Ezr 1:1-4, 7-11, 6:1-12, 7:6, 8, 11-28 | TSK | STEP | The proclamation of Cyrus for the building of the temple. The people provide for their return. Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar. Now in the. Cyrus.Cyrus is said to have been the son of Cambyses, king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Media: he was born about 600 years before Christ, and died at the age of 70, after a reign of 30 years. He was mentioned by name, and his conquests foretold, by the prophet Isaiah, about a century before his birth. Josephus states the partiality he evinced towards the Jews, arose from the circumstance of these prophecies being shown him, probably by Daniel. by the mouth. the Lord. made a proclamation. Heb. caused a voice to pass.

Ezra 1:1-4

1 The proclamation of Cyrus for the building of the temple.

5 The people provide for their return.

7 Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar.

Now in the.

Cyrus.Cyrus is said to have been the son of Cambyses, king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Media: he was born about 600 years before Christ, and died at the age of 70, after a reign of 30 years. He was mentioned by name, and his conquests foretold, by the prophet Isaiah, about a century before his birth. Josephus states the partiality he evinced towards the Jews, arose from the circumstance of these prophecies being shown him, probably by Daniel.

by the mouth.

Jer 25:12-14; 29:10; 33:7-13

the Lord.

5:13-15; 6:22; 7:27; Ps 106:46; Pr 21:1; Da 2:1

made a proclamation. Heb. caused a voice to pass.

Mt 3:1-3; Joh 1:23

Lord God.

1Ki 8:27; 2Ch 2:12; Isa 66:1; Jer 10:11; Da 2:21,28; 5:23

hath given.

Jer 27:6,7; Da 2:37,38; 4:25,32; 5:19-21

all the kingdoms.According to the testimony of ancient writers, Cyrus, at this time, reigned over the Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Syrians, Assyrians, Indians, etc., and all lesser Asia.

he hath charged.

Isa 44:26-28; 45:1,12,13

his God.

Jos 1:9; 1Ch 28:20; Mt 28:20

he is the God.

De 32:31; Ps 83:18; Isa 45:5; Jer 10:10; Da 2:47; 6:26; Ac 10:36

let the men.

7:16-18; Ac 24:17; 3Jo 1:6-8

help him. Heb. lift him up.

Ec 4:9,10; Ga 6:2

the freewill.

2:68-70; 1Ch 29:3,9,17

Ezra 1:7-11

Also Cyrus.

5:14; 6:5

Nebuchadnezzar.

2Ki 24:13; 25:13-16; 2Ch 36:7,10,18; Jer 27:21,22; 28:3-6; Da 1:2

Da 5:2,3,23

Sheshbazzar.

11; 5:14,16; Hag 1:1,14; 2:2-4; Zec 4:6-10

chargers of gold.

Nu 7:13,19-89; 1Ki 7:50; 2Ch 4:8,11,21,22; 24:14; Mt 14:8

nine.

Mt 10:29-31

the vessels.

Ro 9:23; 2Ti 2:19-21

five thousand.Instead of 5,400, the enumeration of the articles in ver. 9, 10, only amounts to 2,499; but in the account, Esdras 2:13, 14, the amount is 5,469, as will be evident from the following statements: In Ezra. In Esdras. Gold chargers..... 30 Gold cups......... 1,000 Silver ditto...... 1,000 Silver cups....... 1,000 Knives............ 29 Silver censers.... 29 Gold basons....... 30 Gold vials........ 30 Silver ditto...... 410 Silver vials...... 2,410 Other vessels..... 1,000 Other vessels..... 1,000 _____ _____ Said to be........ 5,400 Total............. 5,469 But only.......... 2,499 _____ _____ Deficiency........ 2,901 Surplus........... 69 It is supposed that they actually amounted to 5,400, but that only the chief of them were specified, the spoons, etc. being omitted.

captivity. Heb. transportation.

Mt 1:11,12

Ezra 6:1-12

1 Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for the advancement of the building.

13 By the help of Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, according to the decree, the temple is finished.

16 The feast of the dedication is kept;

19 and the passover.

and search.

4:15,19; 5:17; Job 29:16; Pr 25:2

rolls. Chal. books.

