— that they should not eat of the most holy things.] That is, that they should not partake of the sacrifices offered for sin, nor of the right shoulder of the peace offerings, nor of the shewbread, which were all most holy, and the portion of the priests alone. This shews that "the Tirahatha" possessed great power and authority over them, being able to impose such a restraint on those who had been reputed priests. Bp. Patrick. — till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.] Till there might stand up a priest who could pronounce whether these persons were of the line of Aaron or not, from the revelation of the Divine will by Urim and Thummim. Bp. Patrick. It is evident from this passage, that the Urim and Thummim of the former temple were either burnt with it, or at least lost before this time: whether they were ever afterwards restored, that is, whether God ever raised up a priest after the captivity to whom He declared His will by Urim and Thummim, we are no where informed in holy writ. It is the general tradition of the Jews, that God never did declare His will in this way to any priest after the Babylonish captivity. Dr. Wells. The whole number of the people, &c. The foundations of the temple are laid. Before CHRIST about 536. Chap. IV. ver. 1. — the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin] The Samaritans: the people whom Shalmaneser and Esar-haddon, kings of Assyria, had brought from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, and other places, and had settled in parts of the country formerly inhabited by the ten tribes of Israel; see ver. 2 and 10. They were called Samaritans, from having occupied the city of Samaria and its neighbourhood, and were also called Cutheans, from the country which some of them had formerly inhabited. See the history of the captivity of the ten tribes, and of the settlement of these strangers in their inheritance, in 2 Kings xvii. Bp. Patrick, Collyer. 2. — builded the altar —, to offer burnt offerings] Thus the first thing they did was to restore the altar of burnt offerings, (of which see the description at 2 Chron. iv. 1.) By the expression of the next verse, "they set the altar upon his bases," it seems certain that they rebuilt it on the spot where it formerly stood; and it appears that they daily offered sacrifices upon it, even before any of the rest of the temple was built. Dean Prideaux. The first care of the Jews on their return is their publick sacrifice. That school of captivity in which they had been trained had taught them to begin with God. A forced discontinuance makes devotion more savoury and more sweet to religious hearts; whereas, in an open freedom, piety does too often languish. Bp. Hall. We should well observe, that, as soon as the Jews were returned from Babylon, they set about rebuilding their altars and the temple, in order to perform Divine The altar is set up. CHAP. III. The foundations of the temple are laid. Before CHRIST about 536. b Deut. 12. 8. c Numb. 29. 12. d Exod. 23. 16. the matter of the day in his day. temple of the LORD was not yet founded. workmen. e Acts 9. 30. 538. is b written in the law of Moses the man of God. 2. — we seek your God.] This people had worshipped the true God since the time of Esar-haddon, when lions were sent to infest their country as a chastisement for their idolatry; they had moreover received instruction at that time, by their own desire, from an Israelite priest: but they nevertheless continued to worship images, said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3. — for fear was upon them] The Hebrew particle, which we translate for, has also the sense of although; and this seems to be the meaning here; implying that, although they were in great fear of their evil neighbours, still they were unwilling to desist from restoring the worship of God. Bp. Patrick. 3. — ye have nothing to do with us] You have no just claim to join with us in building a house to our God, nor can we by our religion admit you so to do, as being worshippers of other gods as well as of our God. Dr. Wells. The Jews steadily rejected the proposal made by the Samaritans, to join with them in rebuilding the temple of the God of Israel, and celebrating His worship; and we can discern important reasons, in consequence of which this rejection appears to have been subservient to the purposes of the Divine economy. The interminators of the Samaritans with the Jews might have rendered the accomplishment of the prophecies concerning the family and birth of the Messiah less clear; might have introduced again idolatry among the restored Jews, now completely abhorrent from it, and in various ways defeated the grand objects of Providence in selecting and preserving a peculiar people. In consequence of this rejection, and the alienation it produced, the Jews probably became more vigilant in preserving the strictness, and the Samaritans more zealous in emulating the purity, of the Mosaick ritual. They became hostile and therefore