Ezra 5:20

20 . decree ] Heb. pithgam , a loan-word from Old Persian patigâma ( patigam, to come to, arrive ). It occurs in its Aramaic form ( pithgâmâ ) in Ezra 4:17 ; Ezra 5:7 ; Ezra 5:11 . kingdom ] The usual translation of the Heb. word. By rendering ‘empire’ (here only in O.T.) the A.V. introduces a distinction which does not exist in the original. for it is great ] In point of fact the Persian rule at this time extended over more than half of the known world. The LXX., however, do not appear to have found the words in their text.

The Ethiopian Eunuch, chamberlain to queen Candace, was ‘over all her treasure’, ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γάζης αὐτῆς ( Acts 8:27 ). The word for ‘the treasury’, used in the gospels, means “the place for keeping the ‘gaza’,” γαζοφυλάκιον (cf. Mark 12:41 ; Luke 21:1 ; John 8:20 ). and numbered them ] so A.V. R.V. Better, and he numbered them. The king made the gift; his officer had the charge of its disposition and valuation. unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah ] There seems to be no good reason to doubt that the Sheshbazzar mentioned here and in Ezra 5:14 ; Ezra 5:16 is the same as Zerubbabel. For although Zerubbabel ( Ezra 3:2 ; Ezra 3:8 , Ezra 4:3 , Ezra 5:2 ) is not designated by any official title in our book, still (1) the manner in which he is regarded as the representative of the Jewish returned exiles in Ezra 4:2 , (2) the fact that his name, as that of the chief layman and of the head of the Davidic line, is associated with that of the High-priest Jeshua in the general administration, Ezra 3:2 ; Ezra 3:8 , Ezra 4:3 , Ezra 5:2 ; Haggai 1:1 ; Zechariah 3:4 , (3) the title of ‘governor (pekhah) of Judah’ given him by the prophet Haggai ( Ezra 1:1 , Ezra 2:2 ; Ezra 2:21 ), and given also to Sheshbazzar ( Ezra 5:14 ) make it reasonable to suppose that Sheshbazzar was another name of Zerubbabel, just as Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were the names given in the Captivity to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah ( Daniel 1:6-7 ).

5–11 . The Return of the Jews under Sheshbazzar: a brief summary of events 5 . the chief of the fathers ] R.V. the heads of fathers’ houses . Literally rendered, the term would be ‘the heads of the fathers’. Cf. the Latin ‘principes patrum’. See Exodus 6:14 . For the subdivision into (1) tribe, (2) family, (3) household, compare especially Joshua 7:16-18 . with all them ] R.V. even all. The construction in the original is peculiar. The preposition ‘to’ or ‘for’ stands before ‘all’, and the relative is omitted. The A.V. takes the clause to briefly summarize ‘the rest’ (i.e. the supplementary list of them) who, not being classed under ( a ) the heads of fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, ( b ) priests, ( c ) Levites, formed a fourth division of the people. By comparison with other passages such as 1 Chronicles 13:1-2 , 2 Chronicles 5:12 , where the same or a similar construction in the original is found, we see that the R.V. is correct. The preposition does not supplement, it defines. All included under the three groups mentioned in the verse, ‘rose up’. The whole community is summed up under these three heads, cf. Ezra 6:16 ; Ezra 6:20 . whose spirit God had raised ] R.V. had stirred up. The same phrase as in Ezra 1:1 . Ezra 1:5 follows as the direct result of Ezra 1:1 . It is important therefore that the same words should be used to translate the same phrase. ‘God’ here is ‘ha-Elohim’, the God = Jahveh of Ezra 1:1 who also stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.

