The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 76

Ver. 3.-Let the house be builded, the any participation in so great a crime, and place where they offered aacrifloe. Or, "the not only instructed his treasurer, Mithredath, place where they may offer sacrifice." It is the to deliver the vessels over to Zerubbo.bel (eh. future, nt~er than the past, which Cyrus is i. 8), but devoted to the subject almost hair contemplating. Let the foundation thereof of his decree. be strongly laid. Isaiah had prophesied DECREE ISSUED DY DARms IN FURTHER• that C:J,-us should "say to Jerusalem, Thou she.It be built; and to the temple, Thy found- ANCE OF THE DE0REE OF CYRUS. OBEDI- ation shaU be laid" (xliv. 28). Cyrus adds ENCE OF THE PERSIAN OFFICIALS, AND :m injunction that the foundations be la.id RAPID COMPLETION OF THE TEMPLE (eh. "supportin~ly," or "strongly," that so the vi. 6-15). The religious policy of Darius house may the longer continue. The height being directly opposed to that of his immedi- thereof threescore cubits. Half the hei~ht of the first temple, according to the existing ate predecessor, he would naturally reverse text of Chronicles (2 Chron. iii. 4) ; but one- his decree with respect to the Jews (eh. iv. third more than the previous height, as esti- 11-22). He would a.lso be glad to show mated by the author of Kings (1 Kings vi. himself in accordance with the great founder 2). And the breadth thereof threescore of the empire, wbowas universally reverenced, cubits. This breadth is thrice that of the ma.in building, according to both Chronicles and regarded as a. truly wise king. Hence and Kings. It is even double that of the his recital of the decree of Cyrus, which it old temple, with the si"de chambers, which would have been enough merely to have JP- occupied a space of five cubits, or seven and ferred to. By recalling its terms he shaifed a half feet, on either 'ITIIlg. That such an how completely bis policy tallied with that enlargement actually took effect would seem to be most improbable ; and we may perhaps of Cyrus, and bow thoroughly be inherited conclude that Cyrus designed a building on the spirit of the first monarch. We may a grander scale than Zerubbabel, with the also give him credit for a real sympathy with resources at bis disposal, was able to erect. the Jewish religion, and a real belief that 1t is curious that Cyrus did not in bis decree I.he prayers of the Jews in their recovered specify the length of the temple. sanctuary would bring God's blessing upon Ver. 4. -With three rows of grea.t stones, and a row of new timber. The Septuagint himself and his children (ver. 10). His interpreter understood by this that the new decree is not a mere formal and colourless temple was to be four storeys high, three document, but breathes a reverential spirit, storeys being built of stone, and one of timber. and shows him at least as true a servant of The two wings of the temple of Solomon Jehovah as Cyrus. were undoubtedly three storeys high (1 Kings ri 6). But it is perhaps doubtful whether As the trumpet had given no uncertain the word nidbak ever means "storey." Most , note, the Persian officials, Tatnai and Shethar• commentators suppose three courses of stone, boznai, whatever their wishes may have been, and then a course of timber, repeated from bad no choice as to their line of action. The foundation to summit ; but there is no known king's word was law; and his favour, when example of such a mode of building. The expences were to be given out of-the king's clearly manifested, secured to the objects of house, defrayed, i. e., out of the royal revenue; it the warmest assurances of good-will1 and but either this intention of Cyrus was not the most active help, on the part of every carried out, or it was understood to apply official in the empire, from the highest to the only to the materials. Large sums were sub- lowest. The temple, therefore, made rapid scribed by the Jews themselves towards the building (eh. ii. 69), and large payments were progress, and within four years of the time ma.de by them to the persons employed upon when Zerubbabel and Jeshua reswned the the work (eh. iii 7). building (eh. v. 2), the entire work was com• Ver. 5. - Also let the gold and silver pleted-" the house was finished." The vessels . . . be restored. The decree termin- whole time which elapsed between the laying ated with instructions for the restoration of the vessels. Undoubtedly it was impressed of the foundation (Ezra iii. 10) and the com• upon Cyrus, when he took Babylon, that the pletion Wl1S twenty-one years ; but scarcely wanton desecration of the vessels by Bel- atiy progress had been made till Haggai ehazzar at bis feast (Dan. v. 2, 3) brought in began his preaching. The main part of the a great measure the terrible judgment of work was accomplished between the twenty• God upon him, causing his own death and the destruction of his kingdom. He was fourth day of the sixth month of the second therefore most anxious to cle11.r himself of yflar of Darius (Haggai i. 15) and the third day cH. vr. 1-12.J THE BOOK OF EZRA. 81