Text -- Ezra 6:6 (NET)

6:6 “Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates– all of you stay far away from there!

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Clarke: Ezr 6:6

Be ye far from thence - Do not interrupt the Jews in their building; but, on the contrary further them all in your power.

TSK: Ezr 6:6

Tatnai : Ezr 5:3

your companions : Chal, their societies, Ezr 5:6

be ye far : Gen 32:28, Gen 43:14; Neh 1:11; Psa 76:10; Pro 21:1, Pro 21:30; Isa 27:8; Act 4:26-28; Rom 8:31

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Ezr 6:6

This verse gives the words of the decree of Darius, which was grounded upon, and probably recited, the decree of Cyrus.

Poole: Ezr 6:6

i.e. From hindering or discouraging the work.

Gill: Ezr 6:6

Now therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river,.... The river Euphrates, that side of it towards the land of Israel; Josephus ^z calls this man master of the horse:

Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence; keep at a distance from the Jews, and give them no disturbance, nor interrupt them in their work of building of the temple, but mind your own business and government.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

Geneva Bible: Ezr 6:6

Now [therefore], Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which [are] beyond the river, be ye far ^{( c )} from thence:

^{( c )} Meddle not with them neither hinder them.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Ezr 6:1-22

1 Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for the advancement of the building.

13 By the help of Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, according to the decree, the temple is finished.

16 The feast of the dedication is kept;

19 and the passover.

MHCC: Ezr 6:1-12

When God's time is come for fulfilling his gracious purposes concerning his church, he will raise up instruments to do it, from whom such good service was not expected. While our thoughts are directed to this event, we are led by Zechariah to fix our regard on a nobler, a spiritual building. The Lord Jesus Christ continues to lay one stone upon another: let us assist the great design. Difficulties delay the progress of this sacred edifice. Yet let not opposition discourage us, for in due season it will be completed to his abundant praise. He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Matthew Henry: Ezr 6:1-12

We have here, I. The decree of Cyrus for the building of the temple repeated. To this the Samaritans referred because the Jews pleaded it, and perhaps hoped it would not be found, and then their plea would be over-ruled and a stop put to their work. Search was ordered to be made for it among the records; for, it seems, the tribes had not taken care to provide themselves with an authentic copy of it, which might have stood them in good stead, but they must appeal to the original. It was looked for in Babylon (Ezr 6:1), where Cyrus was when he signed it. But, when it was not found there, Darius did not make that a pretence to conclude that therefore there was no such decree, and thereupon to give judgment against the Jews; but it is probable, having himself heard that such a decree was certainly made, he ordered the rolls in other places to be searched, and at length it was found at Achmetha, in the province of the Medes, Ezr 6:2. Perhaps some that durst not destroy it, yet hid it there, out of ill will to the Jews, that they might lose the benefit of it. But Providence so ordered that it came to light; and it is here inserted, Ezr 6:3-5. 1. Here is a warrant for the building of the temple: Let the house of God at Jerusalem, yea, let that house be built (so it may be read), within such and such dimensions, and with such and such materials. 2. A warrant for the taking of the expenses of the building out of the king's revenue, Ezr 6:4. We do not find that they had received what was here ordered them, the face of things at court being soon changed. 3. A warrant for the restoring of the vessels and utensils of the temple, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away (Ezr 6:5), with an order that the priests, the Lord's ministers, should return them all to their places in the house of God.

II. The confirmation of it by a decree of Darius, grounded upon it and in pursuance of it.

1. The decree of Darius is very explicit and satisfactory.

(1.) He forbids his officers to do any thing in opposition to the building of the temple. The manner of expression intimates that he knew they had a mind to hinder it: Be you far hence (Ezr 6:6); let the work of this house of God alone, Ezr 6:7. Thus was the wrath of the enemy made to praise God and the remainder thereof did he restrain.

(2.) He orders them out of his own revenue to assist the builders with money, [1.] For carrying on the building, Ezr 6:8. Herein he pursues the example of Cyrus, Ezr 6:4. [2.] For maintaining the sacrifices there when it was built, Ezr 6:9. He ordered that they should be supplied with every thing they wanted both for burnt-offerings and meat-offerings. He was content it should be a rent-charge upon his revenue, and ordered it to be paid every day, and this without fail, that they might offer sacrifices and prayers with them (for the patriarchs, when they offered sacrifice, called on the name of the Lord, so did Samuel, Elijah, and others) for the life (that is, the happiness and prosperity) of the king and his sons, Ezr 6:10. See here how he gives honour, First, To Israel's God, whom he calls once and again the God of heaven. Secondly, To his ministers, in ordering his commissioners to give out supplies for the temple service at the appointment of the priests. Those that thought to control them must now be, in this matter, at their command. It was a new thing for God's priests to have such an interest in the public money. Thirdly, To prayer: That they may pray for the life of the king. He knew they were a praying people, and had heard that God was nigh to them in all that which they called upon him for. He was sensible he needed their prayers and might receive benefit by them, and was kind to them in order that he might have an interest in their prayers. It is the duty of God's people to pray for those that are in authority over them, not only for the good and gentle, but also for the forward; but they are particularly bound in gratitude to pray for their protectors and benefactors; and it is the wisdom of princes to desire their prayers, and to engage them. Let not the greatest princes despise the prayers of the meanest saints; it is desirable to have them for us, and dreadful to have them against us.

(3.) He enforces his decree with a penalty (Ezr 6:11): "Let none either oppose the work and service of the temple or withhold the supports granted to it by the crown upon pain of death. If any alter this decree, let him be ( hanged before his own door as we say), hanged upon a beam of his own house, and, as an execrable man, let his house be made a dunghill. "

(4.) He entails a divine curse upon all those kings and people that should ever have any hand in the destruction of this house, Ezr 6:12. What he would not do himself for the protection of the temple he desired that God, to whom vengeance belongs, would do. This bespeaks him zealous in the cause; and though this temple was, at length, most justly destroyed by the righteous hand of God, yet perhaps the Romans, who were the instruments of that destruction, felt the effects of this curse, for that empire sensibly declined ever after.

2. From all this we learn, (1.) That the heart of kings is in the hand of God, and he turns it which way soever he pleases; what they are he makes them to be, for he is King of kings. (2.) That when God's time has come for the accomplishing of his gracious purposes concerning his church he will raise up instruments to promote them from whom such good service was not expected. The earth sometimes helps the woman (Rev 12:16), and those are made use of for the defence of religion who have little religion themselves. (3.) That what is intended for the prejudice of the church has often, by the overruling providence of God, been made serviceable to it, Phi 1:12. The enemies of the Jews, in appealing to Darius, hoped to get an order to suppress them, but, instead of that, they got an order to supply them. Thus out of the eater comes forth meat. The apocryphal Esdras (or Ezra), Book 1 ch. 3 and 4, gives another account of this decree in favour of the Jews, that Darius had vowed that if ever he came to the kingdom he would build the temple at Jerusalem, and that Zerubbabel, who was one of his attendants (whereas it is plain here that he was now at Jerusalem), for making an ingenious discourse before him on that subject ( Great is the truth and will prevail ), was told to ask what recompence he would, and asked only for this order, in pursuance of the king's vow.

Keil-Delitzsch: Ezr 6:1-12

The decision of Darius. - Ezr 6:1-5. At the command of Darius, search wasmade in the archives of the royal treasury; and in the fortress of Achmethain Media, was found the roll in which was recorded the edict published byCyrus, concerning the building of the temple at Jerusalem.

