Ezra 6:17

_AND OFFERED AT THE DEDICATION OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD AN HUNDRED BULLOCKS, TWO HUNDRED RAMS, FOUR HUNDRED LAMBS; AND FOR A SIN OFFERING FOR ALL ISRAEL, TWELVE HE GOATS, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL._ Twelve he-goats - as at the dedication of the tabernacle (Numbers 8:17). ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. Although the returned exiles belonged chiefly to Judah and Benjamin, some connected with the other tribes joined the caravan of travelers to Jerusalem, and these few considered themselves as representing the whole Jewish nation....

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 17. _TWELVE HE-GOATS_] This was a sin-offering for every tribe....

Compare with this modest sacrifice, which suits well “the day of small things” Zechariah 4:10, the lavish offering of Solomon (see the marginal reference “n”)....

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 OFFERED, AT THE DEDICATION OF THIS HOUSE OF GOD, AN HUNDRED BULLOCKS, TWO HUNDRED RAMS, FOUR HUNDRED LAMBS,.... Hecatombs of various sorts, which were always reckoned grand sacrifices, even among Heathens, of which Homer sometimes speaks; some of these were for burnt offerings, and others peace offerings, by way of thankfulness to God for the finishing of the temple; part of which belonging to the offerers, they feasted upon it with great gladness of heart: AND FOR A SIN OFFERING FOR ALL ISRAEL, TWELVE HE GOATS, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL; for though the ten tribes were carried captive by Shalmaneser, yet, as before observed, there were some of them that remained in the land, and others that went and returned with the two tribes; and therefore a sin offering was made for them all, for the typical expiation of guilt contracted since they had been in an Heathen la...

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

OFFERED. brought near. App-43. ALL ISRAEL. See note on 1 Kings 12:17. Note the number "twelve". App-10....

_and offered_ R.V. AND THEY OFFERED. A fresh sentence: Ezra 6:16 treated of the general festivities: this verse describes the special sacrificial offerings. _at the dedication of this house_ These words evidently imply a comparison between the modest sacrifices offered at this dedication and the enormous number offered by Solomon at the dedication of the firs Temple (1 Kings 8:5; 1 Kings 8:63). Solomon offered then for -the sacrifice of peace-offerings … two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep". The numbers also mentioned in connexion with the dedication-festivals of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30:24