Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 5:1

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.

Chap. Ezr 5:1-2 . The Voice of the Prophets and the National Revival

1. Then the prophets ] R.V. Now the prophets. The beginning of a new paragraph, cf. Ezr 1:1, Ezr 2:1, Ezr 3:8, Ezr 4:1.

Haggai the prophet ] After ‘the prophets’, immediately preceding, this designation seems superfluous. But a comparison with chap. Ezr 6:14, Hag 1:1, shows that the phrase was commonly attached to Haggai’s name. The short extant book of Haggai’s prophecy combines reproof for the neglect with encouragement for the renewal of the work on the Temple. The book preserves prophecies uttered in the second year of Darius, (1) on the first day of the sixth month (Ezr 1:1), (2) on the twenty-first day of the seventh month (Ezr 2:1), (3) on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Ezr 2:10).

Zechariah the son of Iddo ] cf. Ezr 6:14. In Zec 1:1; Zec 1:7 he is called ‘Zechariah the son of Berechiah the son of Iddo the prophet’. An ‘Iddo’ is mentioned in Neh 12:4 among the heads of priestly families that returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua: again in Neh 12:16 we find a Zechariah mentioned as the son of Iddo and the head of a priestly house, in the days of Nehemiah. Zechariah was probably the grandson of Iddo, and in the genealogies called in preference ‘the son of Iddo’ rather than ‘the son of Berechiah’, either on account of his father’s early death, or because the name of ‘Zechariah the son of Berechiah’ would have been liable to confusion with ‘Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah’ (Isa 8:2). In the same way Laban is called the son of Nahor, not of Bethuel (cf. Gen 24:47; Gen 29:5), Jehu the son of Nimshi, not of Jehoshaphat (1Ki 19:16; 2Ki 9:14; 2Ki 9:20), because the grandfather was the better known and the reputed founder of the house.

Zechariah must have been a very young man (cf. Zec 2:4) when he began to prophesy, if (which is hardly likely) he was still alive in the time of Nehemiah (445 b.c.). The date given to the first prophecy in his book is the eighth month of the second year of king Darius (Zec 1:1).

Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem ] i.e. as distinguished from the Jews that were in the Captivity in Babylon.

in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them ] R.V. in the name of the God of Israel prophesied they unto them. R.V. marg. in the name of the God of Israel which was upon them. The words ‘unto’ or ‘upon them’ close the verse strangely. The R.V. text expresses with greater distinctness the rendering of the A.V. ‘unto them’. The rendering of the R.V. margin ‘which was upon them’ (i.e. the name of the God of Israel) although a harsh condensed expression, seems preferable. It is not at first sight evident who are intended by ‘upon them’. Most commentators accepting this rendering explain the words as having reference to the two prophets, and illustrate them by Jer 15:16, ‘Thy word was unto me a joy and the rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.’ This indeed is very possible. But the other explanation, which refers ‘which was upon them’ to ‘the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem’, seems most suited to the context. Not the ground of the personal courage of the two prophets, but the basis of their prophetic appeal, i.e. the spiritual calling of the nation, is the purport of the phrase. The prophets prophesied to the Jews in the name of the God Who had chosen them, Whose Name was called upon them. Cf. Isa 43:5-7; Isa 63:19; Isa 65:1; Jer 7:10; Jer 7:14; Jer 7:30; Dan 9:18-19. The message of the prophets was to arouse the people from their neglect of the spiritual work which they were to perform a work of which the Temple was a pledge, the testimony to the nations that God had made Himself known unto Israel.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Haggai and Zechariah stirred up Zerubbabel and Joshua Ezr 5:2; Hag 1:14, and warned the people against neglecting the building of the temple, in order to give themselves to the beautifying of their own houses (see Hag 1:4, Hag 1:9). Zechariah was the son of Berechiah, and grandson of Iddo (see the marginal reference; Mat 23:35). Compare a similar application of son in the case of Jehu (see the 2Ki 9:20 note).

In the name of the God of Israel, even unto them – Rather, in the name of the God of Israel, which was upon them. The two prophets addressed the Jews, in respect of their being Gods people, or, in Hebrew phrase (see the Jer 15:16 margin), having Gods name called upon them.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Ezr 5:1; Ezr 5:9

Then the prophets, Haggai.

The great work resumed

The best commentary on these verses is the first chapter of Haggai.

I. The inciters to the west.

1. Want of interest in the work is implied.

2. Obligation to perform the work is implied.

3. Exhortations to resume the work were given.

II. The leaders in the work. Then rose up Zerubbabel, etc.

1. They resumed the work readily.

2. They led the work appropriately. Those that are in places of dignity and power, ought with their dignity to put honour upon and with their power to put life into every good work.

3. They led work influentially. The example of those who occupy high stations is–

(1) Most conspicuous.

(2) Most attractive.

III. The helpers in the work. The prophets. They assisted by their–

1. Exhortations to vigorous prosecution of the work.

2. Assurances of the presence of God with them.

3. Promises of future blessings from God to them.

IV. The great first cause of the work. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, etc. All holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed from Him. I will build My Church, said our Lord to Peter. All the inspiration, wisdom, etc., of the under-builders come from him. Learn–

1. The insidious nature of worldliness.

2. The value of faithful ministers.

3. The solemn obligation of men in eminent stations. (William Jones.)

Hebrew prophets in unfavourable times

The Hebrew prophets came when the circumstances of society were least favourable. Like painters arising to adorn a dingy city, like poets singing of summer in the winter of discontent, like flowers in the wilderness, like wells in the desert, they brought life and strength and gladness to the helpless and despondent, because they came from God. The literary form of their work reflected the civilisation of their day, but there was on it a light that never shone on sea or shore, and this they knew to be the light of God. We never find a true religious revival springing from the spirit of the age. Such a revival always begins in one or two choice souls–in a Moses, a Samuel, a John the Baptist, a St. Bernard, a Jonathan-Edwards, a Wesley, a Newman. (W. F. Adeney, M. A.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER V

Haggai and Zechariah the prophets encourage Zerubbabel and

Jeshua to proceed with the building of the temple, 1, 2.

Tatnai, the governor of the provinces on this side the

Euphrates, and his companions, inquire by what authority

they do this, 3-5.

They write to Darius; a copy of the letter, 6-16.

They request to know how they are to proceed, 17.

NOTES ON CHAP. V

Verse 1. Haggai – and Zechariah] These are the same whose writings we have among the twelve minor prophets.

The son of Iddo] That is, the grandson of Iddo; for Zechariah was the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo. See his prophecy, Zec 1:1.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Zechariah the son of Iddo, i.e. Iddos grandchild; for he was the son of Berechiah. In the name of the God of Israel; commanding them from God to return to the work of building the temple, with promise of his favour and assistance.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. Then the prophets . . .prophesied . . . in the name of the God of IsraelFrom therecorded writings of Haggai and Zechariah, it appears that thedifficulties experienced and the many obstacles thrown in the way hadfirst cooled the zeal of the Jews in the building of the temple, andthen led to an abandonment of the work, under a pretended belief thatthe time for rebuilding it had not yet come (Hag1:2-11). For fifteen years the work was completely suspended.These two prophets upbraided them with severe reproaches for theirsloth, negligence, and worldly selfishness (Hag1:4), threatened them with severe judgments if they continuedbackward, and promised that they would be blessed with great nationalprosperity if they resumed and prosecuted the work with alacrity andvigor.

Zechariah the son ofIddothat is, grandson (Zec1:1).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo,…. The grandson of Iddo; for he was the son of Berechiah, Zec 1:1,

prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel; this they both did in the second year of Darius; the one began in the sixth month, and the other in the eighth month of the year, Hag 1:1, even “unto them”; or “against them”, as De Dieu; reproving them for their sloth and neglect of building the temple, when they were careful enough to raise up goodly houses for themselves to dwell in; and for being intimidated by the command of the king of Persia, which only forbid the building of the city, that is, the walls of it, but not the temple any more than their own houses; and besides, there was now a new king, from whom they had not so much to fear.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

“The prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel upon them.” without , which this word occasionally loses in Hebrew also, comp. 1Sa 10:6, 1Sa 10:13; Jer 26:9. The epithet added to the name of Haggai serves to distinguish him from others of the same name, and as well as , Hagg. Hag 1:1, Hag 1:3, Hag 1:12, and elsewhere, is used instead of the name of his father; hence, after Zechariah is named, the prophets, as designating the position of both, can follow. , they prophesied to (not against) the Jews; as in Eze 37:4, = , Eze 37:9; Eze 36:1. The Jews in Judah and Jerusalem, in contradistinction to Jews dwelling elsewhere, especially to those who had remained in Babylon. belongs to , in the name of God, who was upon them, who was come upon them, had manifested Himself to them. Comp. Jer 15:16.

Ezr 5:2

“Then rose up Zerubbabel … and Joshua … and began to build the house of God at Jerusalem, and with them the prophets of God helping them.” The beginning to build is (Ezr 3:6, etc.) the commencement of the building properly so called, upon the foundations laid, Ezr 3:10; for what was done after this foundation-laying till a stop was put to the work, was so unimportant that no further notice is taken of it. The “prophets of God” are those mentioned Ezr 5:1, viz., Haggai, and Zechariah the son, i.e., grandson, of Iddo, for his father’s name was Berechiah (see Introd. to Zechariah). Haggai entered upon his work on the first day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius; and his first address made such an impression, that Zerubbabel and Joshua with the people set about the intermitted work of building as early as the twenty-fourth day of the same month (comp. Hag 1:1 and Hag 1:14.). Two months later, viz., in the eighth month of the same year, Zechariah began to exhort the people to turn sincerely to the Lord their God, and not to relapse into the sins of their fathers.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

The Jews Encouraged by Their Prophets.

B. C. 520.

      1 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.   2 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.

      Some reckon that the building of the temple was suspended for only nine years; I am willing to believe that fifteen years were the utmost. During this time they had an altar and a tabernacle, which no doubt they made use of. When we cannot do what we would we must do what we can in the service of God, and be sorry we can do no better. But the counsellors that were hired to hinder the work (ch. iv. 5) told them, and perhaps with a pretence to inspiration, that the time had not come for the building of the temple (Hag. i. 2), urging that it was long ere the time came for the building of Solomon’s temple; and thus the people were made easy in their own ceiled houses, while God’s house lay waste. Now here we are told how life was put into that good cause which seemed to lie dead.

      I. They had two good ministers, who, in God’s name, earnestly persuaded them to put the wheel of business in motion again. Observe,

      1. Who these ministers were, namely, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, who both began to prophesy in the second year of Darius, as appears, Hag 1:1; Zec 1:1. Note, (1.) The temple of God among men is to be built by prophecy, not by secular force (that often hinders it, but seldom furthers it), but by the word of God. As the weapons of our warfare, so the instruments of our building, are not carnal, but spiritual, and they are the ministers of the gospel that are the master-builders. (2.) It is the business of God’s prophets to stir up God’s people to that which is good, and to help them in it, to strengthen their hands, and, by suitable considerations fetched from the word of God, to quicken them to their duty and encourage them in it. (3.) It is a sign that God has mercy in store for a people when he raises up prophets among them to be their helpers in the way and work of God, their guides, overseers, and rulers.

      2. To whom they were sent. They prophesied unto the Jews (for, as to them pertained the giving of the law, so also the gift of prophecy, and therefore they are called the children of the prophets, Acts iii. 25, because they were educated under their tuition and instruction), even unto them, upon them, even upon them (so it is in the original), as Ezekiel prophesied upon the dry bones, that they might live, Ezek. xxxvii. 4. They prophesied against them (so bishop Patrick), for they reproved them because they did not build the temple. The word of God, if it be not received now as a testimony to us, will be received now as a testimony to us, will be received another day as a testimony against us, and will judge us.

      3. Who sent them. They prophesied in the name, or (as some read it) in the cause, or for the sake, of the God of Israel; they spoke by commission from him, and argued from his authority over them, his interest in them, and the concern of his glory among them.

      II. They had two good magistrates, who were forward and active in this work. Zerubbabel their chief prince, and Jeshua their chief priest, v. 2. Those that are in places of dignity and power ought with their dignity to put honour upon and with their power to put life into every good work: thus it becomes those that preceded, and those that preside, with an exemplary care and zeal to fulfil all righteousness and to go before in a good work. These great men thought it no disparagement to them, but a happiness, to be taught and prescribed to by the prophets of the Lord, and were glad of their help in reviving this good work. Read the Ezr 5:1; Ezr 5:2; Hag 1:1-15 here (for that is the best comment on these two verses) and see what great things God does by his word, which he magnifies above all his name, and by his Spirit working with it.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Ezra – Chapter 5

Prophetic Exhortation, verses 1-5

Two of the prophets of the returned remnant are introduced in this passage. They were writing prophets, whose. inspired messages are recorded in the Old Testament. God used the ministry of these two preachers to spur the remnant to resume the construction of the temple. Haggai’s short prophecy very graphically presents the situation in Jerusalem at the time. The people were reluctant, perhaps afraid, to resume the building, and he showed that they were losing God’s blessings by their procrastination (Hag 1:2-11).

Zechariah uses a number of vivid visions from the Lord to portray the situation, encouraging the remnant to rise up and build the temple. In his apocalyptical visions (chapters 9-14) Zechariah gives a number of prophecies relating to both the first and second advent of the Lord. These things were meant to give confidence and encouragement to the depressed remnant in Jerusalem. They seemed to face opposition every way they turned, but God had not forgot them, and would give them success at last.

Zerubbabel and Jesua acted upon the word of the Lord by these two prophets and called the people back to the work of building. At the same time the opposition reappeared, this time in a new set of rulers.

