Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of Yahweh’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives, thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second sort, and one thousand other vessels. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
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Ezra 1:7-11 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem. All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of Yahweh’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives, thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second sort, and one thousand other vessels. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Parallel Translations
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Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of Yahweh’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;
even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,
thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second sort, and one thousand other vessels.
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
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Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
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Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
And this is the number of them: thirty basins of gold, a thousand basins of silver, nine and twenty knives;
thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
Cross-references (32)
- 2 Chronicles 36:7 (v7) Nebuchadnezzar also carried some of the vessels of Yahweh’s house to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
- Ezra 5:14 (vv7–8) The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple…
- 2 Kings 24:13 (v7) He carried out from there all the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of…
- Ezra 6:5 (v7) Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought to…
- 2 Chronicles 36:10 (v7) At the return of the year, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the valuable vessels of Yahweh’s house, and made…
Show all 31 cross-references
- Numbers 7:13 (v9) and his offering was: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according…
- Numbers 7:19-89 (v9) He offered for his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels,…
- 1 Kings 7:50 (v9) the cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the…
- 2 Kings 25:13-16 (v7) The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house, and…
- 2 Chronicles 4:8 (v9) He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold.
- 2 Chronicles 4:11 (v9) Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Huram finished doing the work that he did for king Solomon in God’s house:
- 2 Chronicles 4:21-22 (v9) and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold that was perfect gold; and the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans of…
- 2 Chronicles 24:14 (v9) When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, from which were made vessels for Yahweh’s house,…
- 2 Chronicles 36:18 (v7) All the vessels of God’s house, great and small, and the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes,…
- Ezra 1:11 (v8) All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up…
- Ezra 5:16 (v8) Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been…
- Ezra 8:27 (v9) twenty bowls of gold weighing one thousand darics; and two vessels of fine bright bronze, precious as gold.
- Jeremiah 27:21-22 (v7) yes, Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in Yahweh’s house, and in the house of the king of…
- Jeremiah 28:3-6 (v7) Within two full years I will bring again into this place all the vessels of Yahweh’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away…
- Daniel 1:2 (v7) The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of…
- Daniel 5:2-3 (v7) Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the…
- Daniel 5:23 (v7) but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords,…
- Haggai 1:1 (v8) In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came by Haggai, the prophet, to…
- Haggai 1:14 (v8) Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the…
- Haggai 2:2-4 (v8) “Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant…
- Zechariah 4:6-10 (v8) Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’…
- Matthew 1:11-12 (v11) Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became…
- Matthew 10:29-31 (v9) “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will, but the very hairs of…
- Matthew 14:8 (v9) She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”
- Romans 9:23 (v11) and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
- 2 Timothy 2:19-21 (v11) However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the…
31 distinct cross-references across this passage (32 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (16 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv8, 9, 11 So the Chaldeans called Zerubbabel who was the chief…
So the Chaldeans called Zerubbabel who was the chief governor, so that the preeminence still remained in the house of David.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv7–11 Ezr 1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the…
Ezr 1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
Ver. 7. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels] For example to others, et iussit, et gessit, he did himself what he commanded to be done, and so became a living law, a walking statute. So Justinian would not put the vessels of the Temple (taken by Titus, and recovered from Gensericus) into the public treasury, but restored them.
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Which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth] With profane and sacrilegious hands some of these sacred vessels and utensils of the Temple he had cut in pieces, 2Ki 24:13, and others he carried away, 2Ch 36:7, whole and entire. This he did out of covetousness (that auri sacra fames) and in scorn of all religion (rather than hatred of the Jewish superstition, or to avenge the quarrel of God’s covenant), like as for the same reason his successor Cambyses destroyed the Egyptian idols, Isa 10:26.
And had put them] There was a sweet providence in that; to the end that being there reserved, they might in due time be restored (as here they are) to the house of God at Jerusalem. And although that was a most unfit place to keep them in (for "what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" 2Co 6:16), and Belshazzar most profanely abused them, Dan 5:2, in that drunken feast of his (hence he is called the festival king, Eze 21:5-6), yet being sanctified again, and dedicated to the true and first owner, the God of Israel, they might lawfully be made use of. Not only things indifferent abused may yet be used in the service of God (as those six waterpots were by our Saviour Joh 2:6-7, though they had been superstitiously abused for private purification), but also idolatrous things and places. As Gideon took the bullock appointed for Baal and the grove, and offered the bullock with that wood in sacrifice to the Lord, Jdg 6:26. The like the Bethshemites did by the Philistines’ cart and kine. The Mount of Olives was shamefully abused to idolatry by Solomon and others, so that it was called the mount of corruption, 2Ki 23:13, and yet was it our Saviour’s usual oratory or place of prayer.
