Ezra 1:4

_AND WHOSOEVER REMAINETH IN ANY PLACE WHERE HE SOJOURNETH, LET THE MEN OF HIS PLACE HELP HIM WITH SILVER, AND WITH GOLD, AND WITH GOODS, AND WITH BEASTS, BESIDE THE FREEWILL OFFERING FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD THAT IS IN JERUSALEM._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

1-4 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus. The hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord. God governs the world by his influence on the spirits of men; whatever good they do, God stirs up their spirits to do it. It was during the captivity of the Jews, that God principally employed them as the means of calling the attention of the heathen to him. Cyrus took it for granted, that those among the Jews who were able, would offer free-will offerings for the house of God. He would also have them supplied out of his kingdom. Well-wishers to the temple should be well-doers for it....

Verse Ezra 1:4. _WHOSOEVER REMAINETH IN ANY PLACE_] Every one was at liberty to go, but none was obliged to go. Thus their attachment to God was tried; he whose heart was right with God went; he who was comfortably settled in Babylon, might go if he chose. Those who did not go, were commanded to assist their brethren who went....

LET THE MEN OF HIS PLACE HELP HIM - i. e., “Let the pagan population help him” (see Ezra 1:6). THE FREEWILL OFFERING - Probably that made by Cyrus himself Ezra 1:7....

PART 1 1. THE FIRST RETURN FROM THE CAPTIVITY EXPOSITION THE DECREE OF CYRUS (Ezra 1:1). The origin of the return is found in an exertion of Divine influence on the mind of a heathen king, who was moved thereby to put forth a proclamation or decree, addressed to all the people of the Lord God of Israel dwelling in any part of his dominions, granting them free permission to return to their own land, and at the same time recommending his other subjects to expedite their departure by giving them out of their abundance gold, silver, goods, and cattle, so that none should be hindered by poverty from taking advantage of the king's kindness. Many things are remarkable in this decree:—...

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 the expenses of his journey, with goods to furnish his house, or trade with, when he came to Judea, and with cattle to carry him, and his goods, and to till the ground with, when he came thither; and the men exhorted to this are either the Gentiles that dwelt in the cities where these poor Jews were, or the richer Jews, who chose as yet not to go up until they saw how things would succeed; and are therefore called upon to assist their brethren who had a will, but not ability: BESIDES THE FREEWILL OFFERING FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD THAT IS IN JERUSALEM: which they freely gave, and sent by them for...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL AND THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The proclamation of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1)_ 2. The response of the chiefs of Judah and Benjamin (Ezra 1:5) 3. The vessels of the house of the LORD restored (Ezra 1:7) Ezra 1:1. Cyrus (meaning “the Sun”) the King of Persia was, according to ancient historians, the son of Cambyses, Prince of Persia, and Mandam, daughter of Astyages, King of the Median Empire. The theory that he was the offspring of Ahasuerus and Esther, and was trained by Mordecai and Nehemiah, lacks all historical foundation. The heart of Cyrus in the beginning of

PART I (Ezra 1-6). THE RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL TO THE COMPLETION OF THE TEMPLE. Ezra 1:1. The Edict of Cyrus._ Cf._ 2 Chronicles 36:22 f., where Ezra 1:1_ a_ is reproduced almost verbally. These verses are here in their proper place; they were added to the end of 2 Ch., when this was separated from Ezr.- Neh. in order to make that book conclude with a joyous note. The edict here reported does not give the original wording; it is an abbreviation in the Chronicler's words, who has also moulded it in accordance with his ideas. Ezra 1:1. the first year: 537 B.C. Cyrus: on Babylonian inscriptions the form of the name is

WHOSOEVER REMAINETH IN ANY PLACE WHERE HE SOJOURNETH. A better translation is: "Whosoever still is left in any place where he has sojourned." Wherever any of these Jewish sojourners are found, let them be helped by others. The king had undertaken the work of their return and the rebuilding of the temple, and hence commands all faithful subjects to help in the work by contributing money, goods and beasts of burden to the Jews who were about to start on the long pilgrimage back to Judea. BESIDES THE FREE-WILL OFFERING. He proposed to make. free-will offering for the temple out of the public treasury; his servants were commanded to follow his example. The number that gathered under this proclamation for the first migration amounted to 42,360 men. They were led by Zerubbabel,. descendant of the royal line of David, and an ancestor of Jesus. There was with them Jeshua, the hereditary high...

WHOSOEVER [of the captive people] remameth in any place, &c. Note the Figure of speech _Ellipsis._ REMAINETH. is left. THE MEN OF HIS PLACE: i.e. his Persian neighbours. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ (with Art.). the [true] God, App-4....