Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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E Z R A

CHAP. IV.

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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 refused,

ver. 1-3.

II. They discouraged them in it, and dissuaded them from it,

ver. 4, 5.

III. They basely misrepresented the undertaking, and the undertakers,

to the king of Persia, by a memorial they sent him,

ver. 6-16.

IV. They obtained from him an order to stop the building

(ver. 17-22),

which they immediately put in execution,

ver. 23, 24.

Opposition Made to the Jews.	B. C. 535.

     

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the

children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of

Israel;

  2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the

fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek

your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days

of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

  3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the

fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us

to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will

build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of

Persia hath commanded us.

  4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people

of Judah, and troubled them in building,

  5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their

purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the

reign of Darius king of Persia.

     

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 Kings v. 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.

     

I. The undertakers are here called the children of the captivity

(v. 1),

which makes them look very little. They had newly come out of

captivity, were born in captivity, had still the marks of their

captivity upon them; though they were not now captives, they were under

the control of those whose captives they had lately been. Israel was

God’s son, his first-born; but by their iniquity the people sold and

enslaved themselves, and so became children of the captivity. But, it

should seem, the thought of their being so quickened them to this work,

for it was by their neglect of the temple that they lost their

freedom.

     

II. The opposers of the undertaking are here said to be the

adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, not the Chaldeans or Persians

(they gave them no disturbance–“let them build and welcome”), but the

relics of the ten tribes, and the foreigners that had joined themselves

to them, and patched up that mongrel religion we had an account of,

2 Kings xvii. 33.

They feared the Lord, and served their own gods too. They are

called the people of the land,
v. 4.

The worst enemies Judah and Benjamin had were those that said they

were Jews and were not,
Rev. iii. 9.

     

III. The opposition they gave had in it much of the subtlety of the old

serpent. When they heard that the temple was in building they were

immediately aware that it would be a fatal blow to their superstition,

and set themselves to oppose it. They had not power to do it forcibly,

but they tried all the ways they could to do it effectually.

     

1. They offered their service to build with the Israelites only that

thereby they might get an opportunity to retard the work, while they

pretended to further it. Now,

(1.) Their offer was plausible enough, and looked kind: “We will

build with you, will help you to contrive, and will contribute

towards the expense; for we seek your God as you do,”

v. 2.

This was false, for, though they sought the same God, they did not seek

him only, nor seek him in the way he appointed, and therefore did not

seek him as they did. Herein they designed, if it were possible, to

hinder the building of it, at least to hinder their comfortable

enjoyment of it; as good almost not have it as not have it to

themselves, for the pure worship of the true God and him only. Thus are

the kisses of an enemy deceitful; his words are smoother than

butter when war is in his heart. But,

(2.) The refusal of their proffered service was very just,

v. 3.

The chief of the fathers of Israel were soon aware that they

meant them no kindness, whatever they pretended, but really designed to

do them a mischief, and therefore (though they had need enough of help

if it had been such as they could confide in) told them plainly,

“You have nothing to do with us, have no part nor lot in this

matter, are not true-born Israelites nor faithful worshippers of God;

you worship you know not what,
John iv. 22.

You are none of those with whom we dare hold communion, and therefore

we ourselves will build it.” They plead not to them the law of their

God, which forbade them to mingle with strangers (though that

especially they had an eye to), but that which they would take more

notice of, the king’s commission, which was directed to them only: “The

king of Persia has commanded us to build this house, and we shall

distrust and affront him if we call in foreign aid.” Note, In doing

good there is need of the wisdom of the serpent, as well as the

innocency of the dove, and we have need, as it follows there, to

beware of men,
Matt. x. 16, 17.

We should carefully consider with whom we are associated and on whose

hand we lean. While we trust God with a pious confidence we must trust

men with a prudent jealousy and caution.

     

2. When this plot failed they did what they could to divert them from

the work and discourage them in it. They weakened their hands by

telling them it was in vain to attempt it, calling them foolish

builders, who began what they were not able to finish, and by their

insinuations troubled them, and made them drive heavily in the work.