In the house of his gods] Bel and Nebo, Isa 46:1. These were Babylon’s chief gods. The original of Bel is said to be this: Ninus having made an image of his father Belus, all that came to see it were pardoned for all their offences; whence in time that image came to be worshipped, and then afterwards a multitude more; insomuch as that in Hesiod’s time the number of heathenish gods was grown to thirty thousand, πρις γαρ μυριοι εισιν. And in China at this day some tell us that there are no fewer than a hundred thousand idols.
“ O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus inane! ”
Gods these idols are called here, not because they were so (for there is one God only, said Pythagoras, and other heathens, Eις μονος εστι θεος, &c.), but because Nebuchadnezzar falsely held them so. Like as elsewhere the gods of Damascus are said to have smitten Ahaz, who therefore sacrificed to them, 2Ch 28:23, not as if those idols were anything in the world, or could do anything at all to him, Jer 10:5 1Co 8:4; but only that he conceited so, and that the devil (who is ειδωλοχαρης, as Synesius truly saith) abused his credulity.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv7–10 Object. These are said to have been cut in…
Object. These are said to have been cut in pieces, 2Ki 24:13; how then are they here returned?
Answ. That Hebrew word used 2Ki 24:13, signifies not so properly to
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cut in pieces as to
cut off, as from the use of the word, Deu 25:12; 2Sa 4:12; 2Ki 18:16; Jer 9:26. And these vessels, when they were taken away from the temple, might very well be said to be cut off from it, because they had for so long time been so constantly, and as it were inseparably, united to it, and kept in it. In like manner,
the meat-offering and drink-offering are said to be cut off from the house of the Lord, Joe 1:9. And it is very improbable that they should deface and cut in pieces these magnificent vessels, which they could so easily transport whole to Babylon. Although, if some of the larger of them had been cut into two or more parts, yet the parts of them might be delivered to the Jews, who could, without great difficulty, restore them to their former unity and form.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv7–11 And Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house…
And Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord,.... Or ordered them to be brought forth:
which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem; out of the temple there, when he took it and burnt it:
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and had put them in the house of his gods; in the temple of Belus at Babylon, see Ch2 36:7, by which means they were providentially preserved.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v8 Sheshbazzar - Zerubbabel; the Chaldeans called him Sheshbazzar, that…
Sheshbazzar - Zerubbabel; the Chaldeans called him Sheshbazzar, that is, Joy in tribulation, but among his own people he was called Zerubbabel, a stranger in Babylon. So he looked upon himself, tho' (Josephus says) he was captain of the life- guard.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv7, 8, 11 Verse 7. The king brought forth the vessels] See…
Verse 7. The king brought forth the vessels] See on Ezr 1:9-11.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v8 Ezr 1:8. And numbered them — Caused them to…
Ezr 1:8. And numbered them — Caused them to be delivered to the Jews by number; unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah — The captain and governor of these returning Jews, Ezr 2:2. The sceptre, therefore, was not yet departed from Judah. This person’s name was originally Zerubbabel, but it was common for the great men of Judah, at the time of the captivity, to have two names, one of their own country, which was domestic, and another of the Chaldeans, which was used at court. “Zerubbabel was born at Babylon, and his name, which signifies an exile, or stranger in Babylon, implies the misery of the people of Israel at that time; but Sheshbazzar, which is a compound of two words, signifying fine linen and gold, seems to be a name of better omen, and to denote their future and more flourishing condition. So Bishop Patrick. Dr. Trapp, however, says that Sheshbazzar signifies joy in tribulation. Some are of opinion, that among the sacred things which Cyrus ordered to be restored, the ark of the covenant was one; but it nowhere appears that this ark was carried from Jerusalem to Babylon. They tell us, indeed, that in the second temple sacrifices were offered as in the first, and all solemn days observed, especially the great day of expiation, when the law ordained that the blood should be sprinkled before the mercy-seat, and the mercy-seat, say they, was part of the ark; but besides that the ark, without the Shechinah, (which was then certainly withdrawn,) would have been of no great significance, the Jews universally acknowledge that the ark was one of the five things which were wanting in the second temple.” — Dodd.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv7, 8, 9, 11 The house of his gods - Rather, “of his…
The house of his gods - Rather, “of his god” Dan 1:2, i. e., Merodach, “his lord” (see 2Ch 36:7 note).
