Ezra 6:9

6:1-12 When God's time is come for fulfilling his gracious purposes concerning his church, he will raise up instruments to do it, from whom such good service was not expected. While our thoughts are directed to this event, we are led by Zechariah to fix our regard on a nobler, a spiritual building. The Lord Jesus Christ continues to lay one stone upon another: let us assist the great design. Difficulties delay the progress of this sacred edifice. Yet let not opposition discourage us, for in due season it will be completed to his abundant praise. He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven,.... All which were used for burnt offerings, see Leviticus 1:2 wheat, salt, wine, and oil; "wheat", or "fine flour", for the "minchah" or meat offering; "salt", for every offering; "wine", for the drink offerings; and "oil", to be put upon the meat offerings, see Leviticus 2:1, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail; for the daily sacrifice, and the meat and drink offerings which attended it, Exodus 29:38.

(9) Both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs. —An accurate account of the provision required for the sacrifices and meat-offerings of the daily service of the Temple: how accurate will be seen by consulting Exodus 29 and Leviticus 2. Appointment here is simply the word: that is, of direction.

Verse 9. - Both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs . These were the chief sacrificial animals of the Jews - a lamb being required every morning and evening, two more on the sabbath, seven at each of the great feasts and at the beginning of each mouth, and fourteen on every day during the feast of tabernacles, altogether more than a thousand in the course of the year; and rams and bullocks being joined with the lambs on the more solemn occasions. The only other ordinary sacrificial animal was "a kid of the goats ." Wheat, salt, wine, and oil were needed for the "meat offerings" by which every burnt offering was accompanied ( Exodus 29:40, 41 ; Leviticus 2:13 , etc.). Let it be given them day by day . Since sacrifice was offered every day. Ezra 6:9

8-10. of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river … expenses be given unto these men—The decree granted them the privilege of drawing from his provincial treasury of Syria, to the amount of whatever they required for the furthering of the work and providing sacrifice for the service of the temple, that the priests might daily pray for the health of the king and the prosperity of the empire.

9 . ( b ) Material for the maintenance of the worship. young bullocks , &c.] Cf. Ezra 7:17 . for the burnt offerings of ] R.V. for burnt offerings to . The king is speaking generally of burnt offerings as one chief class of offering, and not particularly of the Levitical system. wheat, salt, wine, and oil ] Cf. Exodus 29:40 (flour, oil, wine); Leviticus 2:1-16 (flour, oil, salt, &c., the meal offering). The king alludes to the other chief class of offering. according to the appointment ] R.V. according to the word , i.e. the priests at Jerusalem were to specify what their system most required. day by day ] See on chap. Ezra 3:4 . without fail ] i.e. without intermission. Literally ‘which is to be no intermission’. The LXX. must have had another reading in which the negative was dropped, and a similarly sounding word ‘to ask’ substituted for that rendered ‘fail’. LXX. ‘whatsoever they shall ask’ ( ὅ ἐὰν αἰτήσωσιν ). The Vulg. ‘lest there be room for complaint in aught’ (ne sit in aliquo querimonia) and 1Es 6:30 ‘without further question’ seem also to have translated the more familiar root.

"And what is needful, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt-offerings of the God of leaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests at Jerusalem (i.e., as the priests shall require for the service of God), let it be given them day by day without fail." מה is joined with the plur. fem. of the partic. חשׁחן, and is defined by the enumeration which follows. משׁח, properly the anointing, then oil as the means of anointing. On להוא and להון, see remarks on Ezra 4:12 . שׁלוּ דּי־לא, that there be no failure.