Ps 40:7; Jer 36:2-4,20-23,29,32; Eze 2:9; 3:1; Re 5:1

laid up. Chal. made to descend.

at Achmetha. or, at Ecbatana, or, in a coffer.[achmta ,] probably from the Persian [chm,] {kham,} "a house for a summer residence," with a prefix, [a,] {aleph,} and the Chaldee termination [ta,] {tha,} most likely denotes Ecbatana, as the Vulgate and Josephus read, the summer residence of the Persian monarchs. It was situated in a mountainous region at the foot of mount Orontes, or Jasonius, according to Ammianus, on the southern confines of Media and Persia, and according to Pliny, 750 miles from Seleucia the Great, 20 miles from the Caspian passes, 450 miles from Susa, and the same from Gazæ Atropatene, and in lat. 37 degrees 45 min., long. 88 degrees, according to Ptolemy. The building of the city is ascribed to Semiramis by Diodorus, but to Deioces by Eusebius, (in Chron. 1.1,) and Herodotus, who states that it was surrounded by seven walls, strong and ample, built in circles one within another, rising each above each by the height of their respective battlements; each being distinguished by a different colour, the first white, the second black, the third purple, the fourth blue, the fifth orange, the sixth plated with silver, and the seventh with gold. The largest of these was nearly the extent of Athens, i.e., 200 furlongs, according to Dion Chrysostom; but Diodorus Siculus states the circumference of Ecbatana to be 250 furlongs. Within the inner circle stood the king's palace and the royal treasury, so much celebrated for its splendour and riches by Polybius. It is highly probable, as D'Anville and Major Rennel suppose, that the present Hamadan, whose ruins attest its former splendour, occupies the site of Ecbatana. It is situated in Al Gebal, at the foot of the lofty mountain Alwend, about 80 leagues from Ispahan, and also from Bagdad.

the first year.

1:1-4; 5:13-15; 2Ch 36:22,23

the place.

De 12:5,6,11-14; 2Ch 2:6; Ps 122:4

the height.

1Ki 6:2,3; 2Ch 3:3,4; Eze 41:13-15; Re 21:16

three rows.

1Ki 6:36

the expenses.

7:20-23; Ps 68:29; 72:10; Isa 49:23; 60:6-10; Re 12:16

the golden.

1:7,8; 5:14; Jer 27:16,18-22; Da 1:2; 5:2

which Nebuchadnezzar.

2Ki 24:13; 25:14,15; 2Ch 36:6,7,10,18; Jer 52:19

brought. Chal. go.

Tatnai.

5:3

your companions. Chal. their societies.

5:6

be ye far.

Ge 32:28; 43:14; Ne 1:11; Ps 76:10; Pr 21:1,30; Isa 27:8

Ac 4:26-28; Ro 8:31

Let the work.

Ac 5:38,39

I make a decree. Chal. by me a decree is made. the king's.

4; 4:16,20; 7:15-22; Ps 68:29-31; Hag 2:8

hindered. Chal. made to cease.

4:21,23; 5:5

young bullocks.

Le 1:3-5,10; 9:2; Ps 50:9-13

lambs.

Ex 29:38-42; Nu 28:1-29:40

wheat.

Le 2:1-16; Nu 15:4-31; 1Ch 9:29

salt.

Le 2:13; Mr 9:49

let it be given.

Isa 49:23

sweet savours. Chal. rest.

Ge 8:21; Le 1:9,13; Eph 5:2

pray.

7:23; Jer 29:7; 1Ti 2:1,2

whosoever.

7:26

timber.

Es 5:4; 7:10

hanged. Chal. destroyed. his house.

2Ki 9:37; 10:27; Da 2:5; 3:29

caused.

Ex 20:24; De 12:5,11; 16:2; 1Ki 9:3; 2Ch 7:16; Ps 132:13,14

destroy.

Ps 5:10; 21:8-10; 137:8,9; Isa 60:12; Ob 1:10; Zec 12:2-4

Ac 5:38,39; 9:5; Re 19:14-21

I Darius.

Es 3:14,15; 8:14

speed.

13; Ec 9:10

Ezra 7:6

a ready.{Sopher mahir} does not merely signify a speedy writer, or an excellent penman, but one eminently skilful in expounding the law, {sophro chochmo,} "a wise scribe," as the Syriac renders.

11,12,21; Ps 45:1; Mt 13:52

scribe.

Ne 8:4,9,13; 12:26,36; Jer 8:8; 1Co 1:20

the law.

De 4:5; 28:1; Mt 28:20; 1Co 15:1; 1Th 4:1,2

granted him.

11-26

according to.

9,28; 6:22; 8:18,22,31; Ge 32:28; Ne 1:10,11; 2:8,12,18; 4:15

Pr 3:6; Isa 50:2; 59:1

Ezra 7:8

Ezra 7:11-28

the copy.