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv8–11 Gazabar means, "the treasurer." (Hebrew; Syriac; Calmet; Protestants; 3…
Gazabar means, "the treasurer." (Hebrew; Syriac; Calmet; Protestants; 3 Esdras ii. 19.) (Haydock) --- Son is not in Hebrew, &c., (Menochius) and must be omitted. (Tirinus) --- Sassabasar. This was another name for Zorobabel, (Challoner) given by the Chaldeans, as they changed the name of Daniel into Baltassar. (Eusebius, Præp. Evan. xi. 3.) (Tirinus) --- But others think that this was the Persian "governor (Junius) of Judea," (3 Esdras) as one reside at Jerusalem, till the days of Nehemias, 2 Esdras v. 14. It does not appear that Zorobabel was invested with this dignity, before the reign of Darius Hystaspes, Aggeus ii. 24. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv7, 8, 11 CYRUS RESTORES THE VESSELS. (Ezr 1:7-11)
CYRUS RESTORES THE VESSELS. (Ezr 1:7-11)
Cyrus . . . brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord--Though it is said (Kg2 24:13) that these were cut in pieces, that would not be done to the large and magnificent vases; and, if they had been divided, the parts could be reunited. But it may be doubted whether the Hebrew word rendered cut in pieces, does not signify merely cut off, that is, from further use in the temple.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv7–11 7. The king brought forth the vessels — He…
7. The king brought forth the vessels — He not only ordered others to give, but set the example by himself giving from the treasures of the kingdom.
Nebuchadnezzar had brought — See 2Ki_24:13; 2Ch_36:7; Dan_1:2. Some of these vessels had been sacrilegiously used by Belshazzar and his lords on that night of revelry when Babylon was taken, and Belshazzar slain. Dan_5:2-3.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv7–11 7. Also Cyrus the king] i.e. the Jews were…
7. Also Cyrus the king] i.e. the Jews were assisted not only by private individuals their neighbours, but by the example of the king himself.
the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth &c.] This refers especially to the capture of Jerusalem in 598, when Jehoiachin, his household and 10,000 of the better classes were carried off to Babylon. 2Ki_24:13 ‘And he (i.e. Nebuchadnezzar) carried out thence (i.e. from Jerusalem) all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the Lord’. It may be noticed that in the original the expression ‘carried out’ in the passage just cited and so translated in A.V. and R.V. is identical with the ‘brought forth’ in this verse.
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At the final destruction of Jerusalem (586) eleven or twelve years later, by Nebuzaradan, Nebuchadnezzar’s general, the remainder of the valuables contained in the house of the Lord were ‘taken away’ to Babylon, 2Ki_25:14-15.
The passage in Dan_1:1-2, which attributes to the third year (606) of Jehoiakim’s reign a siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the capture of Jehoiakim, and the removal to Babylon of some of the sacred vessels, is chronologically incorrect. (1) The victory of Carchemish on the Euphrates was not won by Nebuchadnezzar till the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605). (2) According to 2Ki_24:1 Jehoiakim, who had been tributary to the king of Egypt, did not become tributary to Nebuchadnezzar until after that battle, and, having remained so for three years only, then rebelled. This rebellion led to Nebuchadnezzar’s siege and capture of Jerusalem in Jehoiachin’s brief reign of three months. All that can be said is that we have in Dan_1:1-2, a certain chronological error, but that it is conceivable that when Nebuchadnezzar ‘came up’ (2Ki_24:1) and Jehoiakim submitted, a siege may have preceded capitulation, and a carrying off to Babylon both of prisoners and of some vessels of the Lord may have taken place in 602 or 601. Of this we have no certain confirmation, and it is more probable that the passage in Dan_1:1 may be a heading containing inaccurate historical statements or late tradition prefixed by a scribe to the narrative of Daniel.
in the house of his gods] So A.V. and R.V. The original is ‘in the house of his Elohim’. ‘Elohim’ may be rendered either as ‘God’ or ‘gods’ according as the context requires. The student will observe that in Dan_1:2 the same phrase ‘the house of his Elohim’ is rendered both by A.V. and R.V. ‘the house of his god’. Nebuchadnezzar was a polytheist. But had the stress here rested upon the plurality of his gods, we should have expected ‘in the houses of his gods’. The rendering ‘in the house of his god’ appears preferable, both on account of the singular ‘house’ and, especially, on account of Nebuchadnezzar’s devotion to one god, Merodach, to whom he paid greater honour than to any of the other deities of the Babylonian pantheon. The Temple of E-sagila in honour of Merodach was restored by Nebuchadnezzar with unrivalled splendour. The passage in 2Ch_36:7 ‘Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon’, helps to confirm the rendering ‘in the house of his god’. The other passages relating to the sacred vessels are Jer_27:16; Jer_28:6; Jer_52:18; Dan_5:23; Bar_1:8.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv7–11 The vessels. Probably all that he could find, yet…
The vessels. Probably all that he could find, yet scarcely all that had been taken away, since many of these were of bronze, (2Ki_25:14) and the restored vessels seem to have been, all of them, either of gold or silver (see ver. 11). Which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth. The carrying off of sacred vessels, as well as images, from temples is often represented in the Assyrian sculptures. It was a practice even of the Romans, and is commemorated on the Pillar of Titus, where the seven-branched candlestick of the Jewish temple is represented as borne in triumph by Roman soldiers. And had put them in the house of his gods. Elohayv, which is the form used in the text, can only mean "his god," not "his gods." Nebuchadnezzar represents himself, in his inscriptions generally, as a special devotee of a single Babylonian god, Merodach, whose temple, called by the Greeks that of Bel, is no doubt here intended. (Dan_1:2)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of…
Ezr_1:7-11
Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord.
