Ezra 6:12

_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....

1-12 When God's time is come for fulfilling his gracious purposes concerning his church, he will raise up instruments to do it, from whom such good service was not expected. While our thoughts are directed to this event, we are led by Zechariah to fix our regard on a nobler, a spiritual building. The Lord Jesus Christ continues to lay one stone upon another: let us assist the great design. Difficulties delay the progress of this sacred edifice. Yet let not opposition discourage us, for in due season it will be completed to his abundant praise. He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it....

DESTROY ALL - A similar malediction is found at the end of the great inscription of this same king Darius at Behistun: If anyone injures the tablet which he has set up, he prays that Ormazd will be their enemy, and that they may have no offspring, and that whatever they do, Ormazd may curse it for them. TO ALTER AND TO DESTROY THIS HOUSE - i. e., to alter the decree, and then proceed to destroy the house....

EXPOSITION DISCOVERY OF THE DECREE OF CYRUS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE TEMPLE, AND RECITATION OF ITS EXACT TERMS (Ezra 6:1). The application made by the satrap of Syria to Darius received his immediate attention. A search was instituted—in the first instance, at Babylon, but afterwards at the other capitals also; and in Ecbatana, the Median metropolis, where the Persian kings always resided during a portion of the year, a copy of the original decree was found, which is considerably fuller and more definite, though in some respects covering less ground, than the "proclamation'' with

AND THE GOD THAT HATH CAUSED HIS NAME TO DWELL THERE,.... Whose name is not only called upon there, and that called by his name; but who grants his presence, and causes his Shechinah, or divine Majesty, to dwell there, as in Solomon's temple, which Darius had some knowledge of: DESTROY ALL KINGS AND PEOPLE; let them be who they will, high or low: THAT SHALL PUT TO THEIR HAND TO ALTER AND TO DESTROY THIS HOUSE OF GOD, WHICH IS AT JERUSALEM; this he said to deter from hindering the building of it now, and from attempting to destroy it hereafter: I DARIUS HAVE MADE A DECREE, LET IT BE DONE WITH SPEED; be carried immediately into execution, especially with respect to the disbursement for the building of the temple, and for the sacrifices of it....

CHAPTER 6 _ 1. The search of the king and the result (Ezra 6:1)_ 2. The command of Darius (Ezra 6:6) 3. The king's command obeyed (Ezra 6:13) 4. The house finished (Ezra 6:14) 5. The dedication of the house (Ezra 6:16) 6. The feast of Passover and unleavened bread (Ezra 6:19) Ezra 6:1. King Darius had a search made in the place where the records of the empire were kept, “in t

THE KING'S REPLY ACCORDING HIS PERMISSION TOR THE BUILDING TO BE CONTINUED. Ezra 6:1. a decree: the actual decree does not begin until Ezra 6:8. Ezra 6:2. Achmetha: _cf._ Tob_3:7; _i.e._ Ecbatana, in Media, the summer residence of the Persian kings. A ROLL: in this case more probably a cylindrical clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform characters; but the fact that a roll is mentioned shows that the Jews of Ezra's time were unfamiliar with that form of writing. Ezra 6:3. This purports to be a copy of Cyrus-' decree (_cf._ Ezra 1:1); it is, however

ALTER. Supply Figure of speech _Ellipsis_ (App-6): "alter [this decree]"....

_And the God that hath caused his name_, &c. A Hebrew phrase (see Deu 12:11; 1 Kings 8:29; Nehemiah 1:9; Jeremiah 7:12) introduced by the Jewish Compiler into his paraphrase of Darius's decree. _destroy all kings and people_ R.V. OVERTHROW ALL KINGS AND PEOPLES. The word rendered -destroy" here by the A.V. differs in the Aramaic from that rendered -destroy" at the close of the verse. It is used in the Targum of 2 Kings 9:33 for the words -throw her down", of Psalms 119:139 -my zeal hath consumed me". that shall put to thei

2. Darius-' decree ordering the reconstruction. TEXT, EZRA 6:6-12 6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keep away from there. 7 Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. 9 And whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be giv