Ezr 6:1

Search was made in the house of the books where also thetreasures were deposited in Babylon. מהחתין , partic. Aphel of נחת ; see Ezr 5:15.

Ezr 6:2-4

"And there was found at Achmetha, in the fortress that is in theland of Media, a roll; and thus was it recorded therein."In Babylon itselfthe document sought for was not found; though, probably the search theremade, led to the discovery of a statement that documents pertaining to thetime of Cyrus were preserved in the fortress of Achmetha, where therecord in question was subsequently discovered. אחמתא , thecapital of Great Media - τὰ Εκβάτανα , Judith 1:1, 14, or Ἀγβάτανα (Herod. i. 98) - built by Dejokes, was the summer residence of the Persian andParthian kings, and situate in the neighbourhood of the modern Hamadan. Achmetha is probably the Old-Median or Old-Persian pronunciation ofthe name, the letters אחם on Sassanidian coins being explained as denotingthis city (Mordtmann in the Zeitschrift der deutsch morgenl. Gesellschaft ,viii. p. 14). The citadel of Ecbatana probably contained also the royal palace and theofficial buildings. For בּגוּ婢´ is found in some MSS and editions בּגוּהּ ; but Norzi and J. H. Mich. have Pathach under ו as the betterauthorized reading. דּכרונה , stat. emph . of דּכרון , memorandum , ὑπόμνημα , a record of anything memorable. Thecontents of this document follow, Ezr 6:3-5. First, the proclamation of KingCyrus in the first year of his reign: "The house of God at Jerusalem, letthis house be built as a place where sacrifices are offered."The meaning ofthe words following is doubtful. We translate מסובלין ואשּׁוחי : and let them raise up its foundations, i.e., itsfoundations are to be again raised up, restored. אשּׁין , foundations (Ezr 4:12); מסובלין , part. Poel of סבל , to carry, to raise (notto be raised). סבל often stands for the Hebrew נשׂא , tocarry, to raise up, to erect; compare the Samaritan translation of Gen 13:10 : וסבל את עגין , he lifted up his eyes. סובל אשּׁין analogouswith מוסדי ד קומם , Isa 58:12, and signifies to erect buildingsupon the foundations.

(Note: The Vulgate, following a rabbinical explanation, has ponantfundamenta supportantia, which is here unsuitable. The conjecture ofBertheau, who labours, by all sorts of critical combinations of theletters in the words מסובלין ואשּׁוחי , to producethe text תמנים מאה אמין אשוהי , "its foundation length 180 cubits,"isas needless as it is mistaken. The interpretation of the words in thelxx, καὶ ἔθηκεν ἔπαρμα , and Pseudo-Ezra 6, διὰ πυρός ἐνδελεχους , are nothing else than unmeaning suppositions.)

Expositors are divided as to the dimensions of the new temple, "its height60 cubits, and its breadth 60 cubits," Antiq . xi. 4. 6; while Solomon'stemple was but 30 cubits high, and, without the side-buildings, only 20cubits broad. We nevertheless consider the statements correct, and the textincorrupt, and explain the absence of the measure of length simply by thefact that, as far as length was concerned, the old and new temples were ofequal dimensions. Solomon's temple, measured externally, inclusive of theporch and the additional building at the hinder part, was about 100 cubitslong (see the ground plan in my bibl. Archaeol . Table II. fig. 1). Tocorrespond with this length, the new temple was, according to the desireof Cyrus, to be both higher and broader, viz., 60 cubits high, and as manywide, - measurements which certainly apply to external dimensions. Zerubbabel's temple, concerning the structure of which we have no furtherparticulars, was externally of this height and breadth. This may be inferred from the speech of King Herod in Joseph. Ant . xv. 11. 1, in which this tyrant, who desired to be famous for the magnificenceof his buildings, endeavoured to gain the favour of the people for therebuilding of the temple, which he was contemplating, by the remark thatthe temple built by their forefathers, on their return from the Babyloniancaptivity, was 60 cubits too low, - Solomon's temple having been doublethat height (sc. according to the height given in 2Ch 3:4, 120 cubits) - and from the fact that Herod made his temple 100 or 120 cubits high. Hence the temple of Zerubbabel, measured externally, must have been 60cubits high; and consequently we need not diminish the breadth of 60cubits, also given in this verse, by alterations of the text, because Herod'stemple was likewise of this width, but must understand the givendimensions to relate to external height and breadth. For in Herod's templethe holy places were but 60 cubits high and 20 wide; the holy place, 40cubits long, 20 wide, and 60 high; the holy of holies, 20 cubits long, 20wide, and 60 high. And we may assume that the dimensions ofZerubbabel's temple preserved the same proportions, with perhaps themodification, that the internal height did not amount to 60 cubits, - an upperstorey being placed above the holy place and the holy of holies, as inHerod's temple; which would make the internal height of these placesamount to only about 30 or 40 cubits.

(Note: While we acknowledge it possible that the holy and most holyplaces, measured within, may have been only 40 cubits high, wecannot admit the objection of H. Merz, in Herzog's Realencycl. xv. p. 513, that 20 cubits of internal breadth is an inconceivable proportionto 60 cubits, this being the actual proportion in Herod's temple, asMerz himself states, p. 516, without finding it in this instance"inconceivable.")

In like manner must the 60 cubits of breadth be so divided, that the 5cubits internal breadth of the side-buildings of Solomon's temple must beenlarged to 10, which, allowing 5 cubits of thickness for the walls, wouldmake the entire building 60 cubits wide (5 + 10 + 5 + 20 + 5 + 10 + 5).

(Note: The conjecture of Merz in his above-cited article, and ofBertheau, that the dimensions of Zerubbabel's temple were doublethose of Solomon's, - viz. the holy and most holy places 40 cubits highand 40 wide, the upper chambers 20 cubits high, the side-chamberseach 10 cubits high, and the whole building 120 cubits long, - must berejected as erroneous, by the consideration that Herod's temple wasonly the length of Solomon's, viz., 100 cubits, of which the holy ofholies took up 20, the holy place 40, the porch 10, the additionalbuilding behind 10, and the four walls 20. For Herod would by nomeans have diminished the length of his building 20, or properly 40cubits. We also see, from the above-named dimensions, that the 60cubits broad cannot be understood of internal breadth.)

The statement in Ezr 6:4, "three layers of great stones, and a layer of newtimber,"is obscure. נדבּך means row, layer, and stands in theTargums for the Hebrew טוּר , "used of a layer of bricks;"seeGesen. Thes . p. 311, and Levy, chald. Wörterbuch , ii. p. 93. גּלל אבן , stone of rolling, one that is rolled and cannot be carried, i.e., agreat building stone. חדת , novus , as an epithet to אע , isremarkable, it being self-evident that new wood is generally used for a newbuilding. The lxx translates εἷς , reading the word חדה (Ezr 6:3). This statement involuntarily recalls the notice, 1Ki 6:36, thatSolomon built the inner court, ארזים כּרתת וטוּר גזית טוּרי שׁלשׁה ; hence Merzexpresses the supposition that "this is certainly a fragment, forming theconclusion of the whole design of the building, which, like that in 1Ki 6:36, ends with the porch and the walls of the fore-court,"Thus muchonly is certain, that the words are not to be understood, as by Fritzsche on1 Esdr. 6:25, as stating that the temple walls were built of "three layers oflarge stones, upon which was one layer of beams,"and therefore were notmassive; such kind of building never being practised in the East in oldtimes. "And let the expenses be given out of the king's house."This ismore precisely stated in Ezr 6:8 of the royal revenues on this side the river. נפקא the expense (from נפק , Aphel, to expend),therefore the cost of building.