Tatnai was the new governor, joined by another high official named Shethar-boznai. Their inquiry of the Jews’ business does not seem, however, to be done as belligerently as was that of their predecessors. The people had repented of their ways under the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, and the Lord had softened attitudes toward them, to give them the ultimate victory the prophets had promised if they would believe.

Tatnai inquired by what authority they were rebuilding the temple and wall. Here the wall evidently refers to the wall enclosing the temple itself. The English translation of verse 4, in the King James Version, is somewhat confusing, making it seem that the Jews ask the Persian officials the names of those doing the building. Other versions seem to give the more accurate translation, “Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building” (New American Standard), thus making the verse a statement rather than a question. Tatnai’s report to the new king, Darius, appears to be less antagonistic than had been that of Rehum. Because of God’s favor on the Jews they were not compelled to cease the work while they waited an answer to Tatnai’s report to Darius.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

THE PROGRAM OPPOSED BUT PROSPERED

IN concluding our last address we dealt with the enthusiasm of age, and listened to the cracked but enthusiastic voices of the old men who wept and laughed and shouted at the sight of even the foundation of the new house. But it is one thing to lay the foundation, it is another to complete the building.

Chapters four to six are a report of progress, and they prove the unity of the race and the universality of human experience, in that this report carries both the outline of plans and the description of opponents, the record of progress and the recital of opposition.

Such is life! There are instances in which the progress of life is marked, but seldom indeed is it smoothly made or delightfully accomplished. Once in a while we enjoy a solid week of sunshine, but seldom or never a month. The clouds darken, the thunders roll, the lightnings flash, the drenching rains fall; or, if at another season, the winds blow, the snow drives into the face, the hoar-frost bites into the very earth. It is perhaps well that these things are so. An eternal sunshine would be monotonous, and everlasting summer would thin the blood, sap the strength and result in ennui.

The opening sentence of this chapter, Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard, is the basis of the above remarks. Life itself is seldom free from adversaries, and constructive plans and material progress are never free from them. A man who does nothing may be the subject of scoff, even of contempt, but he never experiences opposition. It is when we begin to build either ourselves or institutions that our true enemies arrive, and bitter opposition is known, but the true man will carry on, and the man who yields to Divine leadership will mark progress.

This bit of history reveals some essential truths, and they have a wider application than appears upon first reading. For instance, we find here the opposition to the program, the prophets appeal, and the kings final approval.

THE PROGRAM OPPOSED

The first step is a sinister attempt. That certainly is discoverable in the language of Scripture. The opening sentence tells us that these men were the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, and yet they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

A slight analysis, please! First, these men are adversaries; second, these men profess to be friends; third, these men profess to believe in the same God; fourth, these men admit essential differences!

Whenever a known adversary professes to be a friend, it is well to sound out his motives, determine if possible his objectives.

Again, when a man agrees with us at one point of religion, and disagrees at another, it is well to discover how essential is the agreement, and how important is the disagreement.

These people might have been in one of three companies: The remainder of the Israelitish inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom who had remained behind when their brethren were violently expelled by the Syrians, and who had always been enemies to Judah and Benjamin. Such men were the ancestors of the Galileans of the New Testament times. They might have been the offspring of Israelitish priests who were sent at the request of the captives to teach them the religion of the land when they were alarmed at an incursion of lions (2Ki 17:25-28).

On the other hand, it seems fairly clear from the text that they were neither of these, for the text tells us that Esar-Haddon, king of Assur, had brought them up to that land, a statement which identifies them as aliens and foreigners, with no kinship to Judah or Benjamin, but who by contact with left-over Jews had learned of Jehovah, and probably added Him to their pantheon.

There are men not a few who are willing to take up another god. Polytheists are not annoyed by numbers. Friendliness is their uniform attitude! Having no deep convictions of truth, they can add to their collection without any sense of compromise; in fact, another god is to them all to the good, and their very philosophy of religion renders them friendly, and courteous speech is their religious approach. The devil himself sought fellowship with Jesus on the same ground, and Judas Iscariot, his adequate representative, in the pretense of worship called Him Master, and kissed Him.

Gentle approach and smooth speech are alike tools of the adversary. The tigers claw has a velvet cover. The Modernists appeal for the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man shows him to be the religious descendant of the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin.

There are some men whose assistance in building even the house of God were better not had. The saloon man on the corner, the scarlet woman across the street, the candidate for mayor, the ward politicianthese are all willing contributors to your sanctuary. Only give them a chance, and they will come across with a subscription and lay down the spot cash, and even express their appreciation of being honored by your request. They say, Why should we be at war? Jesus was a Prince of Peace. Let us forget our differences, and recall the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, and fellowship. Ill help you in your great enterprise, and you will at least agree not to interfere in my affairs.

Such is history! Not the history of Ezras day, but the history of my day. Such is humanity ! Not the humanity of three thousand years ago, but the humanity of this moment.

The sinister attempt is uncovered.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

How rude! How unsympathetic ! How coarse! What do you think of such Christianity? A Christianity that will not have the help of men who volunteer the same; a Christianity that will not permit people to engage in a good work; a Christianity that will not accept aid from the world in putting over its great and glorious enterprises!

Is that the Christianity of Christ? We rather think so. The Old Testament which He approved, taught that two could not walk together except they be agreed, and the New Testament gives very little countenance to worldly fellowships. John writes: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1Jn 2:15), and the same John went to a frightful extreme, in the judgment of some people, saying,

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds (2Jn 1:9-11).

Paul wrote, Be not conformed to this world. History seems to be replete with illustrations of the fact that whenever the church invites and accepts the cooperation of the world, it takes into its bosom an enemy, and will be compelled later to discover that fact.

Mark the conduct here! These very men who a few hours before were pretending friendship and were keen to make their contributions, are no sooner rejected than their true spirit evinces itself, and they set themselves to the task of weakening the hands of the people of Judah, and trouble them in their building, and hire counsels against them, frustrate their purpose, and finally address an accusation to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, and lodge against them the most serious complaints. It is a fine thing to be free from close fellowship with such pretenders, to be independent of such hypocrites, to be rid forever of such courting rebels (Ezr 4:4-16)

Here again history repeats itself. Ecclesiasticism in the last fifteen years has become apostate. Its denominational organizations have almost uniformly corrupted religion, denying the faith and substituting a new godEvolutionfor Jehovah, and yet they tell us they believe in our God and want to work with us on the inclusive basis. In the name of brotherhood they seek for united endeavor on the part of Unitarians and Trinitarians.

As one has put it, They think by these two wingsUnitarianism on the one side, and Trinitarianism on the other, Ecclesiasticism is to mark progress.

But will she? When did Christianity ever succeed on such a basis? What has Latitudinarianism done for the church of God except to degenerate her? When and where did the inclusive policy bless foreign missions or missions at home? When and where did any church ever accept the compliments and co-operation of the world without at the same time losing its spiritual life? The attempt to thus widen the true channel of Christianity has only resulted in creating swamps in which the very life of spiritual religion is threatened.

Charity doesnt consist in the surrender of convictions; it is not strengthened by the breaking down of all barriers. Life is more exclusive than death. In the cemetery there are no divisions. In the graveyard friend and foe find no occasion of controversy; but among living men debates are possible, even desirable; and there is such a thing as a righteous contention for the faith, and battle even unto the death, in behalf of the truth.

I do not know one church in the United States, nor am I familiar with one in the Canadian provinces, nor have I ever heard of one in Europe, or Asia, or Africa, or China, or Japan, that proved itself a power for good and for God after it had compromised with false religions, descended to a modicum of doctrine or none, and proceeded upon a basis of co-operation with and from the world.

They carried their case to the highest court. In this instance it was Artaxerxes, the conqueror, the Persian, who had defeated Cyrus and had come into power. Artaxerxes was not a king who had created a country, but he had captured a country, and the opponents of Judah and Benjamin reasoned that he would be keen about his resources, and would demand the loyalty of his subjects in tax paying. They appealed, therefore, to his personal selfishness, his honor (Ezr 4:14), his security (Ezr 4:15), and particularly to his interest in toll, tribute and custom (Ezr 4:13).

Times have changed, but not the customs of men. To this day the two institutions that are most easily excited upon all these subjects are the State and the Church. The administrators of state are very solicitous on the subject of patriotism, and still more determined upon the principle of tax-paying, and when one remembers our misgoverned world is a world of nations that increase tributes, and customs, and taxes daily, and through the power of oligarchy oppress the long-suffering people, he might imagine that if you look to the church, the great ecclesiastical body that now sets itself up as sister to the State, or, as in some instances as the States competitor, it would provide another vision; but alas! not so!

The Artaxerxes of ecclesiasticism is today a conqueror also, and not a creator; and the interest of ecclesiasticism is not in the good of the people, but in the perfection and continuation of its own organization and in the execution of its own personally selfish program. Alas, for that individual preacher or that individual church that refuses to bow down before the ecclesiastical potentate! He is not always named a pope, nor in all branches of ecclesiasticism is he even called a bishop, but he is making his authority increasingly known, and the weight of his hand to be increasingly felt; and if any individual refuses to pay toll, tribute and custom, or any church fails to practice the same, the mailed fist of judgment falls.

There was a time when in all Congregational bodies it was supposed, and repeatedly asserted, that they knew no masters, that they recognized no overlords; but alas for the triumph of Modernism! Today no priest-ridden organization is more tyrannized over than Baptist, Congregational, Disciple, and other supposedly autonomous bodies.

The preacher who, like Daniel, refuses to bend the knee to that authority, is sent to the lions den, and unlike Daniel, is often destroyed, in official standing and employment prospect, by hungry secretaries. The church that does not bend the knee is blacklisted and browbeaten, and by processes of court, as with the Baptists in California, Oklahoma, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and now in New York, the property is taken from the majority and turned over to the use of those who worship the machine, and who recognize no other God.

The behavior of ecclesiastical potentates in this matter suffers by comparison with that of Artaxerxes, for while he did demand the cessation of temple building (Ezr 4:17-22), and caused the work to be suspended (Ezr 4:23-24), he did not appropriate that which had been accomplished to personal use, nor turn a totally deaf ear to the true prophets of God, as the present-day ecclesiastical potentate is wont to do.

THE PROPHETS APPEAL

Turn now to the fifth chapter, and new persons appear upon the scene, and new voices are heard in the matter at issue. Haggai and Zechariah become the spokesmen. They address themselves to the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the Name of the God of Israel, and the effect of their words is recorded in this fact, 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 5:1-2).

Who will say that speakers are useless? Who will say there is no power in preaching? Who will say that in the matter of material building, or a question of platforms, the prophet has no influence? When did the cause of God ever mark progress apart from it, and when did the people ever undertake big things without his leadership?

Eloquence is born of conviction, and action is often the fruit of eloquence. The greatest leaders are commonly both seers and speakers, and whenever the cause of God marks progress, you will find the hands of the minister and those of the layman are linked.

Politicians are often the opponents of prophets.

At the same time came to them Tatrni, 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?

Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building (Ezr 5:3-4)?

How modern that sounds! It is like the chiding of the present-day secretary: What right have you to lead this church in any direction except that prescribed by us overlords? What right have you to call a preacher without consulting us? What right have you to determine where your own money shall be spent, and what individuals and institutions shall be supported? What are the names of the men that dare oppose us, defy our authority, and depart from our prescriptions.

Let no man imagine the politicians work in the civic realm alone. They are also in ecclesiasticism; and as for differences in methods, at present at least, those of lords of state are more considerate than the rulers of ecclesiasticism.

The Church of God at this time suffers from two sources, and it is practically impossible to determine which menaces it the mostModernism, the denial of all Christian essentials, or ecclesiasticism, the present octopus of overlordship.

Note now the features of the builders defense. First of all, The eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews. That eye is at times the undoing of men. When sin is in the midst, and the eye of God is turned upon it, the judgment day is come; but when men are in the line of Divine appointment, the eye of God upon them is but the light in which to work, and defense for them against all their opponents.

It does for them what the pillar of cloud accomplished in the Exodus. It makes a bright day for the faithful, and an impenetrable night for their enemies.

No civil authority, with criminal intent, can compel the cessation of duty faithfully discharged under Gods eye. No decree is effective against the Divine observation and pleasure. In the Book of Daniel when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are commanded at the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimerto to fall down and worship the image, and are told, If ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, they answer the king,

O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we mil not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Dan 3:15-18).

That is the speech of men who believe that God is looking on. That is the defiance of temporal authority when it sets itself against Gods command, and that is also the revelation of the true believers spirit and the explanation of his loyal and successful service.

But it is possible for men in their fury to go too far, and that is exactly what took place in this instance. They sent a letter to Darius, the king, and that letter proved to be their undoing. It demanded an investigation, and that investigation didnt turn out as they had hoped, but resulted in the discovery of a decree that was not in their favor.

How often history repeats itself! More than once have we seen a committee appointed to investigate, and the committee was created for the express purpose of carrying out a certain policy of oppression, but before the facts were all in, it was found that the committee itself was made incompetent, and its intention had been paralyzed, and truth had triumphed.

Is it not cannily strange how often God brings out of some hiding place the most amazing witnesses, the most unexpected testimonies? These opponents never imagined that such witnesses lived, or that such testimony existed, but in due time they have appeared, and this day, when Modernists are seeking to discredit the authenticity of Gods Word, how often the spade of the archeologist smites the skeptic into silence, undermines his theories, proves false his conclusions, and throws up a wall of defense for the Word! It was so here! Out of the archives of the past came the positive proofs of their right to build. Cyrus, in the first year of his reign, had made a decree to build this house of God (Ezr 5:13). The search ordered by Darius (Ezr 6:1-5) revealed that fact, and reversed the kings decision, effecting

THE KINGS APPROVAL

Truth has a custom of coming abroad. Designing men often forget that fact, and their schemes suffer in consequence. In nine cases out of ten, where ulterior motives control, those entertaining them are hopeful that the truth can be covered up; but that thought is often in vain.

