Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them!—are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem…

Background

The book of Ezra opens with a proclamation from the King of Persia, Cyrus. The first words of the book tell us that it was Cyrus’ first year as king, and that God caused Cyrus to issue this proclamation throughout the land. The proclamation says that any Jews who are still alive in his lands may now go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

The author then shares with us that the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin—those whose ancestors were taken away into Exile eighty years before, prepared to go.

Their neighbors (both Jews who had decided to stay, as well as non-Jews), donated to their cause. King Cyrus also had all the furnishings returned to them that had been taken from the Temple by the Babylonians.

Meaning

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