All were not alike zealous in it. Those that were cool and indifferent

were by these artifices drawn off from the work, which wanted their

help,

v. 4.

And because what they themselves said the Jews would suspect to be ill

meant, and not be influenced by, they, underhand, hired counsellors

against them, who, pretending to advise them for the best, should

dissuade them from proceeding, and so frustrate their purpose

(v. 5),

or dissuade the men of Tyre and Sidon from furnishing them with the

timber they had bargained for

(ch. iii. 7);

or whatever business they had at the Persian court, to solicit for any

particular grants or favours, pursuant to the general edict for their

liberty, there were those that were hired and lay ready to appear of

counsel against them. Wonder not at the restlessness of the church’s

enemies in their attempts against the building of God’s temple. He whom

they serve, and whose work they are doing, is unwearied in

walking to and fro through the earth to do mischief. And let

those who discourage a good work, and weaken the hands of those that

are employed in it, see whose pattern they follow.

The Jews Misrepresented.	B. C. 521.

     

6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign,

wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of

Judah and Jerusalem.

  7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath,

Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of

Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian

tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

  8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter

against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

  9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe,

and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the

Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites,

the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the

Elamites,

  10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble

Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the

rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

  11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him,

even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this

side the river, and at such a time.

  12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from

thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and

the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the

foundations.

  13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be

builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay

toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the

revenue of the kings.

  14 Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace,

and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore

have we sent and certified the king;

  15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy

fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know

that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and

provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of

old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

  16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded again,

and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no

portion on this side the river.

     

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,

     

I. The general purport of the letter which they sent to the king, to

inform him of this matter. It is called

(v. 6)

an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

The devil is the accuser of the brethren

(Rev. xii. 10),

and he carries on his malicious designs against them, not only by

accusing them himself before God, as he did Job, but by acting as a

lying spirit in the mouths of his instruments, whom he employs to

accuse them before magistrates and kings and to make them odious to the

many and obnoxious to the mighty. Marvel not if the same arts be still

used to depreciate serious godliness.

     

II. The persons concerned in writing this letter. The contrivers are

named

(v. 7)

that plotted the thing, the writers

(v. 8)

that put it into form, and the subscribers

(v. 9)

that concurred in it and joined with them in this representation, this

misrepresentation I should call it. Now see here,

1. How the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his

temple, with their companions. The building of the temple would do them

no harm, yet they appear against it with the utmost concern and

virulence, perhaps because the prophets of the God of Israel had

foretold the famishing and perishing of all the gods

of the heathen,
Zeph. ii. 11; Jer. x. 11.

2. How the people concurred with them in imagining this vain thing.

They followed the cry, though ignorant of the merits of the cause. All

the several colonies of that plantation (nine are here mentioned), who

had their denomination from the cities or countries of Assyria,

Chaldea, Persia, &c., whence they came, set their hands, by their

representatives, to this letter. Perhaps they were incensed against

these returned Jews because many of the ten tribes were among them,

whose estates they had got into their possession, and of whom they were

therefore jealous, lest they should attempt the recovery of them

hereafter.

     

III. A copy of the letter itself, which Ezra inserts here out of the

records of the kingdom of Persia, into which it had been entered; and

it is well we have it, that we may see whence the like methods, still

taken to expose good people and baffle good designs, are copied.

     

1. They represent themselves as very loyal to the government, and

greatly concerned for the honour and interest of it, and would have it

thought that the king had no such loving faithful subjects in all his

dominions as they were, none so sensible of their obligations to him,

v. 14.

Because we are salted with the salt of the palace (so it is in

the margin), “we have our salary from the court, and could no

more live without it than flesh could be preserved without salt;” or,

as some think, their pay or pension was sent them in salt; or “Because

we had our education in the palace, and were brought up at the king’s

table,” as we find,

Dan. i. 5.

