The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 45

Jews are anxious to do all by themselves. Let us take care they do none. Such was their inward resolve. Their outward actions accorded. 'l'hey contrived, e. g., to " weaken the hands of the people of Judah." The "hands" of the people, figur- ati,ely speaking, may mean those persons on whose manual labour the work of building depended. Just so we often speak now of "factory hands." By weakening their hands, therefore, is not improbably meant causing those who laboured for them to retire from the work: whether those hired carpenters and masons, of whom wa have read, on the spot (eh. iii. 7); or those Tyrian labourers, of whom we have alsl) read, on Mount Lebanon ('ibid.); or those seafaring men who would be necessary to convey to Jerusalem what was cut down at Lebanon. It would not be difficult for the Samaritans, as long-established Gentiles of superior wealth and influence either by bribes or threats to draw or drive many of such men away from their work• and it would not be easy for the Jews to go on with it in that case. But, beside~ this the Samaritans are said to h'.1ve "troubled il?em in building.". Besides depriving them of labourers, they depnved them, that 1s, of peace. Besides weakening the "hands," they distracted the heads; most probably by such measures as those we read of, many years afterwards, in the story of Nehemiah (see Neh. iv. 2 3 7-9 16-23; vi. ). But, above all, 2. They seem to have directed their chief ende:vours' with true ~ilitary ~nstin~t, against the key of the position before them. To huma~ eyes the chief Jewish reliance was on the assured favour of Cyrus. Hence the edict and all ~ts consequences. Hence ~s whol_e atte~pt of t~eirs to rebuild the.temple; and their very prese~ce there, on rte ancient site. Depnve them of that rmperial fa,our, and you depnve them of all. Moved, apparently, by such considerations the Samaritans, as we said, delivered their chief assault at the great (human) centr~ of Jewish hope. They secured those (for they were able to do so) who could speak "against" the Jews at the court of the king; they sought out the most fitting men (counsellors) to do this; they secured them by proper fees; they instructed them as to the object wished for; and they urged their point with a spirit of pertinacity which nothing seemed to wear out. What must have been the original vigour of that impetus which survived " all the days" described in ver. 4? And what, on the whole, therefore, the Jewish prospects, humanly speaking, when first it took place? How weak, how distracted the builders I How powerful, how united, how embittered, how skilful, how unsparing, how determined their opponents I The deadly Samaritan friendship had, no doubt, been escaped. But was not this furious Samaritan enmity almost as great a ground for despair? And was not the whole work, in short, if not dend already, at least ready to die? II. The SUPERHUMAN VIEW of the juncture. Just at this time, as we have seen, the prophet Daniel, who, of all the Israelites then alive, would be most concerned and confounded at this condition of things (comp. Dan. ix. 16-19), was in great sorrow and deep perplexity (i,bid. x. 2, 3, 12). Just at this time, also, a vision was sent him, having for its object to give hiw instruction respecting the destiny of his people (ibid. 14). We believe, therefore, that we have in that vision a superhuman view of that time of trouble-a light from heaven itself on that day of disappointment and fear. Here was the work for which he had prayed and laboured all his lifetime, and for which God had done so much, and which he had treated as so important, almost brought to a stand. What did it all mean? This the vision seems to explain. It meant, 1.-so much we can see without going into any of the disputed features of this remarkable vision-that the matter now perplexing him was one exceedingly deep. It had to do, e. fl·, with that glorious Person before whom he fell as one dead (vers. 5-9) and so with that great and all-restoring kingdom which that Holy One was to set up upon earth (~an_. vii.. 13, 14; Acts !ii. 21). Bei~!s so, it was _a matter of great interest to angelic mtelhgences of all kmds (Matt. vm. 29 ; 1 Pet. 1. 12) ; even leading in consequence (so we understand the passage) to long-continued contentions and struggles among them (see Dan. x. 13, 20, 21; and comp. Eph. v. 11, 12; 2 Pet. ii. 11 • Jude 9; Rev. xii. 7). 2. A purpose thus deep would naturally appear sometimes' exceedingly deliberate in itR rate of progress. Such great contending forces, such wide-embracing operations, such evidently intricate and far-seeing methods, could not do otherwise than take time. Hence the language of Dan. x. 1, 14, and the repeated reference to the future, and the "end" and the_" time of the arr. ,v. 1-6.) THE BOOK OF EZRA. 49