Ezra 1:1-2 almost verbatim repeats 2 Chronicles 36: 22-23:
1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: 2"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah…
Ezra leads part of the Diaspora home and advocates a bit of ethnic cleansing for those Jews who married non-Jews. Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the temple. Ezra was the theological voice and Nehemiah the temporal voice. Ezra dealt with the intellectual and Nehemiah the physical plant. Both were focused on the remnant, the community, the collection and assembly of God’s chosen people.
© Copyright, C. Michael Bailey, 2006