The poet has told us, Truth crushed to earth will rise again, but the inspired pen declares even a greater fact, The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment (Pro 12:19).

He had a proper estimate of values who penned the inspired sentence, Buy the truth, and sell it not (Pro 25:25). More than once in recent years opponents of the truth have found themselves facing defeat. In ecclesiastical circles such opponents have captured our colleges, and by political manipulation, now man our denominational organizations; but those colleges are proving an increasing liability, and in some instances they have had to unload in disgrace that which they shouldered by theft; and all across the American continent, at this moment, there are missionary organizations trembling on the brink of bankruptcy because the truth has come abroad concerning the apostacy of leaders, and the propaganda of falsehood.

What a suggestion this of Gods intervention in human affairs and even His influence over apostate ecclesiasticism! What an encouragement this to the faithful! If God be for us, who can be against us?

We sometimes debate the question as to whether Modernists or Fundamentalists are in the majority. That is not a debatable question, for where God is there the majority always exists; and the powers that be with those that are loyal to Him are more than they that be against Him. The important question then for every Christian is not how he may stand in with the human powers that be, but rather how he may abide a friend of truth, and under the favor Divine.

There are not a few men who are telling us what faithfulness to God is costing them. They are saying that their loyalty has resulted in official opposition and oppression, and in consequence they have lost office and salary and standing, but what are these as against the loss of Gods favor; and which, pray, would such prefer?

You say, That is all very well for the man who has kept his feet under him, retained his job, has a good income, and can care for his family, but right philosophies and even righteous courses do not feed hungry children, nor clothe the wife and little ones. So? Then God has failed, and the text is not trueThe Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psa 84:11).

There are many men whose lack of tact, whose indifference to essential things, whose indolence in discharge of Divinely appointed tasks, whose failure to be sound and intelligent managers, effects unfavorable results that they would fain assign to Fundamentalism, but we still believe with the Psalmist, He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart, shall abide in Thy tabernacle (Psa 15:2; Psa 15:1).

I grant you that for quite a time it looked very bleak for Judah and Benjamin, and the prospects were all in favor of their opponents; but there is here another essential suggestion, namely,

Truth often reverses situations. This whole sixth chapter reveals that fact. The discovery of Cyrus decree converts Darius into a friend. The enemies of Israel have his sharp command, 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 in his place (Ezr 6:7).

Can you imagine the joy that swept the tents of Israel when that sentence had reached them? But even that was only a fair beginning. Follow with Ezr 6:8-12, inclusive. Whoever imagined that it could be soin one daythe king whose decree had been most feared, becoming the friend of friends, and speaking the very words that cleared the whole situation and practically killed the entire opposition? Yes! Some of us know that to be possible. We have seen it done in life. We have gone against enemies ourselves. They have been so big, their voices so loud, their threats so furious, that fear took hold upon us, and it looked like all our future plans were doomed; and then we have seen a change over night. The next morning our enemies were in dishonor, their sinister hopes exposed, and their godless plans thwarted; yea, even made to become contributory, as here (see Ezr 6:13-14). The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice (Psa 97:1).

Truth and time complete Gods projects.

And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

And the Children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,

And offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the Book of Moses.

And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.

For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

And the Children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat,

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel (Ezr 6:15-22).

How marvelous! How much like God! How perfectly in keeping with Christian experience! What project does He indict in our hearts that cannot be carried to successful completion if we are faithful?

It is impossible to complete any great task without meeting opposition. The more Divine the project, the more furious the opponents. Satan has his emissaries a multitude. They are ever ready to set upon the man who builds for God, but that is never an occasion for discouragement; it is rather, when properly understood, a reason for rejoicing.

Opponents to Christian endeavor are a practical demonstration that one is in the Divine will. Christ Himself has gone before us here.

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (Psa 2:1-3).

That is because they are heathen; that is because they hate God; that is because they do not propose to have His Son rule over them. But, what of it?

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.

Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee.

Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling (Psa 2:4-11).

God with you, you are more than conquerors!

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.] i. The work resumed through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets (Ezr. 5:1-2). ii. The workers interrogated by the Persian authorities west of the Euphrates (Ezr. 5:3-5). iii. The letter of the Persian authorities to Darius the king concerning the work (Ezr. 5:6-17).

Ezr. 5:1. Then] shows the close connection of this with the last verse of the previous chapter. Zechariah, the son of Iddo] He was really the son of Berechiah, and the grandson of Iddo (Zec. 1:1). It is probable, as Dean Perowne suggests, that Berechiah had died early, and that there was now no intervening link between the grandfather and the grandson. The son, in giving his pedigree, does not omit his fathers name; the historian passes it over, as of one who was but little known, or already forgotten. In the name of the God of Israel, even unto them] Rather, which was upon them, i.e. the name of God was called upon them, indicating that they belonged to Him (comp. Isa. 4:1; Jer. 15:16).

Ezr. 5:2. Then rose up Zerubbabel and Jeshua] &c. The exhortations of Haggai were addressed chiefly to these two leaders (Hag. 1:1; Hag. 2:2; Hag. 2:4), and speedily they responded to them. In the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the prophet delivered his first message to them; and in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, the work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, was resumed by them and the people (Hag. 1:1; Hag. 1:14-15). Zechariah did not enter upon his mission until the eighth month, which was two months later than Haggai. And with them the prophets of God] Haggai and Zechariah. Helping them] by exhortation, encouragement, &c.

Ezr. 5:3. Tatnai, governor on this side the river] Tatnai was governor (pechah) of the entire country west of the Euphrates, while Zerubbabel was governor (pechah) of Judah only, and was therefore subordinate to Tatnai. Shethar-boznai] was probably the royal scribe or secretary. Who hath commanded] &c. In investigating this matter the Persian magistrates only did their duty.

Ezr. 5:4. Then said we unto them] &c. It is almost certain that the text here has been corrupted in some way, and that the genuine reading is, Then said they unto them, &c. The question was put by the Persian officers to the Jews, as appears from Ezr. 5:9-10.

Ezr. 5:5. And then they returned answer by letter] &c. Schultz: And they then brought back a letter, &c. The letter to be brought back was certainly to come from Darius. Keil: And they should then receive a letter, &c. They (the royal officials) then receive a letter, i.e. obtain a decision.

Ezr. 5:6. The Apharsachites] are probably the same as the Apharsathchites (chap. Ezr. 4:9). See notes on that verse.

Ezr. 5:7. They sent a letter] or a report, a message. All peace] i.e. peace in all things, in every respect.

Ezr. 5:8. With great stones] Margin: Chald., stones of rolling. So also Fuerst, who explains it as denoting heaviness, weight. Ezr. 5:8; Ezr. 6:4, stone of heaviness, i.e. a heavy, large stone, hewn. And timber is laid in the walls] Rawlinson interprets this as the employment of timber as the material of the party walls. Schultz, as indicating the inlaying of the walls with woodwork artistically finished. Keil: The placing of wood in the walls refers to building beams into the wall for flooring; for the building was not so far advanced as to make it possible that this should be said of covering the walls with wainscoting.

Ezr. 5:11. We are the servants] &c. The elders of the Jews when asked for their names replied by stating their relationship to the God of heaven and earth, which implied their obligation to obey Him. Which a great king of Israel builded and set up] Or, and a great king of Israel built and completed it.

Ezr. 5:12. But after that our fathers] &c. Keil: For this reason, because our fathers, &c. Similarly Schultz: On this account, because our fathers, &c. The significance of this verse he expresses thus: It is true the Temple has been destroyed, but this does not show any weakness in their God, but rather His holiness. Nebuchadnezzar could not have destroyed their Temple, and carried them away into captivity, if God had not first withdrawn His protection from them because of their sins.

Ezr. 5:15. Take these vessels] &c. The three unconnected imperatives, take, go forth, lay down, comprehend the three acts, to a certain extent, in one, thus expressing likewise the zeal of Cyrus, and the zeal that Sheshbazzar was expected to exhibit.Schultz. Let the house of God be builded in his place] i.e. in its former sacred place.

Ezr. 5:16. And since that time even until now hath it been in building] These words were probably not a part of the answer of the elders of the Jews to Tatnai, but simply his own statement to the king, which he thought was correct. It was entirely in the interest of the Jews to be silent respecting the fact that Cyrus had allowed an interruption to take place; and Tatnai and his associates were probably quite ignorant of the fact that the work had been suspended.

Ezr. 5:17. The kings treasure house] This is called, in chap. Ezr. 6:1, the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. Important documents were preserved in the treasure house attached to the royal residence.

THE GREAT WORK RESUMED

(Ezr. 5:1-2)

The best commentary on these verses is the first chapter of Haggai. In the light of that chapter we propose to interpret them. For fourteen years the rebuilding of the Temple was stayed. We have now to consider the resumption of the work.
Notice:

I. The inciters to the work. Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews, &c.

1. Want of interest in the work is implied. The Jews were backward at making a new effort to erect the sacred edifice, and needed stirring up to their duty in the matter. They had been building their own houses, attending to their own affairs, and had become indifferent as to the rebuilding of the house of God. They said, The time is not come, the time that the Lords house should be built (Hag. 1:2). Had they been zealous in this affair, they would have renewed their efforts when Darius came to the throne. But the spirit of worldliness possessed them, and they deferred this sacred duty until they were sharply summoned to it.

2. Obligation to perform the work is implied. The prophets summoned them to the work in the name of the God of Israel which was upon them. This implies His authority over them, and their obligation to render loyal obedience to Him. In His name Haggai commanded them to resume this work. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build the house, &c. (Hag. 1:7-8). The Jews did not deny the obligation. Fourteen years previous they had claimed it as their exclusive privilege. At that time they were forcibly prevented from fulfilling it; and afterwards, in process of time, they grew indifferent as to its fulfilment, and while acknowledging the obligation, they postponed its discharge. By neglecting the performance of duty our sense of its sacredness and imperativeness will almost certainly be diminished.

3. Exhortations to resume the work were given. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied unto the Jews, &c. The nature of their prophesying we can ascertain by reference to the books which bear their names. In the address of Haggai (Hag. 1:1-11; Hag. 1:13), which led to the resumption of the work, we find

(1.) Earnest remonstrance because of their neglect (Ezr. 5:4).

(2.) Solemn and repeated summons to reflection, Consider your ways (Ezr. 5:5; Ezr. 5:7).

(3.) Interpretation of the Divine dealings with them, showing that God had withheld His blessing because of their neglect (Ezr. 5:6; Ezr. 5:9-11).

(4.) Command to build the Temple (Ezr. 5:8).

(5.) Encouragement to them to enter upon the work (Ezr. 5:8 b, 13). Thus the prophet, under the direction of the Most High, endeavoured to arouse them from their sloth, and incite them to interest and effort in the good and great work.

II. The leaders in the work. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build, &c.

1. They resumed the work readily. In less than a month after the summons of Haggai they began the work. On the first day of the sixth month the first prophetic message was delivered to them, and on the twenty-fourth day of the same month actual operations were resumed at the Temple. The readiness of their response is commendable. Delay in the performance of duty is perilous. Promptitude in its discharge is both binding and blessed. (a).

2. They led the work appropriately. It was becoming that Zerubbabel the chief prince, the first man in the state, and Jozadak the chief priest, the first man in the Church, should take the lead in such a work. Those that are in places of dignity and power, as M. Henry observes, ought with their dignity to put honour upon, and with their power to put life into every good work; thus it becomes those that precede, and those that preside, with an exemplary care and zeal to fulfil all righteousness and to go before in a good work.

3. They led the work influentially. All the remnant of the people followed their example, and came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God. The force of example is proverbially great; but it is especially influential in the case of those who hold the position of leaders amongst men. The example of those who occupy high stations is

(1.) Most conspicuous. It is visible with great clearness and to great numbers.

(2.) Most attractive. To the majority of mankind the example of persons in eminent positions, from the mere fact that they occupy such positions, has an influence which is denied to others however wise and worthy they may be. (b). Great is the responsibility of those who are called to the high places of society. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required, &c. (Luk. 12:48).

III. The helpers in the work. And with them were the prophets of God helping them. The nature of the assistance which the prophets rendered in the work may be gathered from the prophecies of Haggai which were delivered after the work was resumed (Haggai 2). They assisted by their

1. Exhortations to vigorous prosecution of the work. Be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, &c. (Ezr. 5:4).

2. Assurances of the presence of God with them. For I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: according to the word that I covenanted with you, &c. (Ezr. 5:4-5). This means more than His mere presence; for He is everywhere present. Whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there, &c. (Psa. 139:7-10). It is an assurance of His gracious and helpful presenceHis presence as their covenant God. With the obedient God is ever present for their protection, encouragement, assistance, &c.

3. Promises of future blessings from God to them. The desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts, &c. (Ezr. 5:7-9). What a mighty inspiration there must have been in promises of such blessings as these, uttered by the prophet of God! He who thus encourages the hearts of workers renders them most valuable help in their work. Thus the earnest thinker, and the firm believer in God, may help those who are engaged in more active labours in building the spiritual temple of our Lord.

IV. The great First Cause of the work. It was God who inspired and sent forth the prophets, and who excited the spirit of the Jewish leaders and people to resume the work. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God. All holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed from Him. He is the great Master-Builder of His own Church. I will build My Church, said our Lord to Peter. All the inspiration and wisdom, the patience and power of the under-builders, come from Him. And to Him be all the praise. (c).

LEARN:

1. The insidious nature of the sin of worldliness. See how gradually and stealthily it came upon the Jews. (d).

2. The value of faithful ministers. They both arouse men to duty, and assist them to perform it.

3. The solemn obligation of men in eminent stations. Let them, like Zerubbabel and Jeshua, be forward in every good work.

