Who Was Cyrus In The Bible The Man Who Allowed Israel To Rebuild
Cyrus in the Bible has, in recent years, been referenced frequently by prominent Christian leaders and by the media. Its important to understand who Cyrus actually was and what role he played in the ancient world and in biblical history.
The Ancient Israelites referred to Cyrus as Cyrus the Great. Whats important to understand, however, is that the reason we know Cyrus name is so we would see how great our God is.
Important Lessons To Learn From Cyrus In The Bible
God is Sovereign. He is omnipotent and He is above all earthly powers. The kings, presidents, leaders, and councils of this world have immense influence, but the living God of the Bible is greater still.
Our times are in His hands. In Acts 17, God tells us through the Apostle Paul that He has appointed the time we will live and the place of our dwelling. We are assigned and designed for these times.
He knows each one of us by name.Psalm 139 tells us that God knew us before we were born and in the Gospel of Matthew assures us that He has even counted every hair on our heads.
The God of the Bible is the Living God who created all the Earth. Idolatry is still a temptation, even in modern times. False religions entice people. Other people fall prey to trusting in themselves, idolizing independence over worshipping Him. But He is real, living, and worth followingjust as much today as He was in Isaiahs time.
Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a blogger, speaker, coach, and disturber of hobbits who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. Shes authored four encouraging, unsettling books including Running from a Crazy Man and The Art of Hard Conversations. She speaks her mind at www.loriroeleveld.com.
Cyrus Proclamation In Ezra 1
The Book of Ezra opens with a proclamation King Cyrus makes upon taking the throne in Babylona proclamation which triggers the return of the Jewish exiles, the restoration of stolen Jewish artifacts, and the rebuilding of the temple.
The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem Ezra 1:24
Interestingly, this proclamation echoes Cyrus words to the Babylonians who worshiped Marduk in the Cyrus Cylinder. Cyrus likely adopted the religious language of his subjects in order to affirm his authority, but he also clearly respected the diverse religions of the people he conquered.
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Ezra Comes To Jerusalem
7 After all these things had happened, Ezra came up to Jerusalem from Babylon. It was during the rule of Artaxerxes. He was king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah. Seraiah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Hilkiah. 2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Ahitub. 3 Ahitub was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Meraioth. 4 Meraioth was the son of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Bukki. 5 Bukki was the son of Abishua. Abishua was the son of Phinehas. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. And Eleazar was the son of Aaron the chief priest. 6 So Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher who knew the Law of Moses very well. The Lord, the God of Israel, had given Israel that law. The king had given Ezra everything he asked for. Thats because the Lord his God helped him. 7 Some of the Israelites came up to Jerusalem too. They included priests, Levites and musicians. They also included the temple servants and those who guarded the temple gates. It was in the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king.
King Artaxerxess Letter To Ezra
11 Ezra was a priest and teacher of the Law. He was an educated man. He knew the Lords commands and rules for Israel very well. Here is a copy of a letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra. It said,
12 I, Artaxerxes, am writing this letter. I am the greatest king of all.
I have given it to Ezra the priest. He is the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven.
I give you my greetings.
13 Ezra, I am giving an order about the Israelites in my kingdom. Any of them who want to go to Jerusalem with you may go. The order also allows priests and Levites to go with you. 14 I and my seven advisers are sending you to see how things are going in Judah and Jerusalem. Find out whether the people there are obeying the Law of your God. You have a copy of that law with you. 15 I and my advisers have freely given some silver and gold to the God of Israel. He is the God who lives in Jerusalem. Take that silver and gold with you. 16 Also take any other silver and gold you can get from the land of Babylon. And take the offerings the people and priests choose to give for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 Make sure you use the money to buy bulls, rams and male lambs. Also buy their grain offerings and drink offerings. Then sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
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Who Is Cyrus In The Bible
Cyrus was the King of Persia from 559-530 BC. He was also known as Cyrus the Great, Cyrus the Elder, and Cyrus II. We know from modern British royalty that its not uncommon for royals to be known by a variety of names and titles.
Cyrus was not a follower of the God of the Bible, but instead, he was a pagan king used by God to help His people. Just as God had used pagan kings from the Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Babylonians to chasten his people when they refused to repent of their idolatries, now He used a pagan king to help them return to their promised land and begin to rebuild.
Cyrus was the leader of the Achaemenid Empire that overtook the Babylonians. There were four powerful kings with rule over the Jews during their captivity including Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and finally, Cyrus the Great. The first three kings chose to assimilate the cultures they conquered into their customs, their culture, and their ways of life, but Cyrus, instead, as leader of the Medo-Persians, chose to allow various cultural and religious groups to return to and maintain their own identities.
