12 Be it H1934 known H3046 unto the king, H4430 that the Jews H3062 which H1768 came up H5559 from H4481 thee H3890 to us H5922 are come H858 unto Jerusalem, H3390 building H1124 the rebellious H4779 and the bad H873 city, H7149 and have set up H3635 H3635 the walls H7792 thereof, and joined H2338 the foundations. H787
G3767 Submit yourselves G5293 to every G3956 ordinance G2937 of man G442 for G1223 the Lord's sake: G2962 whether it be G1535 to the king, G935 as G5613 supreme; G5242 Or G1535 unto governors, G2232 as G5613 unto them that are sent G3992 by G1223 him G846 for G1519 G3303 the punishment G1557 of evildoers, G2555 and G1161 for the praise G1868 of them that do well. G17 For G3754 so G3779 is G2076 the will G2307 of God, G2316 that with well doing G15 ye may put to silence G5392 the ignorance G56 of foolish G878 men: G444
And G1161 they began G756 to accuse G2723 him, G846 saying, G3004 We found G2147 this G5126 fellow perverting G1294 the nation, G1484 and G2532 forbidding G2967 to give G1325 tribute G5411 to Caesar, G2541 saying G3004 that he himself G1438 is G1511 Christ G5547 a King. G935 And G1161 Pilate G4091 asked G1905 him, G846 saying, G3004 Art G1488 thou G4771 the King G935 of the Jews? G2453 And G1161 he answered G611 him G846 and said, G5346 Thou G4771 sayest G3004 it. Then G1161 said G2036 Pilate G4091 to G4314 the chief priests G749 and G2532 to the people, G3793 I find G2147 no G3762 fault G158 in G1722 this G5129 man. G444 And G1161 they were the more fierce, G2001 saying, G3004 G3754 He stirreth up G383 the people, G2992 teaching G1321 throughout G2596 all G3650 Jewry, G2449 beginning G756 from G575 Galilee G1056 to G2193 this place. G5602
Say H559 now to the rebellious H4805 house, H1004 Know H3045 ye not what these things mean? tell H559 them, Behold, the king H4428 of Babylon H894 is come H935 to Jerusalem, H3389 and hath taken H3947 the king H4428 thereof, and the princes H8269 thereof, and led H935 them with him to Babylon; H894 And hath taken H3947 of the king's H4410 seed, H2233 and made H3772 a covenant H1285 with him, and hath taken H935 an oath H423 of him: he hath also taken H3947 the mighty H352 of the land: H776 That the kingdom H4467 might be base, H8217 that it might not lift itself up, H5375 but that by keeping H8104 of his covenant H1285 it might stand. H5975 But he rebelled H4775 against him in sending H7971 his ambassadors H4397 into Egypt, H4714 that they might give H5414 him horses H5483 and much H7227 people. H5971 Shall he prosper? H6743 shall he escape H4422 that doeth H6213 such things? or shall he break H6565 the covenant, H1285 and be delivered? H4422 As I live, H2416 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 surely in the place H4725 where the king H4428 dwelleth that made him king, H4427 whose oath H423 he despised, H959 and whose covenant H1285 he brake, H6565 even with him in the midst H8432 of Babylon H894 he shall die. H4191 Neither shall Pharaoh H6547 with his mighty H1419 army H2428 and great H7227 company H6951 make H6213 for him in the war, H4421 by casting up H8210 mounts, H5550 and building H1129 forts, H1785 to cut off H3772 many H7227 persons: H5315 Seeing he despised H959 the oath H423 by breaking H6565 the covenant, H1285 when, lo, he had given H5414 his hand, H3027 and hath done H6213 all these things, he shall not escape. H4422 Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 As I live, H2416 surely mine oath H423 that he hath despised, H959 and my covenant H1285 that he hath broken, H6331 even it will I recompense H5414 upon his own head. H7218 And I will spread H6566 my net H7568 upon him, and he shall be taken H8610 in my snare, H4686 and I will bring H935 him to Babylon, H894 and will plead H8199 with him there for his trespass H4603 that he hath trespassed H4604 against me. And all his fugitives H4015 with all his bands H102 shall fall H5307 by the sword, H2719 and they that remain H7604 shall be scattered H6566 toward all winds: H7307 and ye shall know H3045 that I the LORD H3068 have spoken H1696 it.
How is the faithful H539 city H7151 become an harlot! H2181 it was full H4392 of judgment; H4941 righteousness H6664 lodged H3885 in it; but now murderers. H7523 Thy silver H3701 is become dross, H5509 thy wine H5435 mixed H4107 with water: H4325 Thy princes H8269 are rebellious, H5637 and companions H2270 of thieves: H1590 every one loveth H157 gifts, H7810 and followeth H7291 after rewards: H8021 they judge H8199 not the fatherless, H3490 neither doth the cause H7379 of the widow H490 come H935 unto them.
[[A Song H7892 and Psalm H4210 for the sons H1121 of Korah.]] H7141 Great H1419 is the LORD, H3068 and greatly H3966 to be praised H1984 in the city H5892 of our God, H430 in the mountain H2022 of his holiness. H6944 Beautiful H3303 for situation, H5131 the joy H4885 of the whole earth, H776 is mount H2022 Zion, H6726 on the sides H3411 of the north, H6828 the city H7151 of the great H7227 King. H4428
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezra 4
Commentary on Ezra 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
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.
Ezr 4:1-5
We have here an instance of the old enmity that was put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. God's temple cannot be built, but Satan will rage, and the gates of hell will fight against it. The gospel kingdom was, in like manner, to be set up with much struggling and contention. In this respect the glory of the latter house was greater than the glory of the former, and it was more a figure of the temple of Christ's church, in that Solomon built his temple when there was no adversary nor evil occurrent, (1 Ki. 5:4); but this second temple was built notwithstanding great opposition, in the removing and conquering of which, and the bringing of the work to perfection at last in spite of it, the wisdom, power, and goodness of God were much glorified, and the church was encouraged to trust in him.
Ezr 4:6-16
Cyrus stedfastly adhered to the Jews' interest, and supported his own grant. It was to no purpose to offer any thing to him in prejudice of it. What he did was from a good principle, and in the fear of God, and therefore he adhered to it. But, though his reign in all was thirty years, yet after the conquest of Babylon, and his decree for the release of the Jews, some think that he reigned but three years, others seven, and then either died or gave up that part of his government, in which his successor was Ahasuerus (v. 6), called also Artaxerxes (v. 7), supposed to be the same that in heathen authors is called Cambyses, who had never taken such cognizance of the despised Jews as to concern himself for them, nor had he that knowledge of the God of Israel which his predecessor had. To him these Samaritans applied by letter for an order to stop the building of the temple; and they did it in the beginning of his reign, being resolved to lose no time when they thought they had a king for their purpose. See how watchful the church's enemies are to take the first opportunity of doing it a mischief; let not its friends be less careful to do it a kindness. Here is,
Ezr 4:17-24
Here we have,