The Period of the Persian Monarchy, Chapter 5 – Chapter 8
CHAP. V. This Chapter containes a list of such as returned to Ierusalem,Ezra 2. at the first going up; and chiefly, of those, who offered presents for the reedifying of the Temple of the Lord.
IN the numbers you may finde some differences from that Catalogue wee have, Neh. 7. As for example: Here, v. 5. the Sons of Arah are said to be 775. There, v. 10.652. Reconcile the places thus: 775. gave their names in Babylon, that they would returne: only 652. mentioned in Nehemiah, came up into Iuda…a; the rest changing their mindes, or dying by the way. And where Nehemiah hath more, it might be by joyning with them in the way.
Question is made, whether onelyonly they of Iudah and Benjamin returned?The aSanctius in Zachar. 8. & 13. §. 32.Answere that is made, I thinke, is sound: That sith in Ezr. 2. the summe of the Principals of the whole Bodie, that returned, besides their followers, were 42360. But now reckon we the numbers of Iudah and Benjamin by the pole, which are punctually set downe, Ezr. 2. and they come short of the totall summe, a matter of 12000. Now these 12000. are those of other 10. Tribes, besides Iudah, and Benjamin. Wee reade, that so many went over of other Tribes to Rehoboam, that, (as 'tis said) His Crowne was strengthened by them. and many of Israel came over to Asa: and in Hezekiah's dayes, sundry of Ashur, Zabulon, and Manasse joyned themselves with Iudah. And who can doubt, but that in Captivity, being Countrey-men in forreigne parts, much of the 10. Tribes incorporated themselves into the two Tribes? And no other but this is the meaning of that fift ver. of the first chap. of Ez. Then rose up the chiefe of the Fathers of Iudah and Benjamin, with all them whose spirit God had raised to goe up: That is (saith Deodate) all those of other Tribes; according as wee reade, 1. Chron. 9.3. In Ierusalem dwelt of the children of Iudah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasse, who, no question, in the Captivity for very conscience and Religion, joyned themselves to Iudah.
By Province, Ver. 1. Now these are the children of the Province, that went up out of the Captivity.our English Annotations meanes Iudaea: but Iunius, and Deodate doe seeme to mee with more reason, to understand by Province, Babylonia, that is, saith Iunius, those who inrolled their names in Babylonia; called here a Province, saith the Italian, because the other Israëlites were dispersed in sundry other provinces.
Zerubbabel was son of *Mat. 1.12.Salathiel, Ver. 2. Which came up with Zerubbabel, Iesuah, and Nehemiah, Serviah, Reelajob, Mordecay, Bilsha…. &c. Of Zerubbbael.borne in Babylon, and accordingly he had a Babylonian mChrysost. Hom. 7. in Mat. 2.name. He was a Chiefe in the first yeare of Cyrus: and we find in sacred Story, that hee lived to see the building of the Temple, about the 6. yeare of nScaliger de emendat. temporum, lib. 6.Darius Nothus. Now say he was but 14. oGreat men under some tutors are put in places of imployment young. Asclepiades held, men began about that age to be wise, And the Civil law saith, that men at 14. are fit for action, Vid. Tertul. de animâ, cap. 38. Zach. 4.9.yeares of age, the first of Cyrus, yet to Darius Nothus is a matter of 100. years, as appeares by the Chronologie. Hence wee see, that the Lord gave him a life much longer than ordinary. Wee reade nothing when hee dyed after the edifying of the Temple. This cleares that in Zacharie 4.9. The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands also shall finish it. The very phrase doth tell us, that the Lord did draw out his life of purpose, that he might live to make up that goodly worke. Like as Moses, Deut. ult. had a longer life than usuall given him, that he might bring the People of God out of Egypt. In that place of Zechary the Lord doth promise Zerubbabel some singular matter, in that the Prophet affirmeth, that the hands of Zerubbabel that laid the foundation, the same hand shall finish it; meaning, an exceeding long life. Thus we see how God doth cause some to live to be wondrous old, above others, because hee hath something to bee done by them. Then age is a crowne indeed, when it is thus found in the wayes of Righteousnesse. Neither hath it a good savour, for men to say of an old Zerubbabel when he is going hence, What matter is it to heare of such an aged man dying, or dead? What? doth not the Lord threaten it as a curse, that he will take away? whom? the youth? No, the prudent and the ancient, Isa. 3.2.
