Ezra 9:16

16 . Then came the same Sheshbazzar ] The work here ascribed to Sheshbazzar is evidently that over which Zerubbabel presided in chap. 3. the foundation ] R.V. ‘ the foundations ’; so the Aramaic and Ezra 4:12 . since that time &c.] A sentence showing that the cessation of the work mentioned in Ezra 4:5 ; Ezra 4:24 must not be taken perfectly literally. Building was carried on from time to time, but no longer on any effective scale. The interval of time was from 536 to 520. finished ] R.V. completed . A different word in the original from that rendered ‘finish’ in Ezra 5:3 ; Ezra 5:9 ; Ezra 5:11 , Ezra 6:14 .

7 . And they made proclamation &c.] The phrase for making a proclamation is peculiar; it occurs also in chap. Ezra 1:1 , where see note. The authors of this proclamation are not mentioned. But we are evidently intended to understand the princes and the chiefs of the people ( Ezra 10:5 ) who had taken the oath administered by Ezra. That some little interval of time elapsed between the events just narrated and the issue of this proclamation is a natural supposition. The policy advocated by Shecaniah ( Ezra 10:2-3 ) had been approved. But time and deliberation were needed to determine upon the best method of putting it into execution (see note on Ezra 9:1 ). throughout Judah and Jerusalem ] That is to say, in every district in southern Palestine and in every quarter of the capital. Cf. ‘Jerusalem and Judah’ ( Ezra 2:1 ), ‘Judah and Jerusalem’ ( Ezra 4:6 , Ezra 5:1 , Ezra 9:9 ). unto all the children of the captivity ] Cf. notes on this phrase Ezra 2:1 , Ezra 4:1 , Ezra 6:16 ; Ezra 6:19 , Ezra 8:35 .

Verse 23. - Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight (see the comment on ver. 18) as he had said by all his servants the prophets. The destruction of the kingdom of Israel had been distinctly prophesied by Ahijah the Shilonite ( 1 Kings 14:15, 16 ), Hosea (Hosea 1:4; 9:3, 17), and Amos ( Amos 7:17 ). General warnings and denunciations had been given by Moses ( Leviticus 26:33 ; Deuteronomy 4:26, 27 ; Deuteronomy 28:36 , etc.), by Isaiah ( Isaiah 7:8 ; Isaiah 28:1-4 ), and probably by the entire series of prophets enumerated in the comment on ver. 13. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day ; i.e. up to the time that the Second Book of Kings was written, about B.C. 580-560 , the Israelites remained within the limits of the country to which they were carried by the conqueror. Not long after this time, about B.C. 538 , a considerable number returned with Zerubbabel to Palestine, and others with Ezra (see Ezra 2:70 ; Ezra 3:1 ; Ezra 6:16, 17 ; Ezra 7:13 ; Ezra 8:35 - 1 Chronicles 9:2, 3 ; Zechariah 8:13 ). What became of the rest has been a fertile subject of speculation. Probably the more religions united with the Jewish communities, which were gradually formed in almost all the cities of the East; while the irreligious laid aside their peculiar customs, and became blended indistinguishably with the heathen. 'There is no ground for expecting to find the "ten tribes" anywhere at the present day. 2 Kings 17:23

Isaiah 45:16, and other passages. נכלם, to be covered with shame, is stronger than בּושׁ. "For our iniquities are increased over our head," i.e., have grown above our head. ראשׁ למעלה, to or over the head. למעלה serves to enhance the meaning of רבוּ, like 1 Chronicles 23:17. "And our guiltiness is great, (reaching) unto the heavens;" comp. 2 Chronicles 28:9.

Verse 1. - When these things were done. It must have been some considerable time afterwards. Ezra reached Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month ( Ezra 7:9 ), rested three days ( Ezra 8:32 ), and on the fourth day of the same month made over the vessels to the temple authorities. It was not till the seventeenth day of the ninth month that, on Ezra's motion, the matter of the mixed marriages was taken in hand ( Ezra 10:8, 9 ). Yet we cannot suppose that action was long delayed after the matter came to Ezra's knowledge. The princes . The civil heads of the community, whom Ezra found at the head of affairs on his arrival, and whose authority he did not wholly supersede (see Ezra 10:14, 16 ). The people of the lands. The idolatrous nations inhabiting the districts adjoining Palestine: Egyptians and Amorites on the south; Moabites and Ammonites on the east; Canaanites probably towards the north and the north-west. Doing according to their abominations. Rather, "in respect of their abominations." The complaint was not so much that the Jews had as yet actually adopted idolatrous functions, as that they did not keep themselves wholly aloof from them. The foreign wives would introduce idolatrous rites into their very houses. Ezra 9:1

