Esdras 6:10

10 para que ofereçam sacrifícios de cheiro suave ao Deus do céu, e orem pela vida do rei e de seus filhos.

Esdras 6:10 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 6:10

That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God
of heaven
Such as will be acceptable to him, ( Genesis 8:21 )

and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons;
prayer being wont to be made at the time of the morning and evening incense; and the Jews used to pray for other people besides themselves, and especially when desired, and particularly for kings and civil magistrates, to whom they were subject, see ( Jeremiah 29:7 ) ( 1 Timothy 2:1 1 Timothy 2:2 ) , the sons of Darius Hystaspis, for whose life, as well as his own, he would have prayer made, were, according to Herodotus ^F4, three by his first wife, the daughter of Gobryas, before he began to reign, the eldest of which was Artobazanes; which sons must be here meant, since this was towards the beginning of his reign; he had afterwards four more by Atossa the daughter of Cyrus, the eldest of which was Xerxes, who succeeded him: many of the Heathens had an high opinion of the God of the Jews, and of their prayers to him for them; even the Emperor Julian ^F5 styles him the best of all the gods, and desired the Jews to pray to him for the welfare of his kingdom; nor need it seem strange that Darius should desire the same, since he was a devout prince; his father Hystaspes is supposed by some to be the same that was one of the most famous among the Persian Magi, or ministers in sacred things; and Darius himself had so great a veneration for the men of that sacred order, that he commanded that it should be put upon his sepulchral monument, that he was master of the Magi ^F6; and by his familiarity with the priests of Egypt, and learning their divinity, had the honour, while alive, to have deity ascribed to him ^F7.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Polymnia, sive, l. 7. c. 2.
F5 Opera, par. 2. ep. 25. p. 153.
F6 Porphyr. de abstinentia, l. 4, c. 16.
F7 Diodor. Sic. l. 1. p. 85.

Esdras 6:10 In-Context

8 Além disso, por mim se decreta o que haveis de fazer para com esses anciãos dos judeus, para a edificação desta casa de Deus, a saber, que da fazenda do rei, dos tributos da província dalém do Rio, se pague prontamente a estes homens toda a despesa.

9 Igualmente o que for necessário, como novilhos, carneiros e cordeiros, para holocaustos ao Deus do céu; também trigo, sal, vinho e azeite, segundo a palavra dos sacerdotes que estão em Jerusalém, dê-se-lhes isso de dia em dia sem falta;

10 para que ofereçam sacrifícios de cheiro suave ao Deus do céu, e orem pela vida do rei e de seus filhos.

11 Também por mim se decreta que a todo homem que alterar este decreto, se arranque uma viga da sua casa e que ele seja pregado nela; e da sua casa se faça por isso um monturo.

12 O Deus, pois, que fez habitar ali o seu nome derribe todos os reis e povos que estenderem a mão para alterar o decreto e para destruir esta casa de Deus, que está em Jerusalém. Eu, Dario, baixei o decreto. Que com diligência se execute.