Ezra 6

THen Darius the king made a decree Either 1. To search the Rolls: Or rather 2. To permit and promote the building of the Temple. And so the following words may be rendred, after search was made, &c. the Hebrew particle, vau, being oft so used, as has been noted before., and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon Either 1. In the Kingdom or Empire of Babylon, which he now possessed: Or rather 2. In the City of Babylon, where search was first made, supposing that this Edict which was made presently after Cyrus had taken Babylon, was kept there; but not finding it there, they searched in Ackmetha, and found it there..

And there was found Here the Kings answer may seem to begin, and this following account he sends to them, and after that lays down his commands. at Achmetha The Royal City of the Medes and Persians., in the palace, that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:

In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be built, the place where they offered Sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid, the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits He did not command them to make it so large, for he left the ordering of the proportions of the Building to their skill and choice; but he restrained them that they should make it no larger; lest they should hereafter make use of it to other purposes against himself: But those proportions differ much from those of Solomon's Temple, which was but Thirty Cubits high, only the porch was 120 Cubits high, and but 20 Cubits in breadth. Either therefore Solomons Cubits were sacred Cubits, which were larger than the other, and these were but common Cubits. Or, the 60 Cubits of heighth are meant only of the Porch, which he would not have to be so high and magnificent as that of Solomons was, lest they should be puffed up with it, and by degrees arrive at their former heighth and insolence. And the word rendred, breadth, may be, and is by some rendred more generally, the extension, or amplitude, or the length of it; it being improbable that the King should give orders about the breadth and none about the length of it.:

With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber As Solomon's Temple was built, 1 Kin. 6. 36. Whereof Darius was informed by some of the Jews, who also desired that it might be done in this manner.: and let the expences be given out of the kings house.

And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored To the Jews; from whom possibly they had been taken, and were secured somwhere by those Enemies of the Jews, who had made the work of the Temple to cease by force or power, Ezra 4, 23., and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place; and place them in the house of God.

Now therefore Tatnai, governour beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites; which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence i. e. From hindering or discouraging the work.:

Let the work of this house of God alone, let the governour of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in his place.

Moreover, I make a decree, what ye shall do to the elders of the Jews, for the building of this house of God: that of the kings goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expences be given unto these men, that they be not hindred From proceeding in their work for want of Money..

And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt-offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail.

That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his house be made a dunghil for this.

And the God that has caused his name to dwell there, destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand, to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem: I Darius have made a decree, let it be done with speed.

Then Tatnai, governor on this side the River, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.

And the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophecying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo This is a seasonable intimation that this great and unexpected success was not to be ascribed to chance, nor to the kindness or good humour of Darius, but unto God only, who by his Prophets had required and encouraged them to proceed in the work and by his mighty power disposed Darius Heart to such kind and noble Purposes and Actions.; and they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus,... and Darius, and Artaxerxes Who is thought to be either 1. Xerxes Darius his Son and Successor, who was called also Artaxerxes, and Ahashuerus, who is here joined with his Father Darius, possibly because he favoured the Jews, and promoted their Cause with his Father, and saw to the Execution of his Fathers Decree, and was his Fathers Vice-Roy, if not made Co-Emperour with his Father in his Life time, which was not unusual. Or 2. Artaxerxes Long... s, the Son of Xerxes, who was best known by the name of Artaxerxes: who is here joined with Cyrus and Darius, because though the Temple was finished, as to the substance of the work, in Darius's Reign, v. 15. yet it was afterwards more fully compleated and adorned by Artaxerxes, as is evident from ch. 7. v. 20, 27. by whom Nehemiah was sent to Ierusalem with a large Commission and full Power to take care about the Building of the City, and all other things concerning the Jewish Nation and Religion., kings of Persia.

And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the the reign of Darius the king.

And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.

And offered at the dedication of this house of God, an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the Book of Mo ses.

And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the sixth month.

For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover, for all the children of the captivity, and for their Brethren the priests and for themselves.

And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen i. e. Such as had forsaken that filthy and Idolatrous Religion of the Heathens, and were proselyred to the Jewish Religion: for such were allowed to eat the Passover, Exod. 12. 48. Numb. 9. 14. of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat:

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria i. e. Of the King of Persia, which was now king of Assyria also, or Emperour of that vast and famous Assyrian Empire: which was first subdued by the King of Babylon, who therefore is somwhere called the Assyrian; and for the same reason the Persian Monarch is here so called emphatically, to note the great Power and Goodness of God in turning the hearts of these great Monarchs, whose predecessors had been the chief persecutors and oppressors of Gods People. unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.