to the Medes and Persians (539 B.C.), who features in the Book of Daniel. To learn more about that man, see his profile at Daniel 5:31.
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Along with Esther and Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah were Jews of the Exile who held powerful positions in pagan governments. All four employed their influence to assist their people, suggesting several ways that God’s followers can bring about institutional change:
• Ezra’s position in Babylon likely resembled that of a secretary of state for Jewish affairs. He answered to a pagan government but was not really a part of that government. He eventually left his position in Persia and returned to Jerusalem to direct temple construction. Ezra worked within the system without fully identifying with it.
• Nehemiah had unusual access to power as cupbearer of the empire’s supreme decision maker. This trusted confidant of King Artaxerxes I served twice as Judah’s governor while also retaining his strategic contacts in Persia. Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s wall by cooperating with the system.
• Esther became queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus. Her position alone did not give her influence at court, but she used the king’s favor to foil a government official’s murderous plot against her people. She beat the system by making the most of her connections.
• Daniel spent his entire career working for pagan kings and governments (see “Daniel: Advisor to Kings” at Dan. 1:19). As far as we know, he never returned to his homeland. Yet he was probably the most powerful Jew of the entire Exile and its aftermath. He may have also had the most far-reaching impact. Daniel worked through the system although he took a firm stance against it in order to worship the Lord.
Each of these individuals illustrates the impact of a single person open to God’s leading. None seems to have sought power for selfish gain. Rather, their God-given wisdom, skills, and other attributes brought them into the power centers of mighty empires. Whatever positions of influence we attain, we can look to these Old Testament models for inspiration on how to live for God in an unbelieving world.
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Name means: “[God Is] a Help.”
Also known as: Esdras (Greek).
Home: Babylon; later, Jerusalem.
Family: Descended from a long line of priests; traced his lineage back to Eleazar, the third son of Aaron, brother of Moses.
Occupation: Probably a high-ranking official appointed over the Jews in Persia; a priest, scribe, and teacher of the Law in Jerusalem.
Notable achievements: Believed to have collected, dictated, or edited parts of the Old Testament, including Chronicles and the Book of Ezra.
Best known as: Leader of a second wave of former captives migrating from Babylon to Jerusalem beginning in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7:1–10).
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The skills that qualified Ezra to serve as a scribe were his detailed technical knowledge of the Law and his ability to teach it to others (Ezra 7:10). The officials who served as scribes during the monarchy were mostly recorders and secretaries. The era of scribes as the Law’s custodians began with men like Ezra upon the exiles’ return to Palestine. By the time of Jesus they had become important political and social influencers. To learn more about the changing function of scribes, who also played a major role in the society of Jesus’ day, see the entry for “Scribe” in the Jobs and Occupations index.
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It is easy to talk about what God can do. It is not as simple to actually trust in the Lord to do what He has promised. Ezra enlightened King Artaxerxes about the divine protection that God’s people could expect, but it was not until Ezra led a group of exiles back to Palestine that he demonstrated his faith in God’s protection by declining an armed escort.
The Persians must have thought the choice ludicrous. The route from Babylon to Jerusalem followed the northern border of the Arabian Desert (see “The Journey Back to Jerusalem” at Ezra 2:1). Nine hundred miles long, it was shorter but more hazardous than the northern route through Aleppo and Hamath. Bandits and warring clans frequented the highway and its watering holes, waiting to ambush travelers. Traveling without soldiers invited disaster, especially given the precious cargo that the group carried (8:24–30).
But God rewarded the people’s faith with an uneventful journey (8:31). The trip took about four months to complete, averaging seven or eight miles per day, a relatively slow pace, likely for the sake of children and the elderly.
Ezra’s courage challenges us to follow through on our declarations of faith. It does no good to talk about relying on God if we back down as soon as things get tough. Although there is nothing wrong with accepting human help—after all, God continues to work through people just as He worked through the man who made Ezra’s journey possible (see Cyrus’s decree at Ezra 1:1)—we should also take care that our actions match the faith we proclaim.
More: Ezra’s decision to refuse an entourage of soldiers was not intended to be an unbreakable standard; God’s protection can also arrive through normal human means. Read Neh. 2:9 to see Nehemiah’s opposite choice in the same situation.
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Ezra knew the Law. He understood that it explicitly condemned intermarriage with Canaanites and other peoples who served other gods (Ezra 9:1; Ex. 34:12–16; Deut. 7:3–5). He was also familiar with prophetic denunciations of intermarriage (compare Jer. 3:1–9; Mal. 2:10–16), which was a principal reason for God sending His people into exile (Ezra 9:10–14). So Ezra was overcome with remorse when he learned of the people’s return to their disobedience (9:3, 4). The scribe then enacted a swift and decisive solution, ordering a mass assembly to confess their sin and immediately dissolve all intermarriages (10:3–5, 11–17).
Ezra’s prayer (9:6–15), the people’s confession (10:2–4, 12–14), and Ezra’s systematic divorce proceedings (10:16–44) all highlight a crucial point that determines how we apply this Scripture: God forbade not interracial marriage but interreligious marriage.
Interracial unions were fairly common in the Old Testament. Moses married an Ethiopian woman (Num. 12:1). Salmon married Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho (Matt. 1:5). And Boaz married Ruth, a Moabite (Ruth 2:10; 4:13). Nevertheless, God generally cautioned His people against marrying foreigners because their allegiance to idols would dilute Israel’s commitment to the one true God.
Twenty-five years after Ezra, Nehemiah found himself confronting a similar problem and took a less radical approach (Neh. 13:23–27). Instead of commanding divorce, he urged God’s people to prevent future intermarriages. Ezra’s model for dealing with interreligious marriages also contrasts with Paul’s approach (see “Questions About Marriage” at 1 Cor. 7:1). Paul counseled Christians to remain in their marriages to unbelieving spouses if at all possible. Jews of Ezra’s day were turning away from God by intermarrying, while Paul addressed Christians who were already married when they began to follow Christ.
As we wrestle with issues of marriage, we have these principles to keep in mind. Our concerns are not based on race or ethnicity but spirituality: we must consider not how to separate people but how to bring them together in following God.
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