## 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

Heb. xii. 28. John iv. 21. [Am. ed. inserts in.] iii. 7; Acts x. 2. Matt. vi. 11; [Am. ed. Josh. xxiv. 15]. Matt. vi. 6; Eph. vi. 18. xiii. 42; Luke iv. 16; Acts ii. 42. John iv. 21. iii. 7; Acts x. 2. Matt. vi. 11; [Am. ed. Josh. xxiv. 15]. Matt. vi. 6; Eph. vi. 18. xiii. 42; Luke iv. 16; Acts ii. 42. Rev. i. 10. Rev. i. 10. Isa. lviii. 13; Matt. xii. 1-13. Isa. lviii. 13; Matt. xii. 1-13. Deut. x. 20. Deut. x. 20. Deut. vi. 13. Exod. xx. 7; Jer. v. 7; Matt. v. 34, 37; James v. 12. Heb. vi. 16; 2 Cor. i. 23; Isa. lxv. 16. 1 Kings viii. 31; Neh. xiii. 25; Ezra x. 25. Deut. vi. 13. Exod. xx. 7; Jer. v. 7; Matt. v. 34, 37; James v. 12. Heb. vi. 16; 2 Cor. i. 23; Isa. lxv. 16. 1 Kings viii. 31; Neh. xiii. 25; Ezra x. 25. Exod. xx. 7; Jer. iv. 2. Numb. v. 19, 21; Neh. v. 12; Exod. xxii. 7-11. Exod. xx. 7; Jer. iv. 2. Numb. v. 19, 21; Neh. v. 12; Exod. xxii. 7-11. Jer. iv. 2; Psa. xxiv. 4. Jer. iv. 2; Psa. xxiv. 4. [Am. ed. omits the.] [Am. ed. has respects.] [Am. ed. has occasions.] 2 Chron. xxvi. 18 with Matt. xviii. 17 and xvi. 19; 1 Cor. xii. Isa. xlix. 23; Psa. cxxii. 9; Ezra vii. 23-28; Lev. xxiv. 16; 2 Chron. xix. 8-11; chaps. xxix. and xxx.; Matt. ii. 4, 5. 2 Chron. xxvi. 18 with Matt. xviii. 17 and xvi. 19; 1 Cor. xii. Isa. xlix. 23; Psa. cxxii. 9; Ezra vii. 23-28; Lev. xxiv. 16; 2 Chron. xix. 8-11; chaps. xxix. and xxx.; Matt. ii. 4, 5. [Am. ed. reads of the people.] Rom. xiii. 5; Tit. i. 3. Rom. xiii. 5; Tit. i. 3. Gen. ii. 24; Matt. xix. 5, 6; Prov. ii. 17; [Am. ed. 1 Cor. vii.

And it is more than probable, that if they could shun the odium of open Blasphemy, and the hazard of standing Laws against blasphemers, the most part of them would disown the Scriptures, as many of them have done. For what kindness or respect can they have for the Scriptures, but such as men carry to Topicks or common places, whence they draw Arguments to impugn others, or defend themselves with. For they do not look upon the Word as their Rule, seeing (as they dream) they have a Light within them, beyond that more sure Word of Prophesy, which the Apostle Peter prefers to a voice from Heaven. Nay, they have so little veneration for the Scriptures, that they will not suffer them to be called the Word of GOD, contrary to many express places of the Scripture; as John 10. 35. 2 Chr. 36. 22. Psalm 119. 172. Mark 7. 9, 10, 13. 1 Kings 16. 12. 2 Kings 9. 36. Ezra 1. 1. 2 King. 23. 16. Isaiah 28. 13. Ephes. 6. 17. Isaiah 37. 22. ## Quest. II. Is Christ offered up to his Father in this Sacrament? No. Is there any real sacrifice made at all, for remission of sin, of the Quick or Dead? No. Heb. 9. 22, 25, 26, 28. Well then, do not the Papists err, who maintain, that in this Sacrament there is performed a true and real Sacrifice (commonly called the Mass) wherein Christ under the forms of Bread and Wine, without shedding of blood, is offered unto GOD, by a Priest, and sacrificed for the living, and for the Dead, to obtain remission of sins?