THE RESTORATION OF THE SACRED VESSELS BY CYRUS (Ezra 1:7-11). Following the ordinary custom of the early Oriental conquerors, Nebuchadnezzar, long before he destroyed the Jewish temple, had carried off from it, partly as trophies of victory, partly as articles of value, many of the sacred vessels used in the temple service (see 2 Chronicles 36:10; Jeremiah 27:19, Jeremiah 27:20; Daniel 1:2).
At his final capture and destruction of Jerusalem he bore off the remainder (2 Kings 25:14, 2 Kings 25:15). These he deposited at Babylon in the temple of Merodach (or Bel), the god whom he chiefly worshipped (Daniel 1:2), where they probably remained until Belshazzar had them brought out and desecrated at his great banquet (Daniel 5:2).
A religious instinct now prompted the Persian king to give the vessels back, in order that they might revert to their original use. The careful enumeration of them (Ezra 1:9-11) is characteristic of Ezra, who is very minute and exact in his details, and fond of making lists or catalogues.