2 Tawarikh 36:23

36:23 It read: “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: ‘The Lord God of the heavens has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build for him a temple in Jerusalem ¹  in Judah. May the Lord your God energize you who belong to his people, so you may be able to go back there!” ² 

Ezra 1:2

1:2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:

“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple ³  for him in Jerusalem, ⁴  which is in Judah.

Yesaya 41:2

41:2 Who stirs up this one from the east? ⁵ 

Who ⁶  officially commissions him for service? ⁷ 

He hands nations over to him, ⁸ 

and enables him to subdue ⁹  kings.

He makes them like dust with his sword,

like windblown straw with his bow. ¹⁰ 

[36:23]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[36:23]  ² tn Heb “Whoever [is] among you from all his people – may the Lord his God [be] with him so that he may go up.”

[1:2]  ³ tn Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh (BDB 108 s.v. 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).

[1:2]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[41:2]  ⁵ sn The expression this one from the east refers to the Persian conqueror Cyrus, as later texts indicate (see 44:28-45:6; 46:11; 48:14-16).

[41:2]  ⁶ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis.

[41:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “[in] righteousness called him to his foot.”

[41:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “he [the Lord] places before him [Cyrus] nations.”

[41:2]  ⁹ tn The verb יַרְדְּ (yardÿ) is an otherwise unattested Hiphil form from רָדָה (radah, “rule”). But the Hiphil makes no sense with “kings” as object; one must understand an ellipsis and supply “him” (Cyrus) as the object. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has יוֹרִד (yorid), which appears to be a Hiphil form from יָרַד (yarad, “go down”). Others suggest reading יָרֹד (yarod), a Qal form from רָדַד (radad, “beat down”).

[41:2]  ¹⁰ sn The point is that they are powerless before Cyrus’ military power and scatter before him.