ILLUSTRATIONS

(a) Pleasant is it to entertain the picture of ourselves in some future scene, planning wisely, feeling nobly, and executing with the holy triumph of the will; but tis a different thingnot in the green avenues of the future, but in the hot dust of the present momentnot in the dramatic positions of the fancy, but in the plain prosaic nowto do the duty that waits and wants us, and put forth an instant and reverential hand to the noonday or evening task.James Martineau.

(b) As we give them (kings) all advantages of honour, so do we soothe and authorise all their vices and defects, not only by approbation, but by imitation also. Every one of Alexanders followers carried their heads on one side, as he did, and the flatterers of Dionysius ran against one another in his presence, stumbled at, and overturned whatever was under foot, to show that they were as purblind as he. Natural imperfection has sometimes also served to recommend a man to favour. I have seen deafness affected; and because the master hated his wife, Plutarch has seen his courtiers repudiate theirs, whom they loved; and, which is yet more, uncleanness and all manner of dissoluteness has been in fashion; as also disloyalty, blasphemies, cruelty, heresy, superstition, irreligion effeminacy, and worse, if worse there be. And by an example yet more dangerous than that of Mithridates flatterers, who, by how much their master pretended to the honour of a good physician, came to him to have incission and cauteries made in their limbs; for these others suffered the soul, a more delicate and noble part, to be cauterised. But to end where I began: the Emperor Adrian, disputing with the philosopher Favorinus about the interpretation of some word, Favorinus soon yielded him the victory; for which his friends rebuking him, You talk simply, said he, would you not have him wiser than I, who commands thirty legions?Montaigne.

(c) The scribe is more properly said to write than the pen, and he that maketh and keepeth the clock is more properly said to make it go and strike than the wheels and poises that hang upon it, and every workman to effect his work rather than the tools which he uses as his instruments. So the Lord, who is the chief Agent and Mover in all actions, may more fitly be said to bring to pass all things which are done in the earth than any subordinate causes, as meat to nourish us, clothes to keep us warm, the sun to lighten us, friends to provide for us, &c., seeing they are but His instruments.Downame.

Day and night the tides are rising along our shores, filling bay and estuary, silently for the most part, yet surely. The power that draws them resides afar off in the heavenly bodies, and is not seen or noticed, but only inferred. All the goodness of men, their generous impulses, their loves and faiths and inspirations of purity, their zeal and enthusiasm in self-denial and devotionthat great moving tide of goodness which is moving in upon the human heartis derived from God, who, afar off, silent as the moon in summer nights, is drawing all men unto Him.H. W. Beecher.

(d) Nearly all can recall that favourite fiction of their childhoodthe voyage of Sinbad the Sailor into the Indian Sea. They will remember that magnetic rock thatrose from the surface of the placid waters. Silently Sinbads vessel was attracted towards it; silently the bolts were drawn out of the ships side, one by one, through the subtle attraction of that magnetic rock. And when the fated vessel drew so near that every bolt and clamp were unloosed, the whole structure of bulwark, masts, and spars tumbled into ruin on the sea, and the sleeping sailors awoke to their drowning agonies. So stands the magnetic rock of worldliness athwart the Christians path. Its attraction is subtle, silent, slow; but fearfully powerful on every soul that floats within its range. Under its enchanting spell, bolt after bolt of good resolution, clamp after clamp of Christian obligation, are steadily drawn out. What matters it how long, or how fair has been the mans profession of religion, or how flauntingly the flag of his orthodoxy floats from the mast head? Let sudden temptation smite the unbolted professor, and in an hour he is a wreck. He cannot hold together in a tempest of trial, he cannot go out on any cruise of Christian service, because he is no longer held togther by a Divine principle within. It has been silently drawn out of him by that mighty loadstone of attractiona sinful, godless, self-pampering, Christ rejecting world.T. L. Cuyler, D.D.

THE GREAT WORK INVESTIGATED AND CONTINUED

(Ezr. 5:3-5)

I. The sacred work investigated by the secular authorities. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, &c. (Ezr. 5:3-4).

Notice:

1. The nature of the investigation. Two points are inquired into:

(1.) The authority of the builders. Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
(2.) The names of the builders. Then said they unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
2. The spirit of the investigation. It is probable that some of the Samaritan enemies of the Jews, prompted by bitter and hostile feelings, communicated with Tatnai and instigated this inquisition. But as regards the inquisition itself there is nothing to complain of; for

(1.) Tatnai had the authority to make the investigation. He was governor on this side the river; all the country west of the Euphrates was subject unto him. The governorship of Zerubbabel, being of Judea only, was subordinate to that of Tatnai, who therefore acted within the limits of his power in making this inquisition.
(2.) Tatnai exercised his authority in a commendable manner. He made no vexatious or impertinent inquiries. And he presented an impartial and honest report to Darius the king. Very different was the course which he and his associates pursued from that of Rehum and his associates (chap. 4). There is nothing in the conduct of the present Persian officials which bears any resemblance to the unscrupulous and bitter hostility which their predecessors displayed to the Jews.

The eye of the world is upon the work of the Church to-day. And while there are some who would wilfully misrepresent and maliciously oppose that work, there are others who regard it fairly, and speak of it with candour and truthfulness. Let the members of the Church see to it that it shall be apparent to all unprejudiced persons that their work tends to promote truth and righteousness, purity and peace, piety and patriotism. (a).

II. The sacred work carried on through the Divine blessing. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, &c. These words suggest

1. The Divine interest in the work. The eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews is an expression denoting His deep concern in the progress of their undertaking. As we attentive. observe that in which we are greatly interested, so God regards His Church and the enterprises in which it is engaged.

2. The Divine oversight of the work. His eye ever upon the Jewish leaders suggests the accuracy and thoroughness of His knowledge of them and of their great business. In His providence the great God watches over the interests and efforts of His people. (b).

3. The Divine inspiration of the workers. The consciousness that the eye of their God was upon them encouraged the Jews, made even coward spirits brave, and nerved even the feeblest arm for vigorous toil, and so raised them above fear, and enabled them to carry on the work. And to-day to godly souls there is unlimited inspiration in the consciousness that the Divine Eye is upon them. (c).

4. The Divine protection of the workers. The eye of their God upon them clearly involved this. The figure implies not only interest and knowledge and oversight, but also defence. His eye was upon them not only to inspire but also to shield them; not only to mark their perils, but also to preserve them from injury. And in this way the work was carried on. It suffered no interruption by reason of the inquisition of the Persian officials, and the reference of the case to Darius. (d).

If we are engaged in the work of the Lord, we may confidently look to Him for protection. The path of duty is the path of safety. And the consciousness of the eye of our God upon us should make us patient in suffering, calm in peril, earnest in work, and courageous in conflict.

ILLUSTRATIONS

(a) If the Church will go forth to win new victories, she needs only to take fearlessly up the supremacy with which her God has dowered her, namely, the reconciling life of her indwelling Lord. Shutting up all internal questions that make her militant against herself, she is to move on in her own absolute, sublime majesty, militant only against every form of sin, to enthrone the kingdom of God. She must cease to beg favours of worldly policy. She must stop her infamous coquetry with Mammon. She must not be bowing on Sundays to sectarian prejudice, nor on week-days to social respectability, nor ever whisper guilty flatteries to popular sins, nor wait till great public vices are manifestly dying out of themselves, and feeble with approaching dissolution, before she dares strike at them. The staunch, uncompromising sincerity of old Puritans and confessors must be in her muscles. An awful zeal must gird up her loins. Purity, freedom, equity, are to be more to her than costly churches; the prayers of saintly men, and women and children too, her patronage; and her daily speech, the benediction of charity.F. D. Huntington, D.D.

(b) The infinite knowledge of God fits Him to be a special object of trust. How could we depend upon] Him, if He were ignorant of our state? His compassions to pity us, His readiness to relieve us, His power to protect and assist us, would be insignificant, without His omniscience to inform His goodness and direct the arm of His power. This perfection is, as it were, Gods office of intelligence: as you go to your memorandum-book to know what you are to do, so doth God to His omniscience. This perfection is Gods eye, to acquaint Him with the necessities of His Church, and directs all His other attributes in their exercise for and about His people. You may depend upon His mercy that hath promised, and upon His truth to perform; upon His sufficiency to supply you, and His goodness to relieve you, and His righteousness to reward you; because He hath an infinite understanding to know you and your wants, you and your services. And without this knowledge of His, no comfort could be drawn from any other perfection; none of them could be a sure nail to hang our hopes and confidence upon. This is that the Church alway celebrated (Psa. 105:8): He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations; and (Psa. 105:42), He remembered His holy promise; And He remembered for them His covenant (Psa. 106:45). He remembers and understands His covenant, therefore His promise to perform it, and therefore our wants to supply them.S. Charnocke, B.D.

(c) Were the Olympian Agonist inspired by the admiring gaze of applauding thousands? Did the thunders of acclamation which awoke the echoes of Olympus excite the Athlet to higher energies? How, then, shall we be affected who believe that we are ever under the watchful eye of the dread Supreme? The KING looks on those who are running the heavenly racewho are wrestling with spiritual antagonistsand who are handing a cup of cold water to some drooping and thirsty disciple! As the Kings eye brightens with approbation, let us resolve to climb the highest steeps of duty and to walk on the loftiest mountains of holy enterprise!Joseph Parker, D.D.

(d) The tribulation and poverty of His Church is not unknown to Him (Rev. 2:8-9): I know thy works and tribulation, &c. He knows their works, and what tribulation they meet with for Him; He sees their extremities when they are toiling against the wind and tide of the world (Mar. 6:48); yea, the natural exigencies of the multitude are not neglected by Him; He discerns to take care of them. Our Saviour considered the three days fasting of His followers, and miraculously provides a dish for them in the wilderness. No good man is ever out of Gods mind, and therefore never out of His compassionate care: His eye pierceth into their dungeons, and pities their miseries. Joseph may forget his brethren, and the disciples not know Christ when He walks upon the midnight waves and turbulent sea; but a lions den cannot obscure a Daniel from His sight, nor the depths of the whales belly bury Jonah from the Divine understanding: He discerns Peter in his chains, and Stephen under the stones of martyrdom; He knows Lazarus under his tattered rags, and Abel wallowing in his blood; His eye and knowledge goes along with His people, when they are translated into foreign countries, and sold for slaves into the islands of the Grecians, for He will raise them out of the place (Joe. 3:6-7). He would defeat the hopes of the persecutors, and applaud the patience of His people.S. Charnocke, B.D.

THE LETTER TO THE KING CONCERNING THE WORK

(Ezr. 5:6-17)

This letter has three chief divisions, each of which requires brief notice.

I. The inquisition of the Persian authorities. The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, &c. (Ezr. 5:6-10). Here is a report of

1. The observations which they made.

(1.) That the work was being well done. 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. This seems to show that the work was being done in a substantial and excellent manner.

(2.) That the work was being rapidly done. And this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. Inspired by the exhortations of Haggai the prophet, and encouraged by the example of Zerubbabel the prince, and Jeshua the chief priest, the people worked zealously and the edifice was progressing quickly.

2. The inquiries which they proposed.

(1.) As to the authority of the builders. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? (comp. Ezr. 5:3).

(2.) As to the names of the builders. We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them (comp. Ezr. 5:4).

II. The reply of the Jewish leaders. And thus they returned us answer, saying, &c. (Ezr. 5:11-16). This answer is remarkable both for its prudence and for its piety. It seems to us to present the following aspects of the work. That it was

1. Not a mere human enterprise, but a Divine commission. When asked to give their own names, the Jewish elders replied, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, &c. Of their personal names and distinctions they say nothing; but assert that in rebuilding the Temple of Jehovah they were acting as servants of the Supreme Being, whom they were bound to obey. The work was to them not optional, but obligatory.

2. Not an innovation, but a restoration. We build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. Nearly five hundred years had passed since Solomon built the first Temple. The building they were raising was not a novel invention of their own, but was supported by the venerable antiquity of its predecessor, and by the fame of the great king which built that predecessor.

3. Not in a spirit of presumption and pride, but of obedience and humility. 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. At least three portions of this statement have a bearing of more or less importance in the present position of affairs.

(1.) That the destruction of the former Temple was not owing to any imperfection on the part of their God. Nebuchadnezzar did not prevail against Him. This testimony vindicates Him against any imputation of inability to defend His people and His Temple.
(2.) That the destruction of their former Temple was owing to their God having forsaken them. He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He withdrew His protection from them, and they speedily fell before the Chaldeans.
(3.) That their God forsook them because of their numerous and heinous sins. Their fathers provoked Him unto wrath by abominable idolatries, and He retired, leaving them to themselves and to the gods whom they had chosen. They forsook God, then God forsook them. This testimony reveals the fact that it was in a spirit of penitence rather than of presumption that they were working. It also shows the obligatoriness of the work: having seen the evil of their ways and returned unto Jehovah their God, it behoved them to rebuild the Temple for His worship.
4. Not in opposition to, but in conformity with, royal authority. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, &c. (Ezr. 5:13-16). Three things (which we have already noticed) are here laid down.

(1.) That the work was commanded by King Cyrus. King Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. Let the house of God be builded in his place (comp. chap. Ezr. 1:1-3).

(2.) That the work was assisted by King Cyrus. And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, &c. (Ezr. 5:14-15, and comp. chap. Ezr. 1:4-11).

(3.) That the work was carried on by the officer appointed by king Cyrus. Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem, &c. (Ezr. 5:16, and comp. Ezr. 5:2, and chap. Ezr. 1:8). Thus they show that in this work they were obedient and loyal subjects of the Persian monarch.

