Ezra 6:14

_AND THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS BUILDED, AND THEY PROSPERED THROUGH THE PROPHESYING OF HAGGAI THE PROPHET AND ZECHARIAH THE SON OF IDDO. AND THEY BUILDED, AND FINISHED IT, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL, AND ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF CYRUS, AND DARIUS, AND ARTAXERXES KING OF PERSIA._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

13-22 The gospel church, that spiritual temple, is long in the building, but it will be finished at last, when the mystical body is completed. Every believer is a living temple, building up himself in his most holy faith: much opposition is given to this work by Satan and our own corruptions. We trifle, and proceed in it with many stops and pauses; but He that has begun the good work, will see it performed. Then spirits of just men will be made perfect. By getting their sins taken away, the Jews would free themselves from the sting of their late troubles. Their service was with joy. Let us welcome holy ordinances with joy, and serve the Lord with gladness....

Verse 14. _ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL_] He first gave the order, and stirred up the hearts of the following Persian kings to second that order. _OF CYRUS_] This sovereign gave his orders for the rebuilding of the temple about A.M. 3468. _AND DARIUS_] Darius Hystaspes confirmed the above orders, A. M. 3485. _AND ARTAXERXES_] Artaxerxes Longimanus sent Ezra to Judea with new privileges, A.M. 3547. With the permission of the same king, Nehemiah came to Judea in 3550. The writer recapitulates the different sovereigns who favoured the Jews after the Babylonish captivity. See _Calmet_....

ARTAXERXES - The Artaxerxes of marginal reference seems to be meant (i. e., Longimanus); he was one of those who together with Cyrus and Darius helped forward the completion of the work....

EXPOSITION Ezra 6:13 SO THEY DID SPEEDILY. Tatnai and Shethar-boznai showed no reluctance. They had no enmity against the Jews. Once clearly advertised of the king's wishes, they carried them out with zeal. The rapid completion of the temple must be in part attributed to their good-will. EZRA 6:14 AND THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS BUILDED. See above, Ezra 5:5, Ezra 5:9. Probably the same as "the chief of the fathers" of Ezra 2:68, and...

AND THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS BUILDED,.... Went on with the building of the temple: AND THEY PROSPERED THROUGH THE PROPHESYING OF HAGGAI THE PROPHET AND ZECHARIAH THE SON OF IDDO; or grandson, as before; being animated and encouraged by them; and as they foretold and promised it would, be, so it was; they had success in their work, the Lord overruling the heart of Darius the king and his council in their favour: AND THEY BUILDED AND FINISHED IT; that is, the temple: ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL; by the above prophets, who spoke to them, and prophesied in his name: AND ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF CYRUS, AND DARIUS, AND ARTAXERXES KING OF PERSIA; the commandment of Cyrus is in Ezra 1:1 that of Darius in this, Ezra 6:8, but who A

FINISHED IT The worship of Jehovah was thus re-established in Jerusalem, but the theocracy was not restored. The remnant which returned from the Babylonian captivity lived in the land by Gentile sufferance, though doubtless by the providential care of Jehovah, till Messiah came, and was crucified by soldiers of the fourth Gentile world-empire Rome, (Daniel 2:40); (Daniel 7:7). Soon after (A.D. 70) Rome destroyed the city and temple. See "Times of the Gentiles"; (Luke 21:24); (Revelation 16:19)....

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 CARRYING OUT OF THE DECREE; THE TEMPLE COMPLETED AND DEDICATED. Ezra 6:14. This cannot be in its original form; the success of the building is ascribed both to the commandment of God and to the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes; this is not the way of a Jewish writer. One can, of course, by doing violence to the thought of the verse, explain it by saying that the promulgating of the decrees was according to the will of God; but this is pressing a meaning into the text which is not really there. We have here probably material culled from two sources. Further, the mention of Artaxerxes shows that a gloss has been added by a later copyist, who was thinking of the later benevolent attitude of this king in the matter of the building of the walls, and thoughtlessly mentioned him here. Ezra 6:15. A

COMMANDMENT. decree. CYRUS, AND DARIUS, AND ARTAXERXES. Note the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton,_ to mark the important fact that _three_ kings, at various times, were concerned in the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The last named was the first in order. Darius was Darius Hystaspis, and Artaxerxes was Astyages (the father of Cyrus), the same as in Nehemiah 2:1. See App-57 and App-58. and notes on p. 618....