Ezra 4:5-7

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 4:5

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:5

Hired counsellors - They found means to corrupt some of the principal officers of the Persian court, so that the orders of Cyrus were not executed; or at least so slowly as to make them nearly ineffectual. Until the reign of Darius - This was probably Darius the son of Hystaspes. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:6

In the reign of Ahasuerus - This is the person who is called Cambyses by the Greeks. He reigned seven years and five months; and during the whole of that time the building of the temple was interrupted. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:7

In the days of Artaxerxes - After the death of Cambyses, one of the Magi named Oropaestus by Trogus Pompeius, Smerdis by Herodotus, Mardus by Aeschylus, and Sphendatates by Ctesias, usurped the empire, feigning himself to be Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses, who had been put to death. This is the person named Artaxerxes in the text: or, following the Hebrew, Artachshasta. It is generally believed, that from the time of Cyrus the great, Xerxes and Artaxerxes were names assumed by the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 4:4-16

The world's opposition to the Church. We observe, in reference to the world's opposition to the Church— I. THAT IT OFTEN SEEKS TO HINDER USEFUL ENTERPRISE , These Samaritans sought to "trouble them in building" ( Ezra 4:4 ). As Israel was employed in rebuilding the ruined temple, so the Church is engaged in erecting a great spiritual temple; this noble enterprise is hindered by the varied enmity of the world. The moral building is hindered as well by the pleasures as... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezra 4:4-16

The world's opposition to the Church. We observe, in reference to the world's opposition to the Church— I. THAT IT OFTEN SEEKS TO HINDER USEFUL ENTERPRISE , These Samaritans sought to "trouble them in building" ( Ezra 4:4 ). As Israel was employed in rebuilding the ruined temple, so the Church is engaged in erecting a great spiritual temple; this noble enterprise is hindered by the varied enmity of the world. The moral building is hindered as well by the pleasures as... read more

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