Ezr 6:5

"And also let the vessels ... be restored, and brought again to thetemple at Jerusalem, to their place, and (thou) shalt place them in thehouse of God."On the matter of this verse, comp. Ezr 1:7 and Ezr 5:14. Thesing. יהך (comp. Ezr 5:5) is distributive: it (each vessel) to its place. ותחת (comp. אחת Ezr 5:15) cannot, according to thesense, be third pers. fem. (neutr.), but only second pers. imperf. Aphel:thou shalt place. None but Sheshbazzar can be addressed (Ezr 5:15), though heis not named in Ezr 6:3. The historian is evidently not giving the contents ofthe document word for word, but only its essential matter; hence he infersthe address to Sheshbazzar from the answer of the Jewish elders (Ezr 5:15). Perhaps it was also remarked in the document, that Coresh caused thesacred vessels to be delivered to Sheshbazzar (Ezr 1:8).

Ezr 6:6-12

Acting upon the discovered edict, Darius warned the governorand royal officials on this side the Euphrates, not to hinder the building ofthe house of God at Jerusalem. On the contrary, they were to promote itby furnishing what was necessary for the work, and paying the expensesof the building out of the royal revenues to the elders of the Jews (Ezr 6:6-8). They were also to provide for the worship of God in this temple suchanimals as the priests should require for sacrifice (Ezr 6:9, Ezr 6:10), under pain ofsevere punishment for transgressing this command as also for any injurydone to the temple (Ezr 6:11, Ezr 6:12). This decree was undoubtedlycommunicated to the governor in the form of a written answer to hisinquiries (Ezr 6:13). Without, however, expressly stating this to be the case,as Ezr 6:1 and Ezr 4:17 would lead us to expect, the historian gives us in Ezr 6:6. the actual contents of the royal edict, and that in the form of a directinjunction to the governor and his associates on this side the river: "NowTatnai, governor, ... be ye far from thence."The suffix וּכנותהון , and their associates, is indeed unsuitable to the form of an address,of which Tatnai and Shethar-Boznai are the subjects; the narrator,however, in using it, had in mind the title or introduction of the royalletter. On this matter, comp. Ezr 5:6. רחק and רחיק , to be farfrom, figuratively to keep from anything, e.g., from good, Psa 53:2. מן־תּמּה , from thence, from Jerusalem; in other words, trouble yourselvesno longer, as, according to Ezr 5:3, you have done about what is beingdone there.

Ezr 6:7

"Let the work of the house of God alone." שׁבק with anaccusative, to leave anything, to let it go on without hindrance. "Let thePechah of the Jews (Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel) and the elders of the Jewsbuild this house of God in its place."The ל to לשׂבי introducesa second subject with special emphasis: And as far as regards the elders ofthe Jews, i.e., the Pechah, and especially the elders.

Ezr 6:8

"And a decree is (hereby) made by me, what ye shall do to theseelders of the Jews, i.e., how you shall behave towards them ( עם עבד = עם עשׂה , Gen 24:12.), to build thishouse, i.e., that this house may be built: namely, ( ו expl.) of the royalmoneys, of the custom ( מדּה , see remarks on Ezr 4:13) on thisside the river, let expenses (the cost of building) be punctually given tothese men, that there be no hindrance." לבטּלא דּי־לא , that there be nocessation or leisure from work, i.e., that the work is not to bediscontinued. On the construction of the לא with the followinginfinitive, comp. Dan 6:9. The Vulgate renders the sense correctly by neimpediatur opus .

Ezr 6:9

"And what is needful, both young bullocks and rams and lambs,for the burnt-offerings of the God of leaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil,according to the word of the priests at Jerusalem (i.e., as the priests shallrequire for the service of God), let it be given them day by day withoutfail." מה is joined with the plur. fem. of the partic. חשׁחן , and is defined by the enumeration which follows. משׁח ,properly the anointing, then oil as the means of anointing. On להוא and להון , see remarks on Ezr 4:12. שׁלוּ דּי־לא , that there be no failure.

Ezr 6:10

The end the king had in view in all this follows: "That they (thepriests) may offer sacrifices well-pleasing to the God of heaven, and prayfor the life of the king and of his sons." ניחוחין (comp. Dan 2:46) are sacrifices agreeable to God, ניחוחין ריח (Lev 1:9, Lev 1:13, and elsewhere), i.e., sacrifices pleasing to God. Cyrus hadcommanded the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, because heacknowledged the God of Israel to be the God of heaven, who had givenhim the kingdoms of the earth (Ezr 1:2). Darius was treading in hisfootsteps by also owning the God of the Jews as the God of heaven, anddesiring that the blessing of this God might rest upon himself and hisdynasty. Such an acknowledgment it was possible for the Persian kings tomake without a renunciation of their polytheism. They could honourJahve as a mighty, nay, as the mightiest God of heaven, without beingunfaithful to the gods of their fathers; while the Jews could also, in theinterest of their own welfare, pray and offer sacrifices in the temple of theLord for the life of the king to whom God had caused them to be subject(comp. Jer 29:7). Accordingly we find that in after times sacrifices wereregularly offered for the king on appointed days: comp. 1 Macc. 7:33,12:11; 2 Macc. 3:35, 13:23; Joseph. Antiq . xii. 2. 5, and elsewhere.

Ezr 6:11

To inculcate obedience to his command, Darius threatens topunish its transgression with death: "If any one alters this command, let abeam be torn from his house, and let him be fastened hanging thereon."Toalter a command means to transgress or abolish it. אע , a piece ofwood, a beam. זקיף , raised on high, is in Syriac the usual word forcrucified, and is to be so understood here. מחא , to strike, with על , strike upon, fasten to, nail to. This kind of capital punishment wascustomary among the Assyrians (Diod. Sic. ii. 1), the ancient Persians, andmany other nations, but seems to have been executed in different mannersamong different people. Among the Assyrians it generally consisted in theimpalement of the delinquent upon a sharp strong wooden post; comp. Layard, Nineveh and Babylon , p. 355, and Nineveh and its Remains , p. 379, with the illustration fig. 58. According to Herod. iii. 159, Dariusimpaled as many as 3000 Babylonians after the capture of their city( ἀνεσκολόπισε ). Crucifixion proper, however, i.e., nailing to a cross, alsooccurred among the Persians; it was, however, practised by nailing thebody of the criminal to a cross after decapitation; see the passages fromHerodotus in Brissonii de regio Persarum princip . l. ii. c. 215. "And let hishouse be made a dunghill."See remarks on Dan 2:5 and 2Ki 10:27.

Ezr 6:12

Finally, Darius adds the threat: "The God who has caused Hisname to dwell there, destroy every king and (every) people that shallstretch forth the hand to alter (this command), to destroy this house ofGod at Jerusalem."The expression, "the God who has caused His name todwell there,"is indeed specifically Israelitish (comp. Deu 12:11; Deu 14:23;Jer 7:12; Neh 1:9), and therefore undoubtedly originated with the Jewishhistorian; but the matter itself, the wish that God Himself would destroyhim who should injure His temple, recalls the close of the inscription ofBisitun, wherein the judgments of Ahuramazda are imprecated upon himwho should dare to injure the image and inscription, and his blessinginvoked upon him who should respect them (Berth.).