This Nehemiah was not Nehemiah the famous,Vers. 2. Of Nehemiah. but another of the same name; as there were sundry of the same name: One, Ezr. 3. Another, Ezr. 8.10. For this Nehemiah came up with Zerubbabel in the first of Cyrus: and Nehemiah the great lived till the time of Darius the last, beaten by Alexander; which is two hundred yeares and upwards. Now that in those dayes Nehemiah should live above 200. yeares, sounds not likely. Nehemiah was the penner of the booke called Nehemiah, & in the book mention is made of Iaddua the Priest; of whom we reade in Iosephus, that he did meet Alexander the great in his Formalities, and stayd him from doing hurt to the Citie, and the Temple. Againe we reade, that Nehemiah was cup-bearer to pScal. de emend. lib. 6. Wolph. in …it. lib. Nehem. c. 12. Dion. Carthus. in Ezr. 2.Artaxerxes, and the Persians used to have young men for their Gentlemen about them. But this Nehemiah, comming up the first yeare of King Cyrus, must needs be stricken in yeares, in Artaxerxes time.
Hee was not Mordecay, Vers. 2. Of Mordecay.Esters Vncle: but another of the same name. For this Mordecay came up with Zerubbabel. Now if Esters Mordecay had returned with Zerubbabel, he would not have dwelt at Susis, and trayned up Ester among the Heathen, but rather in the holy Land, among the people of God. And 'tis plaine, that this Mordecay did returne into Iudaea, Neh. 7.7. But that ever Esters Vncle came into Iudaea, is unlikely. Wee must know, that it was a common thing among the Iewes, to have more names than one, or two. Which we must consider, lest it breed mistakes in reading the Scriptures.
*Vers. 61. And the children of the Priests, the children of Habaja…, the children of Roz, the children of Barzillai, which tooke a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was called after their name.In the Captivity, the Priests being in a strange Land, were not to offer any other sacrifices, except it were spirituall sacrifices of praise: Whereupon there being not that commodity made of it, as was used to arise out of their slaine sacrifices; some Priests, who had married themselves into the Noble Family of Barzillai, foreignVers. 62. i. e. genealogizatorum. These sought their Register amongst those that were reckoned by Genealogie: but they were not found, therefore they were, as polluted, i.e. kept from the Priesthood. Heb. foreign & elongati sunt: so Steph. Polluti à sacerdotio. i.e. ut polluti abstrusi sunt à Sacerdotio. Iunius. Apportati del Sacerdotio co…e persone non consecrate, Deodat. Gen. 11.4. put from the Priesthood.tooke scorne to be in the Register of the Priests in the time of the Captivity of Babylon, and tooke the name of Barzillai after the Family of their wives. Now after the returne from the Captivity, the Priesthood growing into fame, gaine, and request againe, and there being holy things to eate of, these degenerate Priests would faine have taken place among the Priests of the Lord; but the Magistrate would not suffer them: because, when time was, they did scorne the Priesthood, the Priesthood should now scorne them. A iust reward of God and man for such proud and insolent kind of people. 'Tis common when men by their wit goe about to get a Name, that they lose their Name. After the flood they would needs build a tower to get a Name to themselves, and not to God: and it is their reproach to this day. And this was all the use that those Creatures made of the late deluge, the greatest judgement of God that ever was.
Vers. 63. And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eate of the most holy things, till there stood up a Priest with Vrim What Vrim and Thummim was, Vid. Phag. in Exod. 18. & Delr. disquisit. Magicas. l. 4. q. 2. §. 4. & Thummim.[The Tirshatha] It is a name of office, viz. The Governour or Deputy of the King: We see he was a man of power that could keep those great men from the Priesthood, and forbid them to eat of the most holy things. By Tirshatha I conceive the same; who, cap. 1.8. was called Shazbazzar: as Daniel was called Balshazzar: An use among the Chaldees to change the name of the Iewes. Now Shazbazzar was Z…robbabel, as we have shewed before.
[Till there arose up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim] viz. to aske the Lords advice and counsell. By Priest, is meant the high Priest, for he had the Vrim and Thummim, and none but he. So when Saul murthered the Priests of the Lord, Abtathar fled to t1. Sam. 23 6.David with the Ephod (saith the text) that is, with the Ephod of the high Priest; and presently David began to enquire by the Ephod of the Lord. A great providence of God for the comfort of his poore servant David! And hence it is that we reade, that the Lord answered not Saul by v1. Sam. 28.6.Vrim and Thummim: for it was now with David; not with Saul.