5. Not political, but religious in its character. They were building an edifice which was designed not for plotting but for piety, not for political schemes but for religious servicesthe house of God. Moreover, they were not building this Temple to any merely local or national deity, but to the One Supreme Beingthe God of heaven and earth. Thus the reply of the Jewish elders was fitted to honour Jehovah their God, and to disarm the opposition of men; it was both pious and prudent. (a).

III. The appeal of the Persian authorities to the king. Now, therefore, if it seem good to the king, &c. They ask Darius

1. To ascertain whether Cyrus did authorise and encourage this work. Let there be search made in the kings treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem.

2. To issue instructions for their guidance in relation to this work. And let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

CONCLUSION:
Two things we may well admire and imitate

1. The fairness of the Persian officials. Let us deal justly with those who differ from us in faith or opinion; let us be careful to represent their views and beliefs fairly and accurately, &c. (b).

2. The faithfulness of the Jewish leaders. They witnessed a good confession. Let us imitate them in this. By the testimony both of the lip and of the life, let us honour the God of heaven and earth. (c).

ILLUSTRATIONS

(a) As the hermits were communing together, there arose a question as to which of all the virtues was most necessary to perfection. One said chastity; another, humility; a third, justice. St. Anthony remained silent till all had given their opinion; and then he spoke, Ye have all said well, but none of you have said aright. The virtue most necessary to perfection is prudence; for the most virtuous actions of men, unless governed and directed by prudence, are neither pleasing to God, nor serviceable to others, nor profitable to ourselves.Dict. of Illus.

(b) There are a great many who cannot accept religion as a mere fact. There are a great many on whose minds are thronging thousands of thoughts. There are those who come to religion from the side of their household, and from the side of their affections. And they cannot doubt. Blessed be that man who had such a father and mother, that as long as the memory of father and mother lives he cannot doubt. Under such circumstances, whatever the intellect may do, the heart rectifies it. The intellect may write Scepticism, but the heart rubs it out, and writes Love. But many have no such childhood, no such teaching, and no such association. My memory goes back to the Sabbaths of my childhoodto the bright hill top, to the church-bell, and so long as I remember these things, and have a vision of my mother, and a recollection of my father, I cannot doubt religion. But there are many who had no such parents, or none within their remembrance. Many have had their whole lifes training in the most material elements, some in artistic relations, some in realms of doubt, some in intellectual gladiation. Men come to the subject of religion from entirely different points. And when men come to religion in such ways that they have in themselves no moral witness to the truth, and have suggestions and doubts that they do not seek, but that are forced upon them, there is a certain respect to be paid to them, and a certain sympathy to be experienced for them.H. W. Beecher.

(c) We all have our creeds, and, in spite of ourselves, we profess them;the creed of fashion; the creed of appetite; the creed of a selfish expediency; the creed of a sect; the creed of indifference, which is as irreligious and as bigoted in its way as any other; or the creed of eternal right and Gospel faith. Conduct is the great profession. Behaviour is the perpetual revealing of us. A mans doctrines flow from his fingers ends, and stand out in his doings. What he may say is not his chief profession, but how he acts. Character lets out the secret of his belief; what he does tells what he is. He has put on the Lord Jesus Christ, when he has Christ formed within him. His profession is as natural as the pulse in his veins. The good man makes profession of his goodness by simply being good; but the Christian man will not forget that he is not wholly good till he has joined himself to Christs body. He publishes his adhesion as spontaneously as nature publishes her laws,as the sun its light,as the rose its sweetness; by being steadfast; by shining; by fragrant charities. It costs a graceful elm no spasm to paint a graceful image on our eye, and the sea spreads its mysterious arms around the hemispheres without vanity. They make their nature known by silently keeping its laws. And because the Christian soul is made to be a conscious member in a living organism or church, it keeps its own high law only by being there. Religion belongs in the heartbeat of a mans affections, and the breath of his daily desire; till it has so possessed him, it is a small matter that he keeps its effigy as a connoisseur keeps his marble Apollo,on the outskirts of his practical fortunes. The true hospitality takes it to the heart. But when the heart has taken it in, it will not lock it there, and make it a prisoner. It must go abroad again, for the blessing of man and the praise of God. It will put its owner into the Church, not to show himself, but that he may the better become one with his brethren, and their common Head. So does the religion that is natural unite the public confession of it with the hiding of its inward power.F. D. Huntington, D.D.

The matter of professing Christ appears to be regarded by many as a kind of optional duty, just as optional as it is for light to shine, or goodness to be good, or joy to sing, or gratitude to give thanks, or love to labour and sacrifice for its ends. No, my friends, there is no option here, save as all duties are optional, and eternity hangs on the option we make. Let no one of you receive or allow a different thought. Expect to be open, outstanding witnesses for God, and rejoice to be. In ready and glorious option, take your part with such, and stifle indignantly any lurking thought of being a secret follower.H. Bushnell, D.D.

THE SUPREMACY OF GOD

(Ezr. 5:11)

We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth.

These words lead us to consider

I. The universal supremacy of God. The God of heaven and earth. The idea of sovereignty is involved in the idea of God. The very name of a God includes in it a supremacy and an actual rule. He cannot be conceived as God, but He must be conceived as the highest authority in the world. It is as possible for Him not to be God as not to be supreme. Our text brings to our notice the extent of the Divine supremacy, but we shall do well briefly to notice

1. The ground of the Divine supremacy. God is the universal Sovereign because of

(1.) The perfections of His being. He is infinitely wise, righteous, and kind. He is supreme in authority because He is supreme in ability and excellence. God therefore being an incomprehensible ocean of all perfection, and possessing infinitely all those virtues that may lay a claim to dominion, hath the first foundation of it in His own nature. (a).

(2.) Because all things were created by Him. The maker of anything has an undoubted right over the thing which he has made. The invention is the property of the inventor; the picture, of the painter; the book, of the author. Gods creatorship is most complete; all things, in respect both of matter and of form, were made by Him; therefore His sovereignty is absolute.
(3.) Because all things are sustained by Him. By Him all things consist. He upholds all things by the word of His power. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. He is the Force of all forces; the Superintendent of all laws and processes of nature, &c. As the right to govern resulted from creation, so it is perpetuated by the preservation of things.

(4.) And this supremacy should be the more heartily recognised and responded to by us because of the benefits which He bestows upon us, and especially because of our redemption from sin by Jesus Christ. Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God, &c. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present, &c. (b).

2. The extent of the Divine supremacy.

(1.) It extends throughout heaven. He is the God of heaven. He is supreme over heavenly beings. Angels that excel in strength, do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word. They are His hosts, ministers of His, that do His pleasure. The music and joy of their being is in doing His will. He is supreme over heavenly bodies. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by name.
(2.) It extends throughout earth. He is the God of heaven and earth.

By knowledge supreme, by wisdom Divine,
God governs the earth with gracious design.
Oer beast, bird, and insect His providence reigns,
Whose will first created, whose love still sustains.

He rules over all men. The highest potentate and the humblest peasant are alike under His authority. He bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity, &c. (Isa. 40:23-24). He rules over men in every respect. Nothing pertaining to their life is too great or too small for His oversight and control. Even the bounds of their habitation are determined by Him.

(3.) It extends throughout hell. The devil and his angels are rebels against Gods authority, but they cannot annul that authority, or free themselves from the restraints of His arm. Satan could not afflict Job beyond a certain limit, which was determined by God (Job. 1:12; Job. 2:6). God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, &c. (2Pe. 2:4). The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, &c. (Jud. 1:6). Thus the Divine supremacy is universal in its extent. (c).

II. The great obligation of man. We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth; and are therefore under solemn obligations to obey Him. His will we should accept as our law. And our obedience to Him should be

1. Complete. We should conform to His will in all things. No department of our life is beyond His control. We may not select certain commandments for our obedience, and reject or ignore others. We must have respect unto all His commandments. (d).

2. Perpetual. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Our obedience must be continued as long as our being. The redeemed will serve Him day and night in His Temple through all eternity.

3. Hearty. Mere mechanical obedience is not acceptable to Him. The service of the hireling is an abomination in His sight; but that which is spontaneous and sincere He delights in. (e).

4. Joyous. Obedience to Him should be a pleasure to us. Joyous service is frequently commended in the Scriptures. I will run in the way of Thy commandments. Thy statutes have been my songs. Serve the Lord with gladness. I delight to do Thy will, O my God. (f).

III. The exalted privilege of man. It is deemed an honour to serve human sovereigns and princes. How much greaterhow immeasurably greateris the honour of serving the God of heaven and earth! When the service of God is rightly estimated, it is regarded as a glory, and rejoiced in as a privilege.

CONCLUSION:
What is our attitude towards the sovereignty of God? Do we bow to it only when we are forced to do so, and because we are forced to do so? Or do we rejoice in being the servants of the God of heaven and earth?

ILLUSTRATIONS

(a) This is the natural order God hath placed in His creatures, that the more excellent should rule the inferior. He committed not the government of lower creatures to lions and tigers, that have a delight in blood, but no knowledge of virtue; but to man, who had an eminence in his nature above other creatures, and was formed with a perfect rectitude, and a height of reason to guide the reins over them. In man, the soul being of a more sublime nature, is set of right to rule over the body; the mind, the most excellent faculty of the soul, to rule over the other powers of it; and wisdom, the most excellent habit of the mind, to guide and regulate that in its determinations; and when the body and sensitive appetite control the soul and mind, it is a usurpation against nature, not a rule according to nature. The excellency, therefore, of the Divine nature is the natural foundation for His dominion. He hath wisdom to know what is fit for Him to do, and an immutable righteousness whereby He cannot do anything base and unworthy; He hath a foreknowledge whereby He is able to order all things to answer His own glorious designs and the end of His government, that nothing can go awry, nothing put Him to a stand, and constrain Him to meditate new counsels. So that if it could be supposed that the world had not been created by Him, that the parts of it had met together by chance, and been compacted into such a body, none but God, the supreme and most excellent Being in the world, could have merited, and deservedly challenged the government of it; because nothing had an excellency of nature to capacitate it for it, as He hath, or to enter into a contest with Him for a sufficiency to govern.S. Charnocke, B.D.

(b) That benefit of redemption doth add a stronger right of dominion to God; since He hath not only as a Creator given them being and life as His creatures, but paid a price, the price of His Sons blood, for their rescue from captivity; so that He hath a sovereignty of grace as well as nature, and the ransomed ones belong to Him as Redeemer as well as Creator (1Co. 6:19-20): Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore your body and your spirit are Gods. By this He acquired a right of another kind, and bought us from that uncontrollable lordship we affected over ourselves by the sin of Adam, that He might use us as His own peculiar for His own glory and service. By this redemption there results to God a right over our bodies, over our spirits, over our services, as well as by creation; and to show the strength of this right, the Apostle repeats it, you are bought, a purchase cannot be without a price paid; but he adds price also, bought with a price. To strengthen the title, purchase gave Him a new right, and the greatness of the price established that right. The more a man pays for a thing, the more usually, we say, he deserves to have it; He hath paid enough for it; it was, indeed, price enough, and too much for such vile creatures as we are.Ibid.

(c) The sapphire throne of God, at this moment, is revealed in heaven, where adoring angels cast their crowns before it; and its power is felt on earth, where the works of creation praise the Lord. Even those who acknowledge not the Divine government are compelled to feel it; for He doeth as He wills, not only among the angels in heaven, but among the inhabitants of this lower world. Hell feels the terror of that throne. Those chains of fire, those pangs unutterable, are the awful shadow of the throne of Deity; as God looks down upon the lost, the torment that flashes through their souls darts from His holiness, which cannot endure their sins. The influence of that throne, then, is found in every world where spirits dwell; and in the realms of inanimate nature it bears rule. Every leaf that fades in the trackless forest trembles at the Almightys bidding, and every coral insect that dwelleth in the unfathomable depths of the sea feels and acknowledges the presence of the all-present King.C. H. Spurgeon.

(d) All the commandments have the same Author, and the same sanction. He who thinks to atone for the breach of one by the observation of another; he who reserveth to himself a license of indulging in any favourite, darling lust, while, in general, he preserveth the appearance of an exemplary conduct, is a hypocrite, and, unless he repent, will be brought to shame, if not before men here, yet before men and angels hereafter.Bishop Horne.

The hypocrite is in with one duty, and out with another: like a globous body, he toucheth the law of God in one pointsome particular command he seems zealous for; but meets not in the rest; whereas, the sincere heart lies close to the whole law of God in his desire and endeavour.W. Gurnall.

(e) As fruits artificially raised or forced in the hot-house have not the exquisite flavour of those fruits which are grown naturally, and in their due season; so that obedience which is forced by the terrors of the law, wants the genuine flavour and sweetness of that obedience which springs from a heart warmed and meliorated with the love of God in Christ Jesus.H. G. Salter.

(f) Men are commonly more cheerful in their obedience to a great prince than to a mean peasant, because the quality of the master renders the service more honourable. It is a discredit to a princes government, when his subjects obey him with discontent and dejectedness, as though he were a hard master, and his laws tyrannical and unrighteous. When we pay obedience but with a dull and feeble pace, and a sour and sad temper, we blemish our great Sovereign, imply His commands to be grievous, void of that peace and pleasure He proclaims to be in them; that He deserves no respect from us, if we obey Him because we must, and not because we will. Involuntary obedience deserves not the title: it is rather submission than obedience, an act of the body, not of the mind: a mite of obedience with cheerfulness, is better than a talent without it. The testimonies of God were Davids delight (Psa. 119:24). Our understandings must take pleasure in knowing Him, our wills delightfully embrace Him, and our actions be cheerfully squared to Him.S. Charnocke, B.D.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST SINNING

(Ezr. 5:12)

In this verse we have three weighty reasons for abstaining from sin.

