Chap. VI. ver. 2. — was found at Achmetha.] It would seem that they searched in vain at Babylon, and therefore searched at this place, afterwards called Ecbatana, where the kings of Persia sometimes held their court. Bp. Patrick.

Chap. VII. ver. 1. Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes] The temple worship at Jerusalem, and the free enjoyment of the Jewish religion, having now continued without any considerable interruption for nearly threescore years, (fifty-eight years, see the dates in the margin,) through the reigns of the Persian monarchs, Xerxes and Darius; in the seventh year of the next successor, Artaxerxes Longimanus, the Jews, as is here related, obtained further favour and privileges from the Persian crown, by means of Ezra, who was of the line of Aaron, descended from the heads of that line who are mentioned in the following verses. Pyle.

— son of Seraiah] He was not immediately the son of Seraiah, but descended from him; perhaps his grandson, or great grandson. Seraiah perished when Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldeans, 2 Kings xxv. 18, 21. Bp. Patrick. Ezra could not be the immediate son of Seraiah: for, if he had been only one year old at his death, he would now have been aged 132; and we find him alive in the time of Nehemiah, fifteen years afterwards.

— which is in thine hand;] In which thou art so well versed. Dr. Wells.

— and the law of the king,] By the law of the king is here meant this decree, which was now made in favour of the Jews, giving them authority to exercise their own laws again. When matters could not be determined by the Divine laws, they were to be judged by the king’s laws. Bp. Patrick.

Chap. VIII. ver. 2. — Daniel.] Not the celebrated Prophet of this name, but some eminent person of Ithamar’s family. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra 5:2

2. — began to build the house of God] The work had been begun before, but made little progress, till these great men, encouraged by the Prophets, again set it in forwardness. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra 5:3

3. — Tatnai, governor on this side the river,] That is, governour of the provinces of Syria and Palestine. Pyle.

4. — the breadth thereof threescore cubits;] It has been before stated at note on chap. iii. 12, that the dimensions of the new temple were the same as those of Solomon’s temple; for the latter seems to have been built on the very same foundations with the former. Still it may seem that Cyrus’s commission makes the new temple broader, as it allows it sixty cubits in breadth, whereas Solomon’s temple had only twenty cubits in breadth. It should be observed, however, that these measures seem to be applied to different parts of the two temples. The twenty cubits breadth of Solomon’s temple was only the breadth of the temple proper, measuring from the inside of the walls. The sixty cubits breadth, on the other hand, mentioned in Cyrus’s commission, was the breadth, not of the temple proper, but of the whole building enclosing it, containing different apartments and galleries. The outward breadth of this whole build-

ing was seventy cubits; and thus, if we allow five cubits respectively for the breadth of the outer walls, we obtain the breadth measured from the inside of the walls to be such as is here described. Dean Prideaux.

3. The son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth.] In this genealogy six generations are omitted between Azariah and Meraioth, which are to be supplied from 1 Chron. vi. 7, &c. These are probably omitted for the sake of brevity. Bp. Patrick.

4. — by genealogy of the males] The males only are here numbered, and no notice taken of the women and children, ver. 21, which, without doubt, greatly increased the number. Pyle.

Ezra 5:4

4. Then said we unto them &c.] In the Greek, Syriack, and Arabick translations, the words are, “Then said they unto them;” that is, Tatnai and those with him said to the Jews. Dr. Wells. If the word we be the true reading, there should be no interrogation; but the sense must be, “We (the Jews) said or told unto them after this manner, what were the names, &c.” Bp. Patrick.

5. With three rows of great stones,] This agrees with the description of Solomon’s building his temple at † Kings vi. 35, &c. for there seems no doubt that Cyrus gave his commission after that pattern, having probably consulted the Jews that were about him for that express purpose. Dr. Lightfoot.

Ezra 5:5

5. But the eye of their God] By the favour and good providence of God, the king’s ministers in these parts became their friends so far as not to prohibit their proceeding with their work, but referred the matter to the consideration of Darius himself, to whom they made a fair and honest report of the case. Bp. Patrick.

— returned answer] As follows at chap. vi.

Ezra 5:6

6. — he was a ready scribe] He calls himself a scribe, from his declaring and explaining the things contained in the Scriptures. The word in the original signifies one skilled and learned in that which was the Book by way of eminence, a teacher and expounder of it: and he was a ready scribe, because he was peculiarly expert and understanding in the law, both in matters which

related to the priesthood, and to the civil authority. Bp. Patrick.

— the king granted him all his request,] It is scarcely probable that this uncommon favour was obtained by ordinary means; and it seems to have been granted at the solicitation of Esther. It was usual for the kings of Persia to allow, on some particular occasions, their favourites to ask what boons they pleased; and it is probable that, by the direction of Mordecai, she embraced some favourable opportunity of asking this of the king. Dean Prideaux. This observation supposes the history of the book of Esther to refer to this period: respecting which see the Introduction to that book.