This Vrim & Thummim was either lost or burned together with many other things, when that the Chaldees tooke the City of Ierusalem, & was never found againe. How then doth he here say, Vntill there stand up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim?
1 It may be that Zerubbabel did not know but that Vrim and Thummim might by the providence of God be had againe.
2 Vntill. that is, Never. An usuall Phrase in Scripture, (q. d.) You shall never come to the Priesthood againe, except God shall reveale his mind to be otherwise by Vrim and Thummim which will never be. [Vntill] is thus taken in the word in many places.
1 No.Was it not a great decay to Religion, that Vrim and Thummim were lost? Did not the Church now want a rule of certainty? For the word of God was ever the lively Oracle, the Rule of Rules, that was the sacred Canon, now the Scripture. For the old Testament was compleat, and when there was so much of the word written, there was the lesse use of Vrim & Thummim. And therefore after the losse of Vrim and Thummim, the Church was to keepe the closer to the Law of Moses: as Malachy, who lived after the losse of Vrim, and wrote last of all the Prophets,Mal. 4.4. did command. Mal. 4.4. Remember the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in H…reb, for all Israel, with the statutes and judgements.
2 For ought I see, the Vrim and Thummim was not to decide matters of doctrine, but events and facts and successes in warre and peace, as we see in David often. vid. Numb. 27.18.1. Sam. 23.5.9. & 30.7.8. And this was in xIoseph. Antiq. lib. 3. cap. 9.extraordinary cases: In things ordinary, the Prince was to have the Law before hisface, Deut. 17. Ios. 1. but in extraordinary Accidents, he was to seeke answer from God by the Vrim and the Thu…mim of the Priest.
3 The Church was in as good case for certainty in things of salvation, under the second Temple, when the Vrim and Thummim was not, as under the first Temple when it was. That of Rabbi Talmud in Ion. cap. 1. fol. 21. that not only Vrim and Thummim, Henry Ainsworth in Exod. 28.30. seemes to like too well this Rabbinicall Blasphemy, as hee doth in his annot, dote on the Rabbins too often.but the holy Ghost was wanting in the second Temple, is blasphemous. For had not Christ and his Apostles the holy Ghost? and did not they live under the second Temple? Nay: Is not more, and more full revelation promised in the second Temple, than in the first? Hag. 1.8. & Cap. 2.4.10.
4 Besides, after Vrim and Thummim was gone they had some Prophets; as Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachy. I confesse that Prophets by office and commission ended in Malachy, Yet yDrus. 2. Pet. 1.21.there be that hold, that after him there were now & then some Prophets only by the Spirit. I know there was a great silēce of Prophets after Malachy, to prepare the people for to expect the coming of that great Prophet. For though it were vox populi, and a tradition among the Priests zIohn. 1.20.21. & 7.40.41.and Levites, that the great Prophet was one distinct from the Christ the Messias: yet I doubt not, but the Church did understand Moses the great Prophet prophecyed of, to be no other than the expected Messias: And therefore the dampe that was of Prophets after Malachy, turned to the good of the godly. It taught them, that Christ Iesus was now at hand. And upon his comming, we finde that the Lord stirred up two Prophets in a line, aMaldonat. in Ioh. 1.21.Zacharie the father, and Iohn the Baptist his sonne, to point out him; Prophets by grace, rather than by office. And so I may say, that the want of Vrim and Thummim did teach the Church, that they were shortly now to expect the true Vrim and Thummim, Christ Iesus, the high Priest of their profession. And besides, it should have taught them to cleave the more to the written Oracles of God.
This, Ieremy seemes to mee to shew in the losse of the Arke: viz. That that losse should be no losse. The people of God should not care to looke after the Arke any more: but set their hearts on the true Arke Christ Iesus, the Arke of Arkes. This then the Church got by it: That by the want of Vrim they learned, that the Ceremonies were in going, and the Messias in comming; that salvation was not to be placed in the ordinances of Moses, since Vrim and Thummim it selfe was utterly gone.