I. It provokes God. Our fathers provoked the God of heaven unto wrath. By many sins, and especially by the practice of idolatry with its accompanying vices, the people of both Israel and Judah had long provoked Jehovah before He suffered them to be carried into exile. The evil of sin, as a provocation of the Most High, will be more impressively realised if we reflect that He is a Being of

1. Infinite purity. He is glorious in holiness; of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity. Sin is the very opposite of holiness; therefore it grieves Him, and if persisted in, it provokes Him. It is the abominable thing, which He hates. Have we not in this a reason for shunning it? (a).

2. Infinite patience. He is not easily provoked; The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He is long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. How wonderful was His forbearance with His ancient people! How long He suffered them, notwithstanding their heinous, widespread, and long-continued sin! Yet at length they provoked Him unto wrath. How wicked and how persistent must the sin be which provokes so patient a Being to anger! Therefore let us flee from sin. (b).

II. It deprives the sinner of His protection. He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean. By their sin the Israelites deprived themselves of the sure defence which His presence afforded to them, and frustrated His gracious purposes in relation to them. This truth is pathetically and beautifully expressed in Psa. 81:11-16 : My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me, &c. By his sin the sinner places himself beyond the protection of the Divine Providence; he takes up the position of a rebel against the Divine government, and so forfeits the rights and privileges which that government confers upon its loyal subjects.

III. It strips the sinner of power to battle with his foes. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon. Bereft of the Divine presence and protection, the men of Israel and of Judah could not stand before their enemies. Guilt robs a man of courage. The consciousness of righteous action in a righteous cause is the mightiest inspiration in conflict and the surest defence in peril. Sin deprives a man of this. Guilt brings faintness into mens hearts; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth, &c. (Lev. 26:36-37). The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion. Or, as Shakespeare expresses it

Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind;
The thief doth fear each bush an officer.

A guilty conscience does make cowards of us all.

And Wordsworth:

From the body of one guilty deed
A thousand ghostly fears and haunting thoughts proceed. (c).

By all these reasons let us beware of sin, shun it, hate it; and follow after holiness. For in respect of holiness we may reverse the argument of our subject, and affirm that

(1) it is well pleasing to God;
(2) it secures to its possessor the Divine protection; and
(3) it invests its possessor with moral strength and courage.

ILLUSTRATIONS

(a) Is it (if the supposition may be allowed) anything merely personal which God condemns in the action of the sinner against Himself? Can the sinner do God any harm? Can the mightiest chief in all the armies of hell pluck one star from the sky, or keep back the light of the sun, or bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? God is not, so to speak, alarmed for His personal government. The offences against His power cost Him no concern, but the offences against His holiness afflict Him with great sorrow. The parent cares nothing for the mere blow of the childs tiny fist, but the passion which prompted it breaks his heart. God has to maintain the public virtue and order of the universe. He fears no stroke of power; but if, for mere convenience of expression, we may distinguish between His personality and His attributes, we may say that offences against His person are forgiven, but offences against His attributes cannot be forgiven apart from confession and repentance on the side of the criminal.Joseph Parker, D.D.

(b) The more His patience is abused, the sharper will be the wrath He inflicts. As His wrath restrained makes His patience long, so His compassions restrained will make His wrath severe; as He doth transcend all creatures in the measures of the one, so He transcends all creatures in the sharpness of the other. Christ is described with feet of brass, as if they burned in a furnace (Rev. 1:15), slow to more, but heavy to crush, and hot to burn. His wrath loseth nothing by delay; it grows the fresher by sleeping, and strikes with greater strength when it awakes: all the time men are abusing His patience, God is whetting His sword, and the longer it is whetting the sharper will be the edge; the longer He is fetching His blow, the smarter it will be. The heavier the cannons are, the more difficultly are they drawn to the besieged town; but, when arrived, they recompense the slowness of their march by the fierceness of their battery. Because I have purged thee, i.e., used means for thy reformation, and waited for it, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused My fury to rest upon thee. I will not go back, neither will I spare; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee (Eze. 24:13-14). God will spare as little then as He spared much before: His wrath will be as raging upon them as the sea of their wickedness was within them. When there is a bank to forbid the irruption of the stream, the waters swell; but when the bank is broke, or the lock taken away, they rush with the greater violence, and ravage more than they would have done had they not met with a stop: the longer a stone is in falling, the more it bruiseth and grinds to powder. There is a greater treasure of wrath laid up by the abuses of patience: every sin must have a just recompense of reward; and therefore every sin, in regard of its aggravations, must be more punished than a sin in the singleness and simplicity of its own nature. As treasures of mercy are kept by God for us, He keeps mercy for thousands; so are treasures of wrath kept by Him to be expended, and a time of expense there must be. Patience will account to Justice all the good offices it hath done the sinner, and demand to be righted by Justice; Justice will take the account from the hands of Patience, and exact a recompense for every disingenuous injury offered to it. When Justice comes to arrest men for their debts, Patience, Mercy, and Goodness will step in as creditors and clap their actions upon them, which will make the condition so much more deplorable.S. Charnocke, B.D.

(c) They say sheep are scared with the clatter of their own feet as they run; so is the sinner with the din of his guilt. No sooner Adam saw his plate off, and himself to be naked, but he is afraid of Gods voice, as if he had never been acquainted with Him. Never can we truly recover our courage till we recover our holiness. If our heart condemn us not, then have we boldness before God (1Jn. 3:21).W. Gurnall.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT

C. The work is resumed by the reign of Darius.
1. The work gets under way.

TEXT, Ezr. 5:1-5

1

When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them,

2

then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

3

At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?

4

Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.

5

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report should come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.

COMMENT

Ezr. 5:1 mentions the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah which prodded the people into resumption of the Temple reconstruction. To see how this was accomplished, read the books which bear these prophets names, especially Hag. 1:4-11 and Zec. 1:16-17. Zechariah is called the son of Iddo; actually he was his grandson (Zec. 1:1). This word, son, is used in this way frequently in genealogies. Note again that the meaning of the word, prophesy, is not restricted to foretelling, but has to do with the conveying of the total message of God: with being Gods spokesman.

Speaking in Gods name, as is mentioned here, meant more than affixing His name to the proclamation. Name indicates character in the Bible; to know ones name signifies a knowledge of ones character. The message of Haggai and Zechariah, then, reflected the character of God, according to Ezras statement.
This verse is peculiar in that it contains several names for Gods people: Jews, Judah, Jerusalem, and Israel, all used interchangeably. This could not have been done in every age, especially during the Divided Monarchy, but it was done from Ezras time on; therefore it is the policy we will follow herein.

Some cultists today try to distinguish between Judah and Israel. They contend that the Jews rejected Jesus but Israel did not; they attempt to link the British (and Americans) with Israel, genealogically, and to say these are Gods Chosen People today. It is obvious that Ezra knew nothing of such a distinction. Many other passages in Ezra call the returnees by the name of Israel (or Sons of Israel): see Ezr. 2:2; Ezr. 2:59; Ezr. 2:70; Ezr. 3:1; Ezr. 3:11; Ezr. 4:3; Ezr. 6:16; Ezr. 6:21. He even calls them all Israel in Ezr. 6:17, which see. We gather from the N.T. (Rev. 3:9) that God is not pleased with those who call themselves Jews and are not. Or Israelites, or Christians, we presume.

Those who returned from captivity were predominantly of the former tribe of Judah, with a healthy sprinkling of persons from the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. It is reasonable to suppose that many from Israel who were carried away by the Assyrians also joined the returnees from Babylon, particularly in the later expeditions. Even without these, however, the company of Judah contained representatives of the other tribes of Israel, who had not been able to go along with the Northern Kingdoms corrupted religious practices during the period of the Divided Monarchy, and who therefore fled to the Southern Kingdom of Judah long before the Captivity had begun (2Ch. 15:9).

This terminology is continued in the N.T., where Matthew (Ezr. 3:5) tells us that all Jerusalem and Judea went up to hear John the Baptist, and Luke (Act. 13:24) speaks of John the Baptists preaching to Israel; and Paul, of the tribe of Benjamin, still refers to himself as an Israelite (Rom. 11:1).

For an explanation of the meaning of these names, see the Word Studies at the end of this chapter.

The main import of Ezr. 5:2 is that the influence of four persons, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, and Zechariah, was combined to resume the rebuilding of the House of God. One of the events of history that probably affected it was that Darius had become king of Persia, as noted in Ezr. 4:24. He was a man of much greater stature and nobility than the previous two; he was more in the mold of Cyrus, a decade earlier.[30] This may have fostered a confidence that they would receive more generous treatment and support in the future.

[30] Historians are particularly generous in their estimates of Darius reign. For a discussion of the comparative merits of these four rulers in Ezra, see Will Durant, Story of Civilization, Our Oriental Heritage, p. 353, where Darius is called the greatest monarch whom Persia ever produced. In the National Geographic Societys Everyday Life in Bible Times, p. 291, it is said that at his death he left the greatest empire the world had ever known.

In Ezr. 5:3 Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai are both known from, and their names and offices verified by, contemporary Aramaic correspondence.[31] Tattenai was governor of all the province west and south of the Euphrates River; on a map this triangle of land would include everything from the border of Babylon to the northeastern tip of the Mediterranean Sea, and down to the border of Egypt. The governors of Syria, Samaria (former Israel), and several other lands would be under his supervision. Shethar-bozenai seems to have been his secretary. The nature of their question was apparently not so much censure as a request for information. Governmental systems such as the Persians are always embarrassed if something is accomplished without their direction and control.

[31] Interpreters Bible, Vol. III, p. 608.

The reply, in Ezr. 5:4, indicates the Jews willingness to reveal the names of their leaders, with no effort to escape the consequences of their actions. The we in this passage is a puzzle, since Ezra was not involved at that stage. One suggestion is that this should be amended to they; there would be only a slight difference in the Aramaic, and the change could be accounted for as a scribal error. Or Ezra may be copying official accounts here, and the we may be the original participants. Or Ezra may be speaking of his nation as including himself; as a sports fan may say of his team, We won the game. The fact is, the language of the O.T. abounds in such changes in the use of pronouns; the people did not make the precise differentiations which we are accustomed to in English. An example would be Psalms 23, with its switch from third to second person and back to third person again.

Translations differ also on whether the reference to the names of the men is a statement or a question, as in the KJV. If a question, then it would appear to be saying that they gave adequate answer, and then listed the question which they answered. The text indicates that they were asked the name of the person who authorized the construction; they replied with the names of the builders in charge of the reconstruction. Ezr. 5:9-10 will show that both questions were asked by Tattenai.

Ezr. 5:5 relates that it was Gods approval and power which was basically responsible for the continuation of the work without obstruction. All was being done under His watchful eye. They were determined now to continue their work unless prevented by official action of Darius in written form. Tattenai therefore allowed the work to go on while he continued his investigation.

WORD STUDIES

PEACE: Aramaic, Shelam; Hebrew, Shalom: Ezr. 5:7. The main idea is wholeness; the verb form is used of being whole, sound, safe, secure, or perfect. Some verses where it is used emphasize health; some, completion; some, peace or friendship; and others, prosperity or reward. Thus the whole round of things, physical and spiritual, that comprise ones well-being, are included in this word.

JERUSALEM: the name was possibly derived from a phrase meaning either Possession of Peace or Foundation of Peace. Some also suggest that the first part of the word may come from the word, light. Abrahams home town of Ur had this as its name, possibly from the light of many windows, or of fires where people gathered to form a community: It became the word for city; coupled with the word just discussed above, it would mean, City of Peace.
JEW: Yehudi: the adjective form of JUDAH: Yehudah. It means, celebrated, lauded, praised (of God).
ISRAEL: Warrior (soldier) of God. The first three letters mean to set in a row: hence, when used of people, to strive or contend (as rows of soldiers do). The ending, El, is the title, God. The person who would set troops in rows would be their chief, or prince: hence the name can mean, Prince of God, or, God is Chief.

In two locations (Deu. 32:15; Deu. 33:5; Deu. 33:26; Isa. 44:2), Israel is called by a nickname: JESHURUN. In Israels early alphabet both names would begin with the same letters. The word, Jeshurun, means, Little straight ones. There may be a contrast between the straightness in this word, and the crookedness in the name, Jacob, which follows.

JACOB: the basic meaning is heel. It was used of one who took another by the heel to trip him up in order to supplant him. Since the heel is where there is a crook in the foot, it also meant crooked, deceiver, one who defrauds. Also, since the heel is the last part of the body to leave a spot, it meant, end, wages, recompense. So Jacob, who took his brother by the heel to supplant him, became a deceiver and eventually received the natural recompense: he himself was deceived. After this happened, he wrestled with Gods messenger and was straightened out. Perhaps the O.T. shows us similarities between the man and the nation which descended from him: first in their relations with God, and then in their history.

HEBREW: this word comes from the preposition, beyond, appearing for example in Ezr. 4:10; hence it describes the people who came from beyond (the Euphrates, Abrahams original home; Gen. 14:13). The name is derived also from Eber (Gen. 10:24 f.) who was one of Abrahams ancestors. The verb form means to pass over; appropriately enough, God had allowed them to pass over the Red Sea and the Jordan River in going from Egypt to the Promised Land. Now once more they were coming from beyond the Euphrates.

The name is used interchangeably with Israel, except that the term, Hebrew, appears to be the name by which they were known to foreigners, and Israel was the name which they called themselves.
The last two terms, Jacob and Hebrew, do not appear in this chapter directly, but are discussed here to give a complete picture.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

V.