unsuspected guardians and vouchers of the integrity of the sacred text, particularly of the Pentateuch. And while the Jews in general, blinded by their national prejudices, could see in the promised Messiah only a national and temporal deliverer; the Samaritans appear to have judged of His pretensions with more justice and success. And though our Lord visited them only as it were incidentally, yet He was able to declare to them His character and avow His dignity, without that mysterious reserve and jealous caution, which the proneness of the Jewish multitude "to take Him by force and make Him a king" constantly required. And it seems evident that the Samaritans were predisposed and prepared to receive and diffuse the light of the Gospel more than any other description of men, the pious and reflecting part of the Jewish nation only excepted. And thus the circumstance, in the progress of the Jewish dispensation, which at first view might seem to prove it was peculiarly partial or confined, appears in its final result to have materially facilitated the diffusion of true religion in the world, and thus to have been subservient to the general advantage of mankind. Dr. Graves. Before CHRIST about 678. 334. 4. They kept also the feast of tabernacles,] This seventh month, being a month of many solemnities of worship appointed by the Mosaical law, (Numb. xxix,) they began it by the feast of trumpets; then the great day of expiation on the tenth, and the feast of tabernacles on the fifteenth, till the whole was concluded; the morning and evening sacrifices ushering in every day's solemnity, and being constantly offered up from this time forward, and every other festival of the year being punctually observed agreeably to the law. Pyle. VOL. I. and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. 7. — to bring cedar trees from Lebanon &c.] See notes at 1 Kings v. 6. — according to the grant that they had of Cyrus] Cyrus, we may suppose, had specially commanded the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon to afford them their assistance. Bp. Patrick. 8. — of their coming unto the house of God] To the place where the house of God formerly stood. They laid the foundation of the temple, it appears, in the second month of the second year, having of course employed the previous time in preparing the ground and collecting their materials. Bp. Patrick. 9. — Jeshua] Not the high priest, but the Levite mentioned at chap. ii. 40. 12. But many of the priests and Levites — wept with a loud voice;] What different affections do we see produced in men by the same occasion! The younger Jews shouted at this sight, the elder wept. The younger shouted to see a new foundation, the elder wept to remember the old. They who had seen no better, thought this goodly: they who had seen the former, thought this mean and homely, more sorrowing at what they had lost, than rejoicing at so unequal a reparation. Bp. Hall. The old men, who had seen the glory of the first temple, and had no expectation that this, which was now 55. The children of Solomon's servants.] These are supposed to have been descendants of artificers, who were employed in the building of Solomon's temple; and who, becoming proselytes, were, with their children and posterity, appointed by Solomon for its perpetual conservation and reparation. Bp. Patrick. 59. And these were they &c.] The persons here mentioned, as coming out from several towns of Chaldea or Mesopotamia, were probably Israelites, descendants of some of the ten tribes, who, having been carried away captive long before the captivity of Judah, had by length of time, or by some other misfortune, lost the genealogy of their families, and so could not claim a settlement and particular possessions in the land, as the other Israelites did; but still were desirous of living amongst them, and of seeing the worship of God restored. Pyle. 61. — and was called after their name.] This person, it appears, thought it so great an honour to be descended from so noble a family as that of Barzillai, that he chose to be called by that name, which he preferred to his own in the family of the priests; by which vain ambition he lost his title to the priesthood, because he could not regularly make out his descent from the line of the priests. Bp. Patrick. 