The Mystery of Ephraim

The Samaritans are adversaries to the returning Jews because of (a) difference in defining what time at ben ha’arbayim when the Pascha lamb should be killed: the Jewish definition of ben ha’arbayim “between the two evenings” is “after noon and until nightfall,” whereas the Samaritans is sunset or dusk; (b) when is omer, which translated to English is rendered “wave sheaf” offering to be made: the Jews definition has it on the annual Sabbath after Pascha, whereas the Samaritans has it the day after the weekly Sabbath during the days of unleavened bread;

— (c) after counting seven weeks after the omer, on what day Shavuot is to be kept: the Jews have it on Sivan 6th, whereas the Samaritans always have it on a weekly Sabbath; (d) the three annual feasts are to be kept in Jerusalem, whereas the Samaritans have their feasts on Mount Gerizim, which they consider a sacred mountain; and (e) once in roughly three years, the Samaritan calendar starts one month later than the Jewish calendar.

Wikipedia says “There has been a history of genetic disorders within the group due to the small gene pool,” such as high incidence of austisics and cripples within their community but of course they manage to deflect from mentioning the truth of God’s curses upon those who show hostilities to the rebuilding of the house of God in Jerusalem.

Ezra 5

¹ Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. — prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; this they both did in the second year of Darius; even “unto them” or “against them” reproving them for their sloth and neglect of building the temple;

— when they were careful enough to raise up goodly houses for themselves to dwell in; and for being intimidated by the command of the king of Persia, which only forbid the building of the city, that is, the walls of it, but not the temple any more than their own houses; and besides there was now a new king, from whom they had not so much to fear.

² Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God helping them. — and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; to go on with the building of it; for they had laid the foundation before, and perhaps had carried it up to some little height, at least, before they ceased from it, Ezra 3:10;

— and with them were the prophets of God helping them; with words of counsel, comfort and exhortation, directing and encouraging them and promising them protection and success: these are the prophets before named.

³ At the same time came to them Tattenai, governor on this side of the river, and Shetharboznai and their companions, and said thus unto them: “Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?” — Governor on this side the river; Compare Ezra 4:10 – Tatnai was apparently satrap of Syria, which included the whole tract west of the Euphrates from Cilicia to the borders of Egypt. Zerubbabel must have been, to some extent, under his authority.

— Who hath commanded you to build? – there was no doubt a perceived illegality in the conduct of Zerubbabel and Jeshua: since all edicts of Persian kings continued in force unless revoked by their successors. But they felt justified in disobeying the decree of the Pseudo-Smerdis (see the Ezra 4:7), because the opposition between his religious views and those of his successor was matter of notoriety.

⁴ Then said we unto them in this manner: “What are the names of the men who make this building?” — then said we unto them after this manner; in answer to their questions; namely, Ezra and other Jews replied; for though Ezra is said after this to come from Babylon in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, he might go thither on some business, and then return again at that time;

— what were the names of the men that did make this building; or employed them in it, namely, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the chief men of the Jews; they made no scruple of telling them who they were; neither ashamed of their masters nor of their work, nor afraid of any ill consequences following hereafter.

⁵ But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease until the matter came to Darius, and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter. — the eye of their God was over the elders of the Jews, that they should not restrain them (from building) till the matter came to Darius; and they should then receive a letter concerning this matter;

— that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius; they were not intimidated by what the governor and those with him said to them, but went on in their work; nor did the governor attempt to interrupt them, they having referred him and their cause to Darius for the truth of what they had said, and for further information from him.

⁶ The copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor on this side of the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were on this side of the river, sent unto Darius the king — the copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river; which is thought by some to be one of the nations mentioned, Ezra 4:9 the name being pretty near alike to two of them; but perhaps might be a distinct colony in those parts Tatnai was governor of;

⁷ they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus: “Unto Darius the king, all peace.

⁸ Be it known unto the king that we went into the province of Judea to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on and prospereth in their hands. — which is built with great stones; marble stones; stones of rolling as it may be rendered; which were so large and heavy that they could not be carried, but were obliged to roll them:

— and timber is laid in the walls, cedar wood, for the beams, flooring and raftering; or rather is put upon the walls, for the lining and wainscoting of them, which was done with cedar wood:

⁹ Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus: ‘Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?’ — hereupon the royal officials asked the elders of the Jews who had commanded them to build, and inquired concerning their names, that they might write to the king the names of the leading men, who act in the capacity of heads.

¹⁰ We asked their names also, to inform thee, that we might write the names of the men who were the chief of them. — to certify that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them; take the names of them in writing, that they might with certainty acquaint the king who they were, and that if it was necessary they might be called to an account for what they were doing.

