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Ezra Chapter
Six
New King James Version (NKJV)
Ezra
6:1 Then King
Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives,[a] where the
treasures were stored in Babylon.
YLT Then Darius the king made a decree, and they sought in the house
of the books of the treasuries placed there in Babylon,
Then Darius the king made a decree
To make inquiry after the edict of Cyrus, to search the public records for it:
and search was made in the house of the rolls;
or "books" F18,
in a public library or museum:
where the treasures were laid up in Babylon;
where things of worth and value were reposited; not only gold, silver, jewels,
and precious stones, and things rare and curious, but all sorts of writings
relating to the monarchy, and the dominions belonging to it; but it seems it
could not be found here, and therefore the king ordered search to be made
elsewhere.
FOOTNOTES:
F18 (ayrpo tybb) , (en taiv biblioyhkaiv) , Sept.
"in bibliotheca", V. L. "in bibliotheca librorum", Tigurine
version; "in domo librorum", Pagninus, Montanus.
Ezra
6:2 And at Achmetha,[b] in the
palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a
record was written thus:
YLT and there hath been found at Achmetha, in a palace that [is] in
the province of Media, a roll, and a record thus written within it [is]:
And there was found at Achmetha
Which Jarchi and Aben Ezra take to be the name of a vessel in which letters and
writings were put for safety; but it was no doubt the name of a place; the
Vulgate Latin version has it Ecbatana; and so Josephus F19;
which was the name of a city in Media, where the kings of that country had
their residence in the summer time F20;
for it has its name from heat F21;
the Persian kings dwelt at Shushan in the winter, and at Ecbatana in the summer
{w}; hence they are compared by Aelian F24
to cranes, birds of passage, because of their going to and from the above
places:
in the palace that is in the province of the Medes,
here was found
a roll;
which was the decree of Cyrus, which perhaps he took with him when he went
thither:
and therein was a record thus written;
as follows.
FOOTNOTES:
F19 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4. sect. 6.
F20 Curtius, l. 5. c. 8. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 3. c. 6.
F21 Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 618.
F23 Athen. Deipnosophist, l. 12. c. 1.
F24 De Animal. l. 3. c. 13.
Ezra
6:3 In the first
year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of
God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered
sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty
cubits and its width sixty cubits,
YLT `In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king hath made a
decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: the house let be builded in
the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly
laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits;
In the first year of Cyrus the king; the same Cyrus the king made
a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house
be builded
See ( Ezra 1:1-4 ) ( Isaiah 44:28 ) ,
the place where they offered sacrifices;
to God in times past, ever since it was built by Solomon:
and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid;
so as to bear and support the building erected on them, as the word signifies:
the height thereof sixty cubits;
which were thirty more than the height of Solomon's temple, ( 1
Kings 6:2 ) though sixty less than the height of the porch, which
was one hundred and twenty, ( 2 Chronicles 3:4 ) and which some take to be the
height of the whole house; and hence it may be observed what Herod said F25,
that the temple then in being wanted sixty cubits in height of that of
Solomon's:
and the breadth thereof sixty cubits;
whereas the breadth of Solomon's temple was but twenty, ( 1
Kings 6:2 ) , but since it cannot reasonably be thought that the breadth
should be equal to the height, and so very disproportionate to Solomon's
temple; many learned men understand this of the extension of it as to length,
which exactly agrees with the length of the former temple, ( 1
Kings 6:2 ) .
FOOTNOTES:
F25 Apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 15. c. 11. sect. 1.
Ezra
6:4 with
three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid
from the king’s treasury.
YLT three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and the outlay
let be given out of the king's house.
With three rows of great stones
Which Jarchi interprets of the walls of it, and these stones of marble; and so
Ben Melech:
and a row of new timber;
of cedar wood upon the rows of stone, see ( 1 Kings 6:36 ) or for the lining and wainscoting the walls:
and let the expenses be given out of the king's house;
treasury, or exchequer; but it does not appear that this part of the decree was
observed, at least hitherto; but the Jews built at their own expense, and
perhaps did not exactly observe the directions given as to the dimensions of
the house.
Ezra
6:5 Also let the
gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from
the temple which is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and
taken back to the temple which is in Jerusalem, each to its
place; and deposit them in the house of God”—
YLT `And also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver,
that Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and
brought to Babylon, let be given back, and go to the temple that [is] in
Jerusalem, [each] to its place, and put [them] down in the house of God.
And also let the golden and silver vessels
See ( Ezra 1:7-11 ) and which confirms what the Jews
said to Tatnai, ( Ezra 5:14 Ezra
5:15 ) .
