tained in this book. It is more than likely that he collected the Psalms in a book and arranged them under the guidance of the Spirit of God in the order in which we possess them now. His great reformation work we shall point out in the annotations.

The Story of the Book.

The book of Ezra records chronologically the return of the remnant to Jerusalem and the events which took place after their return. The rebuilding of the Temple and its dedication are fully described, while Nehemiah records the rebuilding of the wall and the city. The edict of Cyrus permitting the Jews to return and urging the rebuilding of the Temple is followed by the list of names of those who returned under Zerubbabel, a son of David, to Jerusalem. The given number is 42,360. After their re-establishment they proceeded with the building and dedication of the altar, after which the foundation of the Temple was laid. Then the mongrel race, the Samaritans, came offering their fellowship in the building of the Temple; their co-operation was positively rejected. Then the adversaries troubled them, hired counsellors against them, and for a number of years the work stopped. A letter addressed to the King of Persia is inserted in chapter iv and is written in Aramaic (Chaldean).* Then appeared in the midst of the discouraged remnant, when the work had ceased, the two great post-exilic prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. As a result of the fiery exhortations of Haggai and the glorious visions of Zechariah, a revival took place and under Zerubbabel with Joshua the highpriest, the prophets helping, the building of the house began. Next the governor Tatnai appeared, attempting to stop their work; but he did not succeed. He appealed to the King in a letter which is also given in full in Aramaic; he was confident that he would succeed in ending the work of the remnant. Ezra had access to these documents and reports them in the Chaldean language in which they were written. But when Darius the King instituted a search there was found in Achmetha, in the palace of Media, a roll with the record of Cyrus, which Tatnai the governor had insinuated was a falsehood, used by the remnant to continue the work. Then Darius made a decree by which Tatnai and his companions were commanded not to interfere any more with the work of the house of God, but that the Jews should build the house. The decree also appointed a generous contribution day by day from the King's goods for the Jews. The hostile governor was forced to carry out the decree of the King. After that the temple was completed and dedicated. They kept the feast of Passover and unleavened bread. This concludes the first section of the book.

*The Aramaic portions of Ezra are chapters iv:8–vi:18 and vii:12–26,

Many years after these events had taken place, Ezra comes upon the scene. Ezra's work is described, and how, authorized by the decree of Artaxerxes, he headed an expedition of exiles, who returned to Jerusalem. Artaxerxes' letter is given in full in the language used by the Chaldeans (Aramaic). Ezra's outburst of praise follows the decree of the King. A list of all who joined Ezra in the return is found in the beginning of the eighth chapter. They gathered at the river Ahava, encamping there for three days. Ezra discovered that none of the sons of Levi were in the company. A number of these were soon added to the returning exiles. Before the journey was started there was a fast and humiliation before God; they looked to Him for a straight way and for protection. They departed from Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month and reached Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, the Lord graciously protecting them from robbers. After that follows the great reformation work in which Ezra dealt with the deplorable moral conditions into which the people had fallen.

The Spiritual and Dispensational Application.

This interesting historical account of a return of a remnant from Babylon contains a message for us. Divine principles are revealed in this book, which find their application to God's people at all times. These spiritual and dispensational lessons will be pointed out in the annotations.

The Divisions of Ezra.

This book is divided into two sections. After the edict of Cyrus there is a return to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel, the rebuilding of the Temple and its dedication. Then after sixty years the return under Ezra took place.

I. THE RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL AND THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. Chapter i-vi.

II. THE RETURN UNDER EZRA AND HIS REFORMATION. Chapter vii-x.

Analysis and Annotations.

L. THE RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL AND THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.

Chapter i-vi.

CHAPTER I.