These were those whom he intended to prefer; they did eat their

portion of the king’s meat. “Now, in consideration of this, it

is not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour;” and therefore they

urge him to stop the building of the temple, which would certainly be

the king’s dishonour more than any thing else. Note, A secret enmity to

Christ and his gospel is often gilded over with a pretended affection

to Caesar and his power. The Jews hated the Roman government, and yet,

to serve a turn, could cry, We have no king but Caesar. But (to

allude to this), if those that lived upon the crown thought themselves

bound in gratitude thus to support the interest of it, much more reason

have we thus to argue ourselves into a pious concern for God’s honour;

we have our maintenance from the God of heaven and are salted

with his salt, live upon his bounty and are the care of his

providence; and therefore it is not meet for us to see his

dishonour without resenting it and doing what we can to prevent

it.

     

2. They represent the Jews as disloyal, and dangerous to the

government, that Jerusalem was the rebellious and bad city

(v. 12),

hurtful to kings and provinces,
v. 15.

See how Jerusalem, the joy of the whole earth

(Ps. xlviii. 2),

is here reproached as the scandal of the whole earth. The enemies of

the church could not do the bad things they design against it if they

did not first give it a bad name. Jerusalem had been a loyal city to

its rightful princes, and its present inhabitants were as well affected

to the king and his government as any of his provinces whatsoever.

Daniel, who was a Jew, had lately approved himself so faithful to his

prince that his worst enemies could find no fault in his management,

Dan. vi. 4.

But thus was Elijah most unjustly charged with troubling Israel, the

apostles with turning the world upside down, and Christ himself

with perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to

Caesar; and we must not think it strange if the same game be still

played. Now here,

     

(1.) Their history of what was past was invidious, that within this

city sedition had been moved of old time, and, for that cause,

it was destroyed,
v. 15.

It cannot be denied but that there was some colour given for this

suggestion by the attempts of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah to shake off the

yoke of the king of Babylon, which, if they had kept close to their

religion and the temple they were now rebuilding, they would never have

come under. But it must be considered,

[1.] That they were themselves, and their ancestors, sovereign princes,

and their efforts to recover their rights, if there had not been in

them the violation of an oath, for aught I know, would have been

justifiable, and successful too, had they taken the right method and

made their peace with God first.

[2.] Though these Jews, and their princes, had been guilty of

rebellion, yet it was unjust therefore to fasten this as an indelible

brand upon this city, as if that must for ever after go under the name

of the rebellious and bad city. The Jews, in their captivity,

had given such specimens of good behaviour as were sufficient, with any

reasonable men, to roll away that one reproach; for they were

instructed (and we have reason to hope that they observed their

instructions) to seek the peace of the city where they were

captives and pray to the Lord for it,
Jer. xxix. 7.

It was therefore very unfair, though not uncommon, thus to impute the

iniquity of the fathers to the children.

     

(2.) Their information concerning what was now doing was grossly false

in matter of fact. Very careful they were to inform the king that the

Jews had set up the walls of this city, nay, had finished

them (so it is in the margin) and joined the foundations

(v. 12),

when this was far from being the case. They had only begun to build the

temple, which Cyrus commanded them to do, but, as for the walls, there

was nothing done nor designed towards the repair of them, as appears by

the condition they were in many years after

(Neh. i. 3),

all in ruins. What shall be given, and what done, to these

false tongues, nay, which is worse, these false pens? sharp

arrows, doubtless, of the mighty, and coals of

juniper,
Ps. cxx. 3, 4.

If they had not been perfectly lost to all virtue and honour they would

not, and if they had not been very secure of the king’s countenance

they durst not, have written that to the king which all their

neighbours knew to be a notorious lie. See

Prov. xxix. 12.

     

(3.) Their prognostics of the consequences were altogether groundless

and absurd. They were very confident, and would have the king believe

it upon their word, that if this city should be built, not only the

Jews would pay no toll, tribute, or custom

(v. 13),

but (since a great lie is as soon spoken as a little one) that the king

would have no portion at all on this side the river

(v. 16),

that all the countries on this side Euphrates would instantly revolt,

drawn in to do so by their example; and, if the prince in possession

should connive at this, he would wrong, not only himself, but his

successors: Thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. See

how every line in this letter breathes both the subtlety and malice of

the old serpent.

