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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Foundation of the Temple Laid. (b. c. 535.)
THE FOUNDATION OF THE TEMPLE LAID. (B. C. 535.) There was no dispute among the returned Jews whether they should build the temple or no; that was immediately resolved on, and that it should be done with all speed; what…
Opposition Made to the Jews. (b. c. 535.)
OPPOSITION MADE TO THE JEWS. (B. C. 535.) We have here an instance of the old enmity that was put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. God's temple cannot be built, but Satan will rage, and the gat…
The Jews Misrepresented. (b. c. 521.)
THE JEWS MISREPRESENTED. (B. C. 521.) Cyrus stedfastly adhered to the Jews' interest, and supported his own grant. It was to no purpose to offer any thing to him in prejudice of it. What he did was from a good principle…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 4:17-24
Here we have, I. The orders which the king of Persia gave, in answer to the information sent him by the Samaritans against the Jews. He suffered himself to be imposed upon by their fraud and falsehood, took no care to e…
The Jews Encouraged by Their Prophets. (b. c. 520.)
THE JEWS ENCOURAGED BY THEIR PROPHETS. (B. C. 520.) Some reckon that the building of the temple was suspended for only nine years; I am willing to believe that fifteen years were the utmost. During this time they had an…
The Case Represented to Darius. (b. c. 519.)
THE CASE REPRESENTED TO DARIUS. (B. C. 519.) We have here, I. The cognizance which their neighbours soon took of the reviving of this good work. A jealous eye, it seems, they had upon them, and no sooner did the Spirit…
The Favourable Decree of Darius. (b. c. 519.)
THE FAVOURABLE DECREE OF DARIUS. (B. C. 519.) We have here, I. The decree of Cyrus for the building of the temple repeated. To this the Samaritans referred because the Jews pleaded it, and perhaps hoped it would not be…
Completion of the Second Temple. (b. c. 516.)
COMPLETION OF THE SECOND TEMPLE. (B. C. 516.) Here we have, I. The Jews' enemies made their friends. When they received this order from the king they came with as much haste to encourage and assist the work as their pre…
Ezra's Arrival at Jerusalem. (b. c. 457.)
EZRA'S ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM. (B. C. 457.) Here is, I. Ezra's pedigree. He was one of the sons of Aaron, a priest. Him God chose to be an instrument of good to Israel, that he might put honour upon the priesthood, the gl…
The Decree of Artaxerxes. (b. c. 457.)
THE DECREE OF ARTAXERXES. (B. C. 457.) We have here the commission which the Persian emperor granted to Ezra, giving him authority to act for the good of the Jews; and it is very ample and full, and beyond what could ha…
Ezra's Thankfulness to God. (b. c. 457.)
EZRA'S THANKFULNESS TO GOD. (B. C. 457.) Ezra cannot proceed in his story without inserting his thankful acknowledgement of the goodness of God to him and his people in this matter. As soon as he has concluded the king'…
The Journey of Ezra and Others. (b. c. 457.)
THE JOURNEY OF EZRA AND OTHERS. (B. C. 457.) Ezra, having received his commission from the king, beats up for volunteers, as it were, sets up an ensign to assemble the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah, Isai…
Ezra's Fast. (b. c. 457.)
EZRA'S FAST. (B. C. 457.) Ezra has procured Levites to go along with him; but what will that avail, unless he have God with him? That is therefore his chief care. In all our ways we must acknowledge God, and in those pa…
Ezra's Care of the Temple Treasure. (b. c. 457.)
EZRA'S CARE OF THE TEMPLE TREASURE. (B. C. 457.) We have here an account of the particular care which Ezra took of the treasure he had with him, that belonged to God's sanctuary, Observe, 1. Having committed the keeping…
Ezra's Arrival at Jerusalem. (b. c. 457.)
EZRA'S ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM. (B. C. 457.) We are now to attend Ezra to Jerusalem, a journey of about four months in all; but his multitude made his marches slow and his stages short. Now here we are told, I. That his Go…
Ezra's Reformation. (b. c. 456.)
EZRA'S REFORMATION. (B. C. 456.) Ezra, like Barnabas when he came to Jerusalem and saw the grace of God to his brethren there, no doubt was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 9:5-15
What the meditations of Ezra's heart were, while for some hours he sat down astonished, we may guess by the words of his mouth when at length he spoke with his tongue; and a most pathetic address he here makes to Heaven…
Ezra's Reformation. (b. c. 456.)
EZRA'S REFORMATION. (B. C. 456.) We are here told, I. What good impressions were made upon the people by Ezra's humiliation and confession of sin. No sooner was it noised in the city that their new governor, in whom the…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 10:6-14
We have here an account of the proceedings upon the resolutions lately taken up concerning the strange wives; no time was lost; they struck when the iron was hot, and soon set the wheels of reformation a-going. 1. Ezra…
Matthew Henry on Ezra 10:15-44
The method of proceeding in this matter being concluded on, and the congregation dismissed, that each in his respective place might gain and give intelligence to facilitate the matter, we are here told, 1. Who were the…
Nehemiah's Distress. (b. c. 445.)
NEHEMIAH'S DISTRESS. (B. C. 445.) What a tribe Nehemiah was of does nowhere appear; but, if it be true (which we are told by the author of the Maccabees, 2 Mac. i. 18) that he offered sacrifice, we must conclude him to…
Nehemiah's Prayer. (b. c. 445.)
NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER. (B. C. 445.) We have here Nehemiah's prayer, a prayer that has reference to all the prayers which he had for some time before been putting up to God day and night, while he continued his sorrows for t…
Nehemiah's Request to the King. (b. c. 445.)
NEHEMIAH'S REQUEST TO THE KING. (B. C. 445.) When Nehemiah had prayed for the relief of his countrymen, and perhaps in David's words (Psalm 51:18, Build thou the walls of Jerusalem), he did not sit still and say, "Let G…
Nehemiah's Journey to Jerusalem; the Malice of Sanballat, &c. (b. c. 445.)
NEHEMIAH'S JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM; THE MALICE OF SANBALLAT, &C. (B. C. 445.) We are here told, I. Now Nehemiah was dismissed by the court he was sent from. The king appointed captains of the army and horsemen to go with h…