Ezra 1:6

Ezr 1:6 And all they that [were] about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all [that] was willingly offered.

Ver. 6. And all they that were about them] Both their countrymen the Jews (that thought not good to themselves or not yet, till they should see further: there is none so wise as the sluggard, Pro 26:16), and others of the neighbourhood: for the Egyptians may lend jewels to the Israelites, dogs may lick Lazarus’s ulcers, and the earth may help the woman, by opening her mouth, and swallowing up the flood cast out after her by the dragon to drown her, Rev 12:16.

Strengthened their hands] Which else, for want of such support, would have hung down, and their feeble knees buckled under them, ere they had come to their own country; neither could they without such supplies have so comfortably carried on the work they went about. For, if wisdom be a defence, or a shadow, to those that have seen the sun (as in the former verse) and are scorched with the heat of it, so is money too, saith Solomon, Ecc 7:12; and though wisdom without wealth is good, yet it is better with inheritance, Ezr 1:11, which is not only an ornament, but an instrument of virtue. When men go on Virtute dace, comite fortuna, then it is well with them as it was with good Josiah, Jer 22:15-16. But Agur would not be poor, lest he should be put upon ill courses, Pro 30:9, put to his shifts. Poor Hagar, when the water was spent in the bottle, cast the child under the shrubs, Gen 21:15.

With vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts] See the note on Ezr 1:4. These are things that men do not usually so easily part with to others till they needs must. Euclio in the comedian sits abrood upon his heaps and hoards, and will not be drawn off. Shall Nabal take his bread and his flesh, and give it to those he knows not? 1Sa 25:23-31 Misers will as soon part with their blood as their gold; whence the Chaldees call their money dam, that is, blood. Many a man shows himself like the Cornish crow, which will steal a piece of money, and hiding it in some hole, will never help herself or any other with it afterwards. Hermocrates, being loth that any man should enjoy his goods after him, made himself, by his will, heir of his own goods. Athenaeus telleth of one, that at his death devoured many pieces of gold, and sewed the rest in his coat, commanding that they should be all buried with him. But these in the text seem to have been of the race of those Persians spoken of, Isa 13:17, which regarded not silver, and as for gold, they cared not much for it. Or if they were proselytes to the Church, then they had learned (with Tyrus, now also converted) to give over heaping and hoarding of wealth, and therewith to feed and clothe God’s poor saints; and so to furnish them for their journey to their Father’s house, that they may eat sufficiently, and have durable clothing, Isa 23:18. This was God’s work upon their hearts; and Quando Christus magister, quam cito discitur quod decatur? (Augustin.) Whereunto may be added, that Cyrus, who set forth this edict, as he was an absolute sovereign (and so his word went for a law), so he was a gracious and courteous prince, ita ut Patris nomen meruerit, so that he merited the name and title of Father of his Country, and might command anything of them.

And with precious things] Even the very best of the best they had. The word signifieth praestantissimum et pretiosissimum in quocunque genere fructuum, metallorum, gemmarum, vestium, the choicest and chiefest of all kind of commodities. Such as Eliezer gave to Rebekah and her brother, Gen 24:53, and as Jehoshaphat gave his younger son, 2Ch 21:3. For the purchase of the pearl of price, the wise merchant makes a thorough sale of all. Barnabas parteth with his lands, Zaccheus with his goods, Matthew with his meat, the centurion with his money, to build those synagogues that wicked Antiochus had thrown down; and these in the text, with their most precious things, to refurnish that temple that Nebuchadnezzar had burnt.

Beside all that was willingly offered] A freewill offering then there was {Ezr 1:4} brought in by God’s willing people, Psa 110:3, that wait for God’s law, as Isa 42:8-9, and hold with that ancient, that it is nimis augusta innocentia ad legem bonum esse, to do no more service to God than needs must, to get so much grace only as will keep life and soul together (that is, soul and hell asunder), this they judge to be a low and unworthy strain of some good people. David voweth freewill offerings often, and could beteem God a great deal more love and service than he is able to perform to him, Psa 5:6 1Ch 29:8-9. Those good souls, Zec 8:21, call upon themselves and one another to be continually going before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I (saith each for himself) will go also. Hannah went up with her husband every year to the feast, 1Sa 1:4; 1Sa 1:21; so did the Virgin Mary to the passover with her son Jesus, Luk 2:41-42; yet none were expressly commanded so to do but males, and those also nothing under twenty years of age, as fit to be numbered, Exo 30:14. So those among us that hear weekday sermons, as Mary did, Luk 10:42, and many other good people in our Saviour’s days, Luk 19:47-48; Luk 21:37-38. Hereby we shall show our love, and do a service highly accepted in heaven.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ezr 1:6. All that were about them strengthened their hands — Some of them, probably, because they had embraced, or at least favoured, the Jewish religion, concerning which they had been instructed by the Israelites, who had now for a long time dwelt among them; and others, that they might hereby gratify the king, and procure his favour, perceiving him to be friendly to the Jews, and forward and hearty in the work of helping them. Thus God, when he pleases, can incline the hearts of strangers to be kind to his people; yea, make those strengthen their hands, who formerly weakened them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Babylonians and Chaldeans gave them these presents: thus rather than the children of God should want for their necessities, he would stir up the heart of the very infidels to help them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 6. Vessels of silver] Articles of silver, gold, &c.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. And all they that were about them] R.V. round about them. A general expression which would include both the heathen neighbours, alluded to (in Ezr_1:3) by the edict, and the Jewish neighbours, not contemplated in the edict, who preferred to remain in the land of the Captivity.

