Ezra — Chapter 1

In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians — Lapide explains this is the first year not of the Persian kingdom as such, but of Cyrus's monarchy over Babylon, when he overthrew Baltassar and transferred the empire from the Chaldeans to the Persians. It was also the seventieth and last year of the Jews' captivity in Babylon, as prophesied by Jeremias (ch. 25 and 29). Cyrus at once freed them.

The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth — Cyrus's edict confesses that he acknowledges the true God of Israel, and gives back to God the credit for all his realms. Lapide quotes Proverbs 21:1: \"The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord; whithersoever He will, He shall turn it.\" Daniel, who was a familiar companion and even a table-companion of Cyrus, showed him the prophecy of Isaias (ch. 44–45), spoken two hundred years before Cyrus's birth.

The Lord his God be with him — Cyrus hereby professes to acknowledge the God of the Israelites as the one true God, saying \"He is the God Who is in Jerusalem,\" meaning there is no true God except Him Whom the Israelites worship.

The 5,400 sacred vessels taken by Nabuchodonosor from the Temple of the Lord and dedicated sacrilegiously to his idol Bel — all of these Cyrus restored to God and the Temple. Lapide notes their exact enumeration in verse 11.

Sassabasar prince of Juda is identified by Josephus, Lyranus, Dionysius, Vatablus, Mariana, Torniellus, Salianus and others with Zorobabel, grandson of Jechonias the king. \"Sassabasar\" in Chaldee means \"rejoicing in tribulation\" — because he stood firm through six tribulations, so that Job 5:19 was fulfilled in him: \"In six troubles He shall deliver thee, and in the seventh evil shall not touch thee.\"