— according to the hand of the Lord his God] Meaning, that God was so favourable to him as to incline the king to give a favourable answer to his petition. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra 5:8

8. — the house of the great God,] Such was the expression of the Jews, to distinguish their God from all idols, who were supposed to be the gods of particular countries. Bp. Patrick.

Darius’s decree in the Jews’ favor. Before CHRIST 536.

is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

CHAP. VI.

Ezra 5:9

9. — upon the first day of the first month] On the first day of the first month he went from Babylon to the river Ahava, where he spent three days in taking a view of the people that accompanied him, chap. viii. 15. After eight days more, part of which they spent in prayer and fasting, they proceeded on their journey, chap. viii. 21, 22, 31. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra 5:11

11. — and being set up, let him be hanged thereon;] It is the opinion of some, that these words should be translated, agreeably to the sense of the Greek version, “and standing let him be beat upon it,” that is, according to the modern expression, “whipped at the post,” as was the manner among the Persians and other nations. In the subsequent words it is ordered, that his house when pulled down should not be built up again, but the place where it stood be made a dunghill. Thus it was customary among the Romans to pull down the houses of very wicked persons, for their greater disgrace. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra goeth up to Jerusalem. The gracious commission Before CHRIST 457. # CHAP. VII.

Ezra 5:12

12. Artaxerxes, king of kings,] Artaxerxes had several kings subject to him. Bp. Patrick.

— at such a time.] Here, as at chap. iv. 10, the time, we must suppose, was specified in the original instrument, although it is expressed generally.

Ezra 5:13

13. And of the last sons of Adonikam.] By “the last sons of Adonikam” seem to be meant those of the descendants of Adonikam who went up with Ezra, to distinguish them from others of the same family who had before gone to Jerusalem. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra 5:14

14. — and of his seven counsellors,] This decree had the greater authority, as being by the advice of his seven counsellors; for these were the principal men of the kingdom, as appears from Esth. i. 14. Bp. Patrick.

of Artaxerxes CHAP. VII. VIII. to Ezra. and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

Ezra 5:15

15. — the river that runneth to Ahava:] There seems to have been a river of this name, ver. 21, as well as a town. The river probably ran into the Euphrates, and the town stood where the union of the two rivers took place. Bp. Patrick. According to another opinion, the river Ahava is that which ran along the Adiabene, where the river Diava or Adiava is known to be, on which Ptolemy places the city of Abane or Asvane. This is probably the country called at 2 Kings xvii. 24, Ava, from which the kings of Assyria transferred the people called Avites into Palestine. Ezra, intending to pick up as many Israelites as he could to carry back to Judea, made a halt in the country of Ava or Ahava, whence he sent emissaries into the Caspian mountains, to invite such Jews as might there be found to come and join him. Calmet. — and there abode we in tents three days:] In a similar manner the caravans are wont to encamp four or five leagues from Bagdad, upon an arm of the Tigris, for some days, to see whether they have got all things necessary for so long a journey, and whether nobody is left behind. Sir J. Chardin. — found there none of the sons of Levi.] No Levites, properly so called; none of the sons of Levi who were not priests: the want of these to attend upon the priests was likely to prove a great defect in the temple service. Pyle.

Ezra 5:16

16. Then sent I for Eliezer, &c.] Accordingly, he sends eleven of the principal persons of his company to Iddo, a very considerable man at Casiphia, a place of the Babylonish province, where he knew there were a great number of the families of the Levites residing, desiring him to use all his influence to send a number of them, and the inferior officers called Nethinim, to go with him to Jerusalem. Pyle. Or, by “the place Casiphia,” ver. 17, may be meant, mount Caspius, near the Caspian sea, between Media and Hyrcania, where were many captives. Calmet.

Ezra 5:22

22. Unto an hundred talents of silver,] Amounting to the sum of about £35,350, according to Bishop Cumberland’s computation of the Hebrew silver talents; but, whether these or any other talents were meant, cannot be ascertained. Pyle.

Ezra 5:23

23. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, &c.] Jacobus Capellus says of these words, that they ought to be written on the palaces of kings in letters of gold, and engraven on the hearts of all the faithful with a pen of adamant. So strong a sense of God’s supreme authority do they express, and so clearly do they mark out the regard that is due from the greatest kings and potentates to His most sacred commands. Bp. Patrick.

Ezra 5:26

26. And whosoever will not do &c.] It appears from this verse that Artaxerxes gave the Jews liberty to live by

Ezra 5:27

27. Blessed be the Lord God] Ezra, having recorded the gracious edict which has just been given, was so penetrated with the goodness of God in inspiring the Persian king with such a favourable disposition, that he could not refrain from breaking forth in the expressions of thankfulness to God which here follow. Dr. Wells. Ezra’s thanksgiving to God for putting it into the heart of the king and his counsellors to favour the Jews,

The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon. Before CHRIST about 457. custody of the priests. 31 From Ahava they come to Jerusalem. 33 The treasure is weighed in the temple. 36 The commission is delivered. THESE are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.