(20) Out of the king's treasure house.--Every satrap had his local treasury. The decree gives Ezra very large powers, but the following verses add a measure of qualification.
Verse 20. - Whatevermore shall be needful. Here the terms of the firman are very wide indeed, and authorise apparently an unlimited application of the royal revenue, or, at any rate, of the revenue of the province, to any purpose in any way connected with the temple. Probably it was expected that Ezra's own discretion would act as a restraint. If this failed, the royal treasurers would see that the amounts specified in ver. 22 were not exceeded. The king'streasure-house is not the royal treasury at Susa, to which the tribute went up from the various provinces, but the local treasury of Judaea or Syria, to which the Jews made their remittances, and on which Ezra was now authorised to draw. Such local treasuries existed of necessity under a satrapial system.
7:11-26 The liberality of heathen kings to support the worship of God, reproached the conduct of many kings of Judah, and will rise up in judgment against the covetousness of wealthy professed Christians, who will not promote the cause of God. But the weapons of Christian ministers are not carnal. Faithful preaching, holy lives, fervent prayers, and patient suffering when called to it, are the means to bring men into obedience to Christ.
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shall have occasion to bestow,.... For the beautifying and ornamenting the temple, Ezra 7:27,
bestow it out of the king's treasure house; where the money collected by tribute, tax, and custom, was deposited; his exchequer, as it may be called, see Ezra 6:8.
bestow it out of the king's treasure house; where the money collected by tribute, tax, and custom, was deposited; his exchequer, as it may be called, see Ezra 6:8.