1. The Proclamation of Cyrus. 1-4.

2. The Response of the Chiefs of Judah and Benjamin. 5-6. 3. The Vessels of the House of the Lord restored. 7-11.

Verses 1-4. Cyrus (meaning "the Sun") the King of Persia was, according to ancient historians, the son of Cambyses, Prince of Persia, and Mandam, daughter of Astyages, King of the Median Empire.* The theory that he was the offspring of Ahasuerus and Esther, and was trained by Mordecai and Nehemiah, lacks all historical foundation. The heart of Cyrus in the beginning of his reign was stirred by the Lord, because the time had come that the Word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled. And this was the Word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah: "For thus saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place." (Jere. xxix:10). The seventy years were ended and God was about to act in behalf of His people Israel. Daniel was praying in Babylon after also having read the words of Jeremiah (Dan. ix:1-2). Cyrus was the chosen instrument of the Lord to bring about the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of the Temple. Almost two hundred years before his birth the Lord had revealed his name and his work to the prophet Isaiah. Twice Isaiah mentions the name of this Persian

*Prof. Sayce maintains that Cyrus was an Elamite, but there is not sufficient proof for this. Cyrus was the conqueror of Babylon; he and his army entered Babylon without opposition 538 B. C.

King: "That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasures, even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut” (Isa. xliv:28, xlv:1). "I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build my city and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Isa. xlv:13). This was written by this prophet of God over a century before the Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Previously in Isaiah Jehovah had spoken his challenge to the idol-gods to show their power: "Let them bring forth, and show us what shall happen, let them show the former things, what they be declare us things for to come; show the things that are to come afterward" (Isa. xli:23-23). In naming Cyrus the king, and the great work he would do for the exiles and for Jerusalem, the Lord demonstrates His power to declare things to come and to make the future known. And who would doubt that an omniscient God, who knows all things, the end from the beginning, could do this? Only infidels and destructive critics. The latter have invented a deutero-Isaiah who, it is claimed, wrote the above prophecies concerning Cyrus after he had come into existence and done the work.

or

It will be seen that the Spirit of God through Isaiah spoke of Cyrus as the Shepherd, the Anointed, the man of my counsel (chapter xlvi:11); whom the Lord loveth (chapter xlviii:14); whose right the Lord upholdeth (chapter xlv:1); who will perform the Lord's pleasure (xlv:28); and yet he is also called "a ravenous bird from the East" (chapter xlvi:11). Cyrus is, as the chosen instrument, a type of the Messiah, Christ. A comparison of Cyrus with Christ, the work Cyrus did for Israel and the work Christ will do in His second coming, is interesting.

The proclamation which Cyrus issued and sent in writing

throughout his kingdom speaks of God as "the Lord God of heaven," and in his edict Cyrus declares, "He hath charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah." How did Cyrus receive this knowledge? Beyond question he knew Daniel, and may have heard from his lips the history of Nebuchadnezzar as well as the great prophecies. This prophet may also have acquainted Cyrus with the prophecies of Isaiah. According to Josephus, the great Jewish historian, Cyrus read the Book of Isaiah himself. When he came to the place in which Isaiah mentioned him by name, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was written in these prophecies. From the record here we learn that it was the Lord who stirred him up to issue the proclamation. In it permission was granted to those Jewish exiles throughout his kingdom to return to Jerusalem to build the house of the Lord; and those who remained were to help with silver and gold, with goods and beasts, besides free-will offering for the house of God. Thus God's Word spoken over two hundred years before was fulfilled in this proclamation of Cyrus: "He shall let my captives go;" "Saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid;" these were the two great prophetic statements of the work he was to do. And so it came literally to pass. All predictions of a future restoration of Israel to their land, not through a Gentile King, but through the coming of Heaven's King, the Shepherd of His sheep, will soon find all their literal fulfillment likewise.

Verses 5-6. There was at once a response from the heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites. What joy must have filled their hearts when they read the proclamation of Cyrus: What they had longed and prayed for had come at last. God was acting in their behalf and His promises were about to come to pass. It was the Lord who stirred them to action and to turn their faces towards Jerusalem. But not all were ready to go back: