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THIS Chapter contains the Appointment of Ezra to go out of the Kingdom of Ba∣bylon with a Second Return of the Jews into Judea and unto Jerusalem from their Captivity, &c.
Remark the First; The Description of his Person, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Mark 1. His Name Hebr. signifies an Helper, and according to the Notation of his
Name, he became a singular Helper of the Afflicted Church of God, as appeareth in th•••• four following Chapters.
Mark 2. His Genealogy; wherein divers Persons are omitted for brevitie's sake, which may be supplied out of 1 Chron. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. saith Capellus; for Ezra had w•••• both those Books of the Chronicles before he wrote this, (saith Buxtorf) and therefore is he the shorter here, referring this latter to his former Chronicle; in both which 'tis evident (saith Wolphius) that Ezra descended from Aaron.
Mark 3. His Qualification for his Generation-work, ver. 6. He was [Sopher Ma••ir] a Nimble Textman, saith Piscatory a great Scholar, and excellently skilled in Scripture▪ Learning; who having got (saith Grotius) the most Accurate Copies, put forth the most Exact Edition of the Law and of the Prophets, and the whole Canon of Scripture to his own time: However, he was a Scribe, both well Instructed himself, and Instructing o∣thers to God's Kingdom, Matth. 13.52.
Remark the Second; The Threefold Favour this famous Scribe found; 1st. With the King of Persia, [who granted him all his Request] ver. 6. giving him more and greater things than he durst desire, and denied him nothing that he desired, which doubtless was (saith Sanctius) that Jerusalem might be Restored, &c. tho' it be not expressed, yet is it implyed in the King's Decree, ver. 13, &c. 2ly. With the Jews, for many of them were excited by his Example and Authority to a Resolve for a Return, ver. 7. both some People of the other Tribes, saith Masius, and more especially such Jews as had not been willing to walk home with their Brethren, when Cyrus's Decree did set them at liberty (saith Wolphius) but still stuck fast in the Kingdom of Babylon, 1 Chron▪ 4.23. And 3ly. He found favour with God himself, [whose good Hand was for good upon him] ver. 6, 7, 8, 9. God's sweet and singular Providence was both watching over him and working for him, both in inclining the heart of the King towards him to grant all his Requests, yea and more than he Requested, &c. and in stirring up the Hearts of the People also for Ac∣companying him in his Resolve to Return: Thus the Lord is with the good, 2 Chron. 19. last.
Remark the Third; The Time when Ezra's Return was resolved to begin: It was upon the first Day of this seventh Year of Darius, and of the first Month of that Year, ver. 7, 8, 9. and Chap. 8.15.23. Ezra prepared his Heart in the first place, ver. 10. knowing that it, being Rude by Nature, must be Reformed by Grace, saith Wolphi••s▪ an Instrument out of Tune, must first be Tuned, before it can make any Melodious Mu∣fick: And then he prepareth all necessary Accommodations for his long and tedious Journey, both in his own behalf, and in the behalf of the many that were to Accom∣pany him: He then began his March upon the first Day of the first Month, which is our March Month, and reach'd not to his Journie's end, (to wit, Jerusalem) until the first Day of the fifth Month, which is our July; so that they were four Months in their Travelling-work, wherein they had many a weary Step, &c. Yet that which supported both Ezra and his Fellow-Travellers was, that they shortly should see the Face of God is Zion, Psal. 84.7. which was a better support than that of Popish Pilgrims; who (after all their Hardships, Wants and Weariness) have nothing but the sight of some Dumb Idol: Let none be weary with walking to see God in his Ordinances.
Remark the Fourth; Ezra's Diploma Regium, or Royal Commission, his Charter or L••••∣ters Patents, penned altogether in the Chaldee Dialect, from ver▪ 11, to the end of v. 26.
Mark 1. Artaxerxes Darius styles himself in this Commission [The King of Kings] v. 12. which tho' 'tis too oft ambitiously assumed, yet is it too lofty a Title for any Mortal Mo∣narch seeing it is the proper Style of the Son of God our Saviour, 1 Tim▪ 6.15. Rev. 1.5. and 17.14. and 19.16. by whom all Kings Reign, Prov. 8.15. and vain vaunting Ne∣buchadnezzar was made to know it, Dan. 4.35.