Constable: Ezr 1:1--6:22

I. THE FIRST RETURN UNDER SHESHBAZZAR chs. 1--6

"This whole section (Ezra 1-6) emphasizes God's sovereignty and his providence; God works in history to fulfill his will."¹⁵

Constable: Ezr 3:1--6:22

B. The Rebuilding of the Temple chs. 3-6

Construction of the temple began soon after the exiles returned to Jerusalem. However problems threatened the completion of the project. First, the immigrants contemplated abandoning their religious distinctives to get along with their neighbors (ch. 4). Then opposition from their enemies threatened to terminate construction.

"The temple was the basis for the postexilic community's fellowship with God."⁵⁸

"In a sense the standing of the furnished Temple of God symbolizes the existence of his covenant with his people. This is why the rebuilding of the Temple occupies so central a place in the Book of Ezra."⁵⁹

Constable: Ezr 6:1-22

4. The completion of construction ch. 6

Darius not only approved his predecessor Cyrus' decree, he issued one himself that gave even greater support to the Jews in their building project.

Constable: Ezr 6:6-12

Darius' decree 6:6-12

Evidently Darius also saw the Jerusalem temple as a monument to his own success. He instructed Tattenai to allow the Jewish governor, Zerubbabel, and his people to proceed unobstructed. Darius seems to have viewed Zerubbabel as the leader of the Jews who lived under the authority of Tattenai who governed the whole province that included Palestine and Jerusalem. Darius further specified that the provincial treasury should pay all costs (v. 8) and that the provincial governor should provide the items required for sacrifice in the temple. The king also wanted the Jews to pray for him and his family (v. 10).

"Although Darius revered Ahuramazda especially, it is understandable that in a world of polytheism he would want to make sure that he was in the favor of every god in his empire."⁹⁰

One wonders if stories about Daniel (ca. 605-536 B.C.), who served under Cyrus (Dan. 6:28), might have had some influence on Darius. The Darius that the book of Daniel mentions, by the way, was Darius the Mede, not this Darius, who was a Persian.

". . . Darius [the Persian] himself was a monotheist and an adherent of the new faith of Zoroastrianism, but it is not known whether this religious orientation had any effect on his policies this early in his reign."⁹¹

Impaling (v. 11) was a common method of execution in the Persian Empire (cf. Esth. 7:9-10) that Darius practiced. After he subdued a rebellion in Babylon, Darius impaled 3,000 rebels there.⁹²

"Impalement was a well-known kind of punishment in the ancient Near East for grave offenses. One side [end?] of a beam was sharpened and the other side planted in the ground. The sharp point was inserted under the chest of a person and pushed through his esophagus and lungs. He was then left to hang until he died."⁹³

The king closed his decree by calling down Yahweh's curse on anyone who might attempt to change it (v. 12).

"Darius' curse on anyone who would destroy the temple was fulfilled in: (a) Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated it in 167 B.C., and died insane three years later; (b) Herod the Great (37-4 B.C.), who added extensively to the temple to glorify himself, and who had domestic trouble and died of disease; and (c) the Romans, who destroyed the temple in A.D. 70, and later had their empire destroyed."⁹⁴

Guzik: Ezr 6:1-22

Ezra 6 - The Second Temple Is Completed

A. Darius responds to the request of the governor Tattenai.

1. (1-2) A diligent search for the decree of Cyrus.

Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:

a. Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made: This was the response to the respectful request made by Tattenai described in the last part of Ezra 5.

b. At Achmetha . . . a scroll was found: This indicates that there must have been some diligence required in the search. This in itself was an evidence of God's hand in the matter; otherwise, they might have easily given up the search.

i. "It is easy to realize how easily this might not have been found. If such a document was not in the proper libraries, what more natural than to abandon the search? But under the Divine compulsion that search was prosecuted until the decree was found." (Morgan)

ii. This request was initiated in Judea, referred to Babylon, and the answer was found in records from the remote city of Achmetha. All this gave the builders lots of time to continue their work, because they did not stop through the inquiry process (Ezra 5:5).

iii. "Diodorus (2.32.4) declared that the Persians had 'royal parchments' recording their history. Persian officials wrote on scrolls of papyrus and leather, as discoveries made in Egypt show." (Yamauchi)

iv. "In 'The Decrees of Cyrus' (p. 89), de Vaux observes that 'now we know that it was the custom of the Persian sovereigns to winter in Babylon and depart in the summer to Susa or Ecbatana, . . . and we also know that Cyrus left Babylon in the spring of 538 B.C. . . . A forger operating in Palestine without the information which we possess could hardly have been so accurate." (Yamauchi)

2. (3-5) The text of the record found: Cyrus' decree.

In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: "Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury. Also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple which is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and taken back to the temple which is in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God";

a. King Cyrus issued a decree: This is the decree originally recorded in Ezra 1, giving the Jewish people who wanted to return to Jerusalem and Judea the right to return and to repopulate Judea and to rebuild Jerusalem.

b. Let the house be rebuilt . . . Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury: Not only did Cyrus give permission for the temple to be rebuilt, he commanded the funding of the work from the royal treasury.

i. Heavy stones: "The great stones which had excited suspicion were now found to be expressly authorized - for the term is the same as for the 'huge stones' of 5:8 - literally, stones for rolling, too massive to be transported by other means." (Kidner)

ii. Heavy stones and one row of new timber: This construction technique seems to been a precaution against earthquakes. "Kenyon has identified as the only visible remains of Zerubbabel's building a straight joint of stones with heavy bosses about 108 feet north of the southeast corner of the temple platform, which Dunand confirmed as similar to Persian masonry found in Phoenicia." (Yamauchi)

iii. There is some question about the size of the temple as mentioned here, because these dimensions are greater than even Solomon's temple. The best answer is that Cyrus gave the limits of what they could build, instead of the actual dimensions of the new structure. "He did not command them to make it so large, for he left the ordering of the proportions of the building to their skill and choice; but he restrained them that they should make it no larger, lest they should hereafter make use of it to other purposes against himself." (Poole)

c. Let the gold and silver articles of the house of God . . . be restored and taken back to the temple which is in Jerusalem: Furthermore, Cyrus ordered that the spoils taken from the temple some two generations before be returned to the Jerusalem temple.

i. It was a remarkable example of God's providence that so many of these gold and silver articles of the house of God still existed intact and that King Cyrus commanded them to be returned.

3. (6-12) The reply of Darius to Tattenai.

Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and your companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves far from there. Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site. Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the cost be paid at the king's expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered. And whatever they need; young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem; let it be given them day by day without fail, that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons. Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently.

a. Let the work of this house of God alone: Based on the search and recovery of the relevant document from King Cyrus, Darius made the appropriate command to Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River. Darius commanded him to allow the work on the temple and the city of Jerusalem to continue without interruption.

b. Build the house of God on its site: Darius recognized what the elders of the Jews recognized, that it was essential to build the temple upon its old foundations.

c. Let the cost be paid at the king's expense: Based on the prior decree from Cyrus, King Darius did more than allow the work to continue. He commanded that it be funded by local taxes on the region beyond the River. Darius did what is common for politicians to do; he put the burden for funding this work on the province itself, not from his own treasury.

i. And it was funded in an impressive manner: whatever they need and let it be given to them day by day without fail mean that this was a substantial grant.

ii. In this, we see the wonderful hand of God at work with the objections raised by Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai as recorded in Ezra 5:3. The end result of these objections was to further the work of God instead of hindering it. This is an example of God working all things together for good for His people (Romans 8:28). On this point, Kidner quotes a line from a William Cowper poem: The clouds which ye so much dread, Are big with mercy.

d. And pray for the life of the king and his sons: This explains part of the motivation of King Darius. Not only did he base his decision on the precedent of King Cyrus, but he also wanted the prayers of the Jewish people for the king and his sons.

