Ezra 4:5

_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....

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. It was plain that they did not mean to unite in the worship of the Lord, according to his word. Let those who discourage a good work, and weaken them that are employed in it, see whose pattern they follow....

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 them nearly ineffectual. _UNTIL THE REIGN OF DARIUS_] This was probably _Darius_ the son of _Hystaspes_....

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...

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 men at his court to get the edict revoked: and this they did ALL THE DAYS OF CYRUS KING OF PERSIA; who, though the hearty friend and patron of the Jews, yet being engaged in wars abroad with the Lydians and Scythians, and leaving his son as viceroy in his absence, who was no friend unto them, the work went on but slowly, attended with interruptions and discouragements: EVEN UNTIL THE REIGN OF DARIUS KING OF PERSIA; who was Darius Hystaspis, between whom and Cyrus were Cambyses the son of Cyrus, and Smerdis the impostor, who pretended to be Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses; a space of about fifteen years....

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 (Ezra 4:23) Ezra 4:1. The adversaries were the Samaritans. (There is an interesting correspondence with the book of Acts. After the Spirit of God had begun His blessed work, the enemy from without and then within started his hindering work.) They had watched silently the work of restoration and then appeared before Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers and said unto them, “Let us build

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 building of the Temple until their co-operation had been refused. BUILDED A TEMPLE: better were building, note that while here the building of the Temple is in question the next section deals with the building of the walls. Ezra 4:2. we seek your God: the words show that these people were not true worshippers of Yahweh, whatever their intention for the future might be. AND WE DO SACRIFICE UNTO HIM: but the Massoretic text reads (_cf. mg.),_ we have not offered sacrifice. THE DAYS OF ESARHADDON: _cf._...

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 identify him; as Astyages, when called Darius, needs the addition of "the Mede". See App-58, and notes on p. 618....

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 7:28; Ezra 8:25) as -his counsellors". We should in that case have had the word more definitely expressed as - _the_counsellors" or -the king's counsellors". It rather means that -the people of the land" paid officials (probably connected with the satrapy of Syria) to make unfavourable reports at the king's Court respecting -the people of Judah". _hired_ Cf. the application of Samaritan money _within_the Jewish community, Nehemiah 6:12-13. The word used with special reference to Balaam in...

_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. And it is plain that Ahasuerus, mentioned in the sixth verse, was Cambyses; and Artaxerxes, mentioned in the seventh, the false Smerdis; because they were kings of Persia, who reigned between the time of Cyrus and the time of that Darius by whose decree the temple was finished. But, as that Darius was the son of Hystaspes, between whom and Cyrus there reigned none in Persia but Cambyses and Smerdis, it must hence follow, that none but these could be the Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes that are said in this chapter to have put a stop to the work. See Prideaux, Ann. 522. Houbigant renders this verse thus: _And because they had determined that they would prevent their undertaking, they hindered them a...