The Jews of Old Testament times lauded Cyrus as the Great because it was under his rule that they were allowed to return to their homeland and rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem.
In Ezra 1:1-4 NKJV, we find the Proclamation of Cyrus which reads ,
Tattenais Letter To King Darius
5 Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They spoke to them in the name of the God of Israel. God had spoken to those prophets. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Iddo. 2 Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, began to work. So did Joshua, the son of Jozadak. They began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there with them. They were helping them.
3 At that time Tattenai was governor of the land west of the Euphrates River. He and Shethar-Bozenai and their friends went to the Jews. They asked them, Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could finish it? 4 They also asked, What are the names of the people who are putting up this building? 5 But the God of the Jews was watching over their elders. So they didnt have to stop their work. First a report would have to be sent to Darius. Then they would have to receive his answer in writing.
6 Here is a copy of the letter sent to King Darius. It was from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the Euphrates. Shethar-Bozenai joined him in writing it. So did their friends. They were officials of that land. 7 The report they sent to the king said,
We are sending this letter to you, King Darius.
We give you our most friendly greetings.
11 Here is the answer they gave us. They said,
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How Did Cyrus The Great Die
Unfortunately, pinning down exactly when and how Cyrus the Great died is a lot like trying to figure out how the apostles died. There are too many conflicting accounts to say for sure what happenedbut we have a pretty good idea. He probably died in combat in 530 BC.
At the end of Histories, Book I, Herodotus confidently gives us a detailed account of how it happened before admitting: Many stories are told of Cyrus death this, that I have told, is the most credible. Unfortunately, as weve seen, Herodotus wasnt always a great judge of credibility.
If Herodotus is to be trusted, though, Cyrus the Great died fighting the Massagetae. He sets up the battle by remarking, This fight I judge to have been the fiercest ever fought by men that were not Greek.
After firing all of their arrows, the Persians and Massagetae rush to fight in close range, and thats when it happens:
The greater part of the Persian army was destroyed there on the spot, and Cyrus himself fell there, after having reigned for one year short of thirty years. Tomyris filled a skin with human blood, and searched among the Persian dead for Cyrus body and when she found it, she pushed his head into the skin, and insulted the dead man in these words: Though I am alive and have defeated you in battle, you have destroyed me, taking my son by guile but just as I threatened, I give you your fill of blood.
Oh, um, graphic warning. Missed that one.
What Does The Bible Say About Cyrus
Want to know what the Bible says about Cyrus? Here are 12 Bible verses about Cyrus from the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible, New International Version , sorted from the most relevant to the least relevant.
Use the up or down arrow next to each verses to vote for this topic. Your input is important for us to improve it.
Note: Always check the context of a verse Click the “Read Full Chapter” button next to each verse to read more. The context of a verse might put a very different slant on what the verse seems to say.
2 Chronicles 36:22-23NIV
Ezra 3:7NIV
Ezra 4:3NIV
Ezra 6:3NIV
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Conqueror Ruler Messianic Figure
Cyrus the Great ruled the largest empire the world had yet seen. And after his death, it continued to grow larger through his descendants. The Archimedean Empire was bigger than Pharaohs kingdom. It was bigger than Nebuchadnezzars. But unlike so many of the ancient empires we see in the Bible, God didnt use Cyrus the Great to discipline the Israelites, but rather, to save them from oppression.
Cyrus may not have created the first bill of rights, but the way he governed diverse people groups and tolerated the various cultures of his subjects was virtually unheard of, and has served as a model for many governing bodies since.
What Does The Bible Say About King Cyrus
Want to know what the Bible says about King Cyrus? Here are 48 Bible verses about King Cyrus from the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible, New International Version , sorted from the most relevant to the least relevant.
Use the up or down arrow next to each verses to vote for this topic. Your input is important for us to improve it.
Note: Always check the context of a verse Click the “Read Full Chapter” button next to each verse to read more. The context of a verse might put a very different slant on what the verse seems to say.
Ezra 4:3NIV
Ezra 1:1NIV
2 Chronicles 36:23NIV
Ezra 3:7NIV
Ezra 6:3NIV
2 Chronicles 36:22NIV
2 Chronicles 36:22-23NIV
Ezra 1:2NIV
Ezra 6:14NIV
Ezra 5:17NIV
Ezra 5:13-17NIV
Ezra 1:1-3NIV
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First Babylonian Dynasty Amorite Dynasty 18941595 Bc
One of these Amorite dynasties founded a small kingdom of Kazallu which included the then still minor town of Babylon circa 1894 BC, which would ultimately take over the others and form the short-lived first Babylonian empire, also called the First Babylonian dynasty.
