Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Kuinber of th« People that Returned. EZSA III. The Foundation of the Temple laid.
singular It may seem to us, is in unison with the established notions and customs of the Ea.st.
sisin archives, in which the register was preserved : conspicuous in tlie number are Jeshua, the high priest, and
Neheniifth. 3. the clilldi-cn—this word, as used throughout tliis catalogue, means posterity or descendants. 4. chlldicn of Arah, seven liundred seventy and Ave—tile number is stated in Neliemiah 7. to have been only 652.
CHAPTER III.
Ver. 1-13. The Altar Set up. 1. When the seventl montli was come—the departure of the returning exiles from Babylon took place in spring, and for some time after their arrival they were occupied in tlie necessary work of rearing habitations to themselves amid the ruins of Jerusalem and its neighbourliood. This preliminary worlc being completed, they addressed themselves to rebuild tlie altar of burnt offering, and as the seventh montli of tliesacred year wasat hand—corresponding totlielatter end of our September—wlien the feast of tabernacles (Leviticus 23.) fell to be observed, they resolved to cele Vjrate that religious festival, just as if the temple had been fully restored. SJ. Jeshua—was the grandson of Seraiali, tlie high priest, put to death by Nebuchadnezzar at Iliblah
It is probable that all mentioned as belonging to this aimily repaired to the general place of remiezvous, or had enrolled tlieir names at first as intending to go; but in the
Interval of preparation, some died, others were prevented by sickness or insurtnountable obstacles, so tliat ultimately no more than 652 came to Jerusalem. 23. The men of Anathoth—it is pleasant to see so many of this
Jewisli town returning. It was a city of the Levites; but the people spurned the prophetic warning, and called forth against themselves one of his severest predictions (Jeremiah 32.27-35). This prophecy was fulfilled in the Assyrian conquest. Anathoth was laid and continued a heap of ruins. But the people having been brought during the captivity to a better state of mind, returned, and their city was rebuilt. 38-39. The priests—each of
(2 Kings 25. 18-21). His father, Josedech, had been carried captive to Babylon, and died tliere, some time before this. Zerubbabel—was, according to the order of nature, son of Pedaiah (1 Chronicles 3. 17-19), but having been brought up by Salathiel, was called his son. bullded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt otferlngs thereon— This was of urgent and immediate necessity, in order, their families was ranged under its prince or head, like those of the other tribes. It will be remembered that the whole body was divided into twenty-four courses, one of which, in rotation, discharged the sacerdotal duties every week, and each division was called after the name of its first, to make atonement for their sins; secondly, to olitain the Divine blessing on their preparations for the temple, as well as animate their feelings of piety and patriotism for the prosecution of tliat national work. 3. they s«t the altar upon his bases i. e., they reared it upon Its old foundation, so that it occupied as nearly as possible the site on which It had formerly stood, they oflfered burnt offerings . . . morning and evening-- Deemiiig it their duty to perform flie public rites of religion, they did not wait till the temple should be rebuilt and dedicated; but, at the outset, resumed the daily service prescribed by the law (Exodus 29. 38, 39; Leviticus 6.
first prince or chief. It appears from this passage, tliat only four of the courses of the priests returned from the Babylonish captivity; but (hese four courses were afterwards, as the families increased, divided into twenty-four, which were distinguished by the names of the original courses appointed by David. Hence we find the course of Abijah or Abia (1 Chronicles 24. 10) subsisting at the commencement of the Christian era (Luke 1. 5). 55. The children of Solomon's servants—eitlier the strangers that monarch enlisted in the building of the temple, or those who lived in his palace, which was deemed a high honour. 61, 6!i. The children of Barzlllal—lie preferred that name to that of his own family, deeming it a greater distinction to be connected with so noble a family, than
9, 11), as well as observed the annua! seasons of solemn ol Dservance.
4-7. Offerings Renewed. 4. Tiiey kept also tlie feast of tabernacles . . . From the first day of tSic seventh month—They revived at that time the daily oblation, and It was on the fifteenth day of that month the feast of tabernacles was held. 7. They gave . . . meat . . . drink, and oil, unto tliem of Zldon—they opened negotiations with the Tyrians for workmen, as well as for timber, on the same terms and with the same views as Solomon had done (1 Kings 5. 11 ; 2 Chronicles 2. 15, 16). 8-13. The Foundation of the Temple Laid. 8. appointed the licvites ... to set forward the work i. e., to act as overseers of the workmen, and to direct and animate the labourers In the various departments. 9. Jeshua with his sons—not the high priest, but a Levite (oh. 2. 40). To these, as probably distinguished for their meclianical? skill and taste, the duty of acting as overseers was particularly committed. 13. But many of the priests and licvltes, and chief of the fathers . . . wept wltlx a loud voice—Those painful emotions were excited by the sad contrast between the prosperous circumstances In which thfoundatlons of the first temple had been laid, and the desolate, reduced state of tlie country and city when the second was begun; between the inferior size and costli* ness of the stones used In the foundations of the second to he of the house of Levi. But by this worldly ambition he forfeited the dignity and advantages of the priesthood. 63. Tlrshatha—a title borne by the Persian governors of Jadea (see also Nehemiah 7. 65-70 ; 8. 9; 10. 1). It is derived from the Persic torsh, severe, and is equivalent to " your severity," "your awfulness." 64. the whole congregation together was forty-two thousand three hundred and threescore—this gross amount is 12,000 more than the particular numbers given in the catalogue, when added together, come to. Reckoning up the smaller numbers, we shall And that they amount to 29,818 in this chapter, and to 31,089 in the parallel chapter of Nehemiah. Ezra also mentions 494 persons omitted by Nehemiah, and Nehemiah mentions 1765 not noticed by Ezra. If, therefore, Ezra's surplus be added to the sum In Nehemiah, and Nehemlah's surplus to the number In Ezra, they will both become 31,583. Subtracting this from 42,360, there will be a deficiency of 10,777. These are omitted, because they did not belong to Judah and Benjamin, or to the priests, but to the other tribes. The servants and singers, male and female, are reckoned separately (v. 65), so that putting all these items together, the number of all who went with Zerubbabel amounted to 50,000, with 8000 beasts of burden. (Alting, quoted Davidson's Hermeneutics.) 68. some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Liord, offered freely for the house of God, Ac—The sight of a place hallowed by the most endearing and sacred associations, but now lying in desolation and ruins, made the well-springs of their piety and patriotism gush out afresh, and before taking any active measures for providing accommodation to themselves and their families, the chief among them raised a large sum by voluntary contributions towards the restoration of the temple. 69. dramsof gold—rather darics, a Persian coin (see on I Chronicles 29. 7). priests' garmenta (cf. Nehemiah 7. TO). This—In the circumstances—was a very appropriate gift. In general, It may be remarked that presents of garments, or of any other u.sable commmlitles, however
(1 Kings 7. 9, 10), and the much smaller extent of the foundation Itself, Including all the appurtenances of the building (Haggal 2. 3); between the comparative smallnesa of their present means and the immense resources of David and Solomon. Perhaps, however, the chief oiuse of grief was, that the second temple would be destitute of those things which formed the great and distinguishing glory of the first, viz., the ark, the shechinah, the Urim and Thummlm, &c. Not that this second temple was not a very grand and beautiful structure. But how great soever Its material splendour. It was Inferior in this respect to that of Solomon. Yet the glory of the second far outshone that of the first temple in another and more Important point of view, viz., the receiving within lUi 28?