Ezra 6:1-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 6:1-12

We have here, I. The decree of Cyrus for the building of the temple repeated. To this the Samaritans referred because the Jews pleaded it, and perhaps hoped it would not be found, and then their plea would be over-ruled and a stop put to their work. Search was ordered to be made for it among the records; for, it seems, the tribes had not taken care to provide themselves with an authentic copy of it, which might have stood them in good stead, but they must appeal to the original. It was looked... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 6:13-22

Here we have, I. The Jews? enemies made their friends. When they received this order from the king they came with as much haste to encourage and assist the work as their predecessors had done to put a stop to it, Ezra 4:23. What the king ordered they did, and, because they would not be thought to do it with reluctance, they did it speedily, Ezra 6:13. The king's moderation made them, contrary to their own inclination, moderate too. II. The building of the temple carried on, and finished in a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 6:1

Then Darius the king made a decree ,.... To make inquiry after the edict of Cyrus, to search the public records for it: and search was made in the house of the rolls ; or "books" F18 בבית ספריא , εν ταις βιβλιοθηκαις , Sept. "in bibliotheca", V. L. "in bibliotheca librorum", Tigurine version; "in domo librorum", Pagninus, Montanus. , in a public library or museum: where the treasures were laid up in Babylon ; where things of worth and value were reposited; not only gold,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 6:2

And there was found at Achmetha ,.... Which Jarchi and Aben Ezra take to be the name of a vessel in which letters and writings were put for safety; but it was no doubt the name of a place; the Vulgate Latin version has it Ecbatana; and so Josephus F19 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4. sect. 6. ; which was the name of a city in Media, where the kings of that country had their residence in the summer time F20 Curtius, l. 5. c. 8. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 6. ; for it has its... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 6:3

In the first year of Cyrus the king; the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be builded ,.... See Ezra 1:1 , the place where they offered sacrifices ; to God in times past, ever since it was built by Solomon: and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid ; so as to bear and support the building erected on them, as the word signifies: the height thereof sixty cubits ; which were thirty more than the height of Solomon's... read more

John Gill

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

With three rows of great stones ,.... Which Jarchi interprets of the walls of it, and these stones of marble; and so Ben Melech: and a row of new timber ; of cedar wood upon the rows of stone, see 1 Kings 6:36 or for the lining and wainscoting the walls: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house ; treasury, or exchequer; but it does not appear that this part of the decree was observed, at least hitherto; but the Jews built at their own expense, and perhaps did not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 6:5

And also let the golden and silver vessels ,.... See Ezra 1:7 and which confirms what the Jews said to Tatnai, Ezra 5:14 . read more

John Gill

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

Now therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river ,.... The river Euphrates, that side of it towards the land of Israel; Josephus F26 Ibid. (Antiqu.) l. 11. c. 4. sect. 7. calls this man master of the horse: Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence ; keep at a distance from the Jews, and give them no disturbance, nor interrupt them in their work of building of the temple, but mind your own business and government. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 6:7

Let the work of this house of God alone ,.... Suffer them to go on with it, and do not hinder them; it looks, by these expressions, as if he had some suspicion or hint given him that they were inclined to molest them, or that there were some that stirred them up to it, and were desirous of it: let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in his place ; where it formerly stood; that is, go on with the building of it. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 6:8

Moreover, I make a decree, what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God ,.... This must be considered as an additional decree of Darius, which was peculiarly made by him, in which more was granted in favour of the Jews, and as an encouragement to them to go on with the building of the temple; though Josephus F1 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4. sect. 6. says this is no other than a confirmation of the decree of Cyrus; for, according to him, all that is here... read more

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