¹¹ And thus they returned us answer, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up. — which a great king of Israel built and set up; King Solomon who was a great king for wisdom, honour, riches, peace, prosperity and extent of his kingdom.

¹² But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon.

— parallel Scriptures in Daniel 9:11 “Yea, all Israel have transgressed Thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey Thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.”

¹³ But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. — but in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon; that is, the first year he was king of Babylon, having taken it, otherwise he was king of Persia many years before.

¹⁴ And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. — they were given to one Sheshbazzar, is his name, i.e., to one of the name of Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. Zerubbabel is also called פּחה, Haggai 1:1, Haggai 1:14, and elsewhere.

¹⁵ And he said unto him, “Take these vessels; go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in his place.” — of which and of what is said concerning them and particularly of the delivery of them to Sheshbazzar, whom Cyrus made governor of Judah and ordered him to carry them to Jerusalem, and build the temple there, and put them in it.

¹⁶ Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.’ — then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; which makes it clear, that by Sheshbazzar is meant Zerubbabel; for he it was that laid the foundation of the temple, or at least by whose order it was laid, see Zechariah 4:9;

— “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you,” Zechariah 4:9.

¹⁷ Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house which is there at Babylon, whether it be so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.” — let there be search made at Babylon; they perhaps doubted whether proof of the decree of Cyrus remained in the archives. The decree was not found at Babylon, the most natural place for it, but in the provincial capital of Ecbatana, which Tatnai and his friends had not asked Darius to have searched (see Ezra 6:2).

Ezra 6

¹ Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. — then Darius the king made a decree; to search the rolls in Babylon, where search was fairly made; but not finding the edict there, they searched in Achmetha, or Ecbatana, the royal city of the Medes and Persians and found it there;

— as Darius, the better to fortify his title to the crown, had married two of the daughters of Cyrus, he thought himself concerned to do every thing which might tend to the honour of that great prince, and therefore more readily confirmed the decree which he had granted to the Jews.

² And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a scroll, and therein was a record thus written: — at Achmetha; that is, Ecbatana, the Median capital of Cyrus. It is probable that the original roll of parchment had been destroyed at Babylon but a copy of it was found here, probably in a Chaldean transcript.

³ “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, — the height thereof sixty cubits; which were thirty more than the height of Solomon’s temple, 1 Kings 6:2 though sixty less than the height of the porch, which was one hundred and twenty, II Chronicles 3:4 and which some take to be the height of the whole house; and hence it may be observed what Herod said (y), that the temple then in being wanted sixty cubits in height of that of Solomon’s:

— and the breadth thereof sixty cubits; whereas the breadth of Solomon’s temple was but twenty, 1 Kings 6:2, but since it cannot reasonably be thought that the breadth should be equal to the height, and so very disproportionate to Solomon’s temple; many learned men understand this of the extension of it as to length, which exactly agrees with the length of the former temple, 1 Kings 6:2.

⁴ with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber — and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house. — let the expenses be given out of the king’s house; that is, “out of the Persian revenue,” a portion of the decree which was probably not observed during the later years of Cyrus and during the reign of Cambyses, and hence the burthen fell upon the Jews themselves Ezra 2:68-69.

⁵ 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 and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. — and also let the golden and silver vessels . . . be restored; the desecration of these vessels by Belshazzar (Daniel 5:2-3) was thus to be expiated and redressed. Every word, including the triple twice repeats of “house of God” “Jerusalem” and “temple” are most emphatic;

— emphatic? yea, because the Lord is concern about his abode with humanity: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love the truth and peace.’ Zechariah 8:19 (extra blessings await those who touches the heart of God; for more, see “The Unspoken Will of God.”)

⁶ “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence. — who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence; keep at a distance from the Jews and give them no disturbance, nor interrupt them in their work of building of the temple, but mind your own business and government.

⁷ Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. — let the work of this house of God alone; suffer them to go on with it, and do not hinder them; it looks, by these expressions, as if he had some suspicion or hint given him that they were inclined to molest or persecute them with troubles;

— let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in his place; where it formerly stood; that is, go on with the building of it.

⁸ Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do for the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. — moreover, I make a decree, what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God; this must be considered as an additional decree of Darius, which was peculiarly made by him, in which more was granted in favour of the Jews and as an encouragement to them to go on with the building of the temple;

⁹ 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 who are at Jerusalem — let it be given them day by day without fail, — and that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven; all which were used for burnt offerings, see Leviticus 1:2

— wheat, salt, wine, and oil; “wheat”, or “fine flour”, for the “minchah” or meat offering; “salt”, for every offering; “wine”, for the drink offerings; and “oil”, to be put upon the meat offerings, see Leviticus 2:1; according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail; for the daily sacrifice, and the meat and drink offerings which attended it, Exodus 29:38.

