Ezra 6:4

Ezr 6:4 [With] three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:

Ver. 4. Out of the king’s house] i.e. Out of the royal revenue in those parts, Ezr 7:20. Herodotus testifieth that Cyrus and Darius (who married his daughter Atossa, and made him his pattern for imitation) were highly honoured among the Persians for their kingly munificence; God hath threatened that the nation and kingdom that will not serve the Church shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted, Isa 60:12 Ezr 6:12.

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_6:4

And let the expenses be given out of the kings house.

A believers expenses

I. What are our expenses? The expenses referred to in the text are those connected with the return of the Jews to their own land, the rebuilding of the temple and its continual sacrifices.

1. Our release from the thraldom of sin involved enormous expenditure (1Pe_1:18-19).

2. The important steps of public profession of faith in Christ, and of union with His Church, need peculiar supplies of grace.

3. There is much new material to be built up in our habits and life.

4. Our bodies being temples of the Holy Ghost, every physical power and every mental faculty should be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Masters use.

5. Our hearts are altars whereon should be offered the sacrifices of worship and praise.

II. Where shall we find means to meet these expenses?

1. The Word of Gods truth.

2. The throne of His grace.

3. The fellowship of His people.

4. The dispensation of His providence.

5. The opposition of His foes.

The Persian monarch was naturally Israels enemy, yet God arranges that he shall pay Israels expenses. Even the lions we may meet shall supply sweet honey for our nourishment and refreshment.

6. The work of Christ (Php_4:19).

III. How shall we act in the presence of such abundance?

1. We need not be afraid of exhausting Heavens treasures.

2. We dare not be slow in availing ourselves of these supplies.

3. We cannot help wondering at the goodness of the King.

4. We will not forget to express our gratitude to the King.

5. We must not be so selfish as to hide these glad tidings. (R. S. Latimer.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6:4 All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. Although it seems surprising that the Persians would do this, it was consistent with Persian practice elsewhere (e.g., at Sais and Elephantine in Egypt, and at Ur in Mesopotamia). Such generosity was designed to ensure loyalty to Persia.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, Marble.

Or, rows, or courses.

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

Verse 4. Three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber] We have noticed this kind of building before, three courses of stones, and then a course of strong balk; and this continued to the square of the building.

And let the expenses be given] Cyrus had ordered wood to be cut at Libanus, and conveyed to Joppa at his expense; but it does not appear that he furnished the other expenses of the building, for we have already seen that the Jews contributed for the defraying of all others. But it appears that he provided at his own expense the sacrifices and offerings for the temple. See Ezr 6:9.

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

4. a row of new timber] R.V. marg. ‘According to the Sept. one row of timber.’ It has been much disputed what ‘the three rows of great stones and the row of timber’ can mean. (1) Some explain by three storeys of stones surmounted by one of wood, the elevation of the Temple. (2) Others by ‘three layers of stone followed by one of wood’, the material of the walls. (3) Others by ‘three courses of stone backed by a wainscote of wood’, the thickness of the walls. (4) But in all probability the verse should be explained by reference to 1Ki_6:36, where ‘three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams’ are the construction of the walls of the inner court.

expences] R.V. expenses.

out of the king’s house] i.e. from the royal revenue. To be defrayed probably from the purse of the ‘Abhar Nahara’ satrapy. This payment had obviously ceased, or its existence would have been known to Tattenai and the other officials. During the disturbances which took place at the close of Cyrus’s reign, the officers of the provincial treasury probably found it convenient to stop this annual contribution. The voluntary subscriptions mentioned in Ezr_2:68-69 would therefore have been rendered necessary. Some have suspected that this part of the decree was never really carried out.

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.

With three rows of great stones,.... Which Jarchi interprets of the walls of it, and these stones of marble; and so Ben Melech:

and a row of new timber; of cedar wood upon the rows of stone, see Kg1 6:36 or for the lining and wainscoting the walls:

and let the expenses be given out of the king's house; treasury, or exchequer; but it does not appear that this part of the decree was observed, at least hitherto; but the Jews built at their own expense, and perhaps did not exactly observe the directions given as to the dimensions of the house.

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

The word translated “row” occurs only in this passage. Some regard it as a “course,” and suppose that after every three courses of stone there followed a course of timber. Others understand three “storeys” of stone, with a fourth “storey” of woodwork on the summit (compare 1Ki 6:5-6). Others consider that Cyrus intended to limit the thickness of the walls, which were not to exceed a breadth of three rows of stone, with an inner wooden wainscotting.

Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house - i. e., “out of the Persian revenue,” a portion of the decree which was probably not observed during the later years of Cyrus and during the reign of Cambyses, and hence the burthen fell upon the Jews themselves Ezr 2:68-69.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Unpolished, to correspond with the polished stones and cedar employed by Solomon, 3 Kings vi. 36. (Menochius) --- Protestants, "great stones." See chap. v. 8. --- Charges. It appears that the Jews furnished money and meat to pay for the wood, chap. i. 4., and iii. 7. Some annual sum might be assigned by Cyrus, either for the building, or for the daily holocausts. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; as Solomon’s temple was built, 1Ki 6:36; whereof Darius was informed by some of the Jews, who also desired that it might be done in this manner.

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

4. With three rows of… stones — There is no with in the Chaldee, and the passage has the appearance of a fragmentary excerpt. The language, however, reminds us of 1Ki_6:36, (see note there,) and may, perhaps, be best understood of the platform of the inner court, which, like that of the first temple, was to have three layers of stone and one of new timber.

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

With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber. The Septuagint interpreter understood by this that the new temple was to be four storeys high, three storeys being built of stone, and one of timber. The two wings of the temple of Solomon were undoubtedly three storeys. (1Ki_6:6) But it is perhaps doubtful whether the word nidbak ever means "storey." Most commentators suppose three courses of stone, and then a course of timber, repeated from foundation to summit; but there is no known example of such a mode of building. The expences were to be given out of the king"s house, defrayed, i.e. , out of the royal revenue; but either this intention of Cyrus was not carried out, or it was understood to apply only to the materials. Large sums were subscribed by the Jews themselves towards the building, (Ezr_2:69) and large payments were made by them to the persons employed upon the work. (Ezr_3:7)

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

rows Aram. נִדְבָּכִין, an expression for walls. The walls were of marble. marble Aram. גְּלָל (marmre in Old French).

and a row and a wall of new wood from within, in the manner of the building of the Temple that Solomon built.

and the expenditures And the expenditures for the needs of the House and for the other matters pertaining to the House shall be given them from the royal palace.

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.