Verse 17. - And offered... an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs. A poor offering, if it be compared, not alone with Solomon's ( 1 Kings 8:63 ), but even with Hezekiah's ( 2 Chronicles 30:24 ), or Josiah's ( ibid. 35:7). Hundreds now take the place of the thousands offered under the old monarchy. A sin offering for all Israel. See comment on ver. 16. We may assume that some of every tribe had returned with Zerubbabel, and that consequently it was possible to regard the re-established people as "Israel" (comp. Nehemiah 11:20 ; Zechariah 8:13 ; Malachi 1:1 ); though, since the great majority were Jews, they were more commonly spoken of as "Judah" ( Ezra 4:1, 6, 23 ; Ezra 5:1, 5 ; Ezra 6:7, 14 ; Zechariah 8:15 , etc.). Zerubbabel, desirous of emphasising the nobler and grander view, made this solemn sin offering of twelve he-goats, one for each of the tribes. Ezra acted similarly when he brought the second colony ( infra , Ezra 8:35 ). Ezra 6:17

The province - Judaea was no longer a kingdom, but a mere "province" of Persia. "The children of the province" are the Israelites who returned to Palestine, as distinct from those who remained in Babylonia and Persia. Every one unto his city - That is, to the city whereto his forefathers had belonged. Of course, in the few cases where this was not known Ezra 2:59-62, the plan could not be carried out. Two other copies of the following list have come down to us - one in Nehemiah 7:7-69, and the other in 1 Esdras 5:8-43. All seem to have been taken from the same original document, and to have suffered more or less from corruption. Where two out of the three agree, the reading should prevail over that of the third.

5. children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five—The number is stated in Ne 7:10 to have been only six hundred fifty-two. It is probable that all mentioned as belonging to this family repaired to the general place of rendezvous, or had enrolled their names at first as intending to go; but in the interval of preparation, some died, others were prevented by sickness or insurmountable obstacles, so that ultimately no more than six hundred fifty-two came to Jerusalem.

Verse 10. - Persia . The name does not meet us in any Old Testament book before the exile, Elam taking its place. It was just about the time that Ezekiel wrote that the Persians were becoming conspicuous through their alliance with the Modes. So we find it again in Ezekiel 38:5 ; Daniel 5:28 ; Daniel 8:20 ; 2 Chronicles 36:20, 22 ; Ezra 1:1 ; Ezra 4:5 ; Esther 1:3 . Here they are named as mercenaries in the Tyrian army. Lud . The LXX. and the Vulgate, led by the similarity of sound, give Lydians . In Genesis 10:13 the Ludim appear as descendants of Mizraim, while Lud in Genesis 10:22 is joined with Elam and Asshur as among the sons of Shem. Its combination with "Phut" ( i.e. Libya) here and in Jeremiah 46:9 is in favor of its referring to an African nation (comp. also Ezekiel 30:5 ; Isaiah 66:19 ). Phut . Both the LXX. and the Vulgate give Libyans . In Genesis 10:6 the name is joined with Cash and Mizraim. The Lubim (Libyans) are named as forming part of Shishak's army in 2 Chronicles 12:3 ; 2 Chronicles 16:8 , and in Nahum 3:9 and Jeremiah 46:9 as closely allied with the Egyptians. Ezekiel names Phut again as sharing in the fall of Tyre ( Ezekiel 30:5 ), and as serving in the army of Gog ( Ezekiel 38:5 ). Mr. R. S. Peele is inclined to identify them with the Nubians. Ezekiel 27:10

This word is rendered "governors" in Daniel 2:48 (see the note at that place), and in Daniel 3:3, Daniel 3:27; Daniel 6:7. It does not elsewhere occur. The Hebrew word corresponding to this - סגנים segânı̂ym - occurs frequently, and is rendered "rulers" in every place except Isaiah 41:25, where it is rendered "princes:" Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 4:14 (7); Nehemiah 5:7, Nehemiah 5:17; Nehemiah 7:5; Jeremiah 51:23, Jeremiah 51:28, Jeremiah 51:57; Ezekiel 23:6, Ezekiel 23:12, Ezekiel 23:23, et al. The office was evidently one that was inferior to that of the "satrap," or governor of a whole province. And the captains - פחותא pachăvâtâ'. This word, wherever it occurs in Daniel, is rendered "captains," Daniel 3:2-3, Daniel 3:27; Daniel 6:7; wherever else it occurs it is rendered governor, Ezra 5:3, Ezra 5:6, Ezra 5:14; Ezra 6:6-7, Ezra 6:13. The Hebrew word corresponding to this (פחה pechâh) occurs frequently, and is also rendered indifferently, "governor" or "captain:" 1 Kings 10:15; 2 Chronicles 9:14; Ezra 8:36; 1 Kings 20:24; Jeremiah 51:23, Jeremiah 51:28, Jeremiah 51:57, et al. It refers to the governor of a province less than satrapy, and is applied to officers in the Assyrian empire, 2 Kings 18:24; Isaiah 36:9; in the Chaldean, Ezekiel 23:6, Ezekiel 23:23; Jeremiah 51:23; and in the Persian, Esther 8:9; Esther 9:3. The word "captains" does not now very accurately express the sense.

