Ezra 5:1-2. The Voice of the Prophets and the National Revival 1. _Then the prophets_ R.V. NOW THE PROPHETS. The beginning of a new paragraph, cf. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 2:1; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 4:1. _Haggai the prophet_ After -the prophets", immediately preceding, this designation seems superfluous. But a comp... [ Continue Reading ]
_Zerubbabel Jeshua_ see notes on Ezra 3:1; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 4:3. _began to build_ The building had been begun in the second year of Cyrus, 537 6 (chap. Ezra 3:8; Ezra 3:10; Ezra 5:16). The work was now recommenced. The voice of the prophets supplied the needed encouragement. The effect of Haggai's wi... [ Continue Reading ]
The Complaint against the Jews 3. _And_ Omit R.V. Not in the original. _Tatnai, governor on_this _side the river_ R.V. TATTENAI, THE GOVERNOR BEYOND THE RIVER. Tattenai appears as Sisinnes in Esther 6:3, as Θανθεναὶ in the LXX. The name is not found except in this connexion. He was governor (probab... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then said we unto them_, &c. R.V. THEN SPAKE WE UNTO THEM AFTER THIS MANNER, WHAT, &c. Margin, -Or, _Then spake we unto them after this manner. What_, said they, _are the names_", &c. -Or, according to some ancient versions, _Then spake they unto them_, &c. See Ezra 5:10." (_a_) The reading follow... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the eye of their God_ Cf. Deuteronomy 11:12, -a land which God careth for; the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it"; Psalms 33:18, -The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him"; Psalms 34:15, -The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous". _upon the elders of the Jews_ Cf. Ezra 10:... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tatnai, the governor on_this _side the river_ R.V. TATTENAI, THE GOVERNOR BEYOND THE RIVER, AND SHETHAR-BOZENAI. See note on Ezra 5:3. _the Apharsachites, which_were _on_this _side the river_ R.V. THE APHARSACHITES WHICH WERE BEYOND THE RIVER. Who the Apharsachites of the -Abhar Nahara" were is no... [ Continue Reading ]
_a letter_ In Ezra 5:6 called in the Aramaic -iggarta" (cf. ἀγγαρεύω), here -pithgama" (cf. Ezra 4:17), the more official designation. _all peace_ Literally -peace, the completeness or entirety". The two words in apposition. -Peace in every respect.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the province of Judea_ R.V. THE PROVINCE OF JUDAH. On -the province" see Ezra 2:1. The A.V. gives the title -Judea", which belongs to a later time, as the name of a country inhabited by the Jews. It occurs first in the Apocrypha (Tob 1:18; 1Ma 3:34; Malachi 1:10; Malachi 1:10, &c.). -Judah" occurs... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who commanded …, and to make up_ R.V. WHO GAVE … A DECREE, … AND TO FINISH. Cf. on Ezra 5:3. _these walls_ R.V. - THIS WALL " as in Ezra 5:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
_We asked their names_ R.V. WE ASKED THEM THEIR NAMES. So the Aramaic. For the names of the Elders, cf. Ezra 2:2. _the chief of them_ R.V. AT THE HEAD OF THEM. Literally -at or in the heads of them". The R.V. renders as if the word was in the singular; cf. 2 Chronicles 20:27, -Then they returned, e... [ Continue Reading ]
_We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth_ The words of this profession are very emphatic in the original. _the God of heaven and earth_ i.e. the God not of one kingdom only, but of the whole world, not of terrestrial supremacy alone, but of heavenly as well: see on chap. Ezra 1:2. _buil... [ Continue Reading ]
_after that_ So R.V., R.V. marg. - _because that_". The purpose of the passage is to account for the destruction of the Temple and the captivity of God's people. The conjunction is not temporal, but causal: -for this reason, namely, that &c." The rendering of the R.V. margin is preferable. _provoke... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cyrus the king of Babylon_ Cyrus so called frequently in the Inscriptions: cf. Artaxerxes king of Babylon, Nehemiah 13:6, and Darius king of Assyria, Ezra 6:22. the same _king Cyrus_ R.V. CYRUS THE KING: see on Ezra 1:1-2.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the vessels also of gold and silver_ R.V. AND THE GOLD AND SILVER VESSELS. See note on Ezra 1:7-11. _into the temple of Babylon_ See note on Ezra 1:7, -the house of his gods", i.e. the great temple at Babylon, which Nebuchadnezzar had restored. _Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor_ Literal... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then came the same Sheshbazzar_ The work here ascribed to Sheshbazzar is evidently that over which Zerubbabel presided in chap. 3. _the foundation_ R.V. - THE FOUNDATIONS "; so the Aramaic and Ezra 4:12. _since that time_&c. A sentence showing that the cessation of the work mentioned in Ezra 4:5;... [ Continue Reading ]
_if_it seem _good to the king_ A similar phrase in Ezra 7:18; Esther 1:19. _in the king's treasure house_ which apparently was the repository of important documents as well as of treasure. The expression occurs again in Esther 3:9; Esther 4:7. The word rendered -treasure" (ginzayya) is rendered by -... [ Continue Reading ]