Ezra 5

Ezra 5:1

JL HEN the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo. The grandchild of Iddo;.for his father’s name was Berachiah., Prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even ttnto them.’] Or rather against them, as the Hebrew w T ords may be interpreted: for they reproved them because they did not build the temple. They both prophesied in the second year of Darius, as appears by the beginning of their prophecies: one in the sixth month, the other in the eighth. This second year of Darius, as Dr. Alix observes to me, was a sabbatic year, from which there were seven weeks, or fortynine days, as well for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, w r hich was in tho twentieth of Artaxerxes, as for settling a right policy in church and state, which was finished by Nehemiah, the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, which was also a sabbatic year. • And from this second of Darius, whom God gave order by these precepts to set upon this work, he thinks, is tho true beginning of the sixty-two weeks, (spoken of, Dan. ix.) till the appearing of the Messiah.

Ezra 5:2

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealliel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem. It had been begun a good while ago, but* went on very slowly, till these great men, excited by the prophets, set the work forward. And with them rvere the jyroj)hets of God helping them.] Calling upon them to labour strenuously in the work: for God was with them, to protect, defend, and prosper them, (Haggai i. 13, 14. ii.4.)‘Ver. 3. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shcthar-boznai, and their companions.] These were men in authority under the king of Persia, who managed the public affairs in these countries; but seem to have been of a better spirit than Behum, and the rest mentioned in the foregoing chapter; who, it is likely, were cither dead, or put out of their places by this new king. Microsoft® CHAP v.] UPON EZRA. And said thus unto them, Wlio hath commanded you to bu\ld this house, and to make zip this wall?~\ They fairly question them by what authority they built the temple, and the wall about it: for they do not mean the wall of the city, which was not building. • Vef. 4. lliensaid we unto them after this manner, Wliat are the names of the men that make this building?] Many take these to be still the w r ords of Tatnai, and his companions. But it is more natural to take them for the answer of the Jews: who not only told them by what authority they built the temple, but also gave them the names of those who were the great undertakers of the work; after which, it is likely, they inquired, ver. 10. But then the word What, is not the note of an interrogation, but is to be translated, We said unto them after this maimer, What were the names, &c. From which place Huetius argues, that he who wrote this chapter was now present when this question was asked, and answer made to it; and therefore Ezra was not the writer: for this was in the second year of Darius, and he did not come, to Jerusalem till the seventh year of Artaxerxes, called Longimanus, (chap. vii. 1. 8.)

Ezra 5:5

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jeics, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius. By the favour and good providence of God, the king’s ministers in those parts became their friends, so far, as not to prohibit them to go on with their work; but referred the matter to the consideration of Darius himself; to whom they make a very fair and honest report of the case. And then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.] The matter being laid before Darius, they received answer from him by letter what should be done in it.

Ezra 5:6

Tlxe copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which Were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king.] The Apharsachites were ono of the nations mentioned before in the formerletter to Artaxerxfcs, (chap. iv. 9.) of which,* perhaps, these two great men were.

Ezra 5:7

They sent a letter unto him, wherein teas written thus: Unto Darius the king, all peace. They seem to write with greater affection than the former did, wishing the king. all prosperity and happiness, which the other did not, but only called themselves his servants, (chap. iv. 11.)

Ezra 5:8

Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province ofJudea, to the house of the great God. So the Jews spake, to distinguish their God from all others, who were the gods only of small countries, every one of which had their particular gods. Which is bnilded with great stones.] The Talmudists, Jarchi, and Kimchi, and others, translate it marble stones, and the LXX. choice stones. And timber is laid in the walls, and this work goethfast on, and prospereth in their hands.] It was advanced so far, and such diligence was used, that if a stop were not put to it, it would be speedily finished. Ver. D. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them, Who commanded yon to build this house, and to make up these walls?

Ezra 5:10

And we asked their na?nes also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. They mado a very diligent inquiry,* that they might give the king a perfect account of the matter, and he might the better judge of it.

Ezra 5:11

And thus* they* returned us answer, saying, We are theservants of the God of heaven and earth, arid build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set tip.] They own their religion which was of very ancient standing; their God having been worshipped many ages ago in this house which was built by Solomon.

Ezra 5:12

But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven untowrath, he gave them into the -hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.] They give them a short account how it came to be destroyed for their sins, and how they were punished on that account.

Ezra 5:13

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. r

Ezra 5:14

And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one ivhose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. -Ver. 15. And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.

Ezra 5:16

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.] These last words shew it had gone on very slowly and negligently ever since the first of Cyrus, they being in a poor condition, and hindered in the work by the Samaritans; after which the people grew r sluggish, being set upon building their own bouses, which they carried on with greater earnestness, than the house of God, as Haggai reproves them. However, in these last verses, the Jews gave Tatnai a faithful account of the whole matter; and he very worthily represented it to the king, as they informed him,- without any addition or diminution of his own. For he did not accuse them of building the walls of Jerusalem; which shews, he and his companions were not their enemies; but impartially wrote what they affirmed to be true.

Ezra 5:17

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure-house, which is there at Babylon. Where the records of the kingdom were kept very carefully, as treasures use to be. 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.] It is likely the elders desired the records might be searched and examined, whether they said true or not; and accordingly, the governors reported their desires to the king, as a speedy way to be satisfied about this matter. For these do not seem to be like the Samaritans in the foregoing chapter, who endeavoured to obstruct the work, but were only desirous to be informed of the truth of what the Jews pretended, that so the building of the temple might either bo permitted or prohibited, according as the king found the grant of Cyrus to be.