22, 23 (= Ezra i. 1–3a] 1 Esdras ii. 1–5a).
Cyrus Decrees the Rebuilding of the Temple.
These verses are obviously inappropriate as the conclusion of Chronicles, and their proper place is as the opening words of the book of Ezra, where also they are given. Their exposition properly belongs to the commentaries on Ezra or Esdras, to which accordingly the reader must be referred for fuller notes. These verses were retained here when the separation of Ezra–Nehemiah from Chronicles was made (see Introduction, [§ 2]), either through mere accident, or perhaps to indicate that Chronicles had originally formed one work with Ezra and Nehemiah, but most probably in order to avoid a depressing termination to the book. This last point carries no small weight in view of the fact that in the Hebrew Bible Chronicles is the last book. It is interesting to note that to avoid closing the book of Isaiah with the terrible verse (lxvi. 24) which is actually its conclusion, it was customary to repeat after verse 24 some hopeful words taken from verse 23. Compare also the last verses of 2 Kings.
²²Now in the first year of Cyrus[¹] king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
[¹] Hebrew Coresh.
22. Cyrus king of Persia] Cyrus, the Persian, was at first king of a small state in Elam, to the east of Babylonia. In 549 B.C. he conquered the king of the Medes, and so became founder of the Medo-Persian Empire. In 546 B.C. he overthrew the famous Croesus, king of Lydia, and advancing against Babylon entered it after a short and easy campaign in 538 B.C.—a career of meteoric brilliance. By his “first year” is meant 537 B.C., his first year as ruler of the Babylonian Empire.
stirred up the spirit] Compare 1 Chronicles v. 26; Haggai i. 14.
made a proclamation] compare xxx. 5. The phrase is characteristic of the Chronicler.
²³Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
23. All the kingdoms of the earth] The king of Babylon bore the title of “king of the four quarters of the world.” Cyrus succeeded to this title on his conquest of Babylon.
let him go up] i.e. to Jerusalem; compare Ezra i. 3. Since Chronicles is the last book according to the order of the Hebrew Canon, these encouraging words conclude the Hebrew Bible.