Rebuilding
Begins Anew
Then
the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo,
prophesied unto the Jews that were
in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even
unto them. Ezr. 5:1
Then
the prophets...
Then—while
the work was stopped, the Lord began to stir up the prophets Haggai
and Zechariah who were at Jerusalem. They encouraged the Jews to
resume work on the temple, regardless of whether the decree was
confirmed. They were inspired by the Holy Spirit who knew the decree
would soon be confirmed and all hindrances would be defeated by civil
authority. When they prophesied, Zerubbabel, the governor, rose up
and began to build again. Their enemies then sent a letter urging
Darius to stop the work if he wanted to keep control of this side of
the Euphrates. After learning of Cyrus’ original decree, however,
Darius reconfirmed it and the work continued without further
hindrance. The temple was finished in the sixth year of the reign of
this Darius, but the walls weren’t completed until many years
later, under Nehemiah (Neh. 2-6; Dan.
9:25).
Then
rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of
Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is
at Jerusalem: and with them were
the prophets of God helping them. Ezr.
5:2
The prophets
of... These would be in addition to Haggai and Zechariah.
At
the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river,
and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who
hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
Ezr. 5:3
At
the same...
At the same time—when the Jews began working on the temple again,
the governor on the western side of the Euphrates came and demanded
to know who had given such authority when Artaxerxes had commanded
the work to cease. He wanted the names of the men who were
responsible (Ezr.
5:3-4).
governor
on this...
Tatnai was governor of Syria, and Zerubbabel was governor in Judah
(Ezr. 5:6, 5:14; 6:6-13; 8:36; Hag. 1:1, 1:14; 2:2, 2:21).
Shetharboznai
was a Persian officer under Tatnai. Tatnai seemed to have the same
rank as Zerubbabel, so it was alright to ask, but not to command the
stoppage of the work.
Who
hath commanded...
Questions 3-4. Next, Ezr. 5:9.
to
make up...
Another proof that the walls weren’t finished.
Then
said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men
that make this building? Ezr. 5:4
then
said we... It is impossible that the existing text can be sound here.
Ezra must have written, "Then said they to them." Tatnai
and Shethar-boznai followed up their first question by a second,
(compare verses 9-10).
What are
the... Names of the men that did make this building": Or
employed them in it, namely, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the chief men of
the Jews. They made no scruple of telling them who they were; neither
ashamed of their masters nor of their work, nor afraid of any ill
consequences following hereafter.This had to be a statement made by Tatnai and the men with him. His inquiry was to set blame on the one who started the work.
But
the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could
not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then
they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.
Ezr. 5:5
But
the eye...
Though their enemies kept trying to hinder them, the Jews continued
the work until they heard from the new king.
was
upon the...
Because God was with them, they couldn’t stop building. He was also
dealing with Darius, called Darius I in secular history. This ruler
is not to be confused with Darius the Mede of sacred history (Dan.
5:1-31) who was the Ahasuerus of Est. 1:1, the husband of Esther and
father of Cyrus, a man who had reigned some seventeen years before.
Darius I considered the decrees of Cyrus and Artaxerxes, and
concluded that he should confirm the order of Cyrus instead of the
one made by the man he’d executed for pretending to be the rightful
heir to his throne (Ezr. 6:1-18). God knew the outcome, so He stirred
the Jews to continue rebuilding the temple even before this.
Tattenai's
Letter to King Darius
The
copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and
Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were
on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: Ezr. 5:6
The
copy of... The
first letter was written by Rehum of Samaria; this one was written by
Tatnai, governor of Syria. He was the one who had heard about the
Jews working on the temple again after being ordered to stop, and had
gone to Jerusalem to investigate (Ezr. 5:3-5) . He now considered it
his duty to write Darius I to get his final decision on the matter.
They
sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the
king, all peace. Ezr. 5:7
They
sent a... Or this was the inscription of it.
Unto
Darius the... Wishing him all kinds of happiness and prosperity.
Be
it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to
the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and
timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and
prospereth in their hands. Ezr. 5:8
house
of the...This
Syrian governor called Jehovah "the great God." No doubt it
was well known among all pagan nations what the God of Israel had
done in the past.
with
great stones...
Rolling stones, that is, stones too great to handle without moving
them on rollers.
Then
asked we those elders, and
said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to
make up these walls? Ezr. 5:9
Who
commanded you...
Question 5. Next, Ezr. 7:23.
The
elders of the province of Judea; the chief men of it.
Who commanded you... To
build this house, and to make up these walls? (Ref. Back to Ezra
5:3).
