Bible Strands
Ezra 5:13
In the first year of his reign, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Jewish elders respond to Persian officials by recounting how Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the temple following its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. This explanation occurs during an official inspection of the reconstruction project.
The words — בְּרַם (be.Ram) translates literally as “however” or “nevertheless,” signaling a sharp historical turn after the preceding account of destruction. בִּשְׁנַת (bi/sh.Nat) means “in the year,” anchoring the decree to a precise chronological marker.
The thread — The decree appears in Ezra 1:1 as the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy and is repeated in Ezra 6:3 with additional architectural specifications. Isaiah 44:28 also names Cyrus as the instrument through whom Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt.
Why it lands — The text states that a political ruler issued a formal order to restore a destroyed sanctuary in a specific year. It requires the reader to acknowledge that historical reversal and institutional restoration follow a documented timeline rather than spontaneous human effort.
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
Cross-references
- Ezra 1:1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:
- Ezra 6:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,
- Isaiah 44:28 who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”