17 and they presented at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
And if the whole assembly of Israel sin inadvertently, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the congregation, and they do [somewhat against] any of all the commandments of Jehovah [in things] which should not be done, and are guilty; and the sin wherewith they have sinned against it have become known; then the congregation shall present a young bullock for the sin-offering, and shall bring it before the tent of meeting;
When a prince sinneth and through inadvertence doeth [somewhat against] any of all the commandments of Jehovah his God [in things] which should not be done, and is guilty; if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge, he shall bring his offering, a buck of the goats, a male without blemish.
that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, the princes of the tribes, they that were over them that had been numbered, offered; and they brought their offering before Jehovah, six covered waggons, and twelve oxen; a waggon for two princes, and an ox for each; and they presented them before the tabernacle. And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Take it of them, and they shall be for the performance of the service of the tent of meeting, and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to each according to his service. And Moses took the waggons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. Two waggons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service; and four waggons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, -- under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, for the service of the sanctuary was upon them: they bore [what they carried] upon the shoulder. And the princes presented the dedication-gift of the altar on the day that it was anointed; and the princes presented their offering before the altar. And Jehovah said to Moses, They shall present their offering for the dedication of the altar, each prince on his day. And he that presented his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. And his offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl, of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. On the second day offered Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar; he presented his offering; one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour, mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar. On the third day, the prince of the children of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon: his offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. On the fourth day, the prince of the children of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Elizur, the son of Shedeur. On the fifth day, the prince of the children of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. On the sixth day, the prince of the children of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. On the seventh day, the prince of the children of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud. On the eighth day, the prince of the children of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. On the ninth day, the prince of the children of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni. On the tenth day, the prince of the children of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. On the eleventh day, the prince of the children of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran. On the twelfth day, the prince of the children of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan. His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for an oblation; one cup of ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense; one young bullock, one ram, one yearling lamb, for a burnt-offering; one buck of the goats for a sin-offering; and for a sacrifice of peace-offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five yearling lambs. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan. This was the dedication-gift of the altar, on the day when it was anointed, from the princes of Israel: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve cups of gold: each silver dish of a hundred and thirty [shekels], and each bowl seventy: all the silver of the vessels was two thousand four hundred [shekels] according to the shekel of the sanctuary; twelve golden cups full of incense, each cup of ten [shekels], according to the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the cups, a hundred and twenty [shekels]. All the cattle for the burnt-offering was: twelve bullocks, twelve rams, twelve yearling lambs and their oblation; and twelve bucks of the goats for a sin-offering. And all the cattle for the sacrifice of the peace-offering was: twenty-four bullocks, sixty rams, sixty he-goats, sixty yearling lambs. This was the dedication-gift of the altar, after it had been anointed. And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, then he heard the voice speaking to him from off the mercy-seat which was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to Him.
And Solomon sacrificed a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to Jehovah, twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Jehovah. The same day the king hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings, and the oblations, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar that was before Jehovah was too small to receive the burnt-offerings, and the oblations, and the fat of the peace-offerings.
And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had spread for it; and they presented burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before God. And when David had ended offering up the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah. And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread and a measure [of wine] and a raisin-cake.
And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer [them] upon the altar of Jehovah. And they slaughtered the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar; and they slaughtered the rams, and sprinkled the blood on the altar; and they slaughtered the lambs, and sprinkled the blood on the altar. And they brought near the he-goats of the sin-offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them.
And Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves to Jehovah, come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart, burnt-offerings. And the number of the burnt-offerings, which the congregation brought, was seventy bullocks, a hundred rams, two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to Jehovah. And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. Only the priests were too few, and they could not flay all the burnt-offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them, until the work was ended, and until the priests had hallowed themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to hallow themselves than the priests. And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings, and with the drink-offerings for the burnt-offering. And the service of the house of Jehovah was set in order.
And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred [and] forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of [the] sons of Israel: out of [the] tribe of Juda, twelve thousand sealed; out of [the] tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Gad, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Aser, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Nepthalim, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Zabulun, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; out of [the] tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed.
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Commentary on Ezra 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Ezr 6:1-12. Darius' Decree for Advancing the Building.
