Ezra 8:36

31-36 Enemies laid wait for the Jews, but God protected them. Even the common perils of journeys, call us to go out with prayer, and to return with praise and thanksgiving. But what shall we render when the Lord has led us safely through the pilgrimage of life, through the gloomy vale of death, out of the reach of all our enemies, into everlasting happiness! Among their sacrifices they had a sin-offering. The atonement sweetens and secures every mercy to us, which will not be truly comfortable, unless sin be taken away, and our peace made with God. Then had the church rest. The expressions here used, direct us to the deliverance of sinners from spiritual bondage, and their pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem, under the care and protection of their God and Saviour....

Verse Ezra 8:36. _THE KING'S LIEUTENANTS_] אחשדרפני _achashdarpeney_: this is generally understood to mean _lieutenant_ or _deputy_, and is probably of _Persian_ origin, though here greatly _corrupted_. The _Vulgate_ renders it _regis satrapis_, to the _satraps_ of the king, which is the Persian [Persian] _satrab_. A _viceroy_ in Persian is [Persian] _soubah-dar; viceroys_, [Persian] _soubahdaran_. [Persian] _darafreen_ signifies a person in whom one has _confidence_; and [Persian] _achi_ is an epithet of a _vizir_. These two words conjoined will make nearly that of the text. But I do not give any of these etymologies with confidence. Other words might be proposed as candidates, but where there is so little certainty, conjecture is useless. Were it necessary a dissertation might be written on the Persian words...

THE KINGS COMMISSIONS - i. e., the orders issued to all governors of provinces near Judaea by Artaxerxes, given in Ezra 7:21. THE KINGS LIEUTENANTS - literally, “the king’s satraps.” The word is used in its strict sense, referring to the chief rulers of Persian provinces, from which the “governors” or rulers of smaller districts are distinguished....

EXPOSITION EZRA 8:21 THEN I PROCLAIMED A FAST THERE. The fight of the civil ruler to "proclaim a fast" was unquestioned among the Jews and Israelites. Jezebel proclaimed one in Ahab's name when she wished to impress the Jezreelites with the notion that a great crime had been committed. Jehoshaphat did the same when he was invaded by the Ammonites, Moabites, and Mehunim (2 Chronicles 20:1). A fast was proclaimed in the fifth year of Jehoiakim when the kingdom of Judah was menaced by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 36:9). Ezra therefore assumes that he may command one now, in connection with the perils of the coming journey. That we might afflict

AND THEY DELIVERED THE KING'S COMMISSIONS UNTO THE KING'S LIEUTENANTS, AND TO THE GOVERNORS ON THIS SIDE THE RIVER,.... The governors of the provinces of Syria, Palestine, and Judea, which were on that side of Euphrates the land of Israel was: AND THEY FURTHERED THE PEOPLE, AND THE HOUSE OF GOD; or "lifted them up" i, eased them of all burdens, and freed them from all impediments, and assisted them and furnished them with everything, as the decree of Artaxerxes enjoined them; and provided everything as they required for ornamenting the temple, and for the sacrifices of it; all which is to be understood of the king's lieutenants and governors, who obeyed his commands. i ונשאו "elevaverunt", V. L. Piscator; "exaltaverunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "sublevarunt", Junius Tremellius....

CHAPTER 8 _ 1. Those who returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:1)_ 2. The gathering at Ahava (Ezra 8:15) 3. The fast proclaimed (Ezra 8:21) 4. The appointment of guardians (Ezra 8:24) 5. The departure and arrival in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:31) Ezra 8:1. The names of those who gathered around Ezra and went up with him are here recorded. In view of the magnificent decree and liberality of Artaxerxes, the company was very small. The majority preferred Babylon, and remained t

THE ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM. Ezra 8:31. on the twelfth day. : _ cf._ Ezra 7:8 f., Ezra 8:15. Ezra 8:35. _Cf._ Zerubbabel's offerings at the dedication of the Temple, Ezra 6:17. Ezra 8:36. the king's commissions: mentioned in Ezra 7:21. SATRAPS. GOVERNORS: the satrap was a higher official, being ruler of a province; the governor (_pekhah_) administered a smaller district....

COMMISSIONS. Royal decrees. Hebrew. _dath._...

_the king's commissions_ i.e. especially those mentioned in Ezra 7:21-22; Ezra 7:24 which would concern the provincial administration, by requisitioning for supplies and by exemption from taxation. The word rendered "commissions" occurs elsewhere in the O.T. only in the Aramaic sections, e.g. = -law" Ezra 7:12; Ezra 7:14; Ezra 7:21; Ezra 7:25-26; Daniel 2:9;...

5. The journey is made, and the goods are delivered at Jerusalem. TEXT, EZRA 8:31-36 31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. 32 Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. 33 And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levities, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time. 35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bul