of Aſſurd, which brought us up hither. :
b This they ſpake not ſincerely as appears from their diſpoſition 2nd deſigns diſcovered in the following Hiſtory, but thar by this conju*ction with them they might pry into their counſels, and thereby get an opportunity to find ſome-matter or pretences of Ac» cuſarion againſt them, c For ſo they did, though in a muogrel way : ſee 2 Kirgs 17, 26, &ca a Son-of Sennacherib, and after him King of Alſjria, 2 Kings 19. 37.: Who brought or ſent cheſe perſons hither, Eicher 1, in the days of S*lmanaſar, who 'ived and reigned in Afſrria but eight years before Eſarbaddins Reign ; and ſo Eſarbad- don might be one of bis moſt eminent Commanders, and the Man by whom that Colony was ſenr. Or, 2. in the Reign of Eſarhaddon, who ſent this tecond Colony to ſupply and ſtrengthen the firſt,
3 Bur Zerubbabel, and Jejhua, and the reſt of che
chief of the fathers of Iſrael, ſaid unto them, + Ye have
ff. nothing- to do with us e to build an houſe unto our isfr God, but we our ſelves together f will build unto the asf] ORD God of Iſrael, as king Cyrus the king of Perlia
hath commanded us. |
e A; being of anoth:r Nation and Re<ligion, and therefore not concerned in Cyrus his Grant, which was c »1fined to the Iſraelites and ro the worſhippers of the true God. f i. e. Who are united to- gether by Cyrus his Grant in this Work. Or, alone, as this word 1s tometimes uſed, as 7% 34. 29. Pſal. 33. 15. Hoſ. T1. 7.
4 Then the people of the land g weakned the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in build- ing þ.
8 Heb. of that land, the preſent Inhabitants of that Province, ts wit, the Samaritans. h By falſe Reports and and Threats, and other means deicribed afrerwards. We ;
5 And hired counſellers againſt them z, to fruſtrate their purpoſe, all the days of Cyrus king of Perſia k even untH the reign of Darius. king of Perſia /.
i Who by their Arrifices and Intereſts in the Perſiaa Court ſhould give ſome ſtop to their Work: k For though Cyrus ſtill fa- voured the Jews, yer he was then diverted by his Wars, and his Son Cambyſes was left his Vice-Roy, who wasa very wicked Prince, and an Enemy to the Jews and their Religion. Heb. and untill, &c. z. e. Not only in” tze Reign of Cy7«s, but alſo of Cambyſes, and of the
R Magician after whom was this Darius: of whom ſee chap. 5 & 6. (Heb. 6 And in the zeign of F Ahaſuervs »s, in the begin- tſtuerejh, ning of his reign, wrote they. «to him an accuſation'a- gainſt che Inhabirants of Judah and Jeruſaiem. » Which isſuppoſed by divers lezrnzd men to be from this time 2 common Nam- to divers lucceeding Kings of Perſia. And this rakes it ſeem doubttur who this was. This was euther 1. Xerxes
up the wal ns . an 7 joined the foundations. og > £ Either 1. The Jews had begun te build or "oP &- C,
' the Walls which — 4:5/: watlmgr lefr, pry. ſome part of niſhed.
this manner. Or, 2. This is a meer fiction, which being confident-
ly affirmed, they thought would eaſily find belief with a Kin
whoſe Heart and Ears they poſſeſſed by their hired Counſellours. £7" ,;
and others cf their Friends, or the Enemies of the Jews. . TE t Chaldy 13 Be it known now unto the king, thar if this City F ©.
be built, and the walls ſet up again, then they will not #- nf
t pay toll, tribute, and cuſtom, and fo thou ſhale <n- f Chald:
damage the || revenue of the kings. we are
Jowed toe
the ſalt of
kings palace, and it was not meet for us to ſee the kings 4 palacs + diſhonour «; therefore have we ſent and certified the + Chald. king; ps. fg fe nakedneſre | Thus they "preterid the Kings ſervice to their own nialicious DW 248 deſigns and private intereſts | To 15 That ſearch may be made in the book of the re- cords of thy fathers » : fo ſhalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city 5s a rebellious city, and hurcful unto kings and provinces, and that they have + moved ſedition + within the ſame of old cime: xg, -,,- for which cauſe was this city deſtroyed. = @* Chal x Political Fathers, i. e. thy Predecefſors, the former Em
perours made
which rogerher with the Empire were now in the hands of the Pers che midſt fian Kings, to be ſearched or read, as the Kings pleaſure 'was, or as thereof, the affairs of the Empire required. -
16 We certifie the king,that if this city be built again and the walls thereof ſet up: by this means thou ſhalr have no portion on this ſide the river. | | 17 Then ſent the king an anſwer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimſhai the ſcribe, and to the reſt - of their | companions that dwell in Samaris, and unto | Chalds {the reft beyond the river, Peace, and at ſuch atime. NOR 18 The letter which ye ſent unto us hath been ' plainly read before me. | 19, AndI commanded, and ſearch hath been made, ;and it is found, that this city of old time hath + made cree is. ſet: inſurrection againſt kings, and that rebellion and ſedi- + Chalde- | tion have been made therein. | | 20 There hath been mighty kings alſo over Jerufa- 7: lem, which have ruled over all ceantrics beyond the River, and toll, tribute, and cuſtom was paid unto them. 3 £4 a 217; Give
me # de*
ip. 14
unto Artaxerxes king of Perſia ; and the writting ofthe f Hb. ſos |
they aggravate in re FE
14 Now becauſe + we have maintainancs from the 1***4,vit%
_ . iT Chald.
of this Empire, namely in the Aſſyrian and Babyloniſh Records, + Chal dis
+ Chald.5p
I fred up it
1 b| | /
hald. >1 + Give ye now commandment to cauſe theſe # de- 6m to ceaſe, and thar this City be not built, until a70- E ther commandment ſhall be glven from me. —_
22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this : why ſhould damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
22 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes letter was read beforeRehum,and Shimſhai the ſcribe,and cheir | companions, they went up in haſte to Jeruſalem unto Chatg, the Jews, ard made them to ceaſe F by force and y arm and POWET, | |
p.7. 24 Then ceaſed the work of the houſe of God y, which 3s at Jeruſalem. So it cexſed unto the lecond year of the reign of Darius king of Perla z.