30 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The vessels also that were given thee for the service of the house of thy God,.... 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 offered at this time, see Ezra 8:25, those deliver...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shall have occasion to bestow,.... For the beautifying and ornamenting the temple, Ezra 7:27, bestow it out of the king's treasure house; where the money collected by tribute, tax, and custom, was deposited; his exchequer, as it may be called, see Ezra 6:8.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river,.... The receivers of his tribute, tax, and custom, beyond the river Euphrates, on the side towards the land of Israel: that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven; see Ezra 7:12, shall require of you, it be done...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Unto one hundred talents of silver,.... Which amounted to 35,300 pounds sterling; these, according to Jarchi, were to buy the offerings or sacrifices with: and an hundred measures of wheat; or corn, the same measure with the homer, each of which held ten ephahs, or seventy five wine gallons, five pints, and upwards; these, according to the same...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven,.... In the law given by Moses to the people of Israel: let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven; for the service of it, particularly sacrifices: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? through the neglect of the service of God in the temple, and by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God,.... The king had a right and perfect knowledge of the distinct offices and services of those persons, see Ezra 7:7, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them; that they might be the less...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand,.... Which he had a large share of from the Lord, and could readily make use of to good purpose; and this may be meant of the law of God made with the highest wisdom, and to know and observe which is an instance of wisdom in men, Deuteronomy 4:6, set magistrates and judges, which...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king,.... Either the judge who delays judgment, or does not execute it according to the law of God, and of the king; or the people, that do not obey the law of God in matters of religion, and the law of the king in civil things, Judea being now a province of the Persian empire;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers,.... This is Ezra's thanksgiving to God for the above decree: which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart; which he rightly took to be of God, who wrought in him to will and to do: to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem; to provide for the ornamenting of it, for vessels in it, as...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And hath extended mercy unto me, before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes,.... Before Artaxerxes, his seven counsellors, Ezra 7:14 and the nobles of his realm, in being appointed by them to carry their freewill offerings to Jerusalem, and the king's commands to his treasurers, with leave to take as many of the...