nf Isrnclites from Babylon, on a tolerably parts :-1. The genealogy of Ezra (eh. vii. lnrge scale, took place. Ezra, a member of 1-6); 2. The fact of his journey, with its tho high priest"s family, 11 descendant of dates (ibid. vers. 6-10); 3. The decree of Soraiah, the " chief priest" at the time of Artaxerxes with respect to Ezra (ibid. vers. 11 the destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings xxv. -26); 4. The thanksgiving of Ezra (ibid. 18), and 1,robably a third cousin of the vers. 27, 28); 6. The numbers of those who existing high priest, Eliashib, having access accompanied him to Jerusalem, with the to Artaxerxes, and, apparently, a certain names of the chiefs (eh. viii. 1-14); 6. Tho influence with him, asked (eh. vii. 6) and circumstances of the journey from Babylon to obtained the royal permission to reinforce the Jerusalem (ibid. vers. 16-31); and 7. The colony in J udrea by a fresh body of emigrants, three days' rest at Jerusalem and execution and at the same time to convey to Jerusalem of the more pressing commissions (ibid. vers. a sum of money, which the Babylonian Jews 32-36). had subscribed towards the temple service THE GENEALOGY OF EZRA (eh. vii. 1- Ubiil. ver. 16). Artaxerxes appears to have 5). It is plain that this genealogy is incom- had a high respect for Ezra ; he recognised plete. It gives no more than sixteen gener- in him one possessed of wisdom from on high ations between Ezra and Aaron, whereas the (ver. 25), and readily granted him, not only number of generations between Zerubbabel the request that he had made, but an im- and Nashon, prince of Judah in Aaron's time 11ortant co=ission, which was mainly one (Num. i 7; ii. 3), was twenty-six (1 Chron. of inquiry (ver. 14), but which made him for ii. 10-15; iii. 5-19), and that between Aaron n time paramount civil ruler of the province, himself and Eliashib at least as many (1 \\ith power of life and death over its inhabit- Chron. vi. i3-15; ix. 11; Neh. :xii. 10). ants (ver. 26) ; and also conferred upon the Six names are omitted between the Azariah Jewish people certain valuable gifts and and Meraioth of ver. 3, which will be found privileges. The terms of the decree a.re set in l Chron. vi. 7-10; and at least three forth in eh. vii. 12-26, where the Chaldee must be wanting between Ezra himself and version of the text, as published by Artaxerxes, Seraiah, who was the great-great-grandfather is Frobably given verbatim et literatim. of Eliashib, Ezra's contemporary (Neh. iii After reciting it, Ezra breaks out into a brief l ; xiii 4). The curtailment of genealogies but earnest burst of thanksgiving and ac- by the omission of names was a co=on knowledgment of God"s goodness, which practice of the Jews. A notable instance is concludes eh. vii., occupying the last two the omission of three royal names in St. verses. He then proceeds, in eh. viii., t... Matthew's genealogy of our Lord (i. 8). give an account of the number of the Jews Ver. 1.-The writer makes a marked di- who returned with him, with the names of vision between his first and second sections their leaders, whom he calls " chief of the by means of the words, "Now after these things," which he uses in this place only. fathers." Having completed his list in ver; . The actual interval seems to have been one 14, he goes on (vere. 15-31) to describe the of between fifty-seven and fifty-eight years, circumstances of the journey from Babylon the sixth year of Darius being B.O. 616, and to Jerusalem, which occupied exactly four the seventh of Artaxerxes Longimanus B. o. months, co=encing on the first day of the 458. Artaxerxes is in the original •' Art.akh- shasta," which reproduces the Persian first month and terminating on the first day Artakh.shatra with the change of only one of the fifth month (eh. vii. 9). In conclu- letter. That Longimanus, the grandson ot Darius, is meant seems to follow from the
l sion, he telle us how, after a rest of three days, he discharged himself of the most fact that Eliashib, the grandson of J eshua pressing of the commi.seions intrusted to him, is high priest under him (Neh. iii. 1). delivering over to the priests in charge of Darius, {Jeshua, the temple the gifts sent by Artaxerxes, and Xer~es, correspond to Jo~kim malting known to the various Persian officials of the district the terms of the royal decree so Artlxerxes, Eliashib. fa.ras they were affected by it (eh. viii. 32-36). But for this it would be possible to regard This section may be subdivided ioto seven the Artaxerxcs of Ezra (eh. vii.) and Nehe- OB. VII. 1-10.] THE BOOK OF EZRA. 101