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INTRODUCTION

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EZRA.

I. All that is certainly known concerning Ezra is found in his own narrative as continued in Nehemiah. He was a priest, descended, through Seraiah, from Eleazar the son of Aaron; and also a scribe, devoted to the exposition of the Law of Moses. In the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, B.C. 458, he went from Babylon to Jerusalem at the head of a second company of the children of the Captivity, and with an ample commission for the restoration of the Temple and the reform of religion. After a rigorous inquisition into the abuses connected with mixed marriages, he is lost sight of, re-appearing afterwards in Nehemiah, with whom or under whom he takes part in the dedication of the wall and the conduct of religious service generally. He then finally disappears from the sacred history. Jewish tradition glorified his memory as second only to that of Moses. He is regarded as having been the first president of the "Great Synagogue," to which is attributed the settlement of the Jewish canon; to have instituted the synagogue service; to have been the organiser of much authoritative tradition traced down from Moses; to have introduced the present Hebrew type; and done other service to Jewish literature. Josephus says that he lived to a great age, and was buried in Jerusalem. Other traditions assign him a grave near Samara, after returning to Persia, and dying there aged 120.-There is no character in the Old Testament more perfect and complete than that of Ezra. We see him as a servant and as a master, as a student of the law and as its administrator, as supreme in authority and as subordinate, in public and private, uniformly and always the same devout, disinterested, patriotic lover of his people and friend of God.

II. The question of Ezra's authorship is closely connected with an analysis of the book. It contains two

distinct records: one, of the first return from the Captivity under Zerubbabel, occupying six chapters; and the other, of the second detachment, under Ezra himself, occupying the remaining four. Between the two there is a chasm of fifty-seven years passed over in total silence. The former part, embracing a period of twenty-two years, from the memorable first year of Cyrus, B.C. 538, is mainly made up of extracts from archives which Ezra has woven into a narrative. Certain portions of this, as of the second part, are written in Chaldee: the documents, namely, are given in their original, and the writer, equally familiar with both forms of the Hebrew, does not quite limit himself to the documents themselves, the Chaldee overflowing here and there. Certainly the first six chapters may be regarded as Ezra's own compilation, and therefore as his own work. The second part gives the history of twelve months, being the record as it were of the discharge of a commission, narrating that in full and then abruptly breaking off. A close examination of the four chapters shows the same hand; the peculiar phrases-such as the Lord God of Israel" and many others-are similar, with just those variations in uniformity which might be expected in one who had several languages at command. But there is one remarkable anomaly, that sometimes the first and sometimes the third person is used-an anomaly, however, that equally occurs in Daniel. It is to be explained at the outset by the humility of the writer, who introduces himself and his own character in the third person before he uses the direct style of narrative; and afterwards by the fact that public and great events are incorporated in the very style in which they were from time to time recorded. On the whole there is no reason to distrust the uniform tradition that has ascribed the whole book to Ezra.

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(2) Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia,

Jer. 25. 12; & 29.

10.

1 Heb., caused a
voice to pass.

up.

2

the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. (4) And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. (5) Then rose up the chief of the fathers

The LORD God of heaven hath given me a Heb., Uft him of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath 'charged me to build him an house

1, 13.

and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build

at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. (3) Who Isa. 44. 28. & 45. the house of the LORD which is in Jeruis there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to

That

salem. (6) And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with

Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build 3 This helped vessels of silver, with gold, with goods,

them.

I. THE FIRST RETURN under ZerUBBABEL. (1-4) The decree of Cyrus: marking an epoch of very great importance, and therefore repeated almost word for word from the end of Chronicles.

(1) The first year.-Cyrus became king of Persia in B.C. 559. Twenty years afterwards he took Babylon from Belshazzar; and this first year of his rule in Babylon was his beginning as an agent in Jewish affairs and for the Kingdom of God.

Stirred up. By a direct influence, probably through the instrumentality of Daniel. This prophet we may suppose Cyrus to have found in Babylon, and to have had his mind directed to the express prediction of Isa. xliv. 28, where his name is mentioned. But the writer, who again and again records the prophetic intervention of Haggai and Zechariah (chaps. v. 1, vi. 14), makes no allusion to the part that Daniel the earlier prophet had taken. He refers only to the Divine prediction by Jeremiah, which must be fulfilled: And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon" (Jer. xxv. 12); "For thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place" (Jer. xxix. 10).