63. — The Tirahatha] Meaning Zerubbabel, whose title in the Persian language was Tirahatha, that is, 64. The whole congregation together was &c.] The numbers before expressly detailed are considerably smaller than the general sum here mentioned. The difference is probably to be explained by the addition of those mentioned at ver. 61, 62, and others of the common people of the twelve tribes, who could not make out their pedigree. Dr. Wells. It should be observed, how small the sum total here mentioned is, in comparison with the vast multitude which came out from Egypt; yet this number is more than the double of that which was carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar. Bp. Patrick. It is most certain, that, notwithstanding the decree of Cyrus, and others by subsequent Persian kings, for the return of the Jews into their own land, there were a great many who waved the taking advantage of them, and continued still in Chaldea, Assyria, and other Eastern provinces. It is probable too that those who remained were the most affluent and wealthy, as it is natural to suppose that such would be least willing to remove into a desolate country. If we may guess by the example of the family of Aaron, we must conclude that those who staid were much more numerous than those who removed to Judea; for, of the twenty-four courses of the sons of Aaron, it is related at ver. 36, that four only returned. Dean Prideaux. 69. — threescore and one thousand drams of gold.] The richness of these donations, and of those mentioned at chap. viii. 25, shews that the captivity of the Jews in Babylon was not a state of slavery, and that worldly prosperity continued within their reach. The same appears also from the history of Daniel, Nehemiah, and other Jews, who were promoted to great honour in the Assyrian and Persian courts. Bp. Patrick. — drams of gold, — pound of silver.] The "drams of gold" being mentioned together with "pounds of silver," seem to convey the idea of weight: whereas in fact these daraconim, drams, were a Median coin, struck by one of the elder Darius's, and named after him Daricks. The Scholast on Aristophanes says, "The stateras of gold are the Daricks; so called, not from Darius father of Xerxes, but from a more ancient king." This agrees with the older account, 1 Chron. xxix. 6, 7, "the princes of Israel gave—ten thousand drams of gold." These then were golden Daricks, obtained from Persia by commerce. The word, rendered "pound" of silver, is mina, worth sixty shekels, Ezek. xlv. 12; about £7. Script. illust. Expos. Ind. — and one hundred priests' garments.] Such presents of garments would appear singular to us; but, in the East, where to give is to honour, such a present of garments, or of any other usable commodities, is in perfect compliance with established customs. Fragments to Calmet. Chap. III. ver. 1. And when the seventh month was come.] We are no where informed in what month they began their journey from Babylon; but, from chap. vii. 9, we understand it was a journey of four months from thence to Jerusalem; so that we may conclude they began their journey in the first or second month; and, after they had spent some time in settling themselves in their several cities, the seventh month approached or drew nigh, (so the expression here may be rendered,) in which was the season of the first great feast, that occurred after they came to Judea: accordingly they assembled themselves to celebrate it at Jerusalem. Bp. Patrick. Chap. V. ver. 1. — Zechariah the son of Iddo.] The grandson of Iddo; for his father's name was Berachiah. Bp. Patrick. — prophesied unto the Jews] Rather, "prophesied against" them, as the words of the original may be interpreted; for these Prophets reproved them because they did not build the temple. They both prophesied in the second year of Darius, as appears from the beginning of their prophecies; one in the sixth, the other in the eighth month. Bp. Patrick. We should here take notice, that, while the building of the temple was interrupted, God sent His Prophets to encourage the Jews, and to engage them to renew their application to that pious design. Thus it is that God never forsakes His church; He always, when He judges it necessary, commissions faithful ministers to labour in its edification; and we ought on no occasion to be disheartened when our enterprises are just and conformable to the will of God, for His providence will give them a happy issue, though it seem contrary to all appearance. Ostervald. By the death of Artaxerxes, his edict prohibiting the building of the temple became of no effect: still the Jews neglected to resume the work, and on this account God smote their land with barrenness, so that both the vintage and harvest failed them; Hagg. i. 6, 11, &c. Haggai informed them of the cause of this judgment, and exhorted them to perform their duty, which would be the means of averting it: accordingly they again set about the work, and applied themselves with all dis- 5. — all the days of Cyrus &c.] Since by these underhand and subtle dealings of the adversaries of the Jews, the work of the temple was much retarded, and the effect of Cyrus's decree defeated in many particulars; this seems to have been the cause why, in the third year of Cyrus, Daniel gave himself up to mourning and fasting for three weeks together. Daniel died not long afterwards; and in him the Jews lost a powerful advocate at the Persian court. Still, though their enemies derived from this circumstance greater advantage in their designs against them, and though they prevailed to divert those encouragements which Cyrus had ordered for the carrying on of the work, yet in his reign they never were able to put a total stop to it. Dean Prideaux. 