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Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.
Verse 1. Library. Prot. “house of the rolls, where the treasures were,” and so forth—Babylon. In the city, the search was fruitless: (Vatab.) but in the kingdom, the record was discovered. Menochius.
A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:
Verse 2. Ecbatana. Chal. achmetha, signifies “a jug, or chest.” Calmet.—“They found in the chest of the palace, under the inscription of Media.” Munster. Pagnin.—“And a roll was found (some add, in Amatha) in the city, in a chest, (or tower; Βαρει) and this memorial was written in it.” (Sept.) Prot. style the place, “Achmetha.” Bible.—Arab. “Athana.” Syr. “Ahmathane.” The memoirs of Cyrus had probably been conveyed to Ecbatana, which was built by Dejoces, the first king of the Medes, and greatly enlarged by his successor, Phraortes. Calmet.—Province. Media now only formed a province of the empire. Tirinus.
In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
Verse 3. And … foundations is not found in Septuagint Syr. and Arab. but it is in Chald. The temple was thus of larger dimensions than that of Solomon, which was only 30 cubits high, and 20 broad inside. 3 Kennicott. 6:2. The Rabbins assign 100 for each, (Tr. Middot. iv. 6.) speaking perhaps of the temple rebuilt by Herod, with still greater magnificence. Josephus allows 100 in height, and 60 in breadth. But the Scripture only speaks of 54 cubits breadeth, and 99 in length including the adjoining edifices. Calmet.—Breadth, from the front to the end of the holy of holies, which we should call the length. Tirinus.—This temple was lower than Solomon’s by one half, (2 Chronicles 3:4. Menochius.) unless those 120 cubits refer only to a tower. Bible.
A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.
Verse 4. Unpolished, to correspond with the polished stones and cedar employed by Solomon. 3 Kennicott. 6:36. Menochius.—Prot. “great stones.” See Calmet. 5:8.—Charges. It appears that the Jews furnished money and meat to pay for the wood. Calmet. 1:4 and 3:7. Some annual sum might be assigned by Cyrus, either for the building, or for the daily holocausts. Calmet.
Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in God’s house.
Verse 5. Placed formerly, before the destruction of the temple. Prot. “and place them in the house of God.”
Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there.
Leave the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.
Verse 8. Hindered. Thus Darius trod in the footsteps, or perhaps exceeded the liberality of Cyrus. Bible.
That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
Verse 9. Complaint. Prot. “without fail,” ( Bible.) or “delay.” Mont. Calmet.
that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
Verse 11. Nailed. Prot. “hanged.” Septuagint “covered with wounds, or fastened on it.” Bible.—Some think that the criminal was to be scourged. De Dieu.—“Let him be hanged on the wood, which shall stand upright, after his house shall have been demolished.” Vatable.—Such was the custom of the Persians. Grot.—Aman perished on the gallows, which he had erected in his own house for Mardocheus. Esther 7:9.—Confiscated. Prot. “be made a dunghill for this.” Bible. Syr. and so forth—We find some examples of such a treatment. 4 Kennicott. 10:27. Daniel 3:5, and 9:6. The effects of those who were condemned to die, in Persia, were generally confiscated. Esther 3:13 and 8:11 and 9:14.
May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.
Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.
The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
Verse 14. Artaxerxes, one of the seven who overturned the power of the magi; (Usher, A. 3483) or rather the king of Persia, who lived some time after this, and was very favourable to the Jews. He sent Esdras ( A. 3537) and Nehemias ( A. 3550) with great powers into the country. Calmet.
This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Verse 15. Adar, corresponding with our Feb. and March. Menochius.—In the latter month they celebrated the Passover, verse 19.—Darius. Hence twenty years had elapsed from the first foundation. They might continue to embellish the temple other twenty-seven years, as the Jews assert; (John 2:20,) unless they speak of the repairs made by Herod, (Baronius. Tirinus.) or exaggerate, (Grot.) being under a mistake. Salien, A. 3537.
The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
Verse 17. Goats, which had not left off sucking. Menochius. Numb. 7:87.—Israel. The Sam. Chronicles assert that the tribes returned, as the prophets had foretold, and the sacred history seems to suppose: ( Calmet.) which may be true of many, ( Bible.) though the greatest part remained in captivity. Calmet.
They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
Verse 18. Moses. Numbers 3:8. David had perfected the plan, 1 Chronicles 23. and so forth Bible.
The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Verse 19. And. Here the author resumes the Hebrew language. Calmet.—Captivity, from which they were released, verse 17. Bible.
Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
Verse 20. One man, with zeal and unanimity; so that a second Phase was not to be celebrated. 2 Chronicles 30:3.
The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, ate,
Verse 21. To them, becoming proselytes, and receiving circumcision. Exodus 12:48.
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.
Verse 22. Assyria. The successors of Cyrus now ruled over those countries, ( Calmet.) which had belonged to the most potent Assyrian and Chaldean monarchs; and therefore the titles are given to them indiscriminately. Tirinus.