And hired counsellors against them. — They adopted a systematic course of employing paid agents at the court: continued for eight years, till B.C. 529. Cambyses, his son, succeeded Cyrus; he died B.C. 522; then followed the pseudo-Smerdis, a usurper, whose short reign Darius did not reckon, but dated his own reign from B.C. 522. A comparison of dates shows that this was the first Darius, the son of Hystaspes.
Verse 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 th...
HIRED COUNSELORS - Rather, “bribed” officials at the Persian court to interpose delays and create difficulties, in order to hinder the work. DARIUS - i. e., Darius, the son of Hystaspes...
CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The offer of the Samaritans refused (Ezra 4:1)_ 2. The letter to King Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7) 3. The king's reply (Ezra 4:17) 4. The work is stopped ...
THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OPPOSED. Ezra 4:1. the adversaries: _i.e._ the northern Israelites of mixed race, Samaritans; they are called adversaries by anticipation, as they did not oppose the build...
CYRUS. The son of Astyages and Esther. See App-57. DARIUS: i.e. Darius Hystaspis (see App-57, App-58). "Darius" being only an appellative (= the maintainer), needs "Hystaspis" to be added, to identif...
This verse describes one effectual method of opposition, -hired counsellors against them". This will not necessarily imply that bribes were given to the king's ministers referred to elsewhere (Ezra 7:...
_VER._ 5. _UNTIL THE REIGN OF DARIUS_— The most probable opinion is, that the Darius here meant was Darius Hystaspes, whose second year was the eighteenth after the first of Cyrus, according to Huet....
TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT B. The work is interrupted by Israel's enemies. 1. Opposition develops. TEXT, EZRA 4:1-5 1 Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the e...
_AND HIRED COUNSELLORS AGAINST THEM, TO FRUSTRATE THEIR PURPOSE, ALL THE DAYS OF CYRUS KING OF PERSIA, EVEN UNTIL THE REIGN OF DARIUS KING OF PERSIA._ No JFB commentary on this verse....
FEUD BETWEEN THE JEWS AND SAMARITANS This chapter describes the desire of the Samaritans to take part in the rebuilding of the Temple, and their successful opposition to the Jews on their request bei...
THE REIGN OF DARIUS] i.e. Darius Hystaspis, the third in succession to Cyrus, who was followed on the throne by Cambyses, Gomates (who personated Smerdis, and is consequently often styled Pseudo-Smerd...
THE *JEWS RETURN TO JERUSALEM EZRA _ROBERT BRYCE_ CHAPTER 4 V1 The enemies of the *descendants of Judah and Benjamin heard that they had returned from the *exile. Their enemies heard that they we...
וְ סֹכְרִ֧ים עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יֹועֲצִ֖ים לְ הָפֵ֣ר ע
THE LIMITS OF COMPREHENSION Ezra 4:1; Ezra 4:24 THE fourth chapter of the Book of Ezra introduces the vexed question of the limits of comprehension in religion by affording a concrete illustration of...
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OPPOSED Ezra 4:1 So long as you lead a languid and unaggressive life, the enemy will leave you alone, but directly you begin to build God's temple, you may count on His str...
In this chapter we have the story of the opposition of the Samaritans, and the consequent cessation of work on the Temple for a time. The historic chronology presents difficulties. The subject is not...
And (c) hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. (c) They bribed the governors under the king t...
_Counsellors; ministers of the king, (Calmet) or governors of the provinces. (Tirinus) --- Cyrus, who was ignorant of their machination, (Josephus) being engaged in war with the Scythians. We may easi...
By weakening the hands of the people, perhaps is meant, alarmed some weak minds to relax in their service. And by continually thwarting the people, no doubt it operated to their great discouragement....
But, in such a case, difficulties do not arise only from the weakness of the remnant; they proceed, also, from elements with which the remnant are outwardly connected, and which, at the same time, are...
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...
And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. Ver. 5. _And hired counsellors against them_] But...
_And hired counsellors against them_ Bribed some of the king's council, in order that by their artifices, and interests in his court, they might give some stop to the work, and frustrate the purpose o...
1 The aduersaries, being not accepted in the building of the Temple with the Iewes, endeauour to hinder it. 7 Their Letter to Artaxerxes. 17 The decree of Artaxerxes. 23 The building is hindred. 1...
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE HINDERED...
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, in order to set aside the edict which gave the Jews permission to build the Temple, ALL THE DAYS OF CYRUS, KING OF PERSIA, EVEN UNTIL THE...
PRETENDED FRIENDSHIP AND OPPOSITION (vv. 1-5) Satan is subtle in the way he attacks a work of God. He appears to be friendly, as is seen in the way the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin came to Zeru...
1-5 Every attempt to revive true religion will stir up the opposition of Satan, and of those in whom he works. The adversaries were the Samaritans, who had been planted in the land of Israel, Ezra 4:2...
HIRED COUNSELLORS AGAINST THEM; who by their artifices and interests in the Persian court should give some stop to their work. ALL THE DAYS OF CYRUS KING OF PERSIA; for though Cyrus still favoured the...
Ezra 4:5 hired H7936 (H8802) counselors H3289 (H8802) frustrate H6565 (H8687) purpose H6098 days H3117 Cyrus...
THE ENEMIES OF THE RETURNEES OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN SEEK TO HIJACK THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE (EZRA 4:1). When they learned that work was beginning on the building of the Temple, the syncretistic Yahwi...
CONTENTS: Work hindered by adversaries. CHARACTERS: Zerubbabel, Ahasuerus, Jeshua, Artazerxes, Rehum, Shimshai. CONCLUSION: God's work cannot be advanced but Satan will rage and the gates of hell wi...
Ezra 4:1. _The adversaries of Judah._ These were the Samaritans; that is, Jews of the ten tribes, apostate from the religion of their fathers, now intermarried with the heathen, who were worshippers o...
_Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah._ THE HOSTILITY OF THE SAMARITANS TO THE JEWS I. The tactics of the wicked. If they cannot bend the good to their wishes and ai...
EZRA 4:1 Enemies Stall the Project by Conspiring against It. The rebuilding project encounters opposition from other groups in the region, and the work ceases. ⇐...
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 4:4 The real attitude of these residents, now called THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, becomes clear. They showed their opposition ALL THE DAYS OF CYRUS... EVEN UNTIL THE REIGN OF DARIUS, that...
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.] In this chapter we have—(i.) The proposal of the Samaritans to unite with the Jews in building the Temple, and its rejection (Ezra 4:1). (ii.) The opposition of the Sa...
And when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity [had built the towers,] started to build the temple of the Lord unto the LORD God of Israel; they came to Zerubb...
Acts 24:1; Ezra 4:24; Ezra 5:5; Ezra 6:1; Nahum 1:11;...
Cyrus — For though Cyrus still favoured the Jews, yet he was then diverted by his wars, and his son Cambyses was left his vice — roy, who was a wicked prince, and an enemy to the Jews. Until — Heb. an...