2 Chronicles 36:22

22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia - this fulfilled the message of God preached by Jeremiah - God moved Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom; he wrote it out as follows:

2 Chronicles 36:22 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 22,23. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia
These two verses are the same with which the next book, the book of Ezra, begins, where they will be explained; and these two books, the one ending and the other beginning with the same words, is a strong presumption, that one and the same person, Ezra, is the writer of them both; or rather, as a learned F5 writer conjectures, these two verses are added by some transcriber, who, having finished the book of Chronicles at verse twenty one went on with the book of Ezra, without any stop; but, perceiving his mistake, broke off abruptly; for so it is plain these verses conclude; however, this shows, as the same writer observes, that the book of Ezra followed that of the Chronicles, in the Hebrew copies, though it now does not.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 Dr. Kennicott's Dissert. 1. p. 492

2 Chronicles 36:22 In-Context

20 Any survivor was taken prisoner into exile in Babylon and made a slave to Nebuchadnezzar and his family. The exile and slavery lasted until the kingdom of Persia took over.
21 This is exactly the message of God that Jeremiah had preached: the desolate land put to an extended sabbath rest, a seventy-year Sabbath rest making up for all the unkept Sabbaths.
22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia - this fulfilled the message of God preached by Jeremiah - God moved Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom; he wrote it out as follows:
23 "From Cyrus king of Persia a proclamation: God, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship at Jerusalem in Judah. All who belong to God's people are urged to return - and may your God be with you! Move forward!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.