Ezra
6:6 Now therefore,
Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai,
and your companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep
yourselves far from there.
YLT
`Now, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their
companions, the Apharsachites, who [are] beyond the river, be ye far from
hence;
Now therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river
The river Euphrates, that side of it towards the land of Israel; Josephus F26
calls this man master of the horse:
Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are
beyond the river, be ye far from thence;
keep at a distance from the Jews, and give them no disturbance, nor interrupt
them in their work of building of the temple, but mind your own business and
government.
FOOTNOTES:
F26 Ibid. (Antiqu.) l. 11. c. 4. sect. 7.
Ezra
6:7 Let the work of
this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the
Jews build this house of God on its site.
YLT let alone the work of this house of God, let the governor of the
Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God on its place.
Let the work of this house of God alone
Suffer them to go on with it, and do not hinder them; it looks, by these
expressions, as if he had some suspicion or hint given him that they were
inclined to molest them, or that there were some that stirred them up to it,
and were desirous of it:
let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build
this
house of God in his place;
where it formerly stood; that is, go on with the building of it.
Ezra
6:8 Moreover I
issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for
the building of this house of God: Let the cost be paid at the king’s expense
from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given
immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered.
YLT `And by me is made a decree concerning that which ye do with the
elders of these Jews to build this house of God, that of the riches of the
king, that [are] of the tribute beyond the river, speedily let the outlay be
given to these men, that they cease not;
Moreover, I make a decree, what ye shall do to the elders of these
Jews, for the building of this house of God
This must be considered as an additional decree of Darius, which was peculiarly
made by him, in which more was granted in favour of the Jews, and as an
encouragement to them to go on with the building of the temple; though Josephus
F1
says this is no other than a confirmation of the decree of Cyrus; for,
according to him, all that is here granted to them, or threatened to others,
from hence to the end of ( Ezra
6:10 ) , was contained in the decree:
that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river;
what was collected out of his dominions on that side the river Euphrates,
towards the land of Israel: according to Herodotus F2,
this Darius was the first of the kings of Persia that exacted tribute; under
Cyrus and Cambyses only presents were brought; but he imposed a tribute, and
was therefore called (kaphlov)
, an huckster, as Cambyses had the name of lord, and Cyrus that of father: the
same writer gives an account of the several nations he received it from, and
the particular sums, which in all amounted to 14,560 Euboic talents of gold;
among whom are mentioned all Phoenicia and Syria, called Palestine, the tribute
of which parts is the tribute beyond the river he referred to: and this king
was well disposed to the Jewish nation, temple, and worship, before he was
king, if what Josephus F3
says is true, that, while a private man, he vowed to God that, if he should be
king, he would send all the sacred vessels that were in Babylon to the temple
at Jerusalem: and out of the above tribute it is ordered,
that forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not
hindered;
from going on with the building, for want of money to buy materials, and pay
the workmen.
FOOTNOTES:
F1 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4. sect. 6.
F2 Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 89-95.
F3 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 3. sect. 1.
Ezra
6:9 And whatever
they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of
heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who
are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day without fail,
YLT and what they are needing -- both young bullocks, and rams, and
lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil
according to the saying of the priests who [are] in Jerusalem -- let be given
to them day by day without fail,
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams,
and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven
All which were used for burnt offerings, see ( Leviticus 1:2 Leviticus 1:10 Leviticus 1:14 )
wheat, salt, wine, and oil;
"wheat", or "fine flour", for the "minchah" or
meat offering; "salt", for every offering; "wine", for the
drink offerings; and "oil", to be put upon the meat offerings, see ( Leviticus 2:1 Leviticus 2:13 ) ( 23:13 ) ,
according to the appointment of the priests which are at
Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
for the daily sacrifice, and the meat and drink offerings which attended it, ( Exodus 29:38-41 ) .
Ezra
6:10 that they may
offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of
the king and his sons.
YLT that they be bringing near sweet savours to the God of heaven, and
praying for the life of the king, and of his sons.
