A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 6
Ezra CHAP. VI.
THIS Chapter contains the Removendo Prohibentia, and the Applicando Auxiliatoria, the Removing of Rubbs and the Applying of Helps in the Rebuilding of the Temple.
Remark the Firſt; This Darius (who is call'd alſo Artaxerxes, the common Name of the Kings of Perſia, as Pharaoh was of the Kings of Egypt) makes ſearch for Cyrus's Decree in the Houſe of the Rolls, and found it in Echatana, one of the Provinces of Babylon, (if taken properly) or in a Coffer (as the word ſignifies) if taken Appellatively, ver. 1, 2. The Contents of Cyrus's Decree are recited, ver. 3, 4, 5. where Wolphius well obſerveth, that it is very improbable Cyrus ſhould confine the Jews to an exact Longitude, Latitude and profundity of their Temple, but rather left it to their Power and Pleaſure, and to the Achitectors whom they employed: He only fixed ſuch limits, that it might not be made in the form of a Strong Tower, leſt they ſhould hereafter turn it into a Place of Defence againſt himſelf: But this is manifeſt (ſaith Maſius) that thoſe proportions here differ much from thoſe of Solomon's Temple, which was but 30 Cubits High (excepting the Porch which was 120) and but 20 Cubits Broad: Tho' this Second Temple conſiſts here of 60 Cubits High, and 60 Cubits Broad, (nothing being ſaid here of its Length) yet was it leſs than that of Solomon's, Ezra. 3.12. Hag. 2.3. therefore theſe Cubits of Solomon were larger likely, as Sacred above common Cubits.
Remark the Second; Darius, having peruſed this former Decree of Cyrus, and reſolving to make him his pattern for Imitation, immediately paſſeth a New Decree to Reinforce the former, from ver. 6. to ver. 12. wherein he 1. commands Tatnai, &c. not to come near the Builders to diſcourage them, nor to meddle in diſturbing them, &c. ver. 6, 7. 2ly. The King commands moreover, that thoſe Adverſaries ſhould ſupply the Builders with Materials and Money out of his Royal Tribute and Treaſury, that it may ſtop no more for want of Neceſſaries, but be compleated with Expedition, that therein they might Pray for the Life of the King and his Sons, ver. 8, 9, 10. N. B. Whence Wolphius Notes well, That as it is the duty of all pious Minds to pray for Magiſtrates, ſo 'tis the Intereſt of Magiſtrates to deſire the Prayers of pious Perſons, both for them and for theirs, &c. N. B. But above all, he obſerves how this Pagan King of Perſia condemns all Will-worſhip, in preſcribing no Sacrifices for the Temple, but ſuch as the Law of God had preciſely preſcribed, not mixing the leaſt Dram of Perſian Superſtition with God…s own Inſtitution by his command: Which ſheweth, that nothing ought to be Added to or Subtracted from God's Word; and that all Divine Worſhip muſt have Divine Warrant: He names Calves and Lambs only which God appointed. Yea, and Grotius excellently obſerveth here, that this Darius exceeded and excelled Cyrus himſelf in this reſpect of his Royal Beneficency; for Cyrus only permitted the Jews to be Contributers unto this Great Work, but this King Darius Contributes himſelf much alſo out of his own Treaſure, as farther appeareth Chap. 7.20, 21, 22. and Neh 11.23. 3ly. This New Decree of Darius doometh all Perſons (both Gentle and Simple, &c.) that dared to diſturb the Builders of the Temple, to have their own Houſes pull'd down as a Penalty, ver. 11. and themſelves to be Hang'd (ſaith Vatablus) upon ſome piece of their own Timber of the Houſe: Or it intimateth (ſaith Wolphius) that the Body of ſuch a Tranſgreſſor ſhall be beaten and broken to pieces with his own Wood, &c. which could not but be a moſt cruel kind of Death; yea, and his Houſe be turned into a Dunghil or Jakes, expoſed (ſaith Oſiander) to all manner of Violence and vileſt Ʋſes, &c. 4ly. Darius adds alſo a moſt ſad Imprecation of the ſevereſt Curſes to befall all Kings and People that durſt preſume to Diſcourage or Diſturb the Builders of God's Temple, v. 12. Here Darius (ſaith Wolphius) makes a Candid Confeſſion of his Faith in the True God, of his Power and Juſtice, clearly diſtinguiſhing him from all falſe Deities. N. B. There is no doubt but this True God (whom Darius thus ſolemnly Invocated) ſaid Amen to his dreadful Curſe. Let all Perſecutors of God's Church and Children (be they high or low) Tremble at this direful Imprecation; for in all Ages God's Hand hath been exceeding heavy upon their Perſons and Poſterities. Let Kings and all Princes (ſaith Wolphius) learn to be Wiſe, and not dare to thruſt their Sickles into God's Harveſt, the Lord of it will not ſee his Harveſt ſpoil'd before his Eyes by the Wild Beaſts of the Wood or World.