We
asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the
names of the men that were
the chief of them. Ezr. 5:10
We asked their... The names of the elders, those that set men about this work.
to certify thee... To certify that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. Take the names of them in writing, that they might with certainty acquaint the king who they were, and that if it was necessary they might be called to an account for what they were doing.
This was a true statement, but actually this was out of his jurisdiction. Cyrus had put Zerubbabel in charge of this area.
And
thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God
of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many
years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. Ezr. 5:11
these
many years...
About 520 years before.
great
king of...
King
Solomon (1 Kings 1-11; 2 Chron. 1-6). Of
course they were speaking of the temple that Solomon had built so
many years before. They did not answer as individuals, but called
themselves the servants of the Most High God.
But
after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he
gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the
Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into
Babylon. Ezr. 5:12
he
gave them...
These Jews were humble and honest about their past, explaining who
they were (Ezr. 5:11), how they had provoked God and were sent into
captivity (Ezr. 5:12), how Cyrus had decreed to send them back to
build the temple, and how even the vessels of the former temple had
been sent back with them (Ezr. 5:13-17).
into
the hand... Of Nebuchadnezzar,
See 2Ki. 24:2; 25:8-11.
But
in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the
same
king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. Ezr. 5:13
in
the first...
see Ezr. 1:1-4; 2Ch. 36:22-23. That
is, the first year he was king of Babylon, having taken it, otherwise
he was king of Persia many years before.
Cyrus had preceded Darius by a few years. Cyrus had become the king of Babylon at the defeat of Babylon. Actually, Cyrus was king of Persia and took over the Babylonian empire. He had commanded the building of the temple in Jerusalem, so these servants of God were not breaking any Persian laws.
And
the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was
in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did
Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were
delivered unto one,
whose name was
Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; Ezr. 5:14
And
the vessels... Ref. Back to.
Ezr. 1:7-8; 6:5.
Sheshbazzar...
Jewish name was Zerubbabel (Ezr. 5:16-17; 3:8; Zec. 4:9).
And
said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple
that is
in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. Ezr.
5:15
said
unto him... The three imperatives in this verse, without a copula,
followed by a fourth, vividly express the feeling of the suppliants
in the remembrance of the decree. Thus, we have another note of
historical truth.
let
the house... Of God be builded in his place, upon the old holy site,
the place where Abraham offered his son Isaac, in a figure (Heb.
11:17-19). Where the angel stood and stayed the pestilence in David’s
time (2 Sam. 24:16-18). And where "the glory of the Lord
descended and filled the house" under Solomon (2 Chron. 7:1).
This
would be something that would convince Darius that this was true. He
knew that no Persian king would allow the Jews to run off with all of
this gold and silver, unless he sent them with it.
Then
came the same Sheshbazzar, and
laid the foundation of the house of God which is
in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in
building, and yet
it is not finished. Ezr. 5:16
then
came the... Until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not
finished.
Years
Building the Temple
Exactly
how many years it took Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple isn’t
stated, but certain facts suggest a period of at least eighteen to
twenty years. The work was begun in the second year of the return
from Babylon (Ezr. 3:8-13), and was completed in the sixth year of
Darius Hystaspis (Ezr. 6:15). The work began in the second year after
their return from Babylon, which was the second year of Cyrus’
nine-year reign. Add these seven years to the seven-year reign of
Cambyses. Then they worked six years into the reign of Darius I (Ezr.
6:15), making a total of twenty years and seven months (counting the
seven-month reign of Artaxerxes). Compare this to the seven and a
half years it took Solomon to build the original temple, and the
forty-six years it took to build Herod’s temple (John 2:20). The
reason it took so long for Herod and Zerubbabel is that the number of
workers employed was so small. Solomon had 153,000 workers compared
to a few hundred or thousand at these other times.
Now
therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search
made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon,
whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to
build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his
pleasure to us concerning this matter. Ezr. 5:17
There be
search... Where were the archives of the kingdom, where the laws,
decrees, edicts, and proclamations, and other things relating to the
state, were laid up, that recourse might be had to them upon
occasion.
whether it be... So that a
decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at
Jerusalem": Which the Jews affirmed was made by him, and upon
which they proceeded.and let the... King would send his pleasure to us concerning this matter": Whether the Jews should be allowed to go on with the building of their temple, and finish it, or whether they should be restrained from it. Signifying they were ready to do his will and pleasure either way, as he thought fit.
The Persians kept accurate records of various decrees their kings had made. If Cyrus had made this decree, they could not change it. This captain of Persia wanted to know for sure what was to be done about all of this. Darius would search out the truth and get back to him.
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