¹⁰ that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. — that they may offer sacrifices . . . and pray for the life of the king; two ends are to be answered: the God of heaven is to be honoured, and the dynasty of Darius interceded for by the Jews.

¹¹ 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 dunghill for this. — whosoever shall alter this word; the warning was specially directed against the turbulent and fanatical Samaritans;

— the extremely favorable purport of this edict was no doubt owing in some measure to the influence of Cyrus, of whom Darius entertained a high admiration, and whose two daughters he had married. But it proceeded still more from the deep impressions made even on the idolatrous people of that country and that age, as to the being and providence of the God of Israel.

¹² And the God who hath caused His name to dwell there, destroy all kings and people who shall put forth 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.” — the God that hath caused his name to dwell there;

— who hath willed that a temple should be built there, called the temple or house of God. Destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter; Darius was touched with such a sense of the greatness of the God of the Jews, that he prays, that He who had all power in heaven and earth and was King of kings, would not only punish all those kings who went about to obstruct this work, but destroy both them and their people;

— though this temple was at length most justly destroyed by the righteous hand of God, yet perhaps the Romans, who were the instruments of that destruction, felt the effects of this curse. For that empire sensibly declined ever after, till it was wholly destroyed.

¹³ Then Tattenai, governor on this side of the river, Shetharboznai and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. — so they did speedily. Tatnai and Shethar-boznai showed no reluctance; they had lost their case against the Jews. Once clearly made known of the king’s wishes, they carried them out with apparent zeal. The rapid completion of the temple must be in part attributed to some good-will.

¹⁴ And the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Idd. 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 king of Persia. — they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai; this is a seasonable blessing that this great and unexpected success was not to be ascribed to chance, or 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’s heart to such kind and noble purposes.

¹⁵ And this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. — the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year; the event around which this part of the history revolves is dated with due care; it was on the third day of the last month of the ecclesiastical year, 516-515 BC;

— Haggai (Haggai 1:15) gives the exact date of the re-commencement: the time therefore was four years five months and ten days. But, dating from the first foundation (Ezra 3:10), no less than twenty-one years had elapsed.

¹⁶ 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, — kept the feast of dedication; called in the Greek Encænia (ἐγκαίνια, LXX.), and in Hebrew ‘Khanukah’

— the same word which gives its name to the Feast of the Dedication, founded to commemorate the purification of the Temple after the pollution of Antiochus Epiphanes, cf. John 10:22. That festival was kept for eight days and began on 25th of Chislev (the 9th month).

¹⁷ and offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve hegoats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. — twelve he goats; the people are not “Judah” or “Judah and Benjamin,” but “all Israel.” On the Day of Atonement, on the new moons, and on all the great feasts the kid was the sin-offering for the people. But only here is one offered for each tribe.

¹⁸ 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 Moses. — they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses. The completion of the new temple was naturally followed by an arrangement of the these courses corresponding to that which had been originally made by David, and afterwards adopted by Solomon, for the service of the old temple (see 1 Chronicles 23:6-23; 1 Chronicles 24:1-19);

— this arrangement was based upon the ordinances of the law with respect to the respective offices of the two orders, as given in the Book of Numbers (Numbers 3:6-10; Numbers 8:6-26), and, so far, was according to the writing of the book of Moses. But the “courses” themselves were not established till David’s time.

¹⁹ And the children of the captivity kept the Passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. — specially solemn Passovers were celebrated on specially solemn occasions; and these received special record at the hands of the sacred writers;

— of this kind are the Passover celebrated by Hezekiah in the year BC 726, recorded in II Chronicles 30, and that celebrated by Josiah in BC 624, recorded in II Chronicles 35. Both of these followed upon a cleansing of the temple, and restoration of the temple worship after a period of suspension. 

²⁰ For the priests and the Levites were purified together; all of them were pure, and killed the Passover lamb for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. — and killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests and for themselves; which seems to have been done by the Levites, for themselves and for the priests, and for all the people, who were not so pure as the priests and Levites; or otherwise they might have killed it themselves, Exodus 12:6.

²¹ And the children of Israel, who had come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate, —all such as had separated themselves; from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, that is, whose had given satisfactory evidence of being true proselytes by not only renouncing the impure worship of idolatry, but by undergoing the rite of circumcision, a condition indispensable to a participation of the Passover.

²² 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 unto them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. — and kept the feast with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful; had given them both cause to rejoice, and hearts to rejoice;

— turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them; that is, king of the Persian empire, which now included the possessions and had surpassed the glory, of Assyria. The favorable disposition which Darius had evinced towards the Jews secured them peace and prosperity and the privileges of their own religion during the rest of his reign.

~ by Joel Huan on May 17, 2022.

Posted in Ezra