Ezra 4:24
remained <01934> [So.]
Darius <01868> [Darius.]
This was Darius Hystaspes, one of the seven princes who slew the usurper Smerdis: he ascended the throne of Persia, A.M. 3483, B.C. 521, and reigned 36 years.
Ezra 6:1-15
searched <01240> [and search.]
archives <05609> [rolls. Chal. books.]
deposited <05182> [laid up. Chal. made to descend.]
Ecbatana <0307> [at Achmetha. or, at Ecbatana, or, in a coffer.]
[achmta <\\See definition 0712\\>,] probably from the Persian [chm,] {kham,} "a house for a summer residence," with a prefix, [a,] {aleph,} and the Chaldee termination [ta,] {tha,} most likely denotes Ecbatana, as the Vulgate and Josephus read, the summer residence of the Persian monarchs. It was situated in a mountainous region at the foot of mount Orontes, or Jasonius, according to Ammianus, on the southern confines of Media and Persia, and according to Pliny, 750 miles from Seleucia the Great, 20 miles from the Caspian passes, 450 miles from Susa, and the same from Gaz‘ Atropatene, and in lat. 37 degrees 45 min., long. 88 degrees, according to Ptolemy. The building of the city is ascribed to Semiramis by Diodorus, but to Deioces by Eusebius, (in Chron. 1.1,) and Herodotus, who states that it was surrounded by seven walls, strong and ample, built in circles one within another, rising each above each by the height of their respective battlements; each being distinguished by a different colour, the first white, the second black, the third purple, the fourth blue, the fifth orange, the sixth plated with silver, and the seventh with gold. The largest of these was nearly the extent of Athens, i.e., 200 furlongs, according to Dion Chrysostom; but Diodorus Siculus states the circumference of Ecbatana to be 250 furlongs. Within the inner circle stood the king's palace and the royal treasury, so much celebrated for its splendour and riches by Polybius. It is highly probable, as D'Anville and Major Rennel suppose, that the present Hamadan, whose ruins attest its former splendour, occupies the site of Ecbatana. It is situated in Al Gebal, at the foot of the lofty mountain Alwend, about 80 leagues from Ispahan, and also from Bagdad.
first year <08140 02298> [the first year.]
place <0870> [the place.]
height <07314> [the height.]
three layers ....... layer <05073 08532> [three rows.]
expense <05313> [the expenses.]
gold <01722> [the golden.]
Nebuchadnezzar <05020> [which Nebuchadnezzar.]
carried to ...... brought <02987 01946> [brought. Chal. go.]
Tattenai <08674> [Tatnai.]
colleagues <03675> [your companions. Chal. their societies.]
stay far <01934 07352> [be ye far.]
work on <05673> [Let the work.]
I ... hereby issue orders <07761 02942 04481> [I make a decree. Chal. by me a decree is made. the king's.]
interruption of the work <0989> [hindered. Chal. made to cease.]
oxen <08450 01123> [young bullocks.]
lambs <0563> [lambs.]
wheat <02591> [wheat.]
salt <04416> [salt.]
be given <01934 03052> [let it be given.]
incense <05208> [sweet savours. Chal. rest.]
praying <06739> [pray.]
anyone <03606> [whosoever.]
beam <0636> [timber.]
impaled <04223> [hanged. Chal. destroyed. his house.]
name <08036> [caused.]
overthrow ................ destroy <04049 02255> [destroy.]
I Darius <0576 01868> [I Darius.]
precision <0629> [speed.]
Tattenai <08674> [Tatnai.]
acted <03660 05648> [so they did.]
elders <07868> [And the elders.]
prophesying <05017> [through.]
brought ... to completion by <03635 04481> [finished it.]
by ............ command <04481 02942> [according.]
command .......... command <02941 02942> [commandment. Chal. decree. Cyrus.]
Artaxerxes <0783> [Artaxerxes.]
This was Artaxerxes, the third son and successor of Xerxes, surnamed [Makrocheir,] or Longimanus, or in Persian, {Ardsheer deeraz dest,} "Ardsheer the long-handed;" so called, according to the Greeks, from the extra-ordinary length of his hands, but according to the Easterners, from the extent of his dominions. He ascended the Persian throne, A.M. 3540, B.C. 464, and reigned forty-one years. He is said to have been the most handsome person of his age, and to have been a prince of a very mild and generous disposition.
Adar <0144> [A.M. 3489. B.C. 515. Adar.]
Ezra 7:1
Artaxerxes <0783> [A.M. 3547. B.C. 457. Artaxerxes.]
Ezra <05830> [Ezra.]
Seraiah <08304> [Seraiah.]
Hilkiah <02518> [Hilkiah.]
Ezra 7:8
Ezra 7:11-26
copy <06572> [the copy.]
scribe ..... scribe <05608> [a scribe.]
Artaxerxes <0783> [Artaxerxes.]
