10 matching verse commentaries
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
The Proclamation of Cyrus. (b. c. 536.) 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
That many returned out of Babylon upon Cyrus's proclamation we were told in the foregoing chapter; we have here a catalogue of the several families that returned, ver. 1. I. The leaders, ver. 2. II. The people, ver. 3-35. III. The priests, Levites, and retainers to the temple, ver. 35-63. IV. The sum total, with an account of their retinue, ver....
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
In the close of the foregoing chapter we left Israel in their cities, but we may well imagine what a bad posture their affairs were in, the ground untilled, the cities in ruins, all out of order; but here we have an account of the early care they took about the re-establishment of religion among them. Thus did they lay the foundation well, and...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
The good work of rebuilding the temple was no sooner begun than it met with opposition from those that bore ill will to it; the Samaritans were enemies to the Jews and their religion, and they set themselves to obstruct it. I. They offered to be partners in the building of it, that they might have it in their power to retard it; but they were...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
We left the temple-work at a full stop; but, being God's work, it shall be revived, and here we have an account of the reviving of it. It was hindered by might and power, but it was set a-going again "by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts." Now here we are told how that blessed Spirit, I. Warmed its cool-hearted friends and excited them to build,...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
How solemnly the foundation of the temple was laid we read in ch. iii. How slowly the building went on, and with how much difficulty, we found in ch. iv. and v. But how gloriously the topstone was at length brought forth with shoutings we find in this chapter; and even we, at this distance of time, when we read of it, may cry, "Grace, grace to...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
Ezra's precious name saluted us, at first, in the title of the book, but in the history we have not met with it till this chapter introduces him into public action in another reign, that of Artaxerxes. Zerubbabel and Jeshua we will suppose, by this time, to have grown old, if not gone off; nor do we hear any more of Haggai and Zechariah; they have...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
This chapter gives us a more particular narrative of Ezra's journey to Jerusalem, of which we had a general account in the foregoing chapter I. The company that went up with him, ver. 1-20. II. The solemn fast which he kept with his company, to implore God's presence with them in this journey, ver. 21-23. III. The care he took of the treasure he...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
The affairs of the church were in a very good posture, we may well suppose, now that Ezra presided in them. Look without; the government was kind to them. We hear no complaints of persecution and oppression; their enemies had either their hearts turned or at least their hands tied; their neighbours were civil, and we hear of no wars nor rumours of...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
In this chapter we have that grievance redressed which was complained of and lamented in the foregoing chapter. Observe, I. How the people's hearts were prepared for the redress of it by their deep humiliation for the sin, ver. 1. II. How it was proposed to Ezra by Shechaniah, ver. 2-4. III. How the proposal was put in execution. 1. The great men...