John Trapp on Ezra 1:6

Verſe 6. And all they that were about them] Both their countrymen the Jewes (that thought not good to go themſelves, or not yet, till they ſhould ſee further; there is none ſo wiſe as the ſluggard, Prov. 26.16.) and others of the neighbourhood: for the Egyptians may lend Jewels to the Iſraelites, dogs may lick Lazarus his ulcers, and the earth may help the woman, by opening her mouth, and ſwallowing up the ſtood caſt out after her by the Dragon to drown her, Rev. 12.16.

Strengthened their hands] Which elſe, for want of ſuch ſupport, would have hung down, and their feeble knees buckled under them, ere they had come to their countrey: neither could they, without ſuch ſupplies, have ſo comfortable carried on the work they went about. For, if wiſdome be a defence, or a ſhadow, to thoſe that have ſeene the Sunne (as in the former verſe) and are ſcorched with the hear of it, ſo is money too, ſaith Solomon, Eccleſ. 7.12. and though Wiſdome without wealth is good, yet it is better with an inheritance, verſe 11. which is not only an ornament, but an inſtrument of vertue. When men go on Virtute duce, comite fortunâ, then it is well with them, as it was with good Joſiah, Jer. 22.15, 16. But Agur would not be poor, leſt he ſhould be put upon ill courſes, Prov. 30.9. put to his ſhifts Poor Hagar, when the water was ſpent in the bottle, caſt the childe under the ſhrubs, Gen. 21.15.

With veſſels of ſilver, with gold, with goods, and with beaſts] See the Note on Verſe 4. Theſe are things that men do not uſually ſo eaſily part with to others, till they needs muſt. Euclio in the Comedian ſits abrood upon his heaps and hoards, and will not be drawn off. Shall Nabal take his bread and his fleſh, and give it to thoſe he knows not, 1 Sam. 25? Miſers will as ſoon part with their blood as their good whence the Chaldees call their money Dam, that is, blood. Many a man ſhewes himſelf like the Corniſh-chough, which will ſteale a piece of money, and hiding it in ſome hole, will never help her ſelf or any other with it afterwards. Hermocrates being loth that any man ſhould enjoy his goods after him, made himſelf by his Will, heir of his own goods. Athenaeus telleth of one, that at his death devoured many pieces of Gold, and ſewed the reſt in his coat, commanding that they ſhould be all buried with him. But theſe in the text ſeeme to have beene of the race of thoſe Perſians ſpoken of, Iſa. 13.17. which regarded not ſilver, and as for gold they cared not much for it. Or, if they were Proſelytes to the Church, then they had learned (with Tyrus now alſo converted) to give over heaping and hoarding of wealth, and therewith to feed and cloath Gods poor Saints; and ſo to furniſh them for their journey to their Fathers houſe, that they may eat ſufficiently, and have durable cleathing, Iſa. 23.18. This was Gods work upon their hearts; And Quando Chriſtus magiſter, quàm citò diſcirur quod decetur? Auguſtine. Whereunto may be added, that Cyrus, who ſet forth this Edict, as he was an abſolute Sovereigne, (and ſo his word went for a law) ſo he was a gracious and courteous Prince, it a ut Patris nomen meruerit, ſo that he merited the name and title of Father of his Countrey, and might command any thing of them.

And with precious things] Even the very beſt of the beſt they had. The word ſignifieth praeſtantiſſimum & pretioſiſſimum in quocunque genere fructuum, metallorum, gemmarum, veſtium, the choyceſt and chiefeſt of all kinde of commodities.Such as Eleazar gave to Rebecca and her brother Gen. 24. & ſuch as Jehoſaphat gave his younger ſon[illegible: 1 letter], 2 Chron. 21.3. For the purchaſe of the pearle of price, the wiſe Merchant makes a thorough ſale of all. Barnabas parteth with his lands, Zacheus with his goods, Matthew with his meat, the Centurion with his money, to build thoſe Synagogues that wicked Antiochus had thrown down, and theſe in the Text, with their moſt precious things, to reedifie that Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had burnt.

Beſides all that was willingly offered] A free-will offering then there was (as verſe 4.) brought in by Gods willing people, Pſal. 110.3. that wait for Gods Law, as Eſay 42.8. and hold with that Ancient, that it is nimis anguſta innocentia, ad legem bonum eſſe, to do no more ſervice to God then needs muſt to get ſo much grace onely as will keep life and ſoul together, (that is, ſoul and hell aſunder,) this they judge to be a low and unworthy ſtraine of ſome good people. David voweth free-will-offerings often,Pſal. 5.6. 1 Chr. 29, 8, 9. and could beteeme God a great deale more love and ſervice then he is able to performe to him. Thoſe good ſouls, Zach. 8.21. call upon themſelves and one another,1 Sam. 1.4.21. Luke 2.41, 42: to be continually going before the Lord, and to ſeek the Lord of hoſts, I (ſaith each for himſelf) will go alſo. Hannah went up with her husband every year to the Feaſt: ſo did the Virgin Mary to the Paſſeover with her Sonne Jeſus: yet none were expreſſely commanded ſo to do but males; and thoſe alſo nothing under twenty years of age, as fit to be numbered, Exod. 30.14. So thoſe amongſt us that hear week-day-Sermons, as Mary did, Luke 10.42. and many other good people in our Saviours dayes, Luke 19.47, 48. and 21.37, 38. Hereby we ſhall ſhew our love, and do a ſervice highly accepted in heaven.