Ezra 1:3

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Ezra 1:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:3 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezra 1

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Who is there among you of all his people? etc.] The people of God, the Israelites, as well of the ten tribes, as of the two of Judah and Benjamin; for this edict was published throughout all his dominions, where were the one as well as the other: his God be with him; to incline his heart to go, to protect him in his journey, and succeed and prosper him in what he goes about: and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, he is the God; the one only living and true God: which is in Jerusalem; who has been in former times, and is to be worshipped there; though Aben Ezra says, this is to be connected with “the house of the Lord”; as if the…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Who is there among you of all his people--The purport of the edict was to grant full permission to those Jewish exiles, in every part of his kingdom, who chose, to return to their own country, as well as to recommend those of their countrymen who remained to aid the poor and feeble on their way, and contribute liberally towards the rebuilding of the temple.”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“1:3 Any of you who are his people may go: The Assyrians and Babylonians had ruled their empires by deporting people and spreading them out in cities throughout their empires. The Persians, by contrast, returned exiled people to their homelands, expecting the returned people to be thankful, obey the Persians, and pay their taxes.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“his God: Jos 1:9; Ch1 28:20; Mat 28:20 he is the God: Deu 32:31; Psa 83:18; Isa 45:5; Jer 10:10; Dan 2:47, Dan 6:26; Act 10:36 Ezra 1:4”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification