Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon
me.
&c.] Of the kind providence of God in exalting him in the
court of the king of Persia, in giving him an opportunity of
laying the sad case of Jerusalem before him, and in inclining his
heart to show favour to him, and grant his request:
as also the king's words that he had spoken to
me;
what passed between them on this subject, the commission he gave
him, and the letters he sent by him to his governors on this side
the river:
and they said, let us rise up and build;
encouraged by this account of things, they proposed to set about
the work immediately:
so they strengthened their hands for this good
work;
animated and encouraged one another to proceed to it at once with
cheerfulness, and to go on in it with spirit and resolution.