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(2) Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia.-In the interpretation of this decree two courses are open. We may suppose that "the spirit" of Cyrus was so effectually stirred up" by the Spirit of God, through the prophecies of Isaiah, as to send out a written proclamation avowing his faith in Jehovah-Elohim, and thus publicly accepting the prediction: "He hath charged me to build." In this case the parenthesis of verse 3 (He is the God) may be compared with the confession of his father-in-law, Darius the Mede: “He is the living God" (Dan. vi. 26). Or we may assume that "Ormazd" in the original was reproduced in the

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Hebrew version that accompanied it by its equivalent, 'Jehovah." The latter supposition avoids the difficulty involved in making Cyrus disavow the national faith in the presence of his empire. The decree itself runs much in the style of those found in the majority of Persian inscriptions, such as "By the grace of Ormazd is Darius king;" and the spirit of tolerance and piety in it is perfectly in harmony with all ancient testimonies to the character of Cyrus.

(4) Whosoever remaineth.-As to all the Remnant in all places. There is a singular correspondence between this and the beginning of Nehemiah; but there this familiar name for the survivors of the great national catastrophe is used of those who had returned to Jerusalem, while here it is used for the dispersion in all the provinces of the empire (Neh. i. 3).

Where he sojourneth.-Every individual Jew is thus significantly supposed to be only an exile.

Let the men of his place help him. - The heathen subjects of Cyrus are required to assist the departing sojourner, and expected also to send freewill offerings to the Temple. Note that in all these terms the spirit and phrase of the Hebrew people are used; and that there was more in the decree than is here given, as appears in the sequel. Cyrus was under strong influence, both human and Divine.

(5-11) Immediate result of the decree.

(5) With all them whose spirit God had raised. Namely, all is the more exact rendering. The same influence that prompted the decree of Cyrus was necessary to overcome the inertness of the captives: many preferred to remain in Babylon.-The people were enumerated as tribes, families, and fathers houses; the second and third orders of classification are not here distinguished from each other.

(6) Precious things.-The Hebrew equivalent is a rare word, which, when it occurs, is connected only with the precious metals.

The Number of the People

and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

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a 2 Kings 24 13; 2 been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; (2) which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, 2Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

1 Heb., the transportation.

(7) Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, see ch. 5. 14. a which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; (8) even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto 'Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. (9) And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand c Neh. 7. 6, &c. chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, (10) thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. (11) All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of 1the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

CHAPTER II.-(1) Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had

2 Or, Azariah, Neb. 7. 7.

d Neh. 7. 11.

B.C. cir. 536.

3 Or, Binnui, Neh. 7. 15.

Willingly offered. Although it is not so said, the people of Cyrus were "stirred up" like himself: how much he gave, and how much he valued the worship of the Temple, we shall hereafter see.

(7) His gods.-Rather, his god. Merodach, to wit, whom he called "his lord" (Dan. i. 2). From 2 Kings xxv. 13-17 it appears that much had been taken away which Cyrus had not been able to find.

(8) Mithredath.-" Dedicated to Mithra," the sungod of the Persians, whose worship among the Vedic Indians had thus early reached Persia.

Sheshbazzar.-The Chaldee name of Zerubbabel, whose title, however, as Prince of Judah is given him from the Hebrew side. He was the legal heir of Jehoiachin, being the son of Pedaiah (1 Chron. iii. 19), who possibly married the widow of Salathiel or Shealtiel. And the title "Prince of Judah," or "Prince of the captivity," was specially given to him in common with a very few others.

(9) Chargers and knives. - Rare words in the original, perhaps on the whole best rendered as here. (10) Of a second sort.-Of inferior quality.

(11) Five thousand and four hundred.The total of the several sums should be in round numbers, such as are frequently used, two thousand and five hundred. Obviously, therefore, the writer, whom we must needs suppose to have his own previous numbers before him, here includes vessels not before enumerated as chargers and basons.