An Amorite chieftain named Sumu-abum appropriated a tract of land which included the then relatively small city of Babylon from the neighbouring Amorite ruled Mesopotamian city state of Kazallu, of which it had initially been a territory, turning his newly acquired lands into a state in its own right. His reign was concerned with establishing statehood amongst a sea of other minor city states and kingdoms in the region. However, Sumu-abum appears never to have bothered to give himself the title of King of Babylon, suggesting that Babylon itself was still only a minor town or city, and not worthy of kingship.
Empire of Hammurabi
Hammurabi turned his disciplined armies eastwards and invaded the region which a thousand years later became Iran, conquering Elam, Gutians, Lullubi and Kassites. To the west, he conquered the Amorite states of the Levant including the powerful kingdoms of and Yamhad.
He was followed by Ammi-Ditana and then Ammi-Saduqa, both of whom were in too weak a position to make any attempt to regain the many territories lost after the death of Hammurabi, contenting themselves with peaceful building projects in Babylon itself.
The Inspiring History Behind One Of Irans Greatest Kings
Even today, more than 2,500 years after his death, Cyrus the Great of ancient Persia remains one of humanitys most brilliant and outstanding monarchs. There is much to learn and admire about King Cyrus, and no shortage of knowledge on this subject.
But the most interesting feature about this man and his towering accomplishments is also the most obscure. It is also profoundly inspiring.
Meet Cyrus
Cyrus ii ruled the Persian Empire from 559 to 530 b.c.e. The history of his life and accomplishments is well documented by Greek and Roman historians and by archaeological evidence. Among his many feats, Cyrus conquered the invincible Babylonian-Chaldean Empire and established Persia as the world power.
Under Cyrus, the borders of the Persian Empire rapidly expanded to create the largest empire humanity had ever seen. Under his leadership, Persias borders stretched to Central Asia as far east as the Indus River as far north as the Danube, including Turkey, Crete and the southern parts of Greece and Bulgaria and as far southwest as Libya.
But Cyrus was much more than a prodigious conqueror. He heralded a new type of leadership and politics. Unlike the Assyrians and others before him, he did not rule exclusively by sword and spear. Subjects were not beaten, tortured and killed into acquiescence and cooperation. In fact, many consider this king the worlds first true humanitarian.
The Worlds Greatest City
Cyrus the Humanitarian
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Ezra Prays For The People
9 After all these things had been done, the leaders came to me. They said, The people of Israel have committed sins. Even the priests and Levites have sinned. They havent kept themselves separate from the nations around them. The Lord hates the practices of those nations. He hates what the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites do. He also hates what the Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites do. 2 The men of Israel have married the daughters of some of those people. Theyve also taken some of those women for their sons to marry. So theyve mixed our holy nation with the nations around us. We leaders and officials have also married women who dont worship the Lord. By doing this, we have led the way in breaking our covenant with the Lord.
3 When I heard that, I tore my inner robe and my coat. I pulled hair from my head and beard. I was so shocked I sat down. 4 Then everyone who trembled with fear at Gods words gathered around me. Thats because the people who had returned from Babylon had not been faithful. So I was very upset. I just sat there until the time of the evening sacrifice.
5 Then I got up. I had been very sad for quite a while. My inner robe and my coat were torn. I fell down on my knees. I spread my hands out to the Lord my God. 6 I prayed,
Ezra Leads Many Jews Back To Jerusalem
15 I gathered the people together at the canal that flows toward Ahava. We camped there for three days. I looked for Levites among the people and priests. But I didnt find any. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan and Jarib. I also sent for Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam. All of them were leaders. And I sent for Joiarib and Elnathan. They were very well educated. 17 I ordered all those men to go to Iddo. He was the leader in Kasiphia. He and his Levite relatives were temple servants there. I told my men what to say to them. I wanted Iddo and his Levite relatives to bring some attendants to us for the house of our God. 18 God was gracious to us and helped us. So they brought us Sherebiah, a very capable man. He came from the family line of Mahli. Mahli was the son of Levi. Levi was a son of Israel. They also brought us Sherebiahs sons and brothers. The total number of men was 18. 19 And they brought Hashabiah and his brothers and nephews. They brought them together with Jeshaiah. He came from the family line of Merari. The total number of men was 20. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants. That was a special group David and his officials had established. They were supposed to help the Levites. All of them were listed by name.
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