e. Let him be hanged on it . . . let his house be made a refuse heap . . . destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it: Finally, Darius was careful to make the decree strong, with severe punishments against those who violated both the letter and the spirit of the decree.

i. There is some debate as to if this punishment involved flogging a man at his own house, hanging him to death at his house, or impaling him at his house as an early form of crucifixion. "Whether this refers to the punishment of hanging and gibbeting, of whipping at a post, or of empaling, is not quite clear . . . Empaling, thrusting a sharp stake through the body till it comes out at the side of the neck, or hanging, seems to be intended here." (Clarke)

ii. Darius was the type of man to see such brutal executions through to completion. "According to Herodotus (3.159) Darius I impaled three thousand Babylonians when he took Babylon, an act that Darius himself recorded in the Beshitun Inscription." (Yamauchi)

f. Let it be done diligently: At the end of it all, the king of the mightiest empire on the earth commanded that the temple be finished by the returned exiles and funded by the empire.

i. This might seem absolutely unique, but there is good evidence that Persian monarchs had similar concern for the conquered temples in other regions of their empire. "In 1973 French archaeologists discovered at Xanthos in Lycia in southwestern Turkey a cult foundation charter - written in Greek, Lycian, and Aramaic - dated to 358 B.C., a period when the area was controlled by a Persian satrap, that provided some striking parallels with the decree of Cyrus." (Yamauchi)

ii. "One can easily imagine with what surprise Tattenai received the answer of Darius, characterized by clearness and determination. The man who would have hindered and stayed the progress of the building, was compelled not only to hinder, but to help with great gifts." (Morgan)

iii. "If certain matters can only be settled by reference to great men, kings or men of affairs, make the application;' and then betake yourself to prayer, believing that as He inclined the heart of Darius, in the instance before us, so He can do as He will among the armies of heaven, and the inhabitants of earth." (Meyer)

iv. This is a powerful illustration of the principle from Proverbs: The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1)

B. The temple is finished and dedicated.

1. (13-15) The temple is completed.

Then Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions diligently did according to what King Darius had sent. So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

a. Diligently did according to what King Darius had sent: They were diligent in supporting and funding the work of rebuilding the temple, and were diligent in punishing anyone who opposed it.

i. "The political motives for this forthrightness may have been many, including a desire to show respect for the policies of Cyrus and to promote stability in a part of the empire which was important for communications with Egypt, at a time when widespread unrest had only recently been quelled." (Kidner)

b. They prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the Prophet and Zechariah: The words and personal ministry of these post-exilic prophets was an important component in the success of the work. The work and the workers were genuinely strengthened by the word of God through these prophets.

i. The initial ministry of these prophets is mentioned in Ezra 5:1-2. There, the prophets had to encourage the people of God to resume the work after a significant period of inactivity. Now they had to encourage them to keep working when God had opened the doors for the work to be done. Even with the open doors, the work was still difficult and needed prophetic encouragement. God's blessing on the work did not make the work easy to do.

ii. "Work on the temple made little progress because of opposition and the preoccupation of returnees with their own homes (Haggai 1:2-3). Because they had placed their own interests first, God sent them famine as a judgment (Haggai 1:5-6, 10-11). Spurred by the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, and under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, a new effort was begun (Haggai 1:12-15)." (Yamauchi)

c. The temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year: This means that it took four years from the resumption of construction. It was such a big job that even with all doing the work diligently it was not quickly completed.

i. "The mention of Artaxerxes, who belongs to the next century, takes us forward to the restoration of the city walls by Nehemiah, which this king authorized. His name, as the third royal patron of Israel's rehabilitation, is added here to complete the picture, whether by the author or by an early scribe." (Kidner)

2. (16-18) The dedication ceremony of the second temple.

Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

a. Celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy: There was a previous celebration, many years before at the founding of this second temple (Ezra 3). This was the celebration for the finishing of a functioning temple.

i. "The word for dedication (hanukka) was later to become the name of a festival in memory of the Temple's re-consecration in 165 B.C. after its profanation by Antiochus Epiphanes (cf. John 10:22f.)." (Kidner)

b. And they offered sacrifices: Compared to the dedication of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:62-66), this was a meager dedication celebration. Solomon sacrificed some 142,000 animals at his dedication of the temple; here at the dedication of the second temple they only sacrificed a total of 712 animals.

i. However, given the relative wealth of Israel in the days of the first temple as compared to the second temple, the smaller gift recorded in Ezra may have been more beautiful to God.

ii. As a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats: "It was a confession of failure but also faith. There was still atonement and still the covenant with the whole people - for this was the implication of the twelve sacrifices." (Kidner)

iii. The fact that sacrifice was made for the twelve tribes shows that regathered Israel had the real sense that they were the collective product of all twelve tribes, and there were not ten or any other number of "lost" tribes.

c. They assigned the priests to their divisions . . . as it is written in the Book of Moses: They took care to resume the proper priestly service as commanded by the Book of Moses and previous pattern of David.

i. Yet, all was not the same as in the previous service in the days of Solomon's temple. "The general plan of the second temple resembled the first. But the [Most Holy Place] was left empty as the ark of the covenant had been lost through the Babylonian conquest . . . [The Holy Place] was furnished with a table for showbread, the incense altar, and one menorah instead of Solomon's ten." (Yamauchi)

3. (19-22) The first Passover celebrated in the second temple.

And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

a. The descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month: This shows that they were careful to keep the Passover according to the command of Moses, on the proper day. In keeping Passover they remembered the central act of redemption of the Old Testament, the deliverance of God's people from Egypt.

b. They slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity: In this, we see that the people themselves did not sacrifice the Passover lambs, rather the priests did this for them. It seems that there was no absolute custom for this; sometimes the people sacrificed the Passover lambs under the supervision of the priests and sometimes the priests did it for the people.

c. With all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land: Connected with the remembrance of deliverance of Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which marked the purity of God's delivered people.

i. The children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel: "This is a crucial verse for correcting the impression one might gain from Ezra 4:1-3 of a bitterly exclusive party . . . in reality we find that only the self-excluded were unwelcome. The convert found an open door, as Rahab and Ruth had done." (Kidner)

ii. "We may suspect a spirit of Jewish animosity in the ugly phrase 'the filthiness of the heathen.' But it was only too true that both the Canaanite and the Babylonian habits of life were disgustingly immoral. The same horrible characteristic is found among most of the heathen to-day. These degraded people are not simply benighted in theological error; they are corrupted by horrible vices. Missionary work is more than the propagation of Christian theology; it is the purging of Augean stables." (Adeney)

d. The LORD made them joyful: In the context of obedience and purity, they did not lose their joy. The purity of God's delivered people was joyful in its character (instead of dour). It also led them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God.

i. "Do not be afraid of joy; when God makes you joyful, do not think it necessary to restrain your songs or smiles." (Meyer)

ii. "So ends the first stage, a generation long, of Israel's rehabilitation. It has opened when the Lord 'stirred up the spirit of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1), and it concluded with His turning the heart of one of that king's most powerful successors." (Kidner)

iii. The heart of the king of Assyria: "He had 'turned the heart of the king of Assyria' - a title for Darius that speaks for the authenticity of the narrative, for it represents an old form of speech for the ruler of the districts that had once belonged to the king of Assyria." (Adeney)

© 2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Introduction / Outline

JFB: Ezra (Book Introduction)

EZRA was, along with Nehemiah, reckoned one book by the ancient Jews, who called them the First and Second Books of Ezra, and they are still designated by Roman Catholic writers the First and Second Books of Esdras. This book naturally divides itself into two parts or sections, the one contained in the first six chapters, and which relates the circumstances connected with the return of the first detachment of Babylonish exiles under Zerubbabel with the consequent rebuilding of the temple and the re-establishment of the divine service. The other part, embraced in the four concluding chapters, narrates the journey of a second caravan of returning captives under the conduct of Ezra himself, who was invested with powers to restore, in all its splendor, the entire system of the Jewish ritual. The general opinion of the Church in every succeeding age has been that Ezra was the author of this book. The chief objection is founded on Ezr 5:4, where the words, "Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?" have occasioned a surmise that the first portion of the book was not written by Ezra, who did not go to Jerusalem for many years after. But a little attention will show the futility of this objection, as the words in question did not refer to the writer, but were used by Tatnai and his associates [Ezr 5:3]. The style and unity of object in the book clearly prove it to have been the production of but one author. The canonical authority of this book is well established; but another under the name of Ezra is rejected as apocryphal.