That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of
heaven
Such as will be acceptable to him, ( Genesis 8:21 )
and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons;
prayer being wont to be made at the time of the morning and evening incense;
and the Jews used to pray for other people besides themselves, and especially
when desired, and particularly for kings and civil magistrates, to whom they
were subject, see ( Jeremiah 29:7 ) ( 1 Timothy 2:1 1 Timothy 2:2 ) , the sons of Darius Hystaspis,
for whose life, as well as his own, he would have prayer made, were, according
to Herodotus F4,
three by his first wife, the daughter of Gobryas, before he began to reign, the
eldest of which was Artobazanes; which sons must be here meant, since this was
towards the beginning of his reign; he had afterwards four more by Atossa the
daughter of Cyrus, the eldest of which was Xerxes, who succeeded him: many of
the Heathens had an high opinion of the God of the Jews, and of their prayers
to him for them; even the Emperor Julian F5
styles him the best of all the gods, and desired the Jews to pray to him for
the welfare of his kingdom; nor need it seem strange that Darius should desire
the same, since he was a devout prince; his father Hystaspes is supposed by
some to be the same that was one of the most famous among the Persian Magi, or
ministers in sacred things; and Darius himself had so great a veneration for
the men of that sacred order, that he commanded that it should be put upon his
sepulchral monument, that he was master of the Magi F6;
and by his familiarity with the priests of Egypt, and learning their divinity,
had the honour, while alive, to have deity ascribed to him F7.
FOOTNOTES:
F4 Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 2.
F5 Opera, par. 2. ep. 25. p. 153.
F6 Porphyr. de abstinentia, l. 4, c. 16.
F7 Diodor. Sic. l. 1. p. 85.
Ezra
6:11 Also I issue a
decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house
and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse
heap because of this.
YLT `And by me is made a decree, that any one who changeth this thing,
let wood be pulled down from his house, and being raised up, let him be smitten
on it, and his house let be made a dunghill for this.
Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word
Act contrary to this command, will not obey it, but as much as in him lies
changes and revokes it:
let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let
him, be hanged thereon;
that is, let a beam be taken from it, and a gallows or gibbet made of it, and
hang him on it:
and let his house be made a dunghill for this;
be pulled down, and never rebuilt more, (See Gill on Daniel 2:2), (See Gill on Daniel 2:9).
Ezra
6:12 And may the God
who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their
hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I
Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently.
YLT And God, who caused His
name to dwell there, doth cast down any king and people that putteth forth his
hand to change, to destroy this house of God that [is] in Jerusalem; I Darius
have made a decree; speedily let it be done.'
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.
Ezra
6:13 Then Tattenai, governor of
the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions
diligently did according to what King Darius had sent.
YLT Then Tatnai, governor
beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which
Darius the king hath sent, so they have done speedily;
Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and
their companions
Having received and read the above letter:
according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did
speedily;
acquainted the Jews with what the king had written; were so far from hindering
the work going forward, that they encouraged it; and made disbursements to them
out of the king's tribute, and furnished them with everything necessary for
sacrifice: and this they did immediately, without delay.
Ezra
6:14 So the elders
of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the
prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it,
according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command
of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
YLT and the elders of the
Jews are building and prospering through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet,
and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by the decree of
the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of
Persia.
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 Artaxerxes is, and his commandment, is not easy to
say; he cannot be the Artaxerxes between Cyrus and Darius, but one that followed
the latter; besides, he was a hinderer of the building, ( Ezra 4:21-24 ) , some think this was Xerxes the
son and successor of Darius, and who might be partner with his father in the
empire at this time, and so is joined with him in this commandment; which is
more probable than that he should be his grandson Artaxerxes Longimamus, in
whose reign the temple, it is supposed, was beautified and ornamented, though
the exterior building of it was before finished; and so he is spoken of by
anticipation; and still more plausible than that he should be, with others,
Artaxerxes Mnemon, the son of Darius Nothus; but, after all, I am most inclined
to think, with Aben Ezra, that he is Darius himself; and the words to be read,
Darius, that is, Artaxerxes, king of Persia; Artaxerxes being, as he observes,
a common name of the kings of Persia, as Pharaoh was of the kings of Egypt;
though this is by some rejected F8;
and who goes by this name in the continuance of this history, in whose seventh
year, the year after this, Ezra went up to Jerusalem, and, in the twentieth of
his reign, Nehemiah, ( Ezra 7:1-7 ) ( Nehemiah 2:1 ) , and I find Dr. Lightfoot F9
was of the same mind; and, according to Diodorus Siculus F11,
the kings of Persia were called by the name of Artaxerxes after Mnemon; and so
they might before; Cambyses is so called in ( Ezra
4:7 ) . Herodotus F12
says the name signifies "a mighty warrior".
FOOTNOTES:
F8 Vid. Rainold de Lib. Apocryph. praelect. 31. p. 271.
F9 Works, vol. 1. p. 139.
F11 Bibliothec. l. 15. p. 400.
F12 Erato, sive, l. 6. c. 98.
Ezra
6:15 Now the temple
was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year
of the reign of King Darius.
YLT And this house hath gone
out till the third day of the month Adar, that is [in] the sixth year of the
reign of Darius the king.