Bring up.-They were not, as sometimes said, the freewill offering of Cyrus. Sheshbazzar brought these rich vessels "with them of the captivity," and they were sent as already belonging to God, who vindicated by His judgment on Babylon their desecration at the feast of Belshazzar.

(3) The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two. (4) The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two. (5) The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. (6) The children of "Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. (7) The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. (8) The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five. (9) The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. (10) The children of 3 Bani, six hundred forty and two. (1) The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three. (12) The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two. (13) The chil

II.

(1-70) Enumeration of the families and dedication of the substance of the company who returned.

(1) The children of the province that went up out of the captivity.-They came from "the captivity," which was now as it were a generic name— "Children of the captivity" in Babylon (Dan. ii. 2), in Judah (Ezra iv. 1-and became 66 'children of the

province," the Judæan province of Persia.
Every one unto his city. So far, that is, as
his city was known. The various cities, or villages, are
more distinctly enumerated in Nehemiah.

(2) Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua. -The leaders of the people, perhaps the twelve tribes, are represented by twelve names, one of which, Nahamani, is here wanting; three others are given in slightly different forms.

- Then

(3) The children of Parosh comes the enumeration of the family and local names. In the following instances we note when two of the three authorities agree. In verse 6, Ezra is confirmed by 1 Esdras as against Nehemiah's 2,818; in verse 8, against his 945; in verse 11, against his 628; in verse 15, against his 655; in verse 17, against his 324; in verse 33, against his 721. In verse 10, the children of Bani, or Binnui, are 642, but 1 Esdras agrees with Nehemiah in making them 648; in verse 14, the two latter correct 666 into 667.-In verse 20, heads of families become places; Nehemiah substitutes Gibeon for Gibbar. Verse 30 has no representative in Nehemiah. In verse 31, "the_other Elam" has the same number as Elam in verse 7; and the Nebo of verse 29 is called in Nehemiah "the other Nebo," though the

The Number of the Priests.

dren of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six. (14) The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six. (15) The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four. (16) The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight. (17) The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. (18) The children of 1Jorah, an hundred and twelve. (19) The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.

(20) The

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3 Or, Bethazmaveth, Neh. 7. 28.

(40) The Levites : the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of "Hodaviah, seventy and four. (41) The singers the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight. (42) The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, twenty and or, Harid, as it in all an hundred thirty and nine.

children of Gibbar, ninety and five. (21) The children of Beth-lehem, an hun- a See ver. 7. dred twenty and three. (22) The men of Netophah, fifty and six.

(23) The men

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c 1 Chron. 24. 14.

of Anathoth, an hundred eight. (2) The children of Azmaveth, forty and two. (25) The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three. 1 Chron. 24. 7. (26) The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one. (27) The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two. (28) The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three. (29) The children of Nebo, fifty and two. d 1 Chron. 9. 12. (30) The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six. (31) The children of the other "Elam, a thousand two hundrede 1 Chron. 24. 8. fifty and four. (32) The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. (33) The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five. (34) The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five. (35) The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.

(36) The priests: the children of 'Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three. (37) The

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Or, Judah, cb. 3. Hodevah, Neh..

9. called also

43.

6 Or, Shamlai.

7

Or, Neh. 7. 54.

only one, as if the "other" had slipped in from what in Nehemiah is found in the next verse. In a few cases all the authorities differ, but the differences are not important.

(36) The priests: the children of Jedaiah. The priests are then given by family names, their numbers being very large in proportion to each of the other classes. Three only of David's priestly courses are represented (1 Chron. xxiv. 7, 8, 14); Pashur, name mentioned elsewhere as the name of a priestly race, not being among the twenty-four in the Chronicles.

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Bazlith,

(43) The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, (4) the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon, (45) the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub, (46) the children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of Hanan, (47) the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, (48) the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam, (49) the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai, (50) the children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim, (51) the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, (52) the children of "Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, (53) the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah, (54) the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

(55) The children of Solomon's servants:

that is, the Levites proper, the singers, the doorkeepers or porters. Of the first there were only two families, and these are both traced up to one, that of Hodaviah or Judah (ch. iii. 9) or Hodevah (Neh. vii. 43). The hereditary choristers are also few of the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the first alone is represented. Nehemiah makes their number twenty more; but 1 Esdras agrees with the text of Ezra.

