Ezra 4:8-24

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 4:17-24

Here we have, I. The orders which the king of Persia gave, in answer to the information sent him by the Samaritans against the Jews. He suffered himself to be imposed upon by their fraud and falsehood, took no care to examine the allegations of their petition concerning that which the Jews were now doing, but took it for granted that the charge was true, and was very willing to gratify them with an order of council to stay proceedings. 1. He consulted the records concerning Jerusalem, and... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:9

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions ,.... who all signed the letter; namely, the governors of the following nations: the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites ; which were colonies from several parts of Chaldea, Media, and Persia, and were settled in the several cities of Samaria, as several of their names plainly show, as from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:10

And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over ,.... The river Euphrates: and set in the cities of Samaria ; placed there in the room of the Israelites carried captive; this Asnappar was, according to Jarchi and others F12 Kimchi Sepher Shorash. fol. 166. 2. & Vajikra Rabba in ib. T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 94. 1. Sennacherib; but, with Grotius, Shalmaneser; rather he was Esarhaddon, the son of the former, and grandson of the latter; so Dr. Prideaux ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:11

This is the copy of the letter they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king ,.... Which Ezra brought with him from Babylon, and is contained in the five following verses: thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time ; this was the inscription of the letter, or the beginning of it. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:12

Be it known unto the king ,.... The intent of this letter was, that it might be known to the king what follows: that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem ; this they observe partly out of contempt of the Jews, having been lately captive in Babylon, and partly to insinuate what ingratitude they were guilty of; that having got their liberty, and come to Jerusalem, they made use of it to the king's detriment: building the rebellious and the bad city ; as they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:13

Be it known now unto the king ,.... And let it be seriously and thoroughly considered by him and his counsellors: that if this city be builded, and its walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom ; being able to defend themselves against the king's forces, sent to reduce them to their obedience; these three words take in all sorts of taxes and levies on persons, goods, and merchandise: and so thou shall endamage the revenue of the kings ; not only his own,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:14

Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace ,.... Have posts under the king, to which salaries were annexed, by which they were supported, and which they had from the king's exchequer; or "salt" F15 מלח "salem vel sale", Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis. , as in the original, some places of honour and trust formerly being paid in salt; hence, as Pliny F16 Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 7. observes, such honours and rewards were called "salaries": and it was not meet for us to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:15

That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers ,.... That is, his predecessors in the Babylonian monarchy; though, as the Medes and Persians were included in that, and joined the Babylonians in their wars with others, and particularly with the Jews, the records of the Medes and Persians might also be applied to: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved... read more

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