1. Darius the king—This was Darius Hystaspes. Great and interesting light has been thrown on the history of this monarch and the transaction of his reign, by the decipherment of the cuneatic inscriptions on the rocks at Behistun.
in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon—An idea of the form of this Babylonian register house, as well as the manner of preserving public records within its repositories, can be obtained from the discoveries at Nineveh. Two small chambers were discovered in the palace of Koyunjik, which, from the fragments found in them, Mr. Layard considers "as a house of the rolls." After reminding his readers that the historical records and public documents of the Assyrians were kept on tablets and cylinders of baked clay, many specimens of which have been found, he goes on to say, "The chambers I am describing appear to have been a depository in the palace of Nineveh for such documents. To the height of a foot or more from the floor they were entirely filled with them; some entire, but the greater part broken into many fragments, probably by the falling in of the upper part of the building. They were of different sizes; the largest tablets were flat, and measured about nine inches by six and a half inches; the smaller were slightly convex, and some were not more than an inch long, with but one or two lines of writing. The cuneiform characters on most of them were singularly sharp and well-defined, but so minute in some instances as to be almost illegible without a magnifying glass. These documents appear to be of various kinds. The documents that have thus been discovered in the house of rolls' at Nineveh probably exceed all that have yet been afforded by the monuments of Egypt, and when the innumerable fragments are put together and transcribed, the publication of these records will be of the greatest importance to the history of the ancient world" [Nineveh and Babylon].
2. Achmetha—long supposed to be the capital of Greater Media (the Ecbatana of classical, the Hamadan of modern times), [is] at the foot of the Elwund range of hills, where, for its coolness and salubrity, Cyrus and his successors on the Persian throne established their summer residence. There was another city, however, of this name, the Ecbatana of Atropatene, and the most ancient capital of northern Media, and recently identified by Colonel Rawlinson in the remarkable ruins of Takht-i-Soleiman. Yet as everything tends to show the attachment of Cyrus to his native city, the Atropatenian Ecbatana, rather than to the stronger capital of Greater Media, Colonel Rawlinson is inclined to think that he deposited there, in his fortress, the famous decree relating to the Jews, along with the other records and treasures of his empire [Nineveh and Persepolis].
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.
11, 12. whosoever shall alter this word—The warning was specially directed against the turbulent and fanatical Samaritans. The extremely favorable purport of this edict was no doubt owing in some measure to the influence of Cyrus, of whom Darius entertained a high admiration, and whose two daughters he had married. But it proceeded still more from the deep impressions made even on the idolatrous people of that country and that age, as to the being and providence of the God of Israel.
Ezr 6:13-15. The Temple Finished.
13-15. Then Tatnai … did speedily—A concurrence of favorable events is mentioned as accelerating the restoration of the temple and infusing a new spirit and energy into the workmen, who now labored with unabating assiduity till it was brought to a completion. Its foundation was laid in April, 536 B.C. (Ezr 3:8-10), and it was completed on February 21, 515 B.C., being twenty-one years after it was begun [Lightfoot].
Ezr 6:16-18. Feasts of the Dedication.
16. the children of Israel … kept the dedication … with joy—The ceremonial was gone through with demonstrations of the liveliest joy. The aged who had wept at the laying of the foundation [Ezr 3:12] were most, if not all of them, now dead; and all rejoiced at the completion of this national undertaking.
17. twelve he-goats—as at the dedication of the tabernacle (Nu 7:87; 8:17).
18. they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses … as it is written in the book of Moses—Although David arranged the priests and Levites in courses according to their families, it was Moses who assigned to the priests and Levites their rights and privileges, their stations and several duties.
Ezr 6:19-22. And of the Passover.
21. all such as had separated themselves … from the filthiness of the heathen of the land—that is, who had given satisfactory evidence of being true proselytes by not only renouncing the impure worship of idolatry, but by undergoing the rite of circumcision, a condition indispensable to a participation of the passover.
22. kept the feast … with joy: for the Lord … turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them—that is, king of the Persian empire, which now included the possessions, and had surpassed the glory, of Assyria. The favorable disposition which Darius had evinced towards the Jews secured them peace and prosperity and the privileges of their own religion during the rest of his reign. The religious joy that so remarkably characterized the celebration of this feast, was testified by expressions of lively gratitude to God, whose overruling power and converting grace had produced so marvellous a change in the hearts of the mighty potentates, and disposed them, pagans though they were, to aid the cause and provide for the worship of the true God.