Lastly, wee see that the Church did stand and was the pillar of truth without Vrim and Thummim. The bBellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 4 §. quartà probatur.Argument is loose, that is made to prove the infallibility of the great Bishop of Rome from the Vrim and Thummim of the high Priest: For beside that the Argument may follow from the cHeb. 4.14. & 8.1.Leviticall high Priest to Christ our high Priest, of whom that high Priest was a Type, and not of the Pope; yet we see that the Church stood to the word, when there was no Vrim & Thummim, from the taking of Ierusalem to the comming of Christ Iesus; for in that interim the high Priest had no Vrim and Thummim. And for that slender voyce called Bath-col, mentioned by Tremelius in Act. 12.22. which Henry don Exod. 28.30.Ainsworth would have to make some supply for the defect of Vrim; it hath no ground: and is to be turned backe to the foolish Rabbins from whom it came. And therefore the Law and the Prophets was the standard, and not the Vrim and Thummim. I doubt not but the people had by some meanes perfect notice of the Revelation made to the Priest, and they were absolutely to stand to the Oracles given by Vrim and Thummim from the mouth of God: Yet me thinkes, 'tis hard to prove that the Priest did use it for matters of Religion and doctrine, and not onelyonly for matters of fact and event: Next, that the Priest had answere when he would, though he himselfe were never so wicked: or lastly, That the sinnes of the people did not hinder the giving of the Oracle sometime. 'Tis enough that for some 550. yeares the high Priest was destitute of Vrim and Thummim; and yet I hope the Lord did not leave his people without a sure and certaine rule of faith and direction of life, which is the holy Word of God. And Malachy doth tell us, that though the Priests lips by that place and office should hauehave preserved knowledge; yet often they did not: And though, while Vrim lasted, it never gave any false or fallacious answers; yet many times, what for the sinnes of the Priest, and what for the sinnes of the people, the Lord refused to give any answer at all; and the answers that were given, were rather in matters of eNumb. 17.21. 1. Sam. 23.11, 12. & 30.7, 8.fact than of doctrine and of faith.
The argument is too weake, that the Cardinall doth draw from the Iewish Church, to prove that the Pope hath the deciding Spirit and Voyce in matters of Faith; sith from the destruction of Ierusalem to Messiah the Prince (a space of some 550. yeares) there was no Oracle by Vrim and Thummim, no fPsal. 74.9. Wee see not our signes: there is no more any Prophet.succession of Prophets, nor but a few Prophets at all from Malachy till Zachary the father and Iohn Baptist the sonne: No miracles, except the Poole of Bethesda, graunted to the Iewes to strengthen them in the true worship of God under the persecution of Antiochus, till the dayes of Zachary and Iohn Baptist and the Lord Iesus. And yet the providence of God did not leave the Church for all that time without sufficient and ample meanes of their salvation. In a word, the losse of Vrim and Thummim, the Arke, and other Ceremonials, taught them to looke off from the shadowes, and to looke for the Truth, the Lord Iesus.
CHAP. VI.
Chap. 4. v. 5. They hired counsellers against them, to frustrate their purpose all the dayes of Cyrus K. of Persia, even untill the reigne of Darius K. of Persia. Question is made who this Darius King of Persia was, which of the Darij.CYrus after the Edict made in behalfe of the Iewes, was called abroad to the warres. He left his sonne Cambyses the power of a King at home; and Cambyses hindred the execution of his fathers Proclamation.
1 Not Darius Medus, as Ben-Gorion saith; for he was predecessor to Cyrus. Now it is plaine by this Text, that our Darius succeeded Cyrus; And by the tenor of this fourth Chapter we find that the building was letted the daies of Cyrus, Assuerus, Artaxerxes, even untill the second yeare of this Darius: therefore our Darius was not onelyonly after Cyrus, but after Assuerus and Artaxerxes also.
2 Not Darius Hystaspis, as aIoseph. antiq. lib. 11. cap. 3.Iosephus thought: For, Ezr. 4.6, 7. there is mention of Assuerus and Artaxerxes, who went betwixt Cyrus and our Darius. But Darius Hystaspis was the immediate successor of Cambyses, and Cambyses succeeded Cyrus his father: therefore our Darius cannot be Darius Hystaspis. For betwixt Cyrus and our Darius, Ezra mentions two: but betwixt Cyrus and Darius Hystaspis there was but only Cambyses. As for the Magus, he is not in accompt among the Kings of Persia; eyther for that hee was a tyrant, or else for that he stood but seven moneths.
