Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/3_100_t.lzh/3_118.TXT

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judgments: and theretbre it was not only necessary
that he should have a large and competent knowledge
of the laws, moral, ceremonial, and civil, but that he
should act according to them himself, that so by his
example, as well as by his instructions, he might teach
the people.
Ver. 11. Now this is the copy of the letter that the
King Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, &c.] This
title relating to his office is justly given him, since he
was the son of an high-priest, and lineally descended
from Aaron, as the above account of his pedigree
shews: the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the
commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel;
the doubling of the word scribe shews that he was
very wise and learned in the law, in the command-
ments and statutes of it the Lord gave to Israel;
not only in the language of it in which it was written,
but in the matter and substance of it, in the things
contained in it; for dibre signfiies things as well as
words.
Ver. 12. Artaxerxes, king of kings, &c.] Having
several kings and kingdoms subject and tributary to
him; for this was not merely a proud haughty title
which the eastern kings {p} assumed, particularly the
Persians; for after Cyrus they were so in fact, who
took this title also, and had it put on his sepulchral
monument, "Here I lie, Cyrus, king of kings {q} ;" this
title was given to Grecian kings, particularly Aga-
memnon is called king of kings {r}, he being general at
the siege of Troy, under whom the rest of the kings
fought; if this was Darius Hystaspis, of him Cyrus
dreamt that he had wings on his shoulders, with one
he covered Asia, and with the other Europe {s}: unto
Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven;
of which titles see in the preceding verse: perfect
peace, and at such a time; the word perfect belongs to
Ezra's title as a scribe, signifying that he was a most
learned and complete scribe or teacher of the law of
God; peace is not in the text, and the phrase at such
a time respects the date of the letter, though not ex-
pressed, or is only an et ccetera, see the note on ch.
iv. 10.
Ver. 13. I make a decree, &c.] Which, according
to the laws of the Medes and Persians, when signed,
might not be changed, Dan. vi. 8. that all they of the
people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my
realm; who remained there, and took not the benefit
of the edict of Cyrus, which gave them leave to go;
but neglecting the oppoatunity, it seems as if they
could not now go out of the realm without a fresh
grant, which is hereby given: which are minded of
their own free will to go up to Jerusalem., go with thee; this
decree did not oblige them to go whether they would
or no; for they might, notwithstanding this, continue
if they pleased; it only gave them leave to make use
of the present opportnnity of going along with Ezra,
if they chose it.
Vet. 14. Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and
of his seven counsellots, &c.] Such a number the
kings of Persia used to have from the times of Darius
Hystaspis, who was chosen out of seven nobles to be
king, and ever after the Persian kings had seven coun-
sellots privileged, as those nobles were, Esther i.
and Ezra had the honour to be sent witii a commission
from this king and his seven counsellors, to inquire
concerning 3'udah and Jerusalem; the inhabitants
thereof, whether they had knowledge of and behaved
according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
a copy of which he had with him, and was very ex-
pert in and conversant with, and could readily and at
once pass judgment whether they acted according to
it or not.
Ver. 15. And to carry the silver and gold, which the
king and his counsellots have freely offered unto the God
of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem.] In the
temple built there; for the service of which, either
for purchasing and procuring vessels that were want-
ing in it, or for sacrifices to be offered in it, the king
and his nobles had made a voluntary contribution, and
intrusted and sent Ezra with it.
Ver. 16. And all the silver and gold that thou canst
find in all the province of Babylon, &c.] Not that he
might take it wherever he found it, whether the
owners of it were willing he should have it or not; but
whatever was freely offered by them, as Jarchi, that he
was allowed to take, whatever he could get in that
way: with the free-will offering of the people; of the
people of the Jews, who thought fit to continue in
the province: and of the priests, offering willingly for
the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; those
free-will offerings, whether of the natives of Baby-
lon, or of any of the Jewish nation, for the service of
the temple at Jerusalem, he had leave and a commis-.
sion to carry with him.
Ver. 17. 2'hat thou mayest buy speedily with this
money, &c,] Thus freely contributed by one and an-
other: bullocks, rams, lambs; which were for burnt-
offerings: with their meat-offerings, and their drink-of-
ferings; which always went along with the bnrnt-of-
, ferings, according to the law of Moses; and which the
king seemed to have a right knowledge of, being, no
doubt, instructed by Ezra, or some other Jew in his
court: and o. ffer them upon the altar of the house of
your God which is in Jerusalem; the altar of burnt-of-
fering in the temple there.
Ver. 18. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and
to thy brethren, &c.] The priests, that he should think
fit to take in to his assistance in this work: to do with
the rest of the silver and gold; which should be left
after the sacrifices were offered up: that do after the-
.will of your God; as they should be directed by him,
or was prescribed by him in the law.
Ver. 19. The vessels also that were given thee for the
service of the house of thy God, &c.] These were
vessels of silver, basins of gold, and vessels of fine
copper; not what formerly belonged to the temple,
they were delivered by Cyrus to Sheshbazzar; but
what the present king and his counsellors freely of-
fered at this time, see ch. viii. 25, 26. those deliver thou
before the God of Jerusalem; perfect and complete,
the full number of them, as the word signifies {t}; mean-
ing not to be delivered before him, or in his presence,


{p} See the Universal History, vol. 5. p. 16, 137. & vol. 11. p. 7, 8. mar-
gin, & p. 66.
{q} Strabo, Geograph. l. 15. p. 502.
{r} Vell. Patercul. Hist. Roman. l. 1. in initio.
{s} Herodot. Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 209.
{t} \^Mlvh\^ integra & pleno numero redde, Michaelis.