4:11; 5:6

a scribe.

6; Mt 23:2,13; Mr 7:1-13

Artaxerxes.The title of the king would, in Persian, run thus: {Ardsheer shahinshah,} or {padshah,} "Ardsheer, king of kings," i.e., great or supreme king or emperor.

1Ki 4:24; 20:1; Isa 10:8; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37,47; 1Ti 6:15; Re 17:14

Re 19:16

unto Ezra, etc. or, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe ofthe law of the God of heaven, peace, etc. and at such a time.

4:10,11,17

I make.

5:13; 6:1; 2Ch 30:5; Es 3:15; 9:14; Ps 148:6

minded.

1:3; Ps 110:3; Php 2:13; Re 22:17

of the king. Chal. from before the king. seven counsellors.Seven princes of Persia having conspired against and slain the usurper Smerdis, and thus made way for the family of Darius, which afterwards filled the throne, the Persian kings of this race had always seven chief princes as their counsellors, who possessed peculiar privileges, were his chief assistants in the government, and by whose advice all the public affairs of the empire were transacted. The names of these counsellors are given in the parallel place of the book of Esther.

Es 1:14

according.

25,26; De 17:18,19; Isa 8:20

thy God.

1:3; 5:8; 6:12; Da 2:47; 6:20,26

the silver.

6:4,8-10; Ps 68:29,30; 72:10; 76:11; Isa 60:6-9; Re 21:24-26

whose habitation.

6:12; 2Ch 2:6; 6:2,6; Ps 9:11; 26:8; 76:2; 135:21

all the silver.

8:25-28

offering.

1:4,6; 1Ch 29:6,9,17; 2Co 8:12; 9:7

buy speedily.

6:9,10; De 14:24-26; Mt 21:12,13; Joh 2:14

their meat offerings.

offer them.

whatsoever.

that do.

after the will.He gave them the fullest liberty to order every thing according to their own institutions; binding them to no form or mode of worship.

The vessels.

8:27-30,33,34

the God of Jerusalem.

bestow it.

Artaxerxes.

beyond the river.

Ezra the priest.

6,10,11

measures. Chal. cors.

Lu 16:7; *marg:

baths of wine.

Eze 45:14; Lu 16:6; *marg:

salt.

Le 2:13

Whatsoever is commanded. Chal. Whatsoever is of the decree.

13,18

let it be.

Ps 119:4

why should there be wrath.As Artaxerxes believed he was appointed by the Almighty to do this work, he therefore wished to do it heartily; knowing that if he did not, God would be displeased, and that the kingdom would be cut off from him or his posterity.

6:10-12; Zec 12:3

touching any.

7; 2:36-55

the wisdom.

14; 1Ki 3:28; 1Ch 22:12; Ps 19:7; 119:98-100; Pr 2:6; 6:23; Jas 1:5

Jas 3:17,18

set magistrates.

Ex 18:21-25; De 16:18; 1Ch 23:4; 2Ch 19:8-10

beyond the river.That is, "west of the Euphrates," which was beyond with regard to the king of Persia, who was on the east.

6:6

teach ye.

10; 2Ch 17:7-9; Ne 8:1-3,7,8; 9:3; 13:1-3; Mal 2:7; Mt 13:52; 23:2,3

Mr 6:34; Ro 10:14-17

whosoever.

6:11; Da 3:28,29; 6:26

the law of thy God.

2Ch 30:12

whether it be.

Ex 21:1-22:31; Le 20:1-27; De 13:1-18

banishment. Chal. rooting out.

Ps 52:5

Blessed.There is a most amiable spirit of piety in these reflections. Instead of expatiating on the praises of his munificent patron, or boasting of his own services, he blesses God for "putting such a thing in the king's heart;" and for all the assistance and favour shown him by the king and his counsellors.

6:22; 1Ch 29:10-30; Php 4:10

put such.

6:22; Ne 2:12; 7:5; 2Co 8:16; Heb 8:10; 10:16; Jas 1:17; Re 17:17

in the king's heart.

Ne 2:8; Pr 21:1

to beautify.

Isa 60:13

extended.

9:9; Ge 32:28; 43:14; Ne 1:11

his counsellors.

14; Jon 3:7

And I was strengthened.In what the king decreed he saw the hand of God: he therefore gave Him the praise, and took courage.

as the hand.

6,9; 5:5; 8:18; Ne 2:8; 2Ti 4:17,18