Bird's-eye view
Following the stunning royal decree of Cyrus, this passage details the immediate and practical response to God's sovereign work. The first thing we see is that God's external work of moving a pagan king is matched by His internal work of moving the hearts of His people. The leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites, have their spirits "stirred" by God to undertake the monumental task of rebuilding the temple. This is not a merely human endeavor born of nationalistic pride; it is a divine summons. Furthermore, the willing response of the remnant is met with the generous support of their neighbors, who lavish them with silver, gold, and other provisions. This is a beautiful picture of God's providence, where He not only calls His people to a task but also equips them for it through unexpected means. The section culminates in the ultimate act of restitution: Cyrus, the pagan king, restores the sacred articles of Yahweh's house that Nebuchadnezzar had plundered. This is a public humiliation of the gods of Babylon and a powerful affirmation that Yahweh is the one true God who governs the affairs of nations and reclaims what is rightfully His.
In short, this text is a powerful demonstration of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. He moves kings, He stirs hearts, He provides resources, and He restores the instruments of true worship. The return from exile and the rebuilding of the temple are a crucial chapter in redemptive history, a down payment on the greater restoration that would be accomplished in the coming of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the true temple and the King who builds His house, the Church.
Outline
- 1. The Divine Stirring and Human Response (Ezra 1:5-11)
- a. The Stirred Spirits of the Remnant (Ezra 1:5)
- b. The Providential Provision from Neighbors (Ezra 1:6)
- c. The Royal Restitution of Temple Treasures (Ezra 1:7-8)
- d. The Detailed Inventory of God's Reclaimed Property (Ezra 1:9-11)
Context In Ezra
This passage immediately follows the decree of Cyrus in verses 1-4. That decree was the "big picture" announcement, the sovereign act of God in the geopolitical realm. Now, in verses 5-11, the camera zooms in to show the on-the-ground effects of that decree. It moves from the king's proclamation to the people's preparation. This section is the essential link between the promise and its initial fulfillment. Without the stirred spirits of verse 5, the decree of verse 1 would have been a dead letter. Without the provision of verse 6 and the returned articles of verses 7-11, the task of rebuilding would have been impossible. This passage, therefore, establishes a foundational theme for the rest of the book of Ezra and Nehemiah: God's sovereign initiative is always accompanied by the responsible, willing, and equipped action of His people. The entire project of rebuilding is shown from the outset to be God's work from start to finish, from the macro-political level down to the detailed inventory of silver bowls.
Key Issues
- The Sovereignty of God in Regeneration
- The Nature of the Remnant
- God's Use of Pagan Authorities
- The Principle of Restitution
- The Centrality of Worship in Reformation
- The Relationship Between Divine Action and Human Responsibility
God Stirs, Man Builds
It is one thing for a king to issue a decree. It is quite another for a displaced people, seventy years into exile, to uproot their lives and embark on a perilous journey to rebuild a ruined city. What could possibly motivate such a thing? The text gives us the unambiguous answer: "everyone whose spirit God had stirred." This is the internal, spiritual reality that corresponds to the external, political decree. God did not just open the door; He propelled His people through it. He did not just give permission; He gave the desire. This is a foundational principle of all true reformation and revival. God is the one who builds His house, and He does it by first building up His people, stirring their spirits from lethargy to zealous action.
This divine "stirring" is not a violation of human will but a restoration of it. Sin makes us sluggish, apathetic, and content to dwell in Babylon. Grace awakens, energizes, and fills us with a holy discontent until we are oriented once more toward Jerusalem, toward the place of true worship. The entire project of rebuilding the temple, which is the central narrative of this book, begins right here, not with a committee meeting or a fundraising drive, but with the sovereign, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of a chosen remnant.
Verse by Verse Commentary
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, that is of everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem.
The response to Cyrus's decree is immediate and specific. It is the leadership that steps up first: the heads of households, the priests, and the Levites. This is a top-down reformation. The leaders of the two southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, are mentioned because they formed the core of the remnant that would return. But the text immediately clarifies that this was not a matter of tribal identity or social standing alone. The defining characteristic of this group was that they were the ones "whose spirit God had stirred." God's sovereign choice cuts across all other lines. He is the one who initiates. The word "arose" signifies more than just standing up; it means they took action, they prepared, they set themselves to the task. And the task is explicitly named: to rebuild the house of Yahweh. The central purpose of this great return is not merely political or national; it is liturgical. They are going back to restore right worship.