(42) The children of the porters.-The porters, or gatekeepers, number six families, three of which appear in the old Jerusalem (1 Chron. ix. 17).

:

(43-58) The Nethinims.-By the etymology, those given known by this name only in the later books. (See 1 Chron. ix. 2.) They were hieroduli, or templebondsmen: the lowest order of the ministry, performing the more laborious duties of the sanctuary. Their history runs through a long period. Moses apportioned them first, from the Midianite captives (Num. xxxi. 47); they were reinforced from the Gibeonites (Josh. ix. 23), and probably later by David (chap. viii. 20). Three

Those who could not Shew their Pedigree.

EZRA, II.

The Number of the Whole Congregation.

Or, 1

7. 57.

the children of Sotai, the children of Neh. Perida, (63) And the "Tirshatha said unto them, Sophereth, the children of Peruda, (56) the children of Jaalah, the children

that they should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a priest

of Darkon, the children of Giddel, (57) the 2 or. Anon, Neb. with Urim and with Thummim.

children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of 2 Ami. (58) All the "Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

7.59.

a Josh. 9. 21, 27, 1 Chron. 9. 2.

b 1 Kings 9. 21.

3 Or, pedigree.

(59) And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and their 3 seed, whether they were of Israel: (60) the children of Delaiah, the children e 2 Sam. 17. 27. of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. (61) And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, s or, governor. and was called after their name: (62) these sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

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polluted from the priesthood.

d Ex. 28. 30.

e 1 Chron. 26. 20.

names-Akkub, Hagab, and Asnah-have dropped from Nehemiah's list, which gives also some unimportant changes in the spelling of the names.

(55) The children of Solomon's servants.These are mentioned in 1 Kings ix. as a servile class, formed of the residue of the Canaanites. They were probably inferior to the Nethinims, but are generally classed with them, as in the general enumeration here. Both these classes retained during their captivity their attachment to the service into which they had been received; and, the Levites being so few, their value in the reconstitution of the Temple gave them the special importance they assume in these books.

(59-63) Finally, those who had lost the records of their lineage are mentioned. Of the people, the children of three families from Tel-melah, Hill of salt, Tel-harsa, Hill of the wood, and a few other places, are mentioned. Of the priests, there are also three families without their genealogy.

(61) Barzillai the Gileadite.-See the well-known history in 2 Sam. xvii. 27.

After their name.-Rather, after her name, she having been probably an heiress.

(62) Their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy.-Better, their record, or the record of the Enregistered.

Polluted.-Levitically disqualified.

(63) Tirshatha.-Interchangeable with Pechah, or governor, as Zerubbabel is called in chapter v. 14 and always in Haggai. It is probably an old Persian term, signifying "The Feared."

With Urim and with Thummim.-See Exod. xxviii. 30. They were pronounced to be excluded from priestly functions. Without ark or temple, the

(6) The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, (65) beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women. (66) Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five; (67) their camels, four hundred thirty and five, their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

(68) And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: (69) they gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' gar

ments.

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(64) This sum total is the same in Nehemiah; but the several sums in Ezra make 29,818, and in Nehemiah 31,089. The apocryphal Esdras agrees in the total, but makes in the particulars 33,950, adding that children below twelve were not reckoned. Many expedients of reconciliation have been adopted; but it is better to suppose that errors had crept into the original documents.

(65) The Rabbis accounted for these "ut lætior esset Israelitarum reditus," in order that the return of the Israelites might be more joyful; but they were hired for lamentation as well as joy; and here, possibly, to supply the defect of Levites. In Nehemiah (chap. vii. 67) there are 245 see for the probable reason of the mistranscription the 245 of the next verse in that chapter.

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(67) The asses, as throughout earlier Hebrew history, are the chief and most numerous beasts of burden. (68) They came to the site of the house not yet built, and offered for the building.

(69) The dram being a daric of a little more than our guinea, and the pound, or maneh, a little more than £4, the whole would be nearly £90,000, and not an exorbitant sum for a community far from poor. But Nehemiah's statement is smaller, and probably more correct.

One hundred priests' garments.-An almost necessary correction or supply in the defective text of

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