The edict of Cyrus is recorded in the next three verses in the form of a direct quotation; that is, it is presented to the reader as the very words of the message that Cyrus sent out to his people. The quotation is on two levels. It begins with a clause in the usual royal style, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia. Revised Standard Version presents the opening words as a formal introduction to the king’s words that follow. This is the first level of quotation that introduces the message itself. The words of the king in the message are the second level of quotation as Revised Standard Version presents it. A translation of the king’s message should be in a formal style that is appropriate for royal proclamations. Contemporary English Version makes the opening statement personal by using the first person singular pronoun, “I am King Cyrus of Persia.” In some languages the king may refer to himself with the first person plural pronoun, that is, by the royal “we.” In other languages the king refers to himself in the third person singular, for example, “It is Cyrus, the king of Persia, who writes this message.” In yet other languages there is a special set of pronouns that are used only by and about royalty. The text of the message follows the formal opening words that identify the source of the message. Translators should restructure the introduction to the message according to the practice of the receptor culture for reporting messages, and they should use the appropriate pronouns.
The LORD, the God of heaven: Cyrus attributes his success to divine power and not to his own ability. It was the policy of Cyrus to use the titles of the gods of the peoples he had conquered in referring to their gods. Therefore, just as in the first verse above, Cyrus’s message refers to the God of the Jews by the name for God that had been given to the Israelites, that is, YHWH (LORD; see Exo 3.14). Cyrus further identifies this God as the God of heaven, an expression that was especially used by the people of Israel to refer to God in relation to non-Jews (see Gen 24.3; Dan 2.18; Jonah 1.9). For a discussion of names of God, see “Translating Ezra and Nehemiah,” pages 18-19.
Of heaven refers to the dwelling place of God. In Hebrew the form is plural, “of the heavens.” In English either the singular or the plural form may be used, but the singular is the more common. God of heaven may be translated “the God who is in the heavens.” However, for Cyrus heaven was a creation of the high god Ahuramazda and would have referred to the sky. If possible, translators should use a word that could include both the Hebrew and Persian concepts. For example, in the Gbaya language in Africa, “the heavens” are distinguished from “the earth,” so God is identified here as being “of the heavens,” as opposed to being “of the earth.” Translators should be careful not to imply that God is a “sky god.”
All the kingdoms of the earth refers to the world that was known by Cyrus. He claimed in the Cyrus Cylinder, which was found in Babylon (see “Translating Ezra and Nehemiah,” page 6), that he had defeated all other kings and ruled over their kingdoms: “I am Cyrus, king of the world … King of the four rims [of the earth].” A kingdom is a nation or a territory that is ruled over by a king or a queen.
He has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem: The message of the edict is that Cyrus is supposed to build him a house, that is, a house for God in Jerusalem. Cyrus recognized that he had divine leading for this action. God had charged him to do this. This word has the meaning of “commanded” or “commissioned.” New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible say “appointed.” Translators will need to make sure that the pronoun reference to King Cyrus following the verb here (me) is in the appropriate person according to the requirements of royal style in the receptor language. In many languages build will be expressed by a causative verb form; for example, “he has commanded me to cause people to build a house for him” or “… to cause to be built….” The verb should imply building a permanent structure and not a temporary shelter.
A house was a common way to refer to the Temple in Jerusalem, which was considered to be the house of God (Neh 6.10), and many translators will use their normal term for the Temple. It was also referred to as a sanctuary (Neh 10.39). The Temple represented God’s presence among his people (see verse 3 below). Contemporary English Version like Good News Translation makes it explicit that the house is a temple. In many languages “to build a house for him” is understood to mean building a temple where God would be worshiped by his people. In some languages this will require a special pronoun for “him” that refers back to God; that is, Cyrus says that God ordered him (Cyrus) to build a house for him (God).
Jerusalem, which is in Judah was the site of the original Temple of the people of Israel that had been built by King Solomon. Judah was the traditional name of the area around Jerusalem. In the time of King Solomon it was not a part of the Persian Empire.
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .