Ezra 5:5

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 10:8, -the princes and elders". The LXX. by a strange mistake render -the captivity" (τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν).

God's favour was shewn in that Tattenai did not immediately stop the work, but let it go on until he learned his master's wishes.

that they could not cause them to cease R.V. and they did not make them cease. This gives the original accurately, and corrects the impression produced by the A.V.

till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer R.V. till the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should he returned. Marg. Or, they returned answer. The R.V. corrects the grammatical mistake of the A.V. Both clauses are dependent upon the previous sentence. The governor and his party forebore to stay the work, until (1) the matter had been reported to Darius, (2) Darius's reply had been received by the governor. Then only would they, if it were necessary, interfere.

- And then answer should be returned" or, - And then they returned answer by letter". In the former case the reference is to the answer of the king or of his officials to Tattenai: in the latter case, it is to the final reply of Tattenai, after hearing from the king, to the Jews. Perhaps the former is to be preferred on account of the formal -by letter (nishtewan, cf. Ezra 4:7) concerning it".

concerning thismatter] R.V. concerning it. The A.V. unnecessarily here repeats the word -matter". See Ezra 5:17.