Verse 6. - And Joseph was the governor over the land. The word שָׁלִּיט from שָׁלַט , to rule, describes one invested with despotic authority, or a sultan (Gesenius), in which character the early Shemites appear to have regarded Joseph (Keil). It is probably the same idea which recurs in the name Salatis, which, according to Manetho, belonged to the first of the shepherd kings (Josephus, 'Contra Apionem,' 1:14). Occurring nowhere else in the Pentateuch, it reappears in the later writings of Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 7:10; 10:5), Ezra (Ezra 4:20; 7:24), Daniel (Daniel 2:15; 5:29), which, however, need not suggest an exilian or post-exilian authorship, but may be explained by the fact that the root is found equally in the Arabic and Aramaean dialects (Keil). And he it was that sold to all the people of the land. Not conducted the retail corn trade (Tuch, Oort, Kuenen), which was assigned to subordinates (ver. 25; Genesis 44:1 ), but presided over the general market of the kingdom (Murphy), probably fixing the price at which the grain should be sold, determining the quantities to be allowed to purchasers, and examining the companies of foreigners who came to buy (Rosenmüller, Havernick, Lange, Gerlach). And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And so fulfilled his early dream in Shechem ( Genesis 37:7, 8 ). Genesis 42:6

## O LD T ESTAMENT ## Genesis 2:18 63 3:10 107 3:15 92 , 107 , 149 6:3 38 , 46 6:5 39 , 42 , 45 8:21 42 12:3 131 , 149 15:1 121 15:6 115 , 121 15:16 29 17:11 168 22:18 130 , 149 25:23 130 28:20–21 124 49:10 131 ## Exodus 10:21–23 59 14:14 121 14:31 121 19 104 , 109 20:2 127 20:5 67 20:5–6 124 20:6 67 20:17 96 20:19 104 , 106 , 109 20:20 104 23:20–33 98 24:17 38 25:18–22 98 33:12 111 34:7 101 34:6–7 94 ## Leviticus 19:17–18 97 19:18 97 ## Numbers 14:11 122 14:19 124 15:32–36 69 20:12 122 ## Deuteronomy 1:31–33 122 4:24 38 5:10 94 6:13 68 8:3 124 10:12–13 96 10:16 96 12:32 83 18:18–19 93 29:10–13 151 ## Judges 6:36–40 168 ## 1 Samuel 2:6–7 54 2:25 29 10:26 29 13:8–12 117 15:9 117 16:7 57 21:5 163 ## 2 Samuel 7:12–13 93 12:13 95 , 105 , 107 15:25–26 146 20:7–10 35 ## 1 Kings 12:15 29–30 16–21 89 21:27 105–06 22:22 79 ## 2 Kings 9 89 18 137 20:1–6 122 20:4–6 168 20:8–11 168 ## 1 Chronicles 5:20 122 ## 2 Chronicles 16:9 122 20:21–22 122 33:12 106 ## Ezra 10:2 46 ## Job 9:28 144 ## Psalms 2:6 154 2:7 154 2:12 154 5:9 100 6:1 102 8:6 131 9:12 140 14:1 57 , 116 , 148 14:1–3 43 14:2 117 14:3 99 , 117 19:12 36 , 104 21:6 109 25:7 36 , 104 32:5 177 33:17 109 36:1 144 51:3–4 177 51:5 39 68:4 68 69:9 107 76:8 101 78:7 122 80:3 54 85:4 54 89:14 135 97:2–5 101 97:11 109 104:24 126 104:27–28 126 104:30 112 108:12 109 116:11 43 , 45 139:7 107 139:7–12 50 143:2 102 , 110 ## Proverbs 1:28–33 31 2:6–9 31 14:12 30 , 36 14:27 30 16:4 29 , 30 16:9 29 16:11–12 30 16:33 30 18:10 68 20:22 97 20:24 29 , 30