Ezra 4

Ezra 4:1

THe adversaries] these were of those wicked Samaritans, and that mixture of Gentiles wherewith the Kings of Assyria had perpled the land which belonged to the ten Tribes, 2 Kings 17:24. who were ever after the Iewes hereditary enemies.

Ezra 4:2

Let us] there was some hidden deceit in this request, pernicious both for the temporall and spirituall: [Esar Haddon] sonne of Sennacherib, 2 Kings 19:37. who sent some new plantation on colonie into this countrey, after the first, which was 2 Kings 17:24. unlesse that which was spoken in that place, were spoken by way of anticipation of time.

Ezra 4:3

You have nothing to doe] you being a prophane people, and; Idolaters, 2 Kings17. 41. can have no part in the building, nor make any use of this Temple.

Ezra 4:4

Weakened] by threatning, deceits, and other meanes they sought to discourage them.

Ezra 4:5

Councellers] to the King of Persia: [Darius] called by historians the sonne ofHystaspes.

Ezra 4:6

Abashuerus] that is to say, of Xerxes, who afterward married Esther, Esther 1:1.

Ezra 4:7

Artaxerxes] surnamed Long hand: [Bishlam] it seemeth to bee some councell composed of the people of the countrey, to which the King sent a president or head, and that which was councelled upon, and agreed by all, is written in the name of the President Rehum only, and the secretary.

Ezra 4:9

Then] it seemeth that Ezra sets down the very words of the records of Persia, in which it was set down when, and by whom the said letter was written; whose originall was kept in the chamber of publick records: [the Dinaites] names of severall nations with which the land of Israel was peopled by the Assirians, of whose deputies the said councell was composed.

Ezra 4:10

Asnapper] this name is not elsewhere, and it is likely that it was some Captain or principall officer of Esarhaddon, v. 2 [and at such a time] the Italian hath, &c.the Chaldaick text hath a certaine word which signifieth, hitherto, and it seems to be a cutting off of some speech which is not needfull to be set down at length. Others think it is the date of the letters.

Ezra 4:14

Dishonour] namely that his Maiesty bee despised, by a bold contempt, and refusall of obedience.

Ezra 4:15

Thy fathers] the Italian, predecessors, Kings of Assiria and Babylon, whom the Persians succeeded.

Ezra 4:24

Darius] who was surnamed Spurius, or Bastard.