JFB: Ezra (Outline)

• PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE. (Ezr 1:1-6)
• CYRUS RESTORES THE VESSELS. (Ezr 1:7-11)
• NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE THAT TURNED. (Ezra 2:1-70)
• THE ALTAR SET UP. (Ezr 3:1-13)
• OFFERINGS RENEWED. (Ezr 3:4-7)
• THE FOUNDATION OF THE TEMPLE LAID. (Ezr 3:8-13)
• THE BUILDING HINDERED. (Ezr 4:1-6)
• LETTER TO ARTAXERXES. (Ezra 4:7-24)
• ZERUBBABEL AND JESHUA SET FORWARD THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE IN THE REIGN OF DARIUS. (Ezra 5:1-17)
• DARIUS' DECREE FOR ADVANCING THE BUILDING. (Ezr 6:1-12)
• THE TEMPLE FINISHED. (Ezr 6:13-15)
• FEASTS OF THE DEDICATION. (Ezr 6:16-18)
• AND OF THE PASSOVER. (Ezr 6:19-22)
• EZRA GOES UP TO JERUSALEM. (Ezr 7:1-10)
• GRACIOUS COMMISSION OF ARTAXERXES. (Ezra 7:11-26)
• EZRA BLESSES GOD FOR THIS FAVOR. (Ezr 7:27-28)
• EZRA'S COMPANIONS FROM BABYLON. (Ezr 8:1-14)
• HE SENDS TO IDDO FOR MINISTERS FOR THE TEMPLE SERVICE. (Ezr 8:15-20)
• A FAST PROCLAIMED. (Ezra 8:21-36)
• EZRA MOURNS FOR THE AFFINITY OF THE PEOPLE WITH STRANGERS. (Ezr 9:1-4)
• EZRA REFORMS THE STRANGE MARRIAGES. (Ezra 10:1-17)
• THOSE THAT HAD TAKEN STRANGE WIVES. (Ezra 10:18-44)

TSK: Ezra (Book Introduction)

This book details the events of a very interesting period of the Sacred History, when, according to the decree of Providence, the Jewish people were to be delivered from their captivity, at the expiration of seventy years, and restored to the land of their fathers. This book informs us how the Divine goodness accomplished this most gracious design, and the movers and agents He employed on the occasion. Ezra was undoubtedly the chief agent under God in effecting this arduous work; and his zeal, piety, knowledge, and discretion, appear here in a most conspicuous point of view, and claim our utmost admiration. Descended from Seraiah, in a direct line from Aaron, he seems to have united all the requisites of a profound statesmen with the functions of the sacerdotal character. He appears to have made the Sacred Scriptures, during the captivity, his peculiar study; and, perhaps assisted by Nehemiah and the great synagogue, he corrected the errors which had crept into the Sacred Writings, through the negligence or mistake of transcribers; he collected all the books of which the Sacred Scriptures then consisted, disposed them in their proper order, and settled the canon of Scriptures for his time; he occasionally added, under the dictation of the Holy Spirit, whatever appeared necessary for the purpose of illustrating, completing, or connecting them; he substituted the modern for the ancient names of some places, which had now become obsolete; and transcribed the whole of the Scriptures into the Chaldee character. He is said to have lived to the age of 120 years, and, according to Josephus, was buried in Jerusalem; but the Jews believe he died in Persia, in a second journey to Artaxerxes, where his tomb is shown in the city of Zamusa. Though not styled a prophet, he wrote under the Divine Spirit; and the canonical authority of his book has never been disputed. It is written with all the spirit and fidelity that could be displayed by a writer of contemporary times; and those parts which chiefly consist of letters, decrees, etc., are written in Chaldee, because it seemed more suitable to the fidelity of a sacred historian to give these official documents, as they may be termed, in the original language, especially as the people, recently returned from the captivity, were familiar, and perhaps more conversant with the Chaldee, than with the Hebrew.

TSK: Ezra 6 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

Ezr 6:1, Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for the advancement of the building; Ezr 6:13, By the help of Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, according to the decree, the temple is finished; Ezr 6:16, The feast of the dedication is kept; Ezr 6:19, and the passover.

Poole: Ezra (Book Introduction)

THE ARGUMENT

THAT this book of EZRA is part of the canonical Scripture is evident, partly from the testimony of the Jewish church, to which were committed the oracles of God , Rom 3:2 , who also did carefully keep them, and faithfully transmit them to us, and are not once charged either by Christ or his apostles with breach of that trust; and partly by the unanimous consent of all, both Jews and Christians, at this day. And that Ezra was thee writer of this book, is also, and ever was, the opinion of the Jews, who had thee best means of knowing this, and is most agreeable to his quality, for he was the son, or grandson , (as the word is elsewhere used,) of Seraiah , Ezr 7:1 , who was the high priest, 2Ki 25:18 1Ch 6:14 ; and he was a ready scribe of the law of Moses , Ezr 7:6 , and endowed with a more than ordinary measure of God’ s Spirit, as is evident from this book; and was himself an eye-witness of these transactions. In his time also there lived divers other holy men of God, as Daniel, and Nehemiah, and Mordecai, and Zorobabel, and Joshua; which makes that probable which the Jews report, that these prophets and other holy and learned men did review thee canonical books of the Old Testament, and added here and there some few passages in the historical books, and digested them into that order in which now we have them in our Hebrew Bibles; this being a work most suitable to the prudence, and piety, and sacred function of these persons, and to the present estate of the Jewish nation, who had been long in captivity in Babylon, where it was to be feared that many of them were ignorant or corrupt in the principles of religion, and who were yet in a broken condition, and likely to be exposed to further calamities and dispersions; which also might be signified to some of them; and it was suitable also to that care which the wise and gracious God hath ever used for the guidance of his church, according to their several occasions and necessities.

Poole: Ezra 6 (Chapter Introduction)

CHAPTER 6

Darius answereth the former letter, Ezr 6:1-7 ; and maketh a new decree, Ezr 6:8-12 . By the help of the adversaries, and the directions of the prophets, the temple is finished, Ezr 6:13-15 . The feasts of the dedication, Ezr 6:16-18 , and of the passover, are kept, Ezr 6:19-22 .

MHCC: Ezra (Book Introduction)

The history of this book is the accomplishment of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the return of the Jews out of Babylon. From its contents we especially learn, that every good work will meet with opposition from enemies, and be hurt by the misconduct of friends; but that God will make his cause to prevail, notwithstanding all obstacles and adversaries. The restoration of the Jews was an event of the highest consequence, tending to preserve religion in the world, and preparing the way for the appearance of the Great Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

MHCC: Ezra 6 (Chapter Introduction)

(Ezr 6:1-12) The decree for completing the temple.