Remark the Third; Behold how the Adverſaries of the Jews do truckle and bow before the Authority of this Decree of Darius! ver. 13. No ſooner had the King (ſaith Wolphius) quite excluded all Exception, and univerſally commanded a ſpeedy Execution, but the very Toparchs or Perſian Governours, preſently bend and buckle to promote that Building of the Temple, which before they had bandied together with all their Craft and Might to Obſtruct. Now Tatnai and Shetherboznai did Advance it, becauſe they durſt do no otherwiſe; their Obedience is now wrung out of them as Verjuice is out of a Crab, or Diſtill'd Waters by the force of Fire: They dare not diſobey the Direction of the Decree, leſt they ſhould lie under the laſh of the Law and Correction of it; to wit, Their Houſes to be pull'd down, &c. No doubt but they undertook this Work as Aukardly as Haman did in his Honouring of Mordecai at that juncture of time, when it was in his heart to Hang Mordecai up out of his way: Thus thoſe Mongrel-Samaritans were forced to ſear the Lord becauſe of his Lions, 2 Kings 17.33, 34. N.B. (Saith Wolphius) here, All Humane Affairs are ſo over-ruled by a Divine Providence, that as we cannot expect any Good by the Benevolency of Friends, ſo nor need we fear the leaſt Dram of Evil from the Malice of our Enemies; unleſs it be the good-will and pleaſure of our good God that it ſhould be ſo. God compells the Ʋnwilling here, as he oft doth elſewhere, to help his Church, whoſe hearts were more to hinder it.
Remark the Fourth; Now all Impediments being Removed, all the Helps are Applied, and the Building of the Temple goes bravely forward, and in due time was finiſhed, ver. 14, 15. the Apoſtle faith, [That which now letteth, will let, until it be taken out of the way,] 2 Theſſ. 2.7. Hitherto (ſaith Dr. Lightfoot) had the Jews been building God's Houſe at the inſtigation and encouragement of God's Prophets Haggai and Zechary; but now they have a Commiſſion from the King that removed all Remora's out of their way.
Mark 1. The Elders of the Jews now did proſper in their Building Work; even thoſe very Men whoſe Names their Adverſaries (the Informers) had taken (ſaith Wolphius) and ſent them upon Evil Deſigns to King Darius, that he might order his Officers to Apprehend them and clap them up cloſe Priſoners, &c. but now their Work was become Glorious which before had been Dangerous.
Mark 2. Their proſpering in this Building Work was not to be aſcribed to Chance or Fortune, nor to Dariu's good Humour, but unto God only, who both ſent his Prophets to prompt them forward in their preſent proceedings, and by his Almighty Power ſo diſpoſed Darius's Heart, as to publiſh this his Noble Decree for promoting it by Royal Authority; therefore 'tis ſaid to be done [by the command of the God of Iſrael,] ver. 14.
Mark 3. Becauſe 'tis added [by the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, &c.] ver. 14. Some ſuppoſe this third King was Darius's Son Xerxes, who was a favourer of the Jews▪ (ſaith Joſephus) and as his Father's Vice-Roy promoted this favourable Decree; thus ſaith Maſius out of Junius. But the moſt likely opinion is that of Dr. Light-foot, concurring herein with Wolphius, who ſaith, that Darius and Artaxerxes were but one Man; for the Hebrew Vau before Artaxerxes is uſed there not for Conjunction but for Expoſition; as if it were ſaid [Darius, who is alſo call'd Artaxerxes', which was the common Name of Perſian Kings.
