INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 1 This chapter informs us of the proclamation of Cyrus king of Persia, for the Jews to return to their own country, and rebuild their temple, Ezra 1:1, and that, upon it, the chief of them rose up for that purpose, whose hands were strengthened and supplied by those about them,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IN THE FIRST YEAR OF CYRUS KING OF PERSIA,.... Not in the first of his reign over Persia, for he had been many years king over that, and now had all the kingdoms of the earth given him, Ezra 1:2, but over Babylon, and the dominions belonging to it, which commenced with Darius upon the taking of... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH CYRUS KING OF PERSIA,.... Of whom, and this edict of his, Isaiah prophesied two hundred years before he was born, Isaiah 44:28 THE LORD GOD OF HEAVEN HATH GIVEN ME ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH; many he had conquered before he took Babylon, and then the whole Babylonian monarchy fell in... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS THERE AMONG YOU OF ALL HIS PEOPLE?.... The people of God, the Israelites, as well of the ten tribes, as of the two of Judah and Benjamin; for this edict was published throughout all his dominions, where were the one as well as the other: HIS GOD BE WITH HIM; to incline his heart to go, to pr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER REMAINETH IN ANY PLACE WHERE HE SOJOURNETH,.... Is left behind, and cannot go up through poverty, not having a sufficiency to bear his charges in his journey to Jerusalem: LET THE MEN OF HIS PLACE KEEP HIM WITH SILVER, AND WITH GOLD, AND WITH GOODS, AND WITH BEASTS; with money to bear... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ROSE UP THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN,.... Princes of these tribes, and heads of families in them, and of some other tribes too, though chiefly of these, as appears from 1 Chronicles 9:3, AND THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES: whose presence was necessary both to direct in the build... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THEY THAT WERE ABOUT THEM,.... Their neighbours, the Chaldeans: STRENGTHENED THEIR HANDS WITH VESSELS OF SILVER, WITH GOLD, WITH GOODS, AND WITH BEASTS, AND WITH PRECIOUS THINGS; which they either did of themselves at their own motion, or by the direction and example of Cyrus, Ezra 1:4 and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CYRUS BROUGHT FORTH THE VESSELS OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,.... Or ordered them to be brought forth: WHICH NEBUCHADNEZZAR HAD BROUGHT FORTH OUT OF JERUSALEM; out of the temple there, when he took it and burnt it: AND HAD PUT THEM IN THE HOUSE OF HIS GODS; in the temple of Belus at Babylon, see 2... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THESE DID CYRUS KING OF PERSIA BRING FORTH BY THE HAND OF MITHREDATH THE TREASURER,.... Or Mithridates, a name common with the Persians, from their god Mithras, the sun they worshipped: AND NUMBERED THEM UNTO SHESHBAZZAR PRINCE OF JUDAH; delivered them by tale to him; who, according to the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS IS THE NUMBER OF THEM,.... Of the vessels delivered, as follows: THIRTY CHARGERS OF GOLD, A THOUSAND CHARGERS OF SILVER; these, according to Ben Melech, were vessels in which water was put to wash hands in; but rather they were, as Aben Ezra observes from the Jerusalem Talmud r, vessels in... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRTY BASINS OF GOLD,.... Cups or dishes with covers, as the word seems to signify; but, according to Jarchi and Aben Ezra, they were vessels in which the blood of sacrifices was received, and out of which it was sprinkled on the altar: SILVER BASINS OF A SECOND SORT FOUR HUNDRED AND TEN; perhaps... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE VESSELS OF GOLD, AND OF SILVER, WERE FIVE THOUSAND AND FOUR HUNDRED,.... Those that are mentioned make no more than 2499, which Aben Ezra thinks were the larger vessels; but this general sum takes in great and small, as in 2 Chronicles 36:18 in the letter of Cyrus, before mentioned, these ve... [ Continue Reading ]