This verse (Ezra 1:11) summarizes the inventory of sacred vessels that were returned from Babylon to Jerusalem under the leadership of Sheshbazzar. Let's break it down:
"All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred." This is a count of the total number of precious items (bowls, plates, etc.) made from gold and silver. These vessels had been looted from the Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians when they conquered the city.
"Sheshbazzar brought all these up..." Sheshbazzar was a prince of Judah, appointed by the Persian king Cyrus the Great to be the governor of Judah. Cyrus had issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
"...when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem." This clarifies that the return of these vessels was part of the larger event of the Jewish exiles being allowed to return home from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild their city and Temple in Jerusalem.
In essence, the verse highlights that a significant number of Temple vessels, valued for their religious and historical significance, were safely transported back to Jerusalem under the supervision of Sheshbazzar as part of the repatriation of the Jewish people after the Babylonian exile.
The return of these items was crucial for restoring Temple worship in Jerusalem and re-establishing Jewish religious life in their homeland. It symbolized the restoration of God's favor and the continuity of their faith after a period of exile and hardship.
This verse (Ezra 1:11) summarizes the inventory of sacred vessels that were returned from Babylon to Jerusalem under the leadership of Sheshbazzar. Let's break it down:
"All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred." This is a count of the total number of precious items (bowls, plates, etc.) made from gold and silver. These vessels had been looted from the Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians when they conquered the city.
"Sheshbazzar brought all these up..." Sheshbazzar was a prince of Judah, appointed by the Persian king Cyrus the Great to be the governor of Judah. Cyrus had issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
"...when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem." This clarifies that the return of these vessels was part of the larger event of the Jewish exiles being allowed to return home from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild their city and Temple in Jerusalem.
In essence, the verse highlights that a significant number of Temple vessels, valued for their religious and historical significance, were safely transported back to Jerusalem under the supervision of Sheshbazzar as part of the repatriation of the Jewish people after the Babylonian exile.
The return of these items was crucial for restoring Temple worship in Jerusalem and re-establishing Jewish religious life in their homeland. It symbolized the restoration of God's favor and the continuity of their faith after a period of exile and hardship.