(Ezr 6:13-22) The temple is finished.

Matthew Henry: Ezra (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Book of Ezra

The Jewish church puts on quite another face in this book from what it had appeared with; its state much better, and more pleasant, than it was of late in Babylon, and yet far inferior to what it had been formerly. The dry bones here live again, but in the form of a servant; the yoke of their captivity is taken off, but the marks of it in their galled necks remain. Kings we hear no more of; the crown has fallen from their heads. Prophets they are blessed with, to direct them in their re-establishment, but, after a while, prophecy ceases among them, till the great prophet appears, and his fore-runner. The history of this book is the accomplishment of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the return of the Jews out of Babylon at the end of seventy years, and a type of the accomplishment of the prophecies of the Apocalypse concerning the deliverance of the gospel church out of the New Testament Babylon. Ezra preserved the records of that great revolution and transmitted them to the church in this book. His name signifies a helper; and so he was to that people. A particular account concerning him we shall meet with, ch. 7, where he himself enters upon the stage of action. The book gives us an account, I. Of the Jews' return out of their captivity, Ezr 1:1-11, 2. II. Of the building of the temple, the opposition it met with, and yet the perfecting of it at last, ch. 3-6. III. Of Ezra's coming to Jerusalem, ch. 7, 8. IV. Of the good service he did there, in obliging those that had married strange wives to put them away, Ezr 9:1-15, 10. This beginning again of the Jewish nation was small, yet its latter end greatly increased.

Matthew Henry: Ezra 6 (Chapter Introduction)

How solemnly the foundation of the temple was laid we read in Ezr 3:1-13. How slowly the building went on, and with how much difficulty, we found in ch. 4 and 5. But how gloriously the topstone was at length brought forth with shoutings we find in this chapter; and even we, at this distance of time, when we read of it, may cry, " Grace, grace to it." As for God, his work is perfect; it may be slow work, but it will be sure work. We have here, I. A recital of the decree of Cyrus for the building of the temple (Ezr 6:1-5). II. The enforcing of that decree by a new order from Darius for the perfecting of that work (Ezr 6:6-12). III. The finishing of it thereupon (Ezr 6:13-15). IV. The solemn dedication of it when it was built (Ezr 6:16-18), and the handselling of it (as I may say) with the celebration of the passover (Ezr 6:19-22). And now we may say that in Judah and Jerusalem things went well, very well.

Constable: Ezra (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

The title in the English text comes from the main character in the second part of the book (chapters 7-10). In the Septuagint translation this book also bore the name of Ezra or Esdras, the Greek transliteration of "Ezra." "Ezra" is a short form of Azariah, which means "Yahweh has helped." The Hebrew Bible has the same title.

Early Hebrew copyists placed Ezra together with Nehemiah because Nehemiah continues the history of Ezra.¹ Another reason they may have done this was to make the total number of canonical books agree with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.² Another view is that they were written originally as one book and than divided later.³ Even today the Hebrew Bible links Ezra and Nehemiah as did the Septuagint translators. However the repetition of Ezra 2 in Nehemiah 6:7-70 suggests that these two books were not originally one. Evidently Origen (third century A.D.) was the first to divide Ezra-Nehemiah into two books, and Jerome followed this precedent in his Latin (Vulgate) translation.⁴

Writer and Date

Due to the ancient tradition that the same writer composed both parts of the book (chapters 1-6 and 7-10), many scholars believe Ezra produced all of it.⁵ A passage in the Talmud credits Ezra with the authorship of Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles.⁶ Ezra speaks in the first person in Ezra 7:28-8:34 and in chapter 9. This may suggest that he drew from a source such as the so-called "Ezra Memoirs" that recorded Ezra's personal recollections in the first person.⁷

Another popular view is that Ezra and Nehemiah each wrote the books that bear their names.⁸ A third view is that the joint book was a compilation that a "chronicler" made long after the events recorded took place.⁹

As a scribe (7:21), Ezra had the qualifications needed to write this book. He was a general contemporary of Nehemiah (Neh. 8:1-9; 12:36). Another reference in the Talmud claimed that Ezra was a disciple of Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe.¹⁰

The last historical reference in the book is in 4:21-23. In view of other chronological references in the book this event must have occurred about 446 B.C. Therefore Ezra could have written the book about 446 B.C. or shortly after that.

"Regardless of one's view of the authorship of Ezra-Nehemiah and its relationship to Chronicles, the theological viewpoint of the whole collection is essentially the same. The message is addressed to the postexilic community of Jews who wonder if there is any hope of political and religious restoration. Its central thrust is that there indeed is hope but that hope must be incarnated in the rebuilding of the Temple, the cultus, and the priesthood. Only as the remnant people became the theocratic nation, founded on and faithful to the covenant Yahweh made with their fathers, could they revive the Davidic house and anticipate the resumption of their mediatorial role among the nations of the earth. Ezra and Nehemiah are therefore burdened to clarify (1) the Person and works of God, (2) Israel's own identity and function as a covenant people, and (3) the nature of that covenant in postexilic times."¹¹

Scope

The earliest historical reference in Ezra is to the decree of Cyrus that he issued in his first year on the throne (1:1), 538 B.C.¹² The latest historical reference was just prior to Nehemiah's first trip to Jerusalem (4:21-23; cf. Neh. 1:1-3), 446 B.C. Therefore this book spans a period of 92 years of history.¹³

However most of the events recorded took place in 538-515 B.C. (chapters 1-6) and 458 B.C. (chapters 7-10). Between these two separate series of events the Book of Ezra records nothing. The events in the Book of Esther transpired during those years (482-473 B.C.).

Message¹⁴

Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther have much in common. Among other things, they all deal with God's dealings with Israel following the captivity. Jeremiah had spoken of these years before the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem (Jer. 25:11-14; 29:10-14). Now 70 years had passed, Babylon had fallen, and Cyrus was on the throne of Medo-Persia. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther all reveal God overruling human failure. They show God remaking the vessel that had proven obstinate, Israel (cf. Jer. 18:1-6).

The Book of Ezra reveals four things about God's dealings with Israel that are of permanent value.

1. God's instruments are very diverse. In shaping Israel again God used instruments outside the nation as well as inside it.

His primary instruments outside were Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes. Each one issued a decree that God had inspired just as much as any message of Isaiah or any of the other prophets of Israel (e.g., 1:1-4). God turned the hearts of these kings in the direction He wanted them to go (cf. Prov. 21:1). God directed the marching of their armies as well as the praying of the captives to accomplish His will.

His primary instruments inside the nation of Israel were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and Ezra. Zerubbabel was a descendant of King Jehoiachin, and Jeshua was a descendant of Aaron. Thus God raised up a member of the kingly family and a member of the priestly family to resume His dealings with the nation as formerly. They began to inspire other Israelites, and the movement to return was under way. The third Israelite instrument was Ezra who was a scribe. We begin here to read of the scribes who are prominent in the Gospels. A scribe was a student, interpreter, teacher, and expositor of the Word of God. God uses both people who do not know Him and people who do know Him to carry out His plans.

2. God's might is awesome, another clear revelation in this book. We see this not only in the way God uses the two kinds of people just differentiated. We see it in the way He qualifies His workers to accomplish their tasks, as I have noted. We also see it in God's gathering His people from all over the ancient world to bring them back into Palestine. Most of the exiles did not return. Ezra's revelation provided the original readers with hope for the future.

