Ezr 1:2-4, 6:7-12, 7:11-28, Neh 2:6-10, Isa 49:7, 52:15, 60:3, 10-11, 16, 62:2 | TSK | STEP | Lord God. hath given. 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.

Ezra 1:2-4

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 6:7-12

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 7:11-28

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

Nehemiah 2:6-10

the queen. Heb. the wife.It was probably Esther who was present at this time, and who seconded Nehemiah's request.

So it pleased.

4; 1:11; Isa 58:12; 61:4; 65:24

I set him a time.It is probable that this time was no more than six months, or a year; after which he either returned, or had his leave of absence lengthened, as we find he was twelve years governor of the Jews.

let letters.

that they may.

the wall.

the house.

the king.

18; Ge 32:28; Ezr 5:5; 6:22; 7:6,9,27,28; Pr 21:1; Isa 66:14; Da 1:9

Ac 7:10; 26:22; 2Co 8:16

to the governors.

Now the.

Ezr 8:22

Sanballat.

19; 4:1-3,7; 6:1

Horonite.

Isa 15:5; Jer 48:5,34

the servant.

Pr 30:22; Ec 10:7

the Ammonite.

13:1

it grieved.

Nu 22:3,4; Ps 112:10; 122:6-9; Pr 27:4; Eze 25:6-8

Mic 7:9,10,16,17; Ac 4:2; 5:24; 19:26,27

there was come.

Ezr 4:4-23

Isaiah 49:7

the Redeemer.

48:7; Re 3:7

to him whom man despiseth. or, to him that is despised insoul.

53:3; Ps 22:6-8; 69:7-9,19; Zec 11:8; Mt 26:67; 27:38-44

Lu 23:18,23; Joh 18:40; 19:6,15

to a.

Mt 20:28; Lu 22:27

Kings.

23; 52:15; 60:3,10,16; Ps 2:10-12; 68:31; 72:10,11; Re 11:15

and he.

42:1; Lu 23:35; 1Pe 2:4

Isaiah 52:15

sprinkle.

Nu 8:7; Eze 36:25; Mt 28:19; Ac 2:33; Tit 3:5,6; Heb 9:13,14; 10:22

Heb 11:28; 12:24; 1Pe 1:2

kings.

49:7,23; Job 29:9,10; 40:4; Ps 72:9-11; Mic 7:16,17; Zec 2:13

for.

51:5; 55:5; Ro 15:20,21; 16:25,26; Eph 3:5-9

Isaiah 60:3

the Gentiles.

2:2-5; 11:10; 19:23-25; 45:14; 49:6,12,23; 54:1-3; 66:12,19,20

Ge 49:10; Ps 22:27; 67:1-4; 72:17-19; 98:2,3; 117:1,2; Am 9:12

Mic 4:1,2; Zec 2:11; 8:20-23; Mt 2:1-11; 28:19; Lu 24:47

Joh 12:20,21,32; Ac 13:47; 15:17; Ro 11:11-15; 15:9-12

kings.

10,16; 49:7,23; Ps 2:10; 68:29; 72:11; 138:4; Re 11:15; 21:24

Isaiah 60:10-11

the sons.

61:5; 66:21; Zec 6:15

their kings.

3; 49:23; Ezr 6:3-12; 7:12-28; Ne 2:7-9; Re 21:24,26

in my wrath.

12:1; 54:7,8; 57:17,18; Ps 30:5

Therefore.The subject of this chapter, says Bp. Lowth, is the great increase and flourishing state of the church of God, by the conversion and accession of the heathen nations to it; which is set forth in such ample and exalted terms, as plainly shew that the full completion of this prophecy is reserved for future times. This subject is displayed in the most splendid colours, under a great variety of images highly poetical, designed to give a general idea of the glories of that perfect state of the church of God, which we are taught to expect in the latter times; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and the Jews shall be converted and gathered from their dispersions, and "the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ."

thy gates.

Ne 13:19; Re 21:25

forces. or, wealth.

5; *marg:

Isaiah 60:16

suck the milk.

49:23; 61:6; 66:11,12

thou shalt know.

43:3,4; 66:14; Eze 34:30

Isaiah 62:2

the Gentiles.

49:6; 52:10; 60:1-3; 61:9; 66:12,19; Mic 5:8; Ac 9:15; 26:23

Col 1:23

all kings.

49:23; 60:11,16; Ps 72:10,11; 138:4,5

thou shalt.

4,12; 65:15; Ge 17:5,15; 32:28; Jer 33:16; Ac 11:26; Re 2:17