SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:2
Así dijo Ciro rey de Persia: El SEÑOR Dios de los cielos me ha dado todos los reinos de la tierra, y me ha mandado que le edifique Casa en Jerusalén, que está en Judá.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Ezra 1:2
Verse 2. The Lord God of heaven] It is not unworthy of remark, that in all the books written prior to the captivity, Jehovah is called The Lord of Hosts; but in all the books written after the captivity, as 2 Chronicles, Ezra Nehemiah, and Daniel, he is styled The God of Heaven. The words however have the same meaning. All the kingdoms of the earth. At this time the empire of the Medo-Persians was very extensive: according to ancient writers, Cyrus, at this time, reigned over the Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Armenians, Syrians, Assyrians, Arabians, Cappadocians, Phrygians, Lydians Phoenicians, Babylonians, Bactrians, Indians, Saci, Cilicians, Paphlagonians, Moriandrians, and many others. His empire extended on the EAST, to the Red Sea; on the NORTH, to the Euxine Sea; on the WEST, to the island of Cyprus and Egypt; and on the SOUTH, to Ethiopia.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia , etc.] Of whom, and this edict of his, Isaiah prophesied two hundred years before he was born, ( Isaiah 44:28) the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth ; many he had conquered before he took Babylon, and then the whole Babylonian monarchy fell into his hands. Herodotus says, he ruled over all Asia; Xenophon reckons up many nations that were under his government, Medes and Hyrcanians, Syrians, Assyrians, Arabians, Cappadocians, both the Phrygians, Carians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Bactrians, Indians, Cilicians, Sacae or Scythians, Paphlagonians, Megadinians, and many other nations, the Greeks inhabiting Asia, and the Cyprians, and Egyptians; and elsewhere he says f13 , the borders of his kingdom were, to the east the Red sea, to the north the Euxine Pontus, to the west Cyprus and Egypt, and to the south Ethiopia. And the possession of these kingdoms Cyrus ascribes, not to his own martial courage and skill, but to the providence and disposal of the God of heaven, which he seems to have had some notion of: and he hath charged me to build an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah ; in the prophecy of Isaiah, which, according to Josephus f14 , he had seen and read, and believed it to be a charge upon him, and a command unto him to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem; however, to give leave for the rebuilding of it, and to encourage to it, and assist in it; an Arabic writer says f15 , that Cyrus married a sister of Zerubbabel, and that it was at her request that the Jews had leave to return; which is merely fabulous.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. The hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord. God governs the world by his influence on the spirit of men; whatever good they do, God stirs up their spirits to do it. It was during the captivity of the Jews, that God principally employe them as the means of calling the attention of the heathen to him. Cyru took it for granted, that those among the Jews who were able, woul offer free-will offerings for the house of God. He would also have the supplied out of his kingdom. Well-wishers to the temple should be well-doers for it.
Original Hebrew
כה 3541 אמר 559 כרשׁ 3566 מלך 4428 פרס 6539 כל 3605 ממלכות 4467 הארץ 776 נתן 5414 לי יהוה 3068 אלהי 430 השׁמים 8064 והוא 1931 פקד 6485 עלי 5921 לבנות 1129 לו בית 1004 בירושׁלם 3389 אשׁר 834 ביהודה׃ 3063