6 All those around them strengthened them with articles of silver, with gold, with possessions, with cattle, and with precious things, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering.
Here we see a beautiful echo of the Exodus. Just as the Israelites were given silver and gold by their Egyptian neighbors when they left bondage, so too the returning exiles are supplied by "all those around them." This likely includes both Jews who chose to remain in Babylon and their pagan neighbors. God's ability to provide for His people is not limited by the resources of the church. He can make the world give to the cause of the kingdom. They "strengthened them" or, more literally, "strengthened their hands." This is practical, tangible encouragement. Notice the sheer generosity: silver, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables. On top of all this commanded or encouraged support, there was also a "freewill offering." This shows that the support was not grudging. There was a spirit of genuine liberality, another fruit of God's stirring. When God is at work, generosity flows.
7 Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of Yahweh, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;
This is a moment of profound theological significance. Nebuchadnezzar's plundering of the temple was not just looting; it was a theological statement. He took the sacred vessels of Yahweh and placed them in the temple of his own god, likely Marduk. This was a symbolic declaration that Marduk had defeated Yahweh. For seventy years, those sacred articles sat as trophies in a pagan temple. Now, Cyrus, the new emperor, brings them out. This is a public reversal of that pagan verdict. Yahweh is demonstrating, through this pagan king, that He was never defeated. He was the one who sent His people into exile for their sins, and now He is the one bringing them back. The gods of Babylon are being plundered, and the true God is being vindicated.
8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
The details here are important because they underscore the official, legal, and orderly nature of this transfer. This is not a back-alley deal. The king of Persia commands his treasurer, Mithredath, to conduct a formal inventory. The items are then officially handed over to Sheshbazzar, who is identified as the "prince of Judah." This Sheshbazzar is likely the same person as Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David. So we have a pagan treasurer handing over the holy things of God to a prince from the royal line of David. This is God's kingdom being reestablished with meticulous, administrative care. God is a God of order, and this great act of restoration is done decently and in order.
9-10 Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates; 1030 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles.
The cataloging begins. Why does Scripture include such a detailed, almost tedious, list? Because these are not just pots and pans. Each one of these items was dedicated to the worship of the living God. They had been desecrated, and now they are being reclaimed and reconsecrated. The careful accounting shows the value God places on the instruments of worship. It also serves as a legal receipt, a public record that these specific items were returned. There is some difficulty in reconciling the numbers listed here with the total given in the next verse, which has led to various explanations about textual transmission or different accounting methods. But the main point is clear: God is getting His property back, and He is keeping careful track of it.
11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
The grand total is given: 5,400 articles. This was a vast treasure, a significant act of restitution. The final sentence ties it all together. Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, takes possession of this reclaimed treasure and leads the exiles on their journey home. The people and the instruments of worship are reunited. The long, sad chapter of the Babylonian captivity is coming to a close, not just with a political decree, but with a tangible restoration of the means of grace. The people are going home, and they are taking the furniture of God's house with them. The stage is now set for the rebuilding to begin.
Application
This passage is a potent reminder that any true work for God begins with God Himself stirring our spirits. We are prone to spiritual lethargy, to becoming comfortable in Babylon. We need the gracious, internal work of the Holy Spirit to awaken us, to give us a vision for rebuilding the ruins, and to fill us with the desire to see God's house, the Church, built up. We should pray for God to stir our spirits, and to stir the spirits of our leaders.
Second, when God calls, He provides. He moved the hearts of the exiles' neighbors to give generously, and He moved a pagan king to return what was stolen. We should not limit our vision for God's work based on what we currently have in our own bank accounts. Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the silver and gold in every treasury. Our task is to be faithful to the call, trusting that He will "strengthen our hands" for the work He has given us to do. This should spur us to our own radical generosity, both as individuals and as churches, joyfully participating in God's provision for His kingdom work.
Finally, the restoration of the temple articles teaches us about the victory of God. The world may for a time appear to triumph. The enemies of God may seem to take His holy things and display them as trophies. But God is never defeated. In His perfect timing, He vindicates His own name and reclaims what is His. The treasures of the temple in Jerusalem were a shadow of the true treasure, which is the Church, the people of God. We have been plundered from the kingdom of darkness and restored to our rightful place in the house of God through the victory of Christ. Our lives are to be the "articles of gold and silver," once used for profane purposes, now consecrated for the worship and service of the one true King.