strengthened their hands] The use of this expression differs slightly in the grammar of the original from such passages as Neh_2:18, ‘So they strengthened their hands for the good work’; Jer_23:14, ‘they strengthen the hands of evil doers’. In those passages the idea is simply that of ‘invigorating’ and ‘adding strength’. Here the employment of a preposition introduces a shade of variety into the metaphor. The idea is that of ‘grasping’, ‘laying firm hold on the hand with the view of strengthening or supporting’. The Jews who sought to return were like a convalescent essaying to walk and needing assistance. Cf. Isa_51:18, ‘There is none that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up’.

vessels of silver, with gold] we should expect ‘with vessels of gold’, cf. Ezr_1:9.

with goods] see Ezr_1:4.

and with precious things] A rare word in the original, ‘migdânoth’. It occurs in 2Ch_21:3 = A.V. and R.V. precious things, 2Ch_32:23 = A.V. presents, R.V. precious things. And in a well-known passage, Gen_24:53 = A.V. and R.V. precious things. The Latin here ‘in supellectili’ is a mere guess. The LXX. rendering ‘ἐν ξενίοις’ = with gifts agrees with their rendering δῶρα in Gen., and δόματα in 2 Chronicles 32. In 2Ch_21:3 they render by ὅπλα.

beside all that was willingly offered] i.e. these gifts were over and above the free-will offerings. The clause in the original is peculiar, ‘beside over and above all one willingly offered’. The relative is omitted as in Ezr_1:4, but is implied in ‘all’. The verb is active in meaning (cf. Ezr_2:68, Ezr_3:5) and is here used impersonally.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all they that were about them,.... Their neighbours, the Chaldeans:

strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things; which they either did of themselves at their own motion, or by the direction and example of Cyrus, Ezr 1:4 and perhaps many of them to ingratiate themselves into the favour of their new monarch:

besides all that was willingly offered: by the rich Jews, who thought fit, at least for the present, to remain in Babylon.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Strengthened their hands; either because they had embraced, or at least favoured the Jewish religion, concerning which they were instructed by the Israelites that had now for a long time dwelt among them; or rather, that they might hereby gratify the king’s humour, and purchase his favour; for they perceived him to be hearty and forward in the work.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. All they that were about them — That is, the neighbours and friends of those exiles who rose up to return, especially the wealthier Jews, who, as Patrick says, “being well settled at Babylon, did not think fit to stir till they saw how these would succeed.”

Strengthened their hands — That is, as the margin explains, helped them; assisted and cheered them by the presents and provisions immediately named. This was done in accordance with Cyrus’s decree.

Besides all that was willingly offered — The presents previously named were given by order of the king; but besides these gifts others of the same or similar nature were contributed spontaneously by persons who, unable to go themselves, were anxious to encourage and help those who did go.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All they that were about them. i.e. all their neighbours. Strengthened their hands. This is the literal rendering. The margin gives the right meaning them." With precious things. Migdanoth , a rare word, only used here, in Gen_24:53, and in 2Ch_21:3; always connected with silver and gold: derived from meged, which means precious. " Besides all that was willingly offered (comp. ver. 4). The gold, silver, precious things, etc. previously mentioned were free gifts to individual Jews, and were additional to certain offerings which were intrusted to them for conveyance to Jerusalem. On the value attached by the Persians to offerings made in Jerusalem to Jehovah, see below, Ezr_6:10, and Ezr_7:17.

THE RESTORATION OF THE SACRED VESSELS BY CYRUS (vers. 7-11). Following the ordinary custom of the early Oriental conquerors, Nebuchadnezzar, long before he destroyed the Jewish temple, had carried off from it, partly as trophies of victory, partly as articles of value, many of the sacred vessels used in the temple service. (see 2Ch_36:10; Jer_27:19, Jer_27:20; Dan_1:2) At his final capture and destruction of Jerusalem he bore off the remainder. (2Ki_25:14, 2Ki_25:15) These he deposited at Babylon in the temple of Merodach (or Bel), the god whom he chiefly worshipped, (Dan_1:2) where they probably remained until Belshazzar had them brought out and desecrated at his great banquet (ibid. 5:2). A religious instinct now prompted the Persian king to give the vessels back, in order that they might revert to their original use. The careful enumeration of them (vers. 9-11) is characteristic of Ezra, who is very minute and exact in his details, and fond of making lists or catalogues.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Strengthened their hands - God can, when he pleases, incline the hearts of strangers to be kind to his people; yea, make those strengthen their hands, who formerly weakened them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And all those around them And all the nations who were Israel’s neighbors assisted and strengthened the hands of the Jews with gold and silver and all these gifts in order that they be able to ascend to Jerusalem.

besides all that was donated All this the neighbors of the Jews did, besides what they [the Jews] themselves donated for the building of the Temple.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.