of this there is no other evidenCIJ. But they With an abruptness that may appear strange, would scll.l'cely h1Lve placed 1L foreign priest- but which has many parallels in the works hood on a higher level of favour than their own. of Oriental writers, Ezra passes without a Ver. 25.-And thou, Eirl'IL. This con- word of explanation from Arta.xerxes' letter clusion would be by itself sufficient to to his own thanksgiving upon the receipt of remove the document out of the ordinary it. Compare the interjectional prayers of category of "decrees" or "edicts," and to Nehemiah (iv. 4; v. 19; vi. 9, 14, &c.). rnnder it, what it is called in ver. 11, n-ish- tcvan, " a letter." After the wisdom of thy Ver. 27.-Havingconcluded the important God, that is in thy hand. I. e. "that is document, which he has transcribed, and in thy possession." Set mar·strates and not translated, and which is consequently judges. Both the words use are derived in the Chaldee dialect, Ezra now resumes from roots sip;nify:ing "to judge," and it is the use of the more sacred Hebrew, and difficult to draw any distinction between henceforth employs it uninterruptedly to them. The one translated ''magistrates" the close of his narrative. The form of his is that which gives its title to the Book of thanksgiving a little resembles that of "Judges." Which may judge all the David in 1 Chron. xxiL 10. The Lord God people that are beyond the river, all such of our fathers is an unusual phrase, only as know tbe llLWS of thy God. The latter elsewhere employed by David (1 Chron. clause is probably intended to be limit- x:rix. 18) and Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. :x:x. 6). ntive of the former, and to consign to Ezra.'s "God of our fathers" is more common, government on.,.y the Jewish portion of the being found in Deuteronomy (xxvi 7) and population, in which, however, are to be Acts (iii. 13 ; v. 30 ), as well as in Chronicles reckoned the proselytes (see co=ent on eh. frequently. Which bath put suoh a thought i-i. 21). And teach ye them that know as this in the king's heart. Compare i. 1 them not. All the other inhabitants of and vi. 22. All thoughts favourable to the i-yria were not Zoroastrians, but idolaters, Jews are -regarded by Ezra as impressed Ezra was given free permission to spread his upon the hearts of heathen kings by the religion among them. direct action of God. To beautify. Or Ver. 26.-Finally, to Ezra. is intrusted '' adorn." Ezra gathers from the general distinctly the civil government of the Jewish tenor of the king's letter that the adornment people, with power to fine, imprison, banish, of the temple is his main object (see com- or put to death offenders, a.s he may think ment on ver. 17). right. These powers were always intrusted Ver. 28.-B:ath extended mercy unto me by the Persians to the civil administrat:ors of before the king. I. e. "he.th given me provinces, who were autocrats within their favour in the king's sight"-" bath me.de respective territories, and responsible to the him graciously disposed towards me" (see king alone for the exercise of their authority. ver. 6). And his counsellors and ... princes. Compare the comment on ver. 14. The EzRA.'S TliA.NKSGIVING ON RECEIPT OF " counsellors" and " princes " a.re the same .AlLTil:ERXES' LETTER (eh. viL 27, 28). persons.
HOMILETICS.
Vere. 11-26.-The reformer's commission. The insertion here of this decree of Artaxerx:es at length, and in its original Chaldee _form, is in more or lees close keepin~ with the earlier parts of this book (i. 2-4; 1v. 11-1?, 17-22; v. 6-1~; VJ. 3-12) • and furnishes an argument, therefore, strongly m favour of the uruty of authoreb.ip of the whole book. It is a1'!o in keeping with the che.racte~ of Ezra him- self. .AB a special student of God's wntten law, he would naturally thmk much and make much of the very letter of the written decree of those who ruled in God'~ name (John xi.L 22; Rom. xiii 1, 2). Turning now to our special subject here, viz., the contents of this document itself, we find them such as to present Ezra t~ u~ yet further as the central figure of this last part of t~e book ; and that under two pnn~1 p~l nepects, viz., (1) before the king Artaxerx:es hunself; and, (2) through the kmg s orders, before the world. I. BEl"OBE THE KING. It is evident, from the nature of the case, as also from e. comparison of the end of ver. 23 with 27, that this decree was not wholly spon- taneoUB on the part of the king. We also gather from vers. 14 and 28, that when Ezra preferred the "request" spoken of. it was in a special audience of state. There on. vn. 11-28.J THE BOOK OF EZRA. 113