3. God's people are changeable, another significant revelation. God gathered people from all the tribes, not just Judah, back to the land (2:70; 6:16-17). In exile the Israelites had renounced idolatry. They had returned to the worship of the one true God. The Lord's severe punishment of them for idolatry, as well as their own observation of idolatry for 70 years, took away their appetite for it. God had purged out this dross and could now fashion the nation anew.

4. God's work is proceeding, another important revelation. Note what God did to the nation. When the people returned to Palestine they had lost their national influence. They could not demonstrate how glorious it is to live under God's government as they had formerly. They also lost their independence. However they gained a place for themselves as a nation again. Furthermore God had saved them from racial extinction and absorption. The Pharisees (lit. separated ones) came into existence during the captivity. They wanted to prevent the Jews from intermixing with others. That attitude was good then, but it became bad later. In all these respects we can see God's work of reshaping the nation.

The message of the book arises from these observations on its emphases. I could state it this way. God does not discard what He has chosen but remakes it when it fails.

With people if one fails, he is out. With God if a person fails, he gets other opportunities. This is how God dealt with Jonah. It is how He dealt with Israel. Moreover it is how He deals with us. This is a great testimony to the eternal security of the believer. When the vessel is unyielding, God crushes it and begins to fashion it into a useful vessel again. That is a greater evidence of God's sovereignty than if He discarded it as hopeless. God's reason for doing this is His loyal love, compassion, and pity.

This revelation brings hope to everyone who fails. It gives hope when our good causes fall to pieces. It gives hope when God's servants fail. It also gives hope when we make a mess. God is still on His throne (cf. Hag. 2:4-5). No matter how you may have failed in the past God will use you if you renounce your sin, re-commit yourself to Him, and return to His Word.

Constable: Ezra (Outline)

Outline

I. The first return under Sheshbazzar chs. 1-6

A. The return from Babylon chs. 1-2

1. The edict of Cyrus and its consequences ch. 1

2. The exiles who returned ch. 2

B. The rebuilding of the temple chs. 3-6

1. The beginning of construction ch. 3

2. The opposition to construction ch. 4

3. The delay of construction ch. 5

4. The completion of construction ch. 6

II. The second return under Ezra chs. 7-10

A. The return to Jerusalem ch. 7-8

1. The decree of Artaxerxes and its consequences ch. 7

2. The journey itself ch. 8

B. The restoration of the people chs. 9-10

1. The problem of mixed marriages ch. 9

2. The solution to the problem ch. 10

Constable: Ezra

Ezra

Bibliography

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: Ezra (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST BOOK OF ESDRAS.

INTRODUCTION.

This Book taketh its name from the writer, who was a holy priest and doctor of the law. He is called by the Hebrews Ezra, (Challoner) and was son, (Tirinus) or rather, unless he lived above 150 years, a descendant of Saraias, 4 Kings xxv. 18. It is thought that he returned first with Zorobabel; and again, at the head of other captives, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, with ample authority. Esdras spent the latter part of his life in exhorting the people, and in explaining to them the law of God. He appeared with great dignity at the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem, 2 Esdras xii. 26, 35. We have four books which bear his name. (Calmet) --- This and the following book of Nehemias, originally made but one in Hebrew, (St. Jerome, &c.) as the transactions of both those great men are recorded. The third and fourth are not in Hebrew nor received into the canon of the Holy Scriptures, though the Greek Church hold the third as canonical, and place it first; (Worthington) and Genebrard would assert that both ought to be received, as they were by several Fathers. But they contain many thing which appear to be erroneous, and have been rejected by others of great authority, and particularly by St. Jerome. The third book seems to have been written very early, by some Hellenist Jew, who was desirous of embellishing the history of Zorobabel; and the fourth was probably composed by some person of the same nation, who had been converted to Christianity, before the end of the second century; and who injudiciously attempted to convert his brethren, by assuming the name of a man who was so much respected. Many things have been falsely attributed to Esdras, on the same account. It is said that he invented the Masora; restored the Scriptures, which had been lost; fixed the canon of twenty-two books; substituted the Chaldaic characters instead of the ancient Hebrew, Samaritan, or Phœnician. But though Esdras might sanction the latter, now become common, the characters might vary insensibly, (Bianconi; Kennicott, Dis. ii.) as those of other languages have done, (Haydock) and the sacred books never perished wholly; nor could the canon be determined in the time of Esdras. (Calmet) --- As for the Masoretic observations and points, they are too modern an invention. (Elias Levita; Capel.; Houbigant, &c.) --- What we know more positively of Esdras, is, (Worthington) that he was empowered by Artaxerxes to bring back the Jews, and that he acted with great zeal. (Haydock) --- This book contains the transactions of 82 years, till the year of the world 3550. The letter of Reum, and the king's answer, (chap. iv. 7., till chap. vi. 19., and well as chap. vii. 12, 27.) are in Chaldean; the rest of the work is in Hebrew. (Calmet) --- We may discover various mysteries concealed under the literal sense of this and the following book. (St. Jerome, ep. ad Paulin.) (Worthington) --- Esdras is supposed by this holy doctor, as well as by some of the Rabbins, &c., to have been the same person with the prophet Malachy[Malachias]; (Button) and several reasons seems to support this conjecture, though it must still remain very uncertain. (Calmet) --- Some think that (Haydock) Esdras wrote only the four last chapters, and the author of Paralipomenon the six preceding ones. (Du Hamel) --- But it is most probable that he compiled both from authentic documents. (Haydock) --- Some few additions may have been inserted since, by divine authority, 2 Esdras xii. 11, 22. (Tirinus)

Gill: Ezra (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA

This book, in the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions, is called the "First" Book of Ezra, Nehemiah being reckoned the "second"; but with the Jews both were accounted but one book ^a; in the Syriac version, it is called the Writing or Book of Ezra the Prophet; and this title is given him, both by Jews ^b and Christians ^c; in the Arabic version, it is called the First Book of Ezra the Priest, skilful in the Law; and that he was a priest is clear, since he was the son of Seraiah the high priest, who was slain by Nebuchadnezzar, and the younger brother of Josedech, who succeeded his father as high priest, and uncle to Joshua that succeeded him; and he was also a ready scribe in the law of Moses, see Ezr 7:1. That Ezra was the writer of this book is believed by the Jews ^d, and by the generality of Christians; only Huetius ^e thinks that the six first chapters were written by another hand, but his reasons are not satisfactory; and it has been universally received as canonical by all; it agrees with the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah, and serves to illustrate them; it is of use for the continuation of the sacred history, to point at the fulfilment of prophecies concerning the return of the Jews from captivity, and the rebuilding of the temple; and to give us an account of the state of the church in those times, the troubles and difficulties it met with, and what care was taken to keep the tribes and families distinct, that it might be known from whom the Messiah sprung; this book contains an history of seventy years, according to the calculation of Bishop Usher ^f, from A. M. 3468, to A. M. 3538.

Gill: Ezra 6 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 6

Darius, on receiving the letter from his officers in Samaria, searched for the decree of Cyrus, and found it, and which he confirmed, Ezr 6:1 and made a fresh decree, and ordered expenses to be given out of his tribute for the building of the temple, and for the sacrifices of it; and that whosoever altered it should be hanged on the timber of his own house, and imprecated a curse on those that should destroy the house of God, Ezr 6:8 upon which the building went on, and was finished, Ezr 6:13 and the temple was dedicated to God in a solemn manner, Ezr 6:16, and the passover was kept by all the people, Ezr 6:19.