The title of the king would, in Persian, run thus: {Ardsheer shahinshah,} or {padshah,} "Ardsheer, king of kings," i.e., great or supreme king or emperor.
Ezra <05831> [unto Ezra, etc. or, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, peace, etc. and at such a time.]
I .... issued ......... from <04481 07761> [I make.]
wishes to do so <05069> [minded.]
[of the king. Chal. from before the king. seven counsellors.]
Seven princes of Persia having conspired against and slain the usurper Smerdis, and thus made way for the family of Darius, which afterwards filled the throne, the Persian kings of this race had always seven chief princes as their counsellors, who possessed peculiar privileges, were his chief assistants in the government, and by whose advice all the public affairs of the empire were transacted. The names of these counsellors are given in the parallel place of the book of Esther.
law <01882> [according.]
God <0426> [thy God.]
silver <03702> [the silver.]
which ............... who resides <01768 04907> [whose habitation.]
all ... silver ......... all <03702 03606> [all the silver.]
contributions <05069> [offering.]
sure ... purchase <0629 07066> [buy speedily.]
meal offerings <04504> [their meat offerings.]
bring them <01994 07127> [offer them.]
whatever <04101> [whatsoever.]
do .................... keeping <05648> [that do.]
will <07470> [after the will.]
He gave them the fullest liberty to order every thing according to their own institutions; binding them to no form or mode of worship.
vessels <03984> [The vessels.]
God ... Jerusalem ................. God <0426 03390> [the God of Jerusalem.]
supply .... do so from <05415 04481> [bestow it.]
Artaxerxes <0783> [Artaxerxes.]
Trans-Euphrates <05103 05675> [beyond the river.]
Ezra ... priestly <03549 05831> [Ezra the priest.]
cors <03734> [measures. Chal. cors.]
baths ... wine ... baths <01325 02562> [baths of wine.]
salt <04416> [salt.]
Everything ........ required <03606 02941> [Whatsoever is commanded. Chal. Whatsoever is of the decree.]
precisely <0149> [let it be.]
Why .... be wrath <04101 01934 07109> [why should there be wrath.]
As Artaxerxes believed he was appointed by the Almighty to do this work, he therefore wished to do it heartily; knowing that if he did not, God would be displeased, and that the kingdom would be cut off from him or his posterity.
any <03606> [touching any.]
wisdom <02452> [the wisdom.]
appoint judges <04483 08200> [set magistrates.]
Trans-Euphrates <05103 05675> [beyond the river.]
That is, "west of the Euphrates," which was beyond with regard to the king of Persia, who was on the east.
know ........... know ...... taught <03046> [teach ye.]
Everyone <03606> [whosoever.]
law .... God .... law <01882 0426> [the law of thy God.]
does ...................... appropriate ... whether .... death or ... or <01934 02006 04193> [whether it be.]
banishment <08332> [banishment. Chal. rooting out.]
Nehemiah 2:1-8
Nisan <05212> [Nisan.]
twentieth <06242> [the twentieth.]
took <05375> [I took up.]
appear <06440> [Why is thy.]
sadness <07455> [sorrow.]
very <03966> [Then I.]
Probably the king spoke as if he had some suspicion that Nehemiah harboured some bad design, and that his face indicated some conceived treachery, or remorse; and, indeed, the words rendered sad, and sorrow of heart, might be rendered evil, and wickedness of heart.
king ... king <04428> [Let the king.]
Far from wishing ill to my master, I wish him to live for ever.
city <05892> [the city.]
O .......... dejected <01004> [the place.]
seeking <01245> [For what.]
prayed <06419> [So I prayed.]
inclined <02895> [If it please.]
servant <05650> [and if thy.]
consort <07694> [the queen. Heb. the wife.]
It was probably Esther who was present at this time, and who seconded Nehemiah's request.
<03190> [So it pleased.]
gave .... time <02165 05414> [I set him a time.]
It is probable that this time was no more than six months, or a year; after which he either returned, or had his leave of absence lengthened, as we find he was twelve years governor of the Jews.
letters <0107> [let letters.]
travel <05674> [that they may.]
wall <02346> [the wall.]
temple .......... house <01004> [the house.]
king's ...................................... king <04428> [the king.]
Nehemiah 3:1
Eliashib <0475> [Eliashib.]
Sheep Gate <06629 08179> [the sheep gate.]
This gate is supposed to have immediately communicated with the temple, and to have been called the sheep gate, because the sheep intended for sacrifice passed through it. But, after all which learned men have written on this subject, which is but of little interest, we scarcely know any thing about these gates: what they were, why called by these names, or in what part of the wall they were situated, beyond what may be learned from the parallel passages.
dedicated .... erected ......... Tower ....... Tower <06942 05975 04026> [sanctified it.]
Tower ....... Tower <04026> [the tower.]