3 Therefore this our Darius was Darius Notbus, the sonne of Axtaxerxes Longimanus, named Ezra 4.7. the father of Artaxerxes Mnemon.
CHAP. VII.
HEre are sixe generations left out betwixt Merajoth and that Azariah, Chap. 7. v. 3. The sonne of Amaziah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Merajoth.who was the Priest, as it is 1. Chron. 6. viz. Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz, Azariah, Iothanan. These were omitted here for brevitie sake, because hast is made, to shew onelyonly, that Ezra came from Aaron, to honour Ezra, and to give him the more authority. And likely it is, that those are passed over who were borne in the time of the Babylonian Captivitie: and those set upon record here, as though they had been the verie next, whose memorie was fresh and most famous, as being Priests about the time the Temple was ruinated. Wee may say, That he doth set downe by name the Catalogue of those his Ancestors only, who flourished during the standing of the Temple. And 'tis a truth, that Ezra was not the immediate, but the mediate sonne of Serajah: and so Ezra useth the word Son in a many of places.
CHAP. VIII.
Cap. 10.11. Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your Fathers, & doe his pleasure, and separate your selues from the people of the land, and from the strange wiues.THe question is, Whether in case a man marry an Amorite, now an infidell; he be to put her away by vertue of this Law?
No, by no meanes: He must keepe her, if shee will stay with him: as Paul shewes, 1. Cor. 7.12. And Peter inferres 1. Pet. 3.1. Where hee shewes, that Christian wives must by their conuersation labour to winne their husbands, that obey not the Word, (that is) that are Heathens. Therefore they are not bound to part a beleeving man from an unbeleeving wife,Cap. 9.1. Now when these things were done, the Princes came unto me, saying; The people of Israel, and the Priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the land, doing according to the abominations even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Iebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites, ver. 2. For they have taken of their daughters for themselues, and for their sonnes so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands; yea the hand of the Princes and Rulers hath beene chiefe in this trespasse. Cap. 10.44. All these had taken strange wives, and some of them had wives, by whom they had children. a beleeving wife from an unbeleeving and infidell husband. Wee must say then, that this Law in hChytraeus in Levit. 18.28. qu. …. c. etiam citantur.Ezra was a part of Moses policy, which did bind them then, but not us now.
Next I say, It did not bind them simply neither: but in case such wives were not Proselytes; but did remaine in their superstition. For Salmon did marry Rahab a convert Canaanite, and did well in it: But these in Ezra did persist in their infidelity and superstition. And if Pharaohs daughter were a Proselyte, Solomon did not sin against iPiscator 1. King. 3.1. Solomons first wife was an Egyptian; but a proselyte. 1. King. 3.1, 2, 3. è verisimile che prima la faccile an marsirat ne…la vera rel…gione è ren unciare alle sue Idololatrie: i. e. 'Tis like hee caused her to be instructed in the true religion, and to renounce her Idolatry. Deodat. Italian. Altra mente haualbe peccato contra alla Legge. Deut. 7.3.4. i. e. Else hee had sinned against the Law. Ibid. La quale benchi reguardi principalmente à popoli Cananei male detti, ha puri una ragione generale del periculo de esser indotro ad Idololatria. i. e. Though the place in Deut. 7.6. be chiefely meant of the Canaanites; yet it hath a generall reason from the danger of being drawne to Idolatry: Deodat. ibid.that Law of Moses then: much lesse was hee bound to put her away. He is deceived,The Question is, whether in case a man marry an Amorite, now an Infidell, he be to put her away by vertue of this Law? who writes that Solomon did not ill in it, not on this ground, because she was a Proselyte; but because shee was none of those seven cursed Nations, named, Deut. 4.7. This evasion is not currant: For though those seven be only named, yet other the like are meant; And Ezra 9.1. the Egyptians are set downe by name and the Moabite: Yet Boaz did his duty in marrying of Ruth the Moabitesse, shee being now in faith and religion united to the people of God. The summe is: that it was a Law of Moses binding during the time of his policy; That if an Israelite should marry an Infidell, remaining an Infidell, shee was to be put away, and it seemes her children too: which Law is not in force now: Christians are not bound to it; but doe sinne if they divorce such wives (very Infidels) that are willing to live with their Christian husbands.