_THEN DARIUS THE KING MADE A DECREE, AND SEARCH WAS MADE IN THE HOUSE OF THE ROLLS, WHERE THE TREASURES WERE LAID UP IN BABYLON._ Darius the king. This was Darius Hystaspes. Great and interesting light has been thrown on the history of this monarch and the transactions of his reign by the decipherm... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THERE WAS FOUND AT ACHMETHA, IN THE PALACE THAT IS IN THE PROVINCE OF THE MEDES, A ROLL, AND THEREIN WAS A RECORD THUS WRITTEN:_ There was found at Achmetha, х_ Bª-'ACHMAªTAA'_ (H307). The margin of our English Bible has 'in a coffer.' But it is expressly said by the Septuagint, en polei, in a... [ Continue Reading ]
_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, THE PLACE WHERE THEY OFFERED SACRIFICES, AND LET THE FOUNDATIONS THEREOF BE STRONGLY LAID; THE HEIGHT THEREOF THREESCORE CUBITS, AND THE BREADTH THEREOF THRE... [ Continue Reading ]
_MOREOVER I MAKE A DECREE WHAT YE SHALL DO TO THE ELDERS OF THESE JEWS FOR THE BUILDING OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD: THAT OF THE KING'S GOODS, EVEN OF THE TRIBUTE BEYOND THE RIVER, FORTHWITH EXPENCES BE GIVEN UNTO THESE MEN, THAT THEY BE NOT HINDERED._ Of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the r... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THAT WHICH THEY HAVE NEED OF, BOTH YOUNG BULLOCKS, AND RAMS, AND LAMBS, FOR THE BURNT OFFERINGS OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN, WHEAT, SALT, WINE, AND OIL, ACCORDING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF THE PRIESTS WHICH ARE AT JERUSALEM, LET IT BE GIVEN THEM DAY BY DAY WITHOUT FAIL:_ No JFB commentary on these verses... [ Continue Reading ]
_ALSO I HAVE MADE A DECREE, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL ALTER THIS WORD, LET TIMBER BE PULLED DOWN FROM HIS_ _ HOUSE, AND BEING SET UP, LET HIM BE HANGED THEREON; AND LET HIS HOUSE BE MADE A DUNGHILL FOR THIS._ Whosoever shall alter this word. The warning was specially directed against the turbulent and f... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE GOD THAT HATH CAUSED HIS NAME TO DWELL THERE DESTROY ALL KINGS AND PEOPLE, THAT SHALL PUT TO THEIR HAND TO ALTER AND TO DESTROY THIS HOUSE OF GOD WHICH IS AT JERUSALEM. I DARIUS HAVE MADE A DECREE; LET IT BE DONE WITH SPEED._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN TATNAI, GOVERNOR ON THIS SIDE THE RIVER, SHETHAR-BOZNAI, AND THEIR COMPANIONS, ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH DARIUS THE KING HAD SENT, SO THEY DID SPEEDILY._ Then Tatnai ... did speedily. A concurrence of favourable events is mentioned as accelerating the restoration of the temple, and infusing a n... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS BUILDED, AND THEY PROSPERED THROUGH THE PROPHESYING OF HAGGAI THE PROPHET AND ZECHARIAH THE SON OF IDDO. AND THEY BUILDED, AND FINISHED IT, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL, AND ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF CYRUS, AND DARIUS, AND ARTAXERXES KING OF PER... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THE PRIESTS, AND THE LEVITES, AND THE REST OF THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY, KEPT THE DEDICATION OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD WITH JOY,_ The children of Israel ... kept the dedication ... with joy. The ceremonial was gone through with demonstrations of the liveliest joy. The ag... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND OFFERED AT THE DEDICATION OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD AN HUNDRED BULLOCKS, TWO HUNDRED RAMS, FOUR HUNDRED LAMBS; AND FOR A SIN OFFERING FOR ALL ISRAEL, TWELVE HE GOATS, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL._ Twelve he-goats - as at the dedication of the tabernacle (Numbers 8:17). ACCORDI... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY SET THE PRIESTS IN THEIR DIVISIONS, AND THE LEVITES IN THEIR COURSES, FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD, WHICH IS AT JERUSALEM; AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF MOSES._ They set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses ... as it is written in the book of Moses. Although David... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE CHILDREN OF THE CAPTIVITY KEPT THE PASSOVER UPON THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHICH WERE COME AGAIN OUT OF CAPTIVITY, AND ALL SUCH AS HAD SEPARATED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM FROM THE FILTHINESS OF THE HEATHEN OF THE LAND, TO SEEK THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, DID EAT,_ All such as had separated themselves ... from the filthiness of the pagan - i:e., who had... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND KEPT THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SEVEN DAYS WITH JOY: FOR THE LORD HAD MADE THEM JOYFUL, AND TURNED THE HEART OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA UNTO THEM, TO STRENGTHEN THEIR HANDS IN THE WORK OF THE HOUSE OF_ _ GOD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL._ Kept the feast ... with joy: for the Lord ... turned the heart of... [ Continue Reading ]