for all that was most essential in the ritual their wages in kind. .As Phamicia was e. of religion, while the temple itself still narrow strip of country, and grew but little remained unbuilt (see ver. 6). corn, it had always to depend mainly for its PREPARATION OF MATERIALS FOR THE supplies of food on its neighbours, and generally drew the greater part from Palestine ltEBUILDrNG OF THE TEMPLE (ver. 7). (see .Acts xii. 20). Hiram had furnished When the restoration of religion had pro- materials to Solomon for the first temple gressed thus far, the civil and ecclesiastical on condition of receiving wheat, barley, wine, rulers turned their attention to that object and oil (2 Chron. ii. 16). Zerubbabel made which had been specially mentioned in the a similar arrangement at the present time with the Tyrians and Sidonians. To bring "decree of Cyrus" (eh. i. 2, 3), the rebuild- cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of J'oppa. ing of the temple. .And, first of all, it was Having cut the timber in the mountains, the necessary to collect building materials, wood Phcenicians conveyed it to-the coast, perhaps and stone, which were the chief materials of sometimes letting it pass down the rivers, the first temple, and which Cyrus had par- and, collecting it on the coast into large rafts or "flotes" (2 Chron. ii. 16), took ticularized in a supplementary decree (eh. these by sea to the roadstead of J oppa (J affa). vi. 4) as those to be employed in the con- Hence it was conveyed by land e. distance struction of the second. of thirty-five miles to Jerusalem. Lebanon cedar was in great request in the East, and Ver. 7.-They gave money also unto the appears to have been cut and carried off both masons. The exiles had no doubt been by the Egyptians and the .Assyrians. The employed by the Babylonian monarchs to a forests must in the ancient times have been large extent in building, as their ancestors far more extensive than at present. Accord- had been during their sojourn in Egypt ing to the grant that they had of Cyrus. (Exod. i. 2). Consequently, among those .A special grant of Phcenician timber, made who returned there were many masons and by Cyrus, seems to be intended. Though carpenters. These were now set to work by Cyrus had not conquered Phrenicia ('Herod.,' Zerubbabel, and received their wages in iii. 34), he might regard his conquest of money. And meat, and drink, and oil, unto Babylon as involving the submission of what them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre. The had for some time been e. Babylonian de- Phcenicians, on the other hand, received pendency.
HOMILETICS. I Vers. 1-3.-The first sacrifice. The third chapter begins much as the second chapter concluded, with a picture of the restored Israelites in their respective "cities" or homes. But they do not stay there very long. The temple and the temple worship, for which they had laid by (eh. ii ..68, 69) before dispersing, is still much on their minds. These verses tell us of the consequent action next taken in that direction-1. on the part of the people specially; 2. on the part of their leaders specially; and 3. on the part of them all collectively. I. THE PEOPLE SPECIALLY. They left their "cities" for the city of God; of their own consent (they "gathered themselves together"), with one consent(" as one man"). oµo~vµaoliv, 1 Esd. v. 46. What stirred them all in this manner? The fact, apparently, that the "seventh month" was "come," or was "approaching" (Keil). Certainly, connected with that month there were many things which might well have this effect. How important this month ecclesiastically, and from the point of view of the temple worship. On the first day, besides the new moon, came the festival known as the feast of trumpets (Nuill. x:xi.x. 1). On the tenth the great day of atonement, the great fast of the Jewish year (Num. xxix. 7). From the fifteenth to the twenty-second was celebrated the third of the three great annual feasts, viz., that of tabernacles or ingathering. No other month was equally distinguished. No subsequent month of the twelve was distinguished by any universal call to the temple precincts. The next auch call would be five months afterwards, in the passover month. How important, again, this seventh month, as the first month of the civil year, the month from which the Sabbatical and Jubilee years were computed (Lev. x:xv. 9). Its first day would answer exactly to our "New Year's Day," a most natural time for instituting or recommencing a new order of things. Historically, also, as being a month in which one of the special captivity fasts {see icch. vii, 5; viii. 19) had been observed, thil Cl!. Ill, 1-7.] 'l'HE BOOK OF EZRA. 31