8 Now in the ſecond year of their coming unto the houſe of God at Jeruſalem, in the ſecond month, be- gan Zerubbabel the ſon of Shealtiel, anc Jeſhua the ſon of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the prieſts and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jeruſalem, and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and upward, to ſet for: ward the work of the houſe of the LORD.
9 Then ſtood Jeſhua 1with his ſons, and his brethren; | Kadmiel and his ſons, the ſons of [| Judah Þ together, toll 0r,Hu#: ſer forward the workmen » in the houſe of God: ® che ſons of Henadad, 2»4ib their ſons and their brethren; Heb.t che Levites. one,
! Not the High-Prieſt ſo called, byt a Levite, of whom ee 6b. 2. 40. m By their preſence and favour to encourage them to a cheare
flick, PF: tftueroſh,
tul and vigorous prolecuticn of the work: | 10 And
| B Z
10 And when. the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they ſet the priefts in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the ſons of A- ſaph, with cymbals to praiſe the LORD, after | the
, * ordinance of David » king of Ifrael. _
n Heb. By, or Jecording to the hands of David, i. e. in ſuch
"Chron. manner, and with ſuch Pſalms, or Songs, and Inſtruments as God hath appointed by the Hands or Miniſtry of David. :
11 And they * ſang together by courſe, in praiſing x25.1- and giving thanks unto the LORD ; becauſe he ;s good, tExod. for his mercy endureth for ever towards Iſrael : And all ns the people ſhouted with a great ſhour, when they x praiſed the LORD, becauſe the foundation of the houſe of the LORD was laid.
12 But many of the Prieſts and Levites, and chief of the fathers 20bo were ancient men, that had ſeen the firſt houſe o when the foundation of this houſe was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice p; and many ſhouted for joy :
oWhich divers of tiem might very well do; becauſc it was de» ftroyed not quite Six:'y years ago, as 1s manifeſt from 2 Kings 25- 2 Chron. 36. & Ezek, 40+ 1. p Partly becauſe of the pocr and ſmall preparations made for this in compariſon of what was made for the other Temple : paitly becauſe this Temple was diveſted and deſti> me of thote things which were the —_ Glory of the former Temple, to wit, the Ark, andthe Urim and Thummin, &. partly
k an. IV. w"d
becautc theſe foundacon-tones were far mferiour to the former, |
both for quantity and price, * Kings 7. 9, 10. and partly becauſe theſe foundation: were of a far nar:ower compals than the former: for altho igh the fond -t:ons of this Houſe of the Lo-d. ſtrifly fo cal'ed, were at leaſt of equal largeneſs wita thoſe of the former, by c'mparing 1 Kings 6. 2. and Ezra 6. r, 2, 3. yet the foundations of the whole building bzlong ing 'o the firſt Temple, and adjoyning to it, cT in the courts of it, were far larger than theſe. ;
13 So that the people couid not diſcern the noiſe of
the ihout of joy, from the noife of the weeping of the people: for the people ſhouted with a loud ſhout, and
the noiſe was heard afar off.
CH 4 FP. IF.
The Adverſarit s, being not accepted in the building of the Temple with the Jews, endeavour to hi:der it, '———6, Ther falſe and mali> cious Letter '0 Artaxerxes, 7 I7. Ar.axcrxes's decree, the build: ing is hindred, 18 24, 7 my Ow when the adverſaries of Judah and Benjamin | ar yay a, heard that + the children of the caprivity reþr;s. built the Temple unto the LORD God of Uſrael : tin: # The Samaritans, as appears from wv. 2, 10, 2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief
*
So
R. A bn Ih the fourth and ri:hFKing of Peyſia, as che 1s called Dan. 11. 2. Or a* ther 2. Cambyſes the Son and ſucceſſor of Cyrus, as may appear, : 4- Becauſe none but he and Smerd:s were between Cyrus and this Darius. 2., Becauſe Cambyſes was known to be. no friend to this Jewiſh Nation nor Religion 3 and therefore ir is very improbab'e | that theſe crafty, and malicious, and induſtrious Enemies of the youu would omar fo great an opportznity when it was pur into thelr
ands. _ 7 Andin the days of Artaxerxes » wrote || Biſhlam, þ 9, ;, Mithridah, Tabeel, and the reſt ef their + companies, peace.
letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and incerpre- red o in the Syrian tongue. x
n Either 1. Artaxerxcs, the Son of Xerxes. Or, 2. Smerdis the Magician. Or rather, 3. the ſame Cambyſes, called by his Chaldee, Name Ahaſbuerus, ve 6. and here by his Perſian name Arrarerxes : By which name he is here called in the Inſcription of this Letrer, becauſe ſo he was called by himſelf and others in the Letters writ- tzn either by him, or to him. « Or, expoſed or declared. The ſenſe is, t was written in the Chaldee or Syrian Languaye,and in the Syrian Character : for ſometimes the Chaldee or Syrian words are writ. ten in the Hebrew Character, as Hebrew words are oft written in an Engliſh Character. | , le _ 8 Rehumthe chancellovr, and Shimſhai the || ſcribe, ||:Or, ſz» virote a letter againſt Jeruſalem, to Artaxerxes the king 0-9. in this ſort. |
9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellour, and Shimſhai + chatd, the ſcribe, and the reſt of their + companions; the Di- fiecicr, naites, the Apharſachchites, the Tarpelices, the Aphar- fites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Suſanehires, the Dehavites, ane che Elamites p.
? Several People thus called from the ſeveral places of thar vaſt ' Aſſyrian Empire, from which they were fcrched, and who were unired rogether into one Body, and ſent as one Colony by the Af .ſyrian Monaichs into theſe parts.
Io And the reſt of the nations,
( | whom the great and noble Aſnappar q brought over, and ſet in the cities of Samaria : and the reſt that are on this fide the riverr + and at ſuch a time 9. : Either Eſarhaddon, or ſome other Perſon the | era FR, ——_—_ with his Subj-cts and Dew——s ha of this Colony, and conducted them hither. » To wit, Euphrates, s The date of the Epiſtle was particularly expreſſed in the Epiſtle,
bur here it, was ſufficient to note it in the general.
1x This is the copy of the letter char they ſent unto hint, ever unto Artaxerxes the king ; Thy ſervants, the men on this ſide the river, and at fuch a time. y
12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us, are come unto Jeruſalem, : | building the rebellious and the bad city, and have || ſet f Chald
of the fathers, and ſaid unto them, let us build wich youb; for we ſeek your God, as ye doc and we do Ecrifice unto him, ſince the days of Eſarhaddon king