Mark 2. This Greatest of Kings (as Vatablus calls him) gave his Royal Letter of Li∣cense, that all the People of all Ranks that were allyed to the God of Heaven, and minded (of their own free Will ver. 12, 13.) to return into their own Country out of the Land of their Captivity: He invites all (saith Wolphius) but would compel none, nor will he detain any that were desirous to depart, &c.
Mark 3. This King, with the Advice of his seven Privy-Counsellors, Constitutes Ezra to be his Grand Visiter of his Diocess or Province of Judea, to make Enquiry, who there lived according to the Law of God, that he might encourage them, and who were transgressors of God's Law, that he might punish them, ver. 14. N.B. Some suppose this King was thus well Instructed both by Queen Esther, and by Priest Ezra.
Mark 4. The King Impowers Ezra to carry away all the Silver and Gold that either he or his Nobles had freely contributed for God's House and Ezra's Use, ver. 15.
and to make Collections among all the King's People for the good of the Jews, to buy Sacrifices, &c. ver. 16, 17. yea, and he restores such Vessels of Gold and Silver as had not been restored before, &c. ver. 18, 19. That he was [as Kind as a King] may well be said of this King.
Mark 5. The King in this Commission, commands all his Treasurers of the Tribute (on that side Euphrates where Jerusalem was) to supply Ezra with whatever more he needed, ver. 20, 21, 22. particularly they must disburse out of the King's Treasury thir∣ty seven thousand five hundred Pound Sterling, and out of his Store-houses a thousand Bushels of Wheat (in our Measures) and three Tuns and half (an Hogs-head) both of Wine and of Oil, according to common Computation: Yea and Salt without Measure, be∣cause it was required in every Sacrifice, Lev. 2.13. as well as for Food.
Mark 6. How Liberal was this King towards the House of God and his Service: And how loath was he, that any part of God's Worship should be neglected by his denying due means thereunto, saying [Why should there be Wrath, &c.] ver. 23. what could this King say more, to Seal up his good Affections to that good Work in Hand: He dis∣cerned, neglect of Duty would expose him and his to Divine Displeasure, either by the Light of Nature, or rather by the Instruction of Ezra. Chap. 8.22. N.B. This Pagan King (that so oft said to Ezra [thy God] but not once [my God] which was great Pi∣ty) will rise up in Judgment, 1. Against Pinch-penny Professors, that are so narrow∣soul'd and so strait-fisted; as, though they have heaped up Hoards of Money at home, yet are such hold fasts abroad, as to have no Quick-silver or Currant Money for God and good Ʋses, &c. And 2. How will he rise up against worship-scorners, that do say as much in the Devil's Language [What have we to do with thee, Jesus] Matth. 8.29. Dari∣us durst not neglect his Duty for fear of God's Wrath, Jer. 10.25.
Mark 7. This Commission of the King to Ezra, 1. Exempted all the Ministers of God's Temple from paying Toll, &c. ver. 24. accordingly it was the Zeal of our Ance∣stors, who made that Law, [Ecclesia sit libera] let Church-men be free from Exactions, &c. And 2. Ezra is authoriz'd to make Judges (as Exod. 18.21, 22.) such as under∣stood God's Law, as Ezra did, so could instruct the Ignorant, ver. 25.
Remark the Fifth and Last, Magistrates may Act against Men in Matters of Religion, Darius here interposeth with his Penal Laws in subserviency to the Law of God, ver. 26 and Ezra blesses God for it, ver. 27, 28. looking beyond Man at God himself, who had put these things into the King's Heart, thus to beautifie God's Temple, which now was built without; but a due observance of those Services and Sacrifices (which the King had gran∣ted) would conduce much to the beautifying of it within, and Ezra blesses God also, for using his Service to promote his own: This he owned as high Honour to be God's In∣strument, and this encourag'd him to proceed in his Work, and to muster the Jews in order to a March, &c.