(1-2) Now occurs the intervention of the two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, whose testimonies and predictions should at this point be read. They reveal a state of apathy which Ezra does not allude to; such a state of things, in fact, as would have thwarted the whole design of Providence had it not been changed. Hence the abrupt return of the spirit of prophecy, some of the last utterances of which provoked or stirred up as Cyrus had been stirred upthe spirit of the two leaders and of the heads of the families.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE RESUMED, Ezr 5:1-2.

1. Haggai Zechariah These prophets were contemporary, and both were probably among those exiles who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. Prophecies of both of them are extant in the books which bear their names among the minor prophets. It is noticeable that while both are called prophets, yet Haggai is emphatically the prophet, and Zechariah is called here, and at Ezr 6:14, the son of Iddo. In the book of his prophecy Zechariah calls himself “the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo,” from which it appears that Iddo was his grandfather rather than his father. The word son is, therefore, to be understood here, as often elsewhere, in the sense of descendant, either grandson or great grandson. The prophet naturally mentions his own father, but the historian, perhaps because Barachiah had died early, or was little known, calls Zechariah the son of Iddo, who was well known as one of the priests who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. Neh 12:4; Neh 12:16. And as this prophet was of priestly origin, it may be that he is designated by his grandfather’s name rather than his prophetic office to enhance his influence and authority among the Jews. Here would seem to be prophet and priest combined, to rouse and inspire the Jews to action.

Unto them Rather, upon them; that is, upon these prophets. The name of the God of Israel was upon these prophets, inasmuch as they spake by Divine inspiration and authority. Compare Jer 15:16.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

After A Period Of Stagnation Work Begins On The Rebuilding Of The House of God, Which Causes Some Concern To The Persian Governor ( Ezr 4:24 to Ezr 5:5 ).

Revealing that the work on the house of God ceased as a result of the activities of their adversaries the writer now describes how, as a result of the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah, the work on the Temple recommences, something which disturbs the Persian governor of the area because he is concerned about their use of valuable materials which could be being used for warlike purposes.

Ezr 4:24

‘Then the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

The repetition of phrases makes clear that this verse is resuming what has been spoken of in Ezr 4:5. It is a technical device found often in the Old Testament where it is necessary to indicate that what lies in between is a parenthesis. Thus Ezr 4:6-23 are such a parenthesis.

Attention is now drawn to the fact that as a result of the widespread local opposition of their enemies, the work that had begun on the Temple by laying foundations (Ezr 3:8 to Ezr 4:1) had come to a full stop. From the indications given we can probably understand why:

1) Part of the problem probably lay in acts of violence perpetrated on the new community in order to distract them (Ezr 4:4). This might have included threats, and even attacks, on their houses and families if they left them unprotected; their enemies setting fire to fields of grain, as Samson did in the times of the judges; and even vindictive attacks on the persons of the returnees themselves. All this would involve the returnees in having to take protective measures which could only prevent them from concentrating on building the Temple.

2) Furthermore, as we know, much of the timber had to be obtained from Sidon and Tyre (Ezr 3:7). This in itself would mean the work coming to a halt for a time, and with everyone against them we can imagine the difficulties that there would be in getting the supplies through. And once the work had halted for a time the initial enthusiasm would inevitably wane, especially as there were more immediate problems to be dealt with

3) The machination of counsellors who were hired to present a case against them, may well have made them afraid of what the consequences might be of continuing, with the threat of Persian interference hanging over their heads (Ezr 4:5; Ezr 5:3).

4) There were also the problems of erecting a Temple in the face of continual opposition, violently expressed against those who sought to build (Ezr 4:4).

5) Added to all this would be their own need to build their own homes and ensure the welfare of their families (Hag 1:4).

6) Later this situation would be further exacerbated by the local famines which meant that their time was directed elsewhere as they struggled to survive (Hag 1:6; Hag 1:9-11).

Taken together these things would have been sufficient to deter them from making the effort to build the Temple, which in itself was a difficult enough task. It thus took the activity of two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to stir them into action so that they recommenced the work.

Ezr 5:1

‘Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel (who was) over them (or ‘to them’).

Things came to a head when two prophets arose and prophesied to them in the Name of the God of Israel. Their names were Haggai and Zechariah, and their prophecies were to all those who were in Judah and Jerusalem, that is to the returnees and those who supported them. Haggai is always called ‘Haggai the prophet’ (compare Ezr 6:14) even in his own writings. This may well be because his antecedents were unimportant. Zechariah’s family was clearly more distinguished. He was the ‘son of Iddo’, a well known priestly ancestor. We have here a reminder that God takes people from all backgrounds for the carrying out of His purposes. It was Haggai who was the more direct, speaking with great bluntness (see his prophecy), whilst Zechariah was more visionary, although nevertheless at times speaking equally directly. We have a record of both their messages in the books of Haggai and Zechariah.

‘The God of Israel (Who was) over them.’ This may indicate ‘over the prophets’ or it may signify ‘over the people’. In the first case it would emphasise the position of the prophets as servants of YHWH. In the second it would be a reminder of what the people owed to their God as their Sovereign Lord.

Ezr 5:2

‘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.’

The consequence of the preaching of the prophets was that the Jewish leaders, Zerubbabel the governor, and Jeshua the High Priest, spurred on the people to recommence the building of ‘the house of God which was at Jerusalem’, whilst the two prophets continued with their urging, stirring them up and encouraging them to carry on, giving them every assistance by their words. The fact that this continued activity of the prophets had to be mentioned brings out the strength of the opposition to the project. It took all the authority of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, both political and religious, together with all the urgings of the prophets, to ensure that the work carried on. And the problems were exacerbated when the opposition dropped a word in the ear of the Persian the Governor of the Province of Beyond the River, no doubt with deceptive inferences, in order to force him to look into what they were doing. A report of people who were building with ‘massive stones’ would be enough in itself to force him to take an interest.

Ezr 5:3

‘At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor of Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to shape and fashion for use (literally ‘finish’) this material?’

We can well imagine the consternation of the returnees when no less a person than Tattenai, Governor of the Province of Beyond the River, arrived, supported by a group of Persian inspectors, enquiring as to who had given them the order to commence this work and what were the names of the persons involved. It appears to have been a genuine enquiry rather than an accusation, as is evidenced by the fact that the work was allowed to continue while a decision was reached. He could see that they were building a Temple. The ‘material’ was probably the cedar wood from Sidon and Tyre which had presumably arrived a considerable time before, together with timber from the local forests (Ezr 3:7; Hag 1:8). This would have been piled up in readiness for use, although there may also be in it a reference to the blocks of stone which would also have been needed. The word used for ‘material’ is used in Scripture only here and in Ezr 4:9, (translated in LXX as material) and earlier guesses were that it meant ‘wall’, but external Aramaic sources have confirmed that it in fact indicates ‘building materials’.

A similar name to Tattenai (Tattani), together with his designation as ‘Governor of Eber-nari (Beyond the River), has been found in a Babylonian record dated 502 BC. He was under-governor to Ushtani the satrap of Babylon. Shethar-bozenai has been demonstrated from Aramaic papyri to be a good Persian name. The companions were probably Persian inspectors (OP frasarka). This may suggest that tight control was kept by the Persians over the use of valuable building materials. It was with such that prospective rebels made strong fortifications.

Ezr 5:4

‘Then we said to them in this way, what the names of the men were who were making this building.’

The change to ‘we’ is unexpected. It may well suggest a personal reminiscence of the writer as one who was present at the scene, either asserting boldly that ‘we were not afraid to identify ourselves’, or possibly indicating apprehension at having to provide names to the Persian authorities, or both. It would be in answer to a question posed to them as described in Ezr 4:10. The ‘we’ may also be emphasising that ‘all of us’ were involved in the reply, not just the elders. It was thus a declaration of faith, for giving their names might easily have turned against them. But their confidence was in God, and so they were not afraid. The idea would appear to be that in response to the question in Ezr 4:3 the whole party of builders attempted to hide nothing, but boldly and personally took responsibility for what they were doing.

Alternately it may be a direct reflection of Ezr 4:10, while taking up the reference to Tattenai and his inspectors in Ezr 4:3, it being stated in the first person with the purpose of making the background to the question ‘what are the names of the men who are making this building?’ more vivid. Indeed, if Ezr 4:3-4 were being constructed by the writer on the basis of the letter sent to Darius, he may well have been so involved in the spirit of the letter that he utilised the same ‘person’ in relation to the question as was used in Ezr 4:10.

Ezr 5:5

‘And the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.’

The writer then returns to the third person and gives credit to the God of the elders of the Jews for the fact that they were not made to stop working while the matter was being referred to Darius. While the eye of Persia may have been upon them in the person of the inspectors, the eye of God was also upon them too, overruling the eye of the inspectors. And the consequence was that the inspectors did not interfere with the work, but allowed them to continue their work until they had received a reply from Darius. For as Zechariah had made clear, ‘the eyes of YHWH run to and fro throughout the whole earth’ (Zec 4:10) ensuring the fulfilling of His purposes, and this in the direct context of the completing of the building of the Temple.

This reference to the eye of God being on them may be seen as supporting the idea that Ezr 4:4 was meant to be seen as a bold reply to the question posed in Ezr 4:3, put in such a way as to impress the Persian governor.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Eventual Building Of The Temple And The Observance Of The Passover ( Ezr 4:24 to Ezr 6:22 ).

This passage now returns to take up the account of the building of the Temple from Ezr 4:5 where reference was made to the hired counsellors who sought to frustrate the building of the Temple ‘all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even unto the reign of Darius, king of Persia’ It commences in Ezr 4:24 by indicating that their attempts were successful to the extent that work on the Temple ceased ‘until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.’ Then from Ezr 5:1 inwards we are told of how the work on the Temple once more began, finally being confirmed by a decree of Darius in which he commanded that all assistance be given for that rebuilding from the revenues of the Province of Beyond The River. In consequence the House was finally built and the Passover observed. The verses in Ezr 4:6-23 are to be seen as a parenthesis, dealing with later matters concerning the building of the defensive walls of Jerusalem.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Ezr 5:1 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 Comments – Haggai prophesied in the sixth (Hag 1:1; Hag 1:15), seventh, (Hag 2:1) and ninth (Hag 2:10) months of the second year of King Darius. Zechariah prophesied in the eighth (Zec 1:1) and eleventh (Zec 1:7) months of the second year of Darius and in the ninth month of his fourth year (Zec 7:1). These prophecies are recorded in the Old Testament books of Haggai and Zechariah.

Ezr 5:2  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 “helping them” Scripture References – Note:

Ecc 12:11, “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.”

Ezr 5:2 Comments – Now they begin building by faith, and not by sight, or circumstances.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Zeal of the People Aroused

v. 1. 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. It seems that the Jews, after their first attempt to rebuild the Temple had been hindered, had lost most of their interest and zeal for the task, and needed an emphatic admonition to arouse them to action again, Hag 1:2-11.

v. 2. Then rose up Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor of the returned exiles in Judah, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, the high priest, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them, encouraging and inspiring them, were the prophets of God, helping them.

v. 3. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, satrap, or viceroy, of the Persian king who governed the larger province, or satrapy, west of the Euphrates, including Syria, Palestine, Phenicia, and Cyprus, under whose jurisdiction were the smaller governors of the nations and tribes in his entire territory, and Shethar-boznai and their companions, minor officials accompanying the viceroy and his secretary, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house and to make up this wall? The Samaritans had evidently complained also to the viceroy, and so he came to investigate the matter, not being content with hearing only one side of the matter.

v. 4. Then said we, the Persian officials being meant, unto them, the Jews, after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? They inquired for the men in authority among the Jews, those upon whom the responsibility rested.

v. 5. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, who might naturally have been overawed by the coming of these high officials and been inclined to give up their project in sheer terror, that they could not cause them to cease till the matter came to Darius, the Jews were permitted to go on with their work until the king himself had handed down a decision in the matter; and then they, the investigators, returned answer by letter concerning this matter. Because the Jews had informed Tatnai that they were acting by permission and upon a decree issued by Cyrus himself, the viceroy thought best to refer the case to the king for adjustment. God Himself holds His sheltering hand over the work done in His honor, and therefore it can never fail.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

RECOMMENCEMENT OF THE BUILDING IN THE SECOND YEAR OF DARIUS. PREACHING OF HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH (Ezr 5:1-17 :l, 2). It appears from the extant prophecies of these two prophets that the long frustration of their hopes had had its natural effect on the spirits of the people. They had begun to weary of endeavours which produced no practical result, and to despair of accomplishing an object which all their efforts did not perceptibly advance. A reaction had set in. The burning enthusiasm which had shown itself on the first arrival of the exiles with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2:68, Ezr 2:69; Ezr 3:11) had faded away; indolence had succeeded to activity, and a selfish desire of comfort to zeal for the honour of God. Instead of watching eagerly for an opportunity of recommencing the great work, and seizing the first occasion that offered itself, the people had come to acquiesce in its indefinite postponement, and to say among themselves, “The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (Hag 1:2). Laying aside all idea of moving further in the matter of the temple, they had turned their energies to the practical object of establishing themselves in good and comfortable houses (Hag 1:4, Hag 1:9). The great revolution in Persia, by which the Pseudo-Smerdis was dethroned and slain, Magism put down, and the (comparatively) pure religion of Zoroaster re-established as the religion of the Persian state, failed to stir their minds or raise their hopes. A whole year was allowed to elapse, and nothing was done, no fresh effort made. It was the second year of King Darius (Ezr 4:24)nay, it was the sixth month of that year, the month Elul, corresponding to our September, as we learn from Haggai (Hag 1:1)and still no step was taken. The nation was “eating,” and “drinking,” and “clothing itself” (Hag 1:6), and making for itself “cieled houses” (Hag 1:4), while the house of God lay “waste” (Hag 1:9)in that unsightly condition always presented by works commenced and then suspended for years. Even Zerubbabel and Jeshua the civil and ecclesiastical rulersacquiesced apparently in this miserable state of thingsthis tameness, sloth, indifference to God’s honour, and general pursuit of mere carnal delights. Such was the situation, when suddenly, unexpectedly, to the people’s consternation rather than their joy, a Prophet appeared upon the scene. “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel.” Prophecy had been in abeyance for sixteen years, since the “third of Cyrus,” when Daniel uttered his last warning (Dan 10:1). It was now revived. Haggai came forward, self-proclaimed a prophet of Jehovah (Hag 1:13), and rebuked the people in the old prophetic tone, and “stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of Jeshua” (Hag 1:14), and by exhortations, and warnings, and threats brought about in little more than three weeks (Hag 1:15) the resumption of the work, which was henceforth pressed forward with zeal. Haggai’s mission continued only for a very short space from September, b.c. 520, to December of the same year; but before his work came to an end God raised up a second prophet”Zechariah the son of Iddo”who carried on his task, sustained the spirit of the people and the rulers, and saw the happy accomplishment of the great undertaking, which he had previously announced as near (Zec 4:9), in the sixth year of Darius, b.c. 516.