Mark 4. Thoſe two Perſian Kings Cyrus and Darius, were of great Renown both in Sacred and Civil Hiſtory; Plato makes them the two grand Reſtorers and Inlargers of of the Perſian Monarchy, &c. and Herodotus teſtifieth, that theſe two were highly Honour'd among the Perſians for their Kingly Munificency. Theſe Teſtimonies are the better, becauſe they hold conſonancy with Sacred Writ, which gives an high and honourable Character upon both thoſe Kings; they both Honour'd God, and therefore God Honour'd them, 1 Sam. 2.30. but ſuch as will not ſerve the Church ſhall periſh, Iſa. 60.12.
Mark 5. Darius's Decree was iſſued forth in his third Year, and the Temple goeth forward that Year and his fourth and fifth Year without any Interruption from the Horns that were now broken, &c. and it was finiſh'd in his ſixth Year, ver. 15. in Haman's lucky Adar or February: So that it was four Years in building (ſaith Sanctius) and about twenty Years after the Foundation had been laid, ſaith Salmeron) the Jews therefore were out in their Account of forty ſix Years, John 2.20. unleſs they meant it of Herod's Temple, which was long in Building and Beautifying, whereby he ſought to ingratiate himſelf with the Jews.
Ramark the Fifth, Is the Dedication of the Temple as ſoon as it was finiſh'd, ver. 16, 17, 18. wherein the Prieſts and Levites did Solemnly ſet it apart for Sacred Service (ſaith Wolphius) and for no other Uſe whatſoever, uſing all thoſe Rites and Ceremonies which the Lord had appointed for that purpoſe; and this they did with great Joy, as Solomon had done at the Dedication of his firſt Temple, 2 Chron. 7.10. Thus God had required that his Worſhip ſhould be celebrated with Joy, Deut. 12.7. and had made it a Condition of an Acceptable Service, Deut. 26.14. becauſe (ſaith Wolphius) Joy exhilarates Mens Minds, which Sorrow ſuppreſſeth. As they had laid the Foundation with Joy, Chap. 3.11, 12. ſo much more now when they had laid the Top-Stone, and in Conſecrating it to God's Worſhip, which they did by an Hecatomb, (ſo famous in Homer, and over all the World, ſaith Wolphius) that is, an hundred Bullocks, tho' it was ſmall to Solomon's, 1 Kin. 8.63. yet highly accepted in Heaven, becauſe they did what they could, Mar. 14.8. Lev. 14.22, 32, &c. and by twelve He-Goats for the Twelve Tribes of Iſrael. N. B. Tho' Ten of the Tribes were gone off and diſperſed they knew not where, yet will they remember them in their Prayers, as we ought to do for all the Iſrael of God in all places. This whole Matter was manag'd after the manner of the Law of Moſes.
Remark the Sixth: The next Conſequent (after the Dedication of the compleated Temple) was their Solemn Celebration of the Paſſover in it thus Conſecrated, ver. 19, to 22.
Mark 1. This probably was the firſt Paſſover (ſaith Sanctius) becauſe no Time before was peaceable enough to ſuffer it, nor any place capacious enough to contain ſo vaſt a Multitude; nor indeed were they before ſo Purify'd to keep it, as ver. 20.
Mark 2. Not only the Prieſts and Levites did Purifie themſelves, but alſo the People to partake worthily of this Solemn Paſſover, N.B. which now minded them of a double Duty: Firſt, Their Fore-fathers Deliverance from Egypt; and Secondly, Their own Deliverance from Babylon; but above all, Thirdly, It was for confirming their Faith in Chriſt the True Paſchal Lamb. They were all Sinners, ſo needed a Saviour.
Mark 3. Many Proſelytes (who had lived among the Jews and were converted from polluting Paganiſm by their pious Inſtructions and Converſation) did Purifie themſelves.
Mark 4. All thoſe together kept the Paſſover joyfully, becauſe God had turned the King's heart toward his Temple, and made their Enemies to be at Peace with the Jews, &c. N. B. Darius is call'd the King of Aſſyria, ver. 22. for tho' Perſia was his Hereditary Kingdom, yet the God of Iſrael had made him Head of that grand Aſſyrian Monarchy, and therefore is he ſo ſtyled; and his now ſtrengthening the Jews hands did more Ennoble him than any thing elſe.