Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Bible Commentaries
Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible Barnes' Notes
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
These files are public domain.
Bibliographical Information
Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Ezra 6". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/ezra-6.html. 1870.
Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Ezra 6". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://studylight.org/
Whole Bible (44)Old Testament (1)Individual Books (4)
Verse 1
A âhouse of the rollsâ was discovered at Koyunjik, the ancient Nineveh, in 1850 - a set of chambers, i. e., in the palace devoted exclusively to the storing of public documents. These were in baked clay, and covered the floor to the depth of more than a foot. Such a âhouseâ was probably that at Babylon.
Verse 2
âAchmethaâ is the âEcbatana,â or âAgbatana,â of the Greeks, the Persian name for which, as we find in the Behistun Inscription, was HaGMaTANa.
We must suppose that, when Babylon had been searched in vain, the other cities which possessed record-offices were visited, and the decree looked for in them. Ecbatana was the capital of Cyrus.
Verse 3
It is difficult to reconcile the dimentions here with expressions in Zechariah Zechariah 4:10, Haggai Haggai 2:3, and even Ezra Ezra 3:12, which imply that the second temple was smaller than the first (compare 1 Kings 6:2). Perhaps the dimensions here are those which Cyrus required the Jews not to exceed.
Verse 4
The word translated ârowâ occurs only in this passage. Some regard it as a âcourse,â and suppose that after every three courses of stone there followed a course of timber. Others understand three âstoreysâ of stone, with a fourth âstoreyâ of woodwork on the summit (compare 1 Kings 6:5-6). Others consider that Cyrus intended to limit the thickness of the walls, which were not to exceed a breadth of three rows of stone, with an inner wooden wainscotting.
Let the expenses be given out of the kingâs house - i. e., âout of the Persian revenue,â a portion of the decree which was probably not observed during the later years of Cyrus and during the reign of Cambyses, and hence the burthen fell upon the Jews themselves Ezra 2:68-69.
Verse 6
This verse gives the words of the decree of Darius, which was grounded upon, and probably recited, the decree of Cyrus.
Verse 11
Being set up, let him be hanged thereon - Rather, âlet him be lifted up and crucified upon it.â Crucifixion was the most common form of capital punishment among the Persians.
Verse 12
Destroy all - A similar malediction is found at the end of the great inscription of this same king Darius at Behistun: If anyone injures the tablet which he has set up, he prays that Ormazd will be their enemy, and that they may have no offspring, and that whatever they do, Ormazd may curse it for them.
To alter and to destroy this house - i. e., to alter the decree, and then proceed to destroy the house.
Verse 14
Artaxerxes - The Artaxerxes of marginal reference seems to be meant (i. e., Longimanus); he was one of those who together with Cyrus and Darius helped forward the completion of the work.
Verse 15
âAdarâ was the twelfth or last month of the Jewish year, corresponding nearly with our March. The sixth year of Darius was 516-515 B.C.
Verse 17
Compare with this modest sacrifice, which suits well âthe day of small thingsâ Zechariah 4:10, the lavish offering of Solomon (see the marginal reference ânâ).
Verse 19
With this verse the writer resumes the use of the Hebrew language, which he had discarded for the Chaldee from Ezra 4:8. With the exception of the letter of Artaxerxes Ezra 7:12-26, all the remainder of the book is in Hebrew.
Verse 20
Some render, âAnd the priests were purified; and the Levites, as one man, were all of them pure.â A contrast is drawn between the universal purity of the Levites and the merely general purity of the priests 2Ch 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:3, which made it fitting that the former should undertake the slaughter of all the Paschal lambs, even of those which the priests were to consume. In later times the ordinary practice was for each head of a family to kill for himself.
Verse 22
The king of Assyria - i. e., Darius. Assyria had so long been the great monarchy of western Asia that the sacred writers continue the title to those who had inherited the old Assyrian power, as first to the Babylonians 2 Kings 23:29, and secondly to the Persians. With similar inexactness we find Herodotus calling Cyrus âking of the Medes.â