INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 6 Darius, on receiving the letter from his officers in Samaria, searched for the decree of Cyrus, and found it, and which he confirmed, Ezra 6:1 and made a fresh decree, and ordered expenses to be given out of his tribute for the building of the temple, and for the sacrifices o... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN DARIUS THE KING MADE A DECREE,.... To make inquiry after the edict of Cyrus, to search the public records for it: AND SEARCH WAS MADE IN THE HOUSE OF THE ROLLS; or "books" r, in a public library or museum: WHERE THE TREASURES WERE LAID UP IN BABYLON; where things of worth and value were repos... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS FOUND AT ACHMETHA,.... Which Jarchi and Aben Ezra take to be the name of a vessel in which letters and writings were put for safety; but it was no doubt the name of a place; the Vulgate Latin version has it Ecbatana; and so Josephus s; which was the name of a city in Media, where the k... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FIRST YEAR OF CYRUS THE KING; THE SAME CYRUS THE KING MADE A DECREE CONCERNING THE HOUSE OF GOD AT JERUSALEM, LET THE HOUSE BE BUILDED,.... See Ezra 1:1, THE PLACE WHERE THEY OFFERED SACRIFICES; to God in times past, ever since it was built by Solomon: AND LET THE FOUNDATIONS THEREOF BE STR... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THREE ROWS OF GREAT STONES,.... Which Jarchi interprets of the walls of it, and these stones of marble; and so Ben Melech: AND A ROW OF NEW TIMBER; of cedar wood upon the rows of stone, see 1 Kings 6:36 or for the lining and wainscoting the walls: AND LET THE EXPENSES BE GIVEN OUT OF THE KING... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALSO LET THE GOLDEN AND SILVER VESSELS,.... See Ezra 1:7 and which confirms what the Jews said to Tatnai, Ezra 5:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE TATNAI, GOVERNOR BEYOND THE RIVER,.... The river Euphrates, that side of it towards the land of Israel; Josephus z calls this man master of the horse: SHETHARBOZNAI, AND YOUR COMPANIONS THE APHARSACHITES, WHICH ARE BEYOND THE RIVER, BE YE FAR FROM THENCE; keep at a distance from the J... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE WORK OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD ALONE,.... Suffer them to go on with it, and do not hinder them; it looks, by these expressions, as if he had some suspicion or hint given him that they were inclined to molest them, or that there were some that stirred them up to it, and were desirous of it: LET T... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, I MAKE A DECREE, WHAT YE SHALL DO TO THE ELDERS OF THESE JEWS, FOR THE BUILDING OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD,.... This must be considered as an additional decree of Darius, which was peculiarly made by him, in which more was granted in favour of the Jews, and as an encouragement to them to go on w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT WHICH THEY HAVE NEED OF, BOTH YOUNG BULLOCKS, AND RAMS, AND LAMBS, FOR THE BURNT OFFERINGS OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN,.... All which were used for burnt offerings, see Leviticus 1:2 WHEAT, SALT, WINE, AND OIL; "wheat", or "fine flour", for the "minchah" or meat offering; "salt", for every offeri... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY MAY OFFER SACRIFICES OF SWEET SAVOURS UNTO THE GOD OF HEAVEN,.... Such as will be acceptable to him, Genesis 8:21 AND PRAY FOR THE LIFE OF THE KING, AND OF HIS SONS; prayer being wont to be made at the time of the morning and evening incense; and the Jews used to pray for other people bes... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO I HAVE MADE A DECREE, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL ALTER THIS WORD,.... Act contrary to this command, will not obey it, but as much as in him lies changes and revokes it: LET TIMBER BE PULLED DOWN FROM HIS HOUSE, AND BEING SET UP, LET HIM, BE HANGED THEREON; that is, let a beam be taken from it, and a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GOD THAT HATH CAUSED HIS NAME TO DWELL THERE,.... Whose name is not only called upon there, and that called by his name; but who grants his presence, and causes his Shechinah, or divine Majesty, to dwell there, as in Solomon's temple, which Darius had some knowledge of: DESTROY ALL KINGS AN... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN TATNAI, GOVERNOR ON THIS SIDE THE RIVER, SHETHARBOZNAI, AND THEIR COMPANIONS,.... Having received and read the above letter: ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH DARIUS THE KING HAD SENT, SO THEY DID SPEEDILY; acquainted the Jews with what the king had written; were so far from hindering the work going for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS BUILDED,.... Went on with the building of the temple: AND THEY PROSPERED THROUGH THE PROPHESYING OF HAGGAI THE PROPHET AND ZECHARIAH THE SON OF IDDO; or grandson, as before; being animated and encouraged by them; and as they foretold and promised it would, be, so it was;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS HOUSE WAS FINISHED ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE MONTH ADAR,.... The twelfth month of the year with the Jews, and answers to part of our February and part of March: WHICH WAS IN THE SIXTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF DARIUS THE KING; four years after the decree came forth.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... Those of the ten tribes that remained after the body of the people were carried captive, or came with the Jews at their return: THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES, AND THE REST OF THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY; those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin: KEPT THE DEDICATION... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OFFERED, AT THE DEDICATION OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD, AN HUNDRED BULLOCKS, TWO HUNDRED RAMS, FOUR HUNDRED LAMBS,.... Hecatombs of various sorts, which were always reckoned grand sacrifices, even among Heathens, of which Homer sometimes speaks; some of these were for burnt offerings, and others peace... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SET THE PRIESTS IN THEIR DIVISIONS, AND THE LEVITES IN THEIR COURSES, FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD WHICH IS AT JERUSALEM,.... All in their proper classes and courses, to do the work of the temple at Jerusalem in their turns: AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF MOSES; see Numbers 3:6, from hence it i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY KEPT THE PASSOVER UPON THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH. The month Nisan or Abib, which was the month following that in which the temple was finished, Ezra 6:15, this passover was kept at the exact time the law commanded, Exodus 12:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES WERE PURIFIED TOGETHER, ALL OF THEM WERE PURE,.... They were all to a man pure, and all purified as one man; all were of one mind to purify themselves, and took care to do it, and did it with as much dispatch as if only one man was purified; so that they were more gen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHICH WERE COME AGAIN OUT OF CAPTIVITY,.... The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with some of the ten tribes mixed with them: AND ALL SUCH AS HAD SEPARATED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM, FROM THE FILTHINESS OF THE HEATHEN OF THE LAND, TO SEEK THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, DID EAT; such of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KEPT THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SEVEN DAYS WITH JOY,.... Which immediately followed upon the passover, Exodus 12:18, FOR THE LORD HAD MADE THEM JOYFUL; the building of the temple being finished, and the service of it restored to its original purity; AND TURNED THE HEART OF THE KING OF ASSYR... [ Continue Reading ]