2 Chronicles 36:22, 23 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished… I. The GREAT DELIVERER. (Ver. 22.) 1. Foretold in Scripture. (1) That his name should be Cyrus. (2) That he should come from the East. (3) That he should be a mighty conqueror, subduing nations and dethroning kings. (4) That he should overthrow Babylon, and become the sovereign of the empire of that name. (5) That he should liberate the captive Jews in that city and empire. (6) That he should issue orders or grant permission for the rebuilding of both the city and the temple of Jerusalem. (7) That in doing all this he should act (whether consciously or unconsciously is not stated) under the immediate guidance and direct superintendence of Jehovah (Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1-5; Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 48:14, 15). 2. Raised up in history. (1) He was called Cyrus, in Hebrew Coresh (ver. 22; Ezra 1:1), in the inscriptions K'ur'us and Ku-ra-as (Schrader, 'Die Keilinschriften,' p. 372). (2) He came from the East, being named in sacred history (ver. 22; Ezra 1:1; Ezra 4:3; Daniel 6:28), as well as in profane (Herod., 9:122; Xen., 'Cyr.,' 8. 2:7), King of Persia, though the monuments now show that he was originally King of Elam, on the east of Persia (Sayce, 'Fresh Light,' etc., pp. 168, etc.). (3) First he conquered Astyages the Median, who had marched against him in the sixth year of Nabonidus King of Babylon. Next, before the ninth year of Nabonidus, he must have acquired the sovereignty of Persia, as in that year he calls himself "King of Persia." (4) In the month Nisan (March), of the ninth year of Nabonidus, Cyrus marched his troops into Accad, or Northern Babylonia. In the tenth year Erech was captured. In the eleventh the situation remained in statu quo. In the seventeenth year, in the month of Tammuz (July), Cyrus encountered the army of Accad in the town of Rutum, upon the river Nizallat, when the soldiers of Nabonidus broke into revolt. On the fourteenth day the garrison of Sippara surrendered, while Nabonidus fled. On the sixteenth the governor of Gutium (Kurdistan) marched the troops of Cyrus into Babylon without requiring to strike a blow. Nabonidus, subsequently captured, was cast into fetters in Babylon. Whether the siege of Babylon described by Herodotus (3:158, 159) was this of Cyrus (Budge), or a later one of Darius Hystaspis (Sayce), need not here be determined; it is sufficient to note that after this Cyrus assumed the title "King of Babylon" (Ezra 5:13) in addition to his other titles - "King of Persia and King of Elam." (5) The clay cylinder of Cyrus contains "a reference to the restoration of the Babylonian captives to their several homes. The experience of Cyrus had taught him that the old Assyrian and Babylonian system of transporting conquered nations was an error, and did but introduce a dangerously disaffected people into the country to which they had been brought" (Sayce, ibid.). (6) "Those who chose to return to Jerusalem were allowed to do so, and there rebuild a fortress, which Cyrus considered would be useful to him as a check upon Egypt" (Sayce). (7) In the Cyrus cylinder it is said, "Merodach sought out a king for himself who would perform according to the heart's desire of the god whatever was entrusted to him. He proclaimed the renown of Cyrus the King of Anzan [Elam, Sayce; Persia, Budge] throughout the length and breadth of the land Merodach, the great lord, directed his (Cyrus's) hand-and heart" (Budge, ' Babyonian Life,' etc., pp. 80, 81). II. THE CHEERING PROCLAMATION. (Ver. 23.) 1. Its date. The first year of Cyrus, i.e. the first year of his reign as King of Babylon, i.e. B.C. 538 (Canon of Ptolemy). 2. Its cause. The stirring up of his heart by Jehovah. Though the monuments have shown that Cyrus was not a monotheist, but a polytheist, they have also made it manifest that he considered himself as under the immediate guidance of Heaven in the taking of Babylon; and hence, it may be assumed, also in the liberation of the captives. That he was powerfully persuaded of the propriety of such an action, and regarded his impulse in that direction as "from Heaven," is apparent. The sacred writer states that the true source of that inspiration was Jehovah. Cyrus believed it to be Merodach. 3. Its design. To fulfil the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:10), that after seventy years the captives should be restored. This was Jehovah's design, not Cyrus's - concerning which see above. That the seventy years, in round numbers, were accomplished, can be seen from an easy calculation. Dating from s.c. 599, the year of Jehoiachin's captivity, and setting down the first year of Cyrus as B.C. 538, the interval is only sixty-one years; but if the period of the exile be dated from the third (Daniel 1:1) or the fourth year of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 25:1-12), i.e. B.C. 606, then the interval from Jeremiah's prediction to Cyrus's proclamation will be sixty-eight years, or sixty-nine inclusive, which, with the months that elapsed before the first company of exiles settled in Palestine (Ezra 3:1), will practically make seventy years. Or the prophetic year may be taken as consisting of 360 days; in which case 360 × 70 = 25,200 days = 69 years of 365 days. 4. Its form. (1) Vocal; being probably proclaimed by means of heralds (cf. 2 Chronicles 30:5, 6). (2) Written; being most likely set forth in two languages - Persian and Chaldee. 5. Its contents. (1) A devout acknowledgment of Heaven's grace. "All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me" (ver. 23; Ezra 1:1), the term "Jehovah" being employed in the Hebrew copy instead of "Ormazd," in the Persian. Persian sovereigns were accustomed to speak of the Supreme Being as the God of heaven (Ezra 6:9, 10; Ezra 7:12, 23), and to recognize their dependence on him for their earthly power, an inscription of Darius saying, "Then the land was mine, and the other lands which Ormazd has given into my hand. I conquered them by the grace of Ormazd" ('Records,' etc., 9:68). And the cylinder of Cyrus stating, "Cyrus King of Elam, he (Merodach) proclaimed by name for sovereignty; all men everywhere commemorate his name" (Sayce, 'Fresh Light,' etc., p. 172). (2) A hearty submission to Divine will. "He hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah." According to Josephus ('Ant.,' 11:1. 2), Cyrus learnt the Divine will concerning himself by reading Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 44:28); but as Cyrus, whether a polytheist (Sayce) or a monotheist (Budge), was extremely tolerant to all religions, and as on capturing Babylon he immediately proceeded to restore the shrines of the Babylonian gods, he may have conceived himself as called upon by Jehovah to do the same thing for the Jews in Palestine. (3) An earnest inquiry after Jehovah's people. "Who is there among you of all his people. The proclamation was not limited to the Judahites, but extended to all worshippers of Jehovah - to those who had been carried captive from both kingdoms. (4) A free permission to return to Jerusalem. "Let him go up." "Jerusalem was on a much higher level than Babylonia, and the travellers would consequently have to ascend considerably" ('Pulpit Commentary on Ezra,' 1:3.). (5) A solemn benediction on those who availed themselves of his permission. The Lord his God be with him." The expression of this wish or pray corresponded with the mild and benevolent character of Cyrus. LESSONS. 1. The ability of God to fulfil his promises no less than his threatenings. 2. The secret access which God has to the hearts of men - of kings no less than of common men. 3. The certainty that God can raise up at any moment a fitting instrument to do his will. - W. Parallel Verses KJV: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, |
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