Ezra 4:24-5:1,Daniel 10:1-13,Haggai 1:1-15

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:1-24

BACK TO THE HOMELAND CYRUS’ PROCLAMATION (Ezra 1:0 ) Babylon has had its days, and with its downfall has come that of the Assyrian Empire. The Medes and Persians, with Cyrus at their head, are now in power, and in the providence of God, Daniel, the Jewish prophet and statesman, has influence at this court, as in that of Nebuchadnezzar. By a study of the earlier prophets, especially Jeremiah, he has become aware that the time is nigh for the captivity of Judah to end and his people to... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Ezra 4:1-24

Ezra 4:0 1. Now when the adversaries [Samaritans] of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2. Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God as ye do [hypocrisy]; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur [he ended his reign b.c. 668], which brought us up hither. 3. But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Ezra 4:17-24

The accomplishment of their wicked purpose may serve to show us how the Lord is pleased sometimes, for the exercise of faith in his people, to let the enemy triumph. And when the short-lived victories of our deadly foes have this blessed effect upon our hearts to make us more sensible of our nothingness, and to make Jesus and his fulness more precious; even our foes become instruments in the Lord's hand to his glory and our greater good. When the Jews had nailed Jesus to the cross, how... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Ezra 4:24

REFLECTIONS WE have a very beautiful instruction given us by the Holy Ghost, in what this chapter holds forth to us of the opposition the people of God receive from false friends, as well as open enemies, in the progress of the divine life. They that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. It is a mark of the Christian character, and impossible wholly to avoid it. But, my brother, in the spiritual building, whether far advanced in the superstructure, or whether the foundation... read more

George Haydock

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:24

House. They went beyond the order, which only forbade the building of the city, ver. 21. --- Darius, the year of the world 3485. (Calmet) --- He was the son of Hystaspes, (St. Jerome) and not Nothus, the sixth from Cyrus, as Sulpitius and Scalinger believe. (Tirinus) read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:6-24

6-24 It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences. All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they should encourage the adversaries of the church. The world is ever ready to... read more

Frank Binford Hole

F. B. Hole's Old and New Testament Commentary - Ezra 4:1-99

Ezra 4 IN THE OPENING verses of chapter 4, another striking feature comes into view. As is always the case when a work of God takes place, there were adversaries, and their first move had in it a strong element of flattery, and was therefore a very seductive one. They came with the profession of seeking and serving the true God, and so they offered to assist in the building of the house, as being partners in the work. This brought to light a fifth feature marking this revival a feature of... read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - Ezra 4:11-24

The Letter To Artaxerxes v. 11. This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king, at least a summary of the contents, if not an exact copy. Thy servants, the men on this side the river, and at such a time, that is, "and so forth," all the compliments of the introduction being omitted. v. 12. Be it known unto the king that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, they had been returning from Babylon for a matter of some seventy years... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - Ezra 4:1-24

B.—THE INTERRUPTION AND AN ORIGINAL DOCUMENT RESPECTING THE MACHINATIONS OF THE ENEMIESEzra 4:1-24I. The Interruption of the Building of the Temple. Ezra 4:1-51Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and 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... read more

Frederick Brotherton Meyer

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - Ezra 4:11-24

the Enemy’s Short-Lived Triumph Ezra 4:11-24 The promoters of this letter were descendants of the heathen colonists who had been sent into the land by the Assyrians, 2 Kings 17:24 . It was written to the then reigning monarch, Artaxerxes, which Ezra seems to have copied from the records of Persia, because it stands in the original in the Chaldee language. Notice that now the Israelites are first called Jews, i.e ., Judahites, Ezra 4:12 . They urge that the Temple-building should be stayed... read more