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The restoration of the sacred vessels
I. The preservation of the sacred vessels (Ezr_1:7-8). These are the vessels which are mentioned in 2Ch_36:7 and Dan_1:2. In the providence of God most of these vessels were remarkably preserved, to be in due time restored to their original place and uses. Learn: Since God is so careful of the mere vessels consecrated to His service, may we not rest assured that He will much more preserve His consecrated people?
II. The numeration of the sacred vessels. This numbering indicates--
1. The reverent care of Cyrus for these sacred vessels.
2. The grave responsibility of Sheshbazzar for these sacred vessels.
Learn: That persons, places, and things which are devoted to religious uses should be reverently regarded by us.
III. The restoration of the sacred vessels (verse 11).
1. This was a fulfilment of prophecy (Jer_27:22).
2. This is an illustration of the restoration of perverted things to their true uses.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the great restorer of the violated order and the broken harmony of the universe of God. (William Jones.)
The restitution of the stolen vessels
This appears to be more than an act of generosity or justice. A certain religious import belongs to it. It put an end to an ancient insult offered by Babylon to the God of Israel, and it might be taken as an act of homage offered to Jehovah by Cyrus. Yet it was only a restitution, a return of what was Gods before, and so a type of every gift man makes to God. (Walter F. Adeney, M. D.)
Mithredath
It is not without significance that the treasurer who handed over their temple prosperity to the Jews was named Mithredath--a word that means given by Mithra, or devoted to Mithra. This suggests that the Persian sun-god was honoured among the servants of Cyrus, and yet that one who by name at least was especially associated with this divinity was constrained to honour the God of Israel. Next to Judaism and Christianity, the worship of Mithra showed the greatest vitality of all religions in Western Asia, and later even in Europe. So vigorous was it as recently as the commencement of the Christian era, that M. Renan has remarked that if the Roman world had not become Christian it would have become Mithrastic. In the homage paid by Mithredath to the God of Israel may we not see an image of the recognition of the claims of the Supreme by our priests of the sun--Kepler, Newton, Faraday? (Walter F. Adeney, M. D.)
A restoration of misappropriated property
There was a great restoration of misappropriated property. What a restoration there will one day be. What have men taken away from Gods Church? Nearly everything they could lay hands on. They have taken away gold, art, music, miracles, inspiration, rationalism, morality, science, and they have left God a very bare house. When the period of spiritual revival has come, and the holy issue is wrought out in all its meaning, all these things will be brought back again. Art will come with her brush and pencil, and say, I will beautify the house of Gods revelation. Music will bring back her harp and her instrument of ten strings, and her cymbals and organs, and say, Make me a handmaid in Gods house, for all I have and am must belong to Him; and Reason--exiled, expatriated Reason shall return, saying They have kept me in vile servitude; admit me to my Fathers house. And Science will come and pray; and Morality will say, They have been trying to divorce me from theology, from right religious motive and impulse, and I have died like a flower that has been plucked; restore me to my vital relations, and I will once more bloom in the house of God. (J. Parker, D. D)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7, 9 Mithredath ... Sheshbazzar
Mithredath ... Sheshbazzar
These are men's names. (See: How to Translate Names)
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put them into the hand of Mithredath the treasurer
Putting an object into someone's hand is a metaphor for allowing that person to do what he wants with that object. Here the reader should understand that Cyrus expected Mithredath to do what Cyrus wanted him to do. AT: "put Mithredath the treasurer in charge of them" or "made Mithredath the treasurer responsible for them" (See: Metaphor)
treasurer
official in charge of money
translationWords
king
Cyrus
Nebuchadnezzar
Judea
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7–9 1:7 Many articles . . . from the Lord’s…
1:7 Many articles . . . from the Lord’s Temple had been taken to Babylon (see 2 Chr 36:7; Dan 1:2). By putting these items in his pagan temple, Nebuchadnezzar had attempted to show his god’s power over the Hebrew God. However, God had promised the return of all the stolen items (see Jer 27:16-22). The items from the Temple were holy utensils, acceptable to God for worship and very valuable to the returning worshipers.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.