2Z4

Chapter

SlXTIl.

G II a o N

Binnui.

Kadmiel.

Sherebiah. rrrm.

Judah, or Ilodaviah. Ezra ii.

40. and iii. 9. QJa/a ; Sep-tuag.

The Levites, Jefhna, Kadmiel, and Hodaviah, or Judah, here■mentioned, are reckoned cliief fathers among the people whoreturned with Zerubbabel, Ezra ii. 40 ; and they affifted as wellin laying the foundation of the temple (Ezra iii. 9.) as in read-ing the law, and making and fealing the covenant, Nehem, viii,7. and ix. 5. and x. 9, 10.

XII. Comparing therefore the books of Ezra and Nehemiahtogether ; • the hiftory of thejews under Cyrus, Cambyfes, andDarius Hyftafpis, is that they returned frora captivity under Ze-rubbabel, in the firft year of Cyrus, with the holy veflels, anda commiflion to build the temple Q ); and came to Jerufalemand Judah, every one to his city, and dwelt in their cities untilthe feventh month (*) ; and then coming to Jerufalem, they firftbuilt the altar ( 3 ) ; and on the firft day of the feventh monthbegan to offer the daily burnt-offerings ( 4 ), and read in the bookof the law, and they kept a folemn faft, and fealed a cove-nant ( 5 ); and thenceforward the rulers of the people dwelt atJerufalem ; and the reft of the people caft lots, to dwell one inten at Jerufalem, and the reft in the cities of Judah ( 6 ): and inthe fecond year of their coming, in the fecond month, whichwas fix years before the death of Cyrus, they laid the founda-tion of the temple ('); but " the adverfaries of Judah troubled" them in buikling, and hired counfellors againft them ali the£{ days of Cyrus, and longer, even until the reign of Darius" king of Perfia ( 5 )” But in the fecond year of his reign, bythe prophefying of Haggai and Zechariah, they returned to thework ( 9 ); and by the help of a new decree from Darius ( ,0 ), fi-

§ xn.

(') Ezra i. 2 . (*) Ezra ii. 70. iii. 1. (*) Ezra iii. 1—5.

( 4 ) ——-6. (U Nehem. vii. — ix. 3, ( 6 ) —-*xi. i, j,

( 7 ) Ezra iii. 8. pj-iv. i—z. (°) -- 24. v, 1, a.

nifhed

O L O G Y.

Binnui.

Kadmiel.

Shebanialu M2V.Hodijah.