In brief
Cyrus is the king of Persia who, in the first year of his reign over Babylon, allows the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, around 538 BC. Isaiah had announced him by name long before, and the Lord calls him his anointed. He also returns the vessels of the house of God taken by Nebuchadnezzar. His decree opens the return from exile.
What does the name Cyrus mean?
The name Cyrus is the Greek and Latin form of a Persian name, generally transcribed Kurush, whose meaning is debated. The Bible gives no explanation of this name, so nothing can be stated with certainty.
The story of Cyrus
The exile of Judah
2 Chronicles 36:15-21The Lord had warned his people early through his messengers, but they mocked them. Nebuchadnezzar destroys the temple and carries the survivors off to Babylon, where they serve him until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, so that the word spoken by Jeremiah would be fulfilled.
A name announced in advance
Isaiah 45:1-4Long before, the Lord speaks to Cyrus as his anointed. He promises to go before him, level the roads and break the gates of bronze. He called him by name and equipped him, before Cyrus knew him, for the sake of his servant Jacob.
The decree of Cyrus
Ezra 1:1-4In the first year of Cyrus, the Lord stirs the spirit of the king, who has it proclaimed throughout his kingdom that the God of heaven has given him all the kingdoms of the earth. He has commanded him to build a house in Jerusalem. Anyone among God's people may go up.
The return of the exiles
Ezra 1:5-11The heads of families of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God stirs, rise up to go. Their neighbors support them with gifts. Cyrus returns the vessels of the house of the Lord, carried off by Nebuchadnezzar and placed in the house of his god.
What Cyrus teaches us
- God directs history and can use a king who does not know him to fulfill his promise.
- The prophetic words of Scripture are fulfilled at the appointed time, even after many years.
- God calls each person by name and knows those he is preparing, long before they know it.
- The Lord also stirs the spirit of his people so that they rise up and rebuild.
- What God has promised to his people, he keeps, even when the exile seems to have no way out.
Key verses
“Yahweh says to his anointed, to Cyrus”. The title of anointed is rare for a foreign king. It shows that God acts through whomever he chooses to save his people, without this king being described as a believer.
The Lord says to Cyrus: “I have called you by your name. I have given you a title, though you have not known me.” God takes the initiative, before Cyrus knows anything about him.
Cyrus declares: “Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” The royal edict acknowledges the God of Israel as the author of his mission.
The heads of families, the priests and the Levites, “all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem.” The decree of the king is not enough: it is God who sets the people in motion.
Frequently asked questions
Why did God call Cyrus his anointed?
In Isaiah 45:1, the Lord uses this title for Cyrus because he chose him as the instrument of Israel's liberation. The text states that God called him by name before Cyrus knew him. This title describes a mission, not a conversion.
What does the name Cyrus mean?
The name is the Greek and Latin form of a Persian name, generally transcribed Kurush. Its meaning is debated by scholars, and the Bible gives no explanation. It is better not to assign it a precise meaning. In Hebrew, the name is written Koresh.
Where can I find the story of Cyrus in the Bible?
He appears mainly in Ezra 1, which reports his decree of return, and in the last verses of 2 Chronicles 36. The book of Isaiah names him in advance, notably in chapter 45, where the Lord speaks directly to him.