Matthew Henry on Ezra 4:6-24

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · Matthew Henry · CC0 1.0 Universal

It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences.

All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they should encourage the adversaries of the church. The world is ever ready to believe any accusation against the people of God, and refuses to listen to them.

The king suffered himself to be imposed upon by these frauds and falsehoods. Princes see and hear with other men's eyes and ears, and judge things as represented to them, which are often done falsely.

But God's judgment is just; he sees things as they are.

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commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:4-16The world's opposition to the Church. We observe, in reference to the world's opposition to the Church— I. THAT IT OFTEN SEEKS TO HINDER USEFUL ENTERPRISE, These Samaritans sought to "trouble them in building" (Ezra 4:4…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:4-16The world's opposition to the Church. We observe, in reference to the world's opposition to the Church— I. THAT IT OFTEN SEEKS TO HINDER USEFUL ENTERPRISE, These Samaritans sought to "trouble them in building" (Ezra 4:4…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe 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 commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:6-16The work maligned. Besides "hiring counsellors," as mentioned in Ezra 4:5; or, it may be, in order to provide these counsellors with documents to present and act on; we are here told that the Samaritan "adversaries" sen…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:6-24Three thoughts from old documents. The determined attempts made by the Samaritans to prevent the Jews from building the temple and the walls of Jerusalem are well illustrated in the correspondence between them and the k…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:6-16The work maligned. Besides "hiring counsellors," as mentioned in Ezra 4:5; or, it may be, in order to provide these counsellors with documents to present and act on; we are here told that the Samaritan "adversaries" sen…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:6-24Three thoughts from old documents. The determined attempts made by the Samaritans to prevent the Jews from building the temple and the walls of Jerusalem are well illustrated in the correspondence between them and the k…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Ezra 4:7And in the days of Artaxerxes. See the comment on Ezra 4:6. If Artaxerxes be the Pseudo-Smerdis, we can readily understand why an application was not made to him at once, and how it came about that the Jews recommenced…Joseph S. Exell and contributors