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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 4:1-5

We have here an instance of the old enmity that was put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. God's temple cannot be built, but Satan will rage, and the gates of hell will fight against it. The gospel kingdom was, in like manner, to be set up with much struggling and contention. In this respect the glory of the latter house was greater than the glory of the former, and it was more a figure of the temple of Christ's church, in that Solomon built his temple when there was no... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 4:6-16

Cyrus stedfastly adhered to the Jews? interest, and supported his own grant. It was to no purpose to offer any thing to him in prejudice of it. What he did was from a good principle, and in the fear of God, and therefore he adhered to it. But, though his reign in all was thirty years, yet after the conquest of Babylon, and his decree for the release of the Jews, some think that he reigned but three years, others seven, and then either died or gave up that part of his government, in which his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:1

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin ,.... The Samaritans, as appears from Ezra 4:2 , heard that the children of the captivity ; the Jews, who had been in captivity seventy years, and were just come out of it, and still were not quite free, but under the jurisdiction and control of the king of Persia: builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel ; that they were going about it, and had laid the foundation of it, which might soon come to their ears, the distance not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:2

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and the chief of the fathers ,.... These they addressed, as knowing that if they could not prevail with them, they could never succeed in their design; and these were no doubt the principal of the Samaritans that applied: and said unto them, let us build with you ; that is, the temple, they proposed to join with them, and assist them in it; which proposal at first sight might seem very agreeable and welcome, and would have been so had they been sincere, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:3

But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers, said unto them ,.... The prince and high priest, and chief of the people: you have nothing to do with us to build an house to our God ; being neither of the same nation, nor of the same religion: but we ourselves together will build to the Lord God of Israel ; we and we only, who are together as one man, united in one body of people, and in the same religious sentiments, being Israelites; we separately, without... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:4

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building. By threatening them, or by dissuading the workmen from going on, by endeavouring to hinder their having materials from the Tyrians and Zidonians, or money out of the king's revenues to bear the expenses as ordered; see Ezra 6:4 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:5

And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose ,.... Either to advise and persuade the king of Persia's officers in those parts not to supply them with money, or to influence the great men at his court to get the edict revoked: and this they did all the days of Cyrus king of Persia ; who, though the hearty friend and patron of the Jews, yet being engaged in wars abroad with the Lydians and Scythians, and leaving his son as viceroy in his absence, who was no friend unto... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:6

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign ,.... According to Jarchi, this was Ahasuerus the husband of Esther; but, as most think F4 Spanhem. Introduct. Chron. ad Hist. Eccl. p. 54. & Universal History, Vol. 5. p. 203. Prideaux, p. 175. , was Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus; so Josephus F5 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4.) sect. 4,6. Vid. R. David Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 8. 2. So Dr. Lightfoot, Works, vol. 1. p. 139. ; who was an enemy to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:7

And in the days of Artaxerxes ,.... The same with Ahasuerus, in the preceding verse; and who also is Cambyses, which is his name in Heathen authors, Artaxerxes being a common name to the kings of Persia; though some F6 Prideaux's Connect. par. 1. p. 175. Authors of the Universal History, vol. 5. p. 199,203. So Vitringa, Hypotypos. Hist. Sacr. p. 108. think this was Smerdis, the magician and impostor, who was between Cambyses and Darius; but as he reigned but seven months, it is not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:8

Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort. This means the same letter as before; which, according to Jarchi, was sent in the name of Mithredath Tabeel and his company, was endited by Rehum, master of words or sense, and written by Shimshai the scribe, whom he makes to be a son of Haman F9 So Midrash Esther, fol. 85. 3. ; but it was written rather in all their names. read more

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