     

17 Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor,

and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their

companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the

river, Peace, and at such a time.

  18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read

before me.

  19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found

that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings,

and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

  20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have

ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute,

and custom, was paid unto them.

  21 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and

that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall

be given from me.

  22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage

grow to the hurt of the kings?

  23 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read

before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they

went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to

cease by force and power.

  24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at

Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of

Darius king of Persia.

     

Here we have,

     

I. The orders which the king of Persia gave, in answer to the

information sent him by the Samaritans against the Jews. He suffered

himself to be imposed upon by their fraud and falsehood, took no care

to examine the allegations of their petition concerning that which the

Jews were now doing, but took it for granted that the charge was true,

and was very willing to gratify them with an order of council to stay

proceedings.

1. He consulted the records concerning Jerusalem, and found that it had

indeed rebelled against the king of Babylon, and therefore that it was,

as they called it, a bad city

(v. 19),

and withal that in times past kings had reigned there, to whom all the

countries on that side the river had been tributaries

(v. 20),

and that therefore there was danger that if ever they were able (which

they were never likely to be) they would claim them again. Thus he says

as they said, and pretends to give a reason for so doing. See the hard

fate of princes, who must see and hear with other men’s eyes and ears,

and give judgment upon things as they are represented to them, though

often represented falsely. God’s judgment is always just because he

sees things as they are, and it is according to truth.

2. He appointed these Samaritans to stop the building of the city

immediately, till further orders should be given about it,

v. 21, 22.

Neither they, in their letter, nor he, in his order, make any mention

of the temple, and the building of that, because both they and he knew

that they had not only a permission, but a command, from Cyrus to

rebuild that, which even these Samaritans had not the confidence to

move for the repeal of. They spoke only of the city: “Let not

that be built,” that is, as a city with walls and gates;

“whatever you do, prevent that, lest damage grow to the hurt of the

kings:” he would not that the crown should lose by his wearing

it.

     

II. The use which the enemies of the Jews made of these orders, so

fraudulently obtained; upon the receipt of them they went up in

haste to Jerusalem,
v. 23.

Their feet ran to evil,
Prov. i. 16.

They were impatient till the builders were served with this

prohibition, which they produced as their warrant to make them cease

by force and power. As they abused the king in obtaining this order

by their mis-informations, so they abused him in the execution of it;

for the order was only to prevent the walling of the city, but,

having force and power on their side, they construed it as relating to

the temple, for it was that to which they had an ill will, and

which they only wanted some colour to hinder the building of. There was

indeed a general clause in the order, to cause these men to

cease, which had reference to their complaint about building the

walls; but they applied it to the building of the temple. See what need

we have to pray, not only for kings, but for all in authority under

them, and the governors sent by them, because the

quietness and peaceableness of our lives, in all

godliness and honesty, depend very much upon the integrity and

wisdom of inferior magistrates, as well as the supreme. The consequence

was that the work of the house of God ceased for a time, through

the power and insolence of its enemies; and so, through the coldness

and indifference of its friends, it stood still till the second year of

Darius Hystaspes, for to me it seems clear by the thread of this sacred

history that it was that Darius,

v. 24.

Though now a stop was put to it by the violence of the Samaritans, yet

that they might soon after have gone on by connivance, if they had had

a due affection to the work, appears by this, that before they had that

express warrant from the king for doing it

(ch. vi.)

they were reproved by the prophets for not doing it,

ch. v. 1,

compared with

Hag. i. 1,

&c. If they had taken due care to inform Cambyses of the truth of this

case, perhaps he would have recalled his order; but, for aught I know,

some of the builders were almost as willing it should cease as the

adversaries themselves were. At some periods the church has suffered

more by the coldness of its friends than by the heat of its enemies;

but both together commonly make church-work slow work.

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