A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 7
Ezra CHAP. VII.
THIS Chapter contains the Appointment of Ezra to go out of the Kingdom of Babylon with a Second Return of the Jews into Judea and unto Jeruſalem from their Captivity, &c.
Remark the Firſt; The Deſcription of his Perſon, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Mark 1. His Name Hebr. ſignifies an Helper, and according to the Notation of his Name, he became a ſingular Helper of the Afflicted Church of God, as appeareth in th… four following Chapters.
Mark 2. His Genealogy; wherein divers Perſons are omitted for brevitie's ſake, which may be ſupplied out of 1 Chron. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. ſaith Capellus; for Ezra had w… both thoſe Books of the Chronicles before he wrote this, (ſaith Buxtorf) and therefore is he the ſhorter here, referring this latter to his former Chronicle; in both which 'tis evident (ſaith Wolphius) that Ezra deſcended from Aaron.
Mark 3. His Qualification for his Generation-work, ver. 6. He was [Sopher Ma…ir] a Nimble Textman, ſaith Piſcatory a great Scholar, and excellently skilled in Scripture▪ Learning; who having got (ſaith Grotius) the moſt Accurate Copies, put forth the moſt Exact Edition of the Law and of the Prophets, and the whole Canon of Scripture to his own time: However, he was a Scribe, both well Inſtructed himſelf, and Inſtructing others to God's Kingdom, Matth. 13.52.
Remark the Second; The Threefold Favour this famous Scribe found; 1ſt. With the King of Perſia, [who granted him all his Requeſt] ver. 6. giving him more and greater things than he durſt deſire, and denied him nothing that he deſired, which doubtleſs was (ſaith Sanctius) that Jeruſalem might be Reſtored, &c. tho' it be not expreſſed, yet is it implyed in the King's Decree, ver. 13, &c. 2ly. With the Jews, for many of them were excited by his Example and Authority to a Reſolve for a Return, ver. 7. both ſome People of the other Tribes, ſaith Maſius, and more eſpecially ſuch Jews as had not been willing to walk home with their Brethren, when Cyrus's Decree did ſet them at liberty (ſaith Wolphius) but ſtill ſtuck faſt in the Kingdom of Babylon, 1 Chron▪ 4.23. And 3ly. He found favour with God himſelf, [whoſe good Hand was for good upon him] ver. 6, 7, 8, 9. God's ſweet and ſingular Providence was both watching over him and working for him, both in inclining the heart of the King towards him to grant all his Requeſts, yea and more than he Requeſted, &c. and in ſtirring up the Hearts of the People alſo for Accompanying him in his Reſolve to Return: Thus the Lord is with the good, 2 Chron. 19. laſt.
Remark the Third; The Time when Ezra's Return was reſolved to begin: It was upon the firſt Day of this ſeventh Year of Darius, and of the firſt Month of that Year, ver. 7, 8, 9. and Chap. 8.15.23. Ezra prepared his Heart in the firſt place, ver. 10. knowing that it, being Rude by Nature, muſt be Reformed by Grace, ſaith Wolphi…s▪ an Inſtrument out of Tune, muſt firſt be Tuned, before it can make any Melodious Mufick: And then he prepareth all neceſſary Accommodations for his long and tedious Journey, both in his own behalf, and in the behalf of the many that were to Accompany him: He then began his March upon the firſt Day of the firſt Month, which is our March Month, and reach'd not to his Journie's end, (to wit, Jeruſalem) until the firſt Day of the fifth Month, which is our July; ſo that they were four Months in their Travelling-work, wherein they had many a weary Step, &c. Yet that which ſupported both Ezra and his Fellow-Travellers was, that they ſhortly ſhould ſee the Face of God is Zion, Pſal. 84.7. which was a better ſupport than that of Popiſh Pilgrims; who (after all their Hardſhips, Wants and Wearineſs) have nothing but the ſight of ſome Dumb Idol: Let none be weary with walking to ſee God in his Ordinances.
Remark the Fourth; Ezra's Diploma Regium, or Royal Commiſſion, his Charter or L… ters Patents, penned altogether in the Chaldee Dialect, from ver▪ 11, to the end of v. 26.
Mark 1. Artaxerxes Darius ſtyles himſelf in this Commiſſion [The King of Kings] v. 12. which tho' 'tis too oft ambitiouſly aſſumed, yet is it too lofty a Title for any Mortal Monarch ſeeing it is the proper Style of the Son of God our Saviour, 1 Tim▪ 6.15. Rev. 1.5. and 17.14. and 19.16. by whom all Kings Reign, Prov. 8.15. and vain vaunting Nebuchadnezzar was made to know it, Dan. 4.35.