6. — in the reign of Ahasuerus.] This Ahasuerus is known in profane history by the name of Cambyses: he began to reign B. C. 529. The name Ahasuerus seems rather to have been a title common to several kings of Media and Persia, than a proper name of any of them. It is evidently compounded of two Persick words, which signify the great chief or prince. Dr. Jennings. 7. — In the days of Artaxerxes.] Otherwise called Smerdis, one of the magi who was made king, and reigned for a few months only. Univ. Hist. — interpreted in the Syrian tongue.] There have been various conjectures of learned men respecting this passage. A probable meaning of the words, "was interpreted in the Syrian tongue," is, that it was translated out of the Syrian tongue into the Persian, or that which was at this time used at the Persian court: the Hebrew words admit of this sense. Pyle. 10. — whom the great and noble Asnapper] Some understand Asnapper to be another name for Shalmaneser, or Esar-haddon, who sent these colonies hither; but perhaps it is more reasonable to suppose he was some great commander, who was entrusted by one or both of those kings to conduct them, and bring them over the 11. — Thy servants — on this side the river, and at such a time.] This is the title of the letter—the letter itself follows. "At such a time." The time was expressed, no doubt, in the original letter; but here it is only noted in general, that the day and year were mentioned when the letter was written. Bp. Patrick. 12. — building the rebellious and the bad city, &c.] The opposition of the Samaritans on this occasion was well-timed. Egypt had revolted from the Persian yoke immediately on hearing of the death of Xerxes. The Samaritans therefore could not have chosen a fairer opportunity to carry their point, or a stronger argument to work upon the king's fears, than the danger, which might result from permitting the Jews to fortify their city, not only of their following the rebellious example of Egypt in refusing to pay tribute, but also of their obstructing the passage of the Persian army to be employed in the reduction of Egypt, either going or returning through Palestine. Dr. Hales. 13. — toll, tribute, and custom.] The distinction between these words has been variously conjectured. One opinion is, that the first word signifies the part which every man paid out of his estate, according to the valuation; the second, that which was paid for every head; and the third, that which was paid for merchandise on the highway. Witsius. 14. — because we have maintenance from the king's palace.] Literally in the original, "Because we are salted with the salt of the palace." As salt is reckoned among the principal necessaries of life, hence, by a very natural figure, it is used for food or maintenance in general. It is said to be still a common expression in the East, to say, "I have eaten the salt of such a person;" meaning "I have been fed by him." Parkhurst. A modern Persian monarch said in a tone of indignation, respecting one of his servants who had attempted 21. Give ye now commandment &c.] Artaxerxes, the king who now reigned, had been a chief leader of the sect of the Magians, to whom the religion of the Jews was in the utmost degree opposed; and the aversion, which he had to them on this account, no doubt contributed to induce him to issue this decree against them. Dean Prideaux. 23. — and made them to cease by force and power.] We learn from hence, that God sometimes permits the most holy undertakings to be retarded, and that His church has often had to contend with artifice and violence. But the sequel will shew us, that He does at length confound the crafty designs of the wicked, that He makes manifest the innocence of His children, and that, after He has tried them, He makes those, who had been their greatest enemies, become their friends. Ostervald. As we see, from this part of Scripture, that God sometimes permits the best undertakings to be opposed, and the best men to be slandered; we discover that it is no new thing to meet with such conduct, and that good men should always bear it with patience. Bp. Wilson. 24. Then ceased the work &c.] Artaxerxes, by whose decree the work of the temple was thus stopt, reigned in all but seven months, and was succeeded by Darius, in whose second year the building was resumed: the 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. 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. 3. — Tatnai, governor on this side the river,] That is, governour of the provinces of Syria and Palestine. Pyle. 3. — 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. 3. — 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. 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. 4. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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; 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. 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.