And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar
The twelfth month of the year with the Jews, and answers to part of our
February and part of March:
which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king;
four years after the decree came forth.
Ezra
6:16 Then the
children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants
of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
YLT And the sons of Israel
have made, [and] the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the
captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy,
And the children of Israel
Those of the ten tribes that remained after the body of the people were carried
captive, or came with the Jews at their return:
the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the
captivity;
those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin:
kept the dedication of this house of God with joy;
they set it apart for sacred use and service, with feasting and other expressions
of joy and gladness, as follows.
Ezra
6:17 And they
offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel
twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
YLT and have brought near
for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks a hundred, rams two hundred,
lambs four hundred; and young he-goats for a sin-offering for all Israel,
twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel;
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 land, and, temple service had ceased.
Ezra
6:18 They assigned
the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the
service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
YLT and they have
established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses,
over the service of God that [is] in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of
Moses.
And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in
their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem
All in their proper classes and courses, to do the work of the temple at
Jerusalem in their turns:
as it is written in the book of Moses;
see ( Numbers 3:6 ) ( Numbers 8:11 Numbers 8:14 Numbers 8:15 ) , from hence it is plain the Pentateuch was
not written by Ezra, as suspected by Spinosa F13,
but by Moses; see the argument of the book of Genesis. (See Gill on Genesis 1:1).
FOOTNOTES:
F13 Tract. Theolog. Polit. c. 8. p. 163.
Ezra
6:19 And the
descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of
the first month.
YLT And the sons of the
captivity make the passover on the fourteenth of the first month,
And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the
fourteenth day of the first month.
] The month Nisan or Abib, which was the month following that in which the
temple was finished, ( Ezra 6:15 ) , this passover was kept at the
exact time the law commanded, ( Exodus
12:2 Exodus 12:6 ) .
Ezra
6:20 For the priests
and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually
clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants
of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
YLT for the priests and the
Levites have been purified together -- all of them [are] pure -- and they
slaughter the passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their
brethren the priests, and for themselves.
For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of
them were pure
They were all to a man pure, and all purified as one man; all were of one mind
to purify themselves, and took care to do it, and did it with as much dispatch
as if only one man was purified; so that they were more generally prepared for
service now than in the times of Hezekiah, ( 2 Chronicles 29:34 ) ( 30:3 )
and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and
for their brethren the priests and for themselves;
which seems to have been done by the Levites, for themselves and for the
priests, and for all the people, who were not so pure as the priests and
Levites; or otherwise they might have killed it themselves, ( Exodus
12:6 ) , as Bochart F14
thinks.
FOOTNOTES:
F14 Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 50. col. 576.
Ezra
6:21 Then the
children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all
who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order
to seek the Lord
God of Israel.
YLT And the sons of Israel,
those returning from the captivity, and every one who is separated from the
uncleanness of the nations of the land unto them, to seek to Jehovah, God of
Israel, do eat,
And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity
The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with some of the ten tribes mixed with them:
and all such as had separated themselves unto them, from the
filthiness of the Heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat;
such of the Gentiles in the dominions of Babylon, and came with the Jews from
thence, who were enlightened into the knowledge and worship of the true God,
and not only renounced their idolatry, here called filthiness, but were
circumcised, and embraced the religion of the Jews, and so were proselytes of
righteousness, as they call them; or otherwise they would not have been allowed
to eat of the passover, as they did, ( Exodus 12:48 ) .
Ezra
6:22 And they kept
the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them
joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen
their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
YLT and they make the feast
of unleavened things seven days with joy, for Jehovah made them to rejoice, and
turned round the heart of the king of Asshur unto them, to strengthen their
hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy,
&c.] Which immediately followed upon the passover, ( Exodus 12:18 Exodus 12:19 ) ,
for the Lord had made them joyful;
the building of the temple being finished, and the service of it restored to
its original purity;
and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to
strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel;
by giving them leave to go on in building the temple, and by encouraging and
assisting them in it till they had finished it; this was Darius Artaxerxes,
who, though called king of Persia, was also king of Assyria, being possessed of
the Assyrian monarchy, as his predecessors were upon the taking of Babylon, and
the same is therefore called also the king of Babylon, ( Nehemiah 13:6 ) . God, the God of Israel, who
has the hearts of all men in his hands, and so the hearts of kings, and can
turn them at his pleasure, inclined his heart to do them good, which was matter
of joy unto them, see ( Ezra 7:27 ) .
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
NKJV Footnotes:
a.
Ezra 6:1 Literally house
of the scrolls
b.
Ezra 6:2 Probably Ecbatana,
the ancient capital of Media