Mark 2. This Greateſt of Kings (as Vatablus calls him) gave his Royal Letter of Licenſe, that all the People of all Ranks that were allyed to the God of Heaven, and minded (of their own free Will ver. 12, 13.) to return into their own Country out of the Land of their Captivity: He invites all (ſaith Wolphius) but would compel none, nor will he detain any that were deſirous to depart, &c.
Mark 3. This King, with the Advice of his ſeven Privy-Counſellors, Conſtitutes Ezra to be his Grand Viſiter of his Dioceſs or Province of Judea, to make Enquiry, who there lived according to the Law of God, that he might encourage them, and who were tranſgreſſors of God's Law, that he might puniſh them, ver. 14. N.B. Some ſuppoſe this King was thus well Inſtructed both by Queen Eſther, and by Prieſt Ezra.
Mark 4. The King Impowers Ezra to carry away all the Silver and Gold that either he or his Nobles had freely contributed for God's Houſe and Ezra's Uſe, ver. 15. and to make Collections among all the King's People for the good of the Jews, to buy Sacrifices, &c. ver. 16, 17. yea, and he reſtores ſuch Veſſels of Gold and Silver as had not been reſtored before, &c. ver. 18, 19. That he was [as Kind as a King] may well be ſaid of this King.
Mark 5. The King in this Commiſſion, commands all his Treaſurers of the Tribute (on that ſide Euphrates where Jeruſalem was) to ſupply Ezra with whatever more he needed, ver. 20, 21, 22. particularly they muſt disburſe out of the King's Treaſury thirty ſeven thouſand five hundred Pound Sterling, and out of his Store-houſes a thouſand Buſhels of Wheat (in our Meaſures) and three Tuns and half (an Hogs-head) both of Wine and of Oil, according to common Computation: Yea and Salt without Meaſure, becauſe it was required in every Sacrifice, Lev. 2.13. as well as for Food.
Mark 6. How Liberal was this King towards the Houſe of God and his Service: And how loath was he, that any part of God's Worſhip ſhould be neglected by his denying due means thereunto, ſaying [Why ſhould there be Wrath, &c.] ver. 23. what could this King ſay more, to Seal up his good Affections to that good Work in Hand: He diſcerned, neglect of Duty would expoſe him and his to Divine Diſpleaſure, either by the Light of Nature, or rather by the Inſtruction of Ezra. Chap. 8.22. N.B. This Pagan King (that ſo oft ſaid to Ezra [thy God] but not once [my God] which was great Pity) will riſe up in Judgment, 1. Againſt Pinch-penny Profeſſors, that are ſo narrowſoul'd and ſo ſtrait-fiſted; as, though they have heaped up Hoards of Money at home, yet are ſuch hold faſts abroad, as to have no Quick-ſilver or Currant Money for God and good Ʋſes, &c. And 2. How will he riſe up againſt worſhip-ſcorners, that do ſay as much in the Devil's Language [What have we to do with thee, Jeſus] Matth. 8.29. Darius durſt not neglect his Duty for fear of God's Wrath, Jer. 10.25.
Mark 7. This Commiſſion of the King to Ezra, 1. Exempted all the Miniſters of God's Temple from paying Toll, &c. ver. 24. accordingly it was the Zeal of our Anceſtors, who made that Law, [Eccleſia ſit libera] let Church-men be free from Exactions, &c. And 2. Ezra is authoriz'd to make Judges (as Exod. 18.21, 22.) ſuch as underſtood God's Law, as Ezra did, ſo could inſtruct the Ignorant, ver. 25.
Remark the Fifth and Laſt, Magiſtrates may Act againſt Men in Matters of Religion, Darius here interpoſeth with his Penal Laws in ſubſerviency to the Law of God, ver. 26 and Ezra bleſſes God for it, ver. 27, 28. looking beyond Man at God himſelf, who had put theſe things into the King's Heart, thus to beautifie God's Temple, which now was built without; but a due obſervance of thoſe Services and Sacrifices (which the King had granted) would conduce much to the beautifying of it within, and Ezra bleſſes God alſo, for uſing his Service to promote his own: This he owned as high Honour to be God's Inſtrument, and this encourag'd him to proceed in his Work, and to muſter the Jews in order to a March, &c.