Ezr 5:1

Zechariah the son of Iddo. Really the grandson (Zec 1:1). But Bere-chiah, his father, probably died while he was a child, and, being brought up by Iddo, he was called “the son of Iddo. Prophesied unto the Jews. The addresses of Haggai and Zechariah were only occasionally “prophetic,” as we now commonly understand the word. But in the language of the Biblical writers all religious teaching is “prophesying,” and Ezra here refers mainly to the exhortations addressed to the Jews by Zechariah and Haggai.

Ezr 5:2

Then rose up Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Haggai’s preaching was especially addressed to these two leaders (Hag 1:1), and their spirit was especially “stirred up” (Hag 1:14) by his preaching. The prophets of GodHaggai and Zechariahwere with them, throughout their work, helping them; and that in various ways.

1. By direct command to the people”Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (Hag 1:8);

2. By warnings”Because of mine house that is waste therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit” (Hag 1:9, Hag 1:10);

3. By exhortations”Be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be ye strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work” (Hag 2:4); and

4. By encouraging prophecy”The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it” (Zec 4:9); and “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts” (Hag 2:9). By these and similar means the two prophets aroused a spirit of enthusiasm, which caused the work to make rapid progress, and was an invaluable assistance.

HOMILETICS

Ezr 5:1, Ezr 5:2

The work revived.

How completely the work described in these verses was a revival of the previous work of building the temple, as described in chaps, 1-3; may be seen by the use of the word “began” in Ezr 5:2. Even “Zerubbabel” and “Jeshua,” the leaders, had been remiss and, as it were, dead to the enterprise; consequently, in again going on with it, had again, as it were, to “begin.” This seems also the best explanation of the singular way in which Haggai (Hag 2:18) and Zechariah (Zec 8:9) speak of the “foundation” of the Lord’s house as having been “laid” at this time. This second “foundation,” in the reign of Darius, led to so much more than the first did in that of Cyrus, and proved so much more worthy, therefore, of such a name in the issue, that, not unnaturally, it got almost to monopolise that name even on prophetic lips. It is thus, in another sphere, that historians speak of the Roman empire as being founded by Augustus Caesar, though in reality he only re-established in a more abiding form (as it turned out) what his predecessor, Julius Caesar, had previously founded and lost. Strictly speaking, indeed, would either of these first foundations have been a foundation practically if it had not been afterwards followed up and, as it were, superseded by a second? How this happy resurrection of a buried cause was brought about in this instance is the special point now to consider. It was by the indications of Providence, we shall find, in the first place; and by the voice of prophecy, in the next.

I. The INDICATIONS of PROVIDENCE. Providence had spoken to the people, in the interim between the visit of Rehum (Ezr 4:23) and the time at which our chapter opens, in various ways.

1. In the language of hope. A change of rulers had taken placeboth of chief rulers and also of subordinates. Darius instead of Artaxerxes; Tatnai, etc. (Ezr 5:3) instead of Rehum, etc. This was something of itself. When things are as bad as they can be, no change, to say the least, can be for the worse. In such a case, moreover, a violent change, such as this which brought Darius Hystaspis to the throne in place of the usurper Pseudo-Smerdis, and which probably, therefore, affected the empire in all its provinces, was of a still more hopeful description. How likely that the hand which took the previous monarch’s crown should also reverse his policy! Especially as, in this instance (and it is almost certain that some rumours of this would reach the ears of the Jews), the new king was showing almost ostentatious respect to the name and memory of that Cyrus who had been so favourable to the Jews. To men anxious to be at work again, this would have been great encouragement to begin.

2. In the language of blessing. Judging from the apparently royal luxury which some of the returned Jews were enabled to indulge in (Jer 22:14; Hag 1:4), the means of recommencing the work must have been somehow placed in their power. This, also, a call to do so (comp. Deu 8:12, Deu 8:17, Deu 8:18; Gal 6:10; Jas 4:17).

3. In the language of affliction. These other calls not being attended to, there came one of a different kind. God met the people in their path of disobedience, as the angel met Balaam (Num 22:32), with signs of displeasure. The blessings he had given being misused, he began to withdraw them. Instead of plenty there was “dearth” (Hag 1:11), to the great impoverishment (verse 6) and sore disappointment (begin. verse 9) of them all. See further Zec 8:9, Zec 8:10 as to the wide extent and deep severity of this visitation; and also as to the precise time of its occurrence, viz; just “before” the people for a second time laid the “foundations” of God’s house. Putting these things together, were they not a loud constructive call to begin? So fair an opening, such ample means, such a clear-timed judgment, what does it all mean? To this effect, at least, the Jewish elders ought, in such circumstances, to inquire (see end of Job 10:2).

II. The VOICE of PROPHECY. It was the special privilege, however, of Israel to have more than “constructive” calls from God’s throne. He was graciously pleased to make known his will to them by articulate speech (Deu 4:33; Rom 3:1, Rom 3:2). So, accordingly, it was here. Besides these silent gestures on the part of Providence, so to call them, there were direct verbal utterances also from the lips of those who were authorised to speak to Israel in his name. Two such men, two of these prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, raised up especially, as it appears, for this special emergency, prophesied at that time to these returned Jews (Ezr 5:1). Much importance seems attached here to this fact. These prophets prophesied to these Jews, it is said, “in the name of the God of Israel which was upon them.” Being God’s peoplebeing, in fact, the very heart and hope of God’s people at that particular momentGod’s prophets were commissioned to recognise and address them as such. Well might the people listen, that being the case. The purport, also, of the message thus sent to them was just as much to the point. A mere glance at the extant prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah will suffice to show this. The prophecies sent, e.g; were just what was needed

1. In the way of appeal. “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider” (Hag 1:5); so again Hag 1:7, “Consider so, twice over, and with a special note of urgency, in Hag 2:18 : “Consider now from this day and upward consider.” Consider what you are doing, and what you ought to be doing, in your present circumstances. Consider their meaning and message, and what they are now saying to you, in effect.

2. In the way of interpretation and explanation. This is what these circumstances are saying to you, viz; that it is “time” to build the Lord’s house (Hag 1:1-3). There is no further change to be waited for. Now, under your present ruler, is the “time” to begin. Your recent blessings mean this (Hag 1:4). Your present trials mean it too (Hag 1:6-11). Thus did prophecy, in this case, interpret Providence, and explain the “signs,” as it were, of those “times.”

3. In the way of promise. Our present history seems to speak of this particularly in the end of Hag 2:2“the prophets of God helping them.” The first result of the appeal and remonstrance above spoken of seems to have been a feeling of “fear” (Hag 1:1-15. end of Hag 1:12). As soon as this began to manifest itself (see middle of same verse) in a spirit of obedience, the voice of promise was heard. “Then spake Haggai the LORD‘S messenger in the LORD‘S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD” (Hag 1:13). Within a short month after (comp. Hag 1:15, and Hag 2:1) came another and larger promise (Hag 2:2-9); and two others again from the same prophet in about two months from that time. Besides that notable series of eight prophetic visions, mainly of hope and encouragement, from the prophet Zechariah, before the close of the same year (Zec 1:7-6:15). So plentifully was this precious dew vouchsafed at this special season of growth; and so harmoniously did all these various changes, dispensations, and voices work together for this revival of God’s work.

From these considerations we see

1. The duty of studying God‘s works: his works in providence, and in nature too, so far as we have opportunities for so doing, because in all of them he has something to say to us, if we are only able to understand it. This applies especially to those works or doings of God which concern our own persons and times, because we may almost say of such doings that they are presented to us for study. Note the comparison on this subject between nature and providence in Mat 16:2, Mat 16:3; and see 1Ch 12:32.

2. The duty of listening to Gods word. Partly on account of the clearer significance which it gives to God’s works; partly because of the additional message which it brings of its own. For the language of some of God’s works see Psa 19:1-6, and comp. Rom 1:19, Rom 1:20. For the further language of God’s word see same Psa 19:7-9. Compare also, as showing the specially exalted and complementary character of prophecy or revelation, the remarkable declaration of Psa 138:2, and 2Pe 1:19-21. The dark page of God’s doings (for so it is to us,. see Psa 97:2) should never be neglected; but it never can be safely interpreted apart from the plainer page of his word. We may also see from these considerations what is

3. The central topic of all prophecy. The building of God’s house by God’s Israel pointed forward in manifold ways to the coming and work of God’s Son. That house was a well-known type of his body (Joh 2:19-21). In that restored house he himself was to appear (Hag 2:7; Mal 3:1; Luk 2:25-30). And out of that figurative “house” or family of Israel, as their peculiar crown and salvation, and as a blessing to all other families on earth, he was to arise. When, therefore, the work of building that house, under apparently hopeless circumstances, has to be revived, how fittingly does the spirit of prophecy suddenly reappear on the scene, to stimulate, direct, and encourage these men, who were, virtually, building for all mankind in building for their own Messiah. It may remind us of those well-known passages, Joh 5:39; Act 10:43; Rev 19:10. May it teach us also to give that adorable Saviour a similarly pre-eminent place in our thoughts I

HOMILIES BY J.A. MACDONALD

Ezr 5:1, Ezr 5:2

The inspiration of prophecy.

Through the hostility of the Samaritans, who obtained authority from Artaxerxes, the work of building the temple was interrupted. This interruption seems to have commenced under Cyrus (Ezr 4:5). It was continued under the brief reign of an upstart who feigned himself to be the brother of Ahasuerus; and it was carried on “unto the second year of Darius king of Persia.” Thus the work was stopped for about sixteen years. “Then the prophets,” etc. Here notice that

I. THE INSPIRATION OF PROPHECY IS ROUSING.

1. The people now needed rousing.

(1) During the stoppage of the building they had cooled in their zeal for the house of the Lord. Had they examined their hearts they might have seen this, and they might have inferred from it that God must be displeased. But they had not the courage to do this. QueryAre we not slow to examine our own hearts, and to draw faithful inferences from their state?

(2) If they looked around they might have seen the tokens of Divine displeasure. For, year after year, the heavens refused their dew, and the scanty harvests were smitten with “blasting, and with mildew, and with hail.” QueryAre we not slow to see the hand of God in our afflictions? ReflectWhat greater calamity could befall us than that God should leave us to ourselves!

2. Haggai brought home the truth to them.

(1) His first commission was to awaken them to a sense of their growing selfishness and apathy (see Hag 1:1-5). QueryHow far are we ever justified in quietly “dwelling in cieled houses” while the work of God is neglected?

(2) Then he reminded them that the blast upon their harvests was from God, and incited them to arise and build (see Hag 1:6-11).

(3) This message from God had the desired effect (see Hag 1:1-12; comp. text). What part Zechariah took at this early date we are not particularly informed.

3. They were satisfied with the credentials of the prophet.

(1) What these were we are not told. Miracles might have authenticated him. This was notably the case with Moses. Or he may have foretold the drought through which they had passed. In this way Samuel “was established to be a prophet of the Lord” (1Sa 3:19, 1Sa 3:20).

(2) In whatever way it may have been, Haggai so prophesied, “in the name of the God of Israel,” that there was no doubt about him. Look at this expression (see Exo 3:13-20; Exo 33:19; comp. also Num 14:17), where “power” is put for “name,” as in Exo 34:5, Exo 34:6). Reflect, gratefully, that we have the truth of God upon the clearest testimony. The Scriptures are authenticated to us not only by miracles, but by the ever-accumulating evidence of prophecy, and by the deep experiences of the heart.

II. THE INSPIRATION OF PROPHECY IS SUSTAINING. “And with them were the prophets of God helping them.”

1. It sustains under the burdens of the work of God.

(1) The work is stupendous. Many interests are involved in it. Many workmen are engaged in it. If all these were loyal, still the work would be heavy.

(2) Haggai therefore, four and twenty days after his first commission, again appeared with needed words. “Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord.” What a blessed assurance! How spirit stirring! (Hag 1:13, Hag 1:14; see also Exo 33:14, Exo 33:15.)

2. It sustains against the murmuring of God‘s people.

(1) Sons of Belial will for very perversity cause trouble. There are also crotchety persons among the godly who embarrass their leaders. And there are croakers who have a morbid pleasure in disparaging the good things of the present by comparing them with the things of the past (see Ezr 3:12).

(2) Haggai, seven and twenty days after his former message, again appeared to strengthen the hands of the faithful against these. In doing this he uttered a very glorious prophecy, showing how by the presence of Jesus in this disparaged building it should come to exceed the glory of the temple of Solomon (see Hag 2:1-9). NoteThis prophecy should convince the Jews. They admit that the Shekinah never came to the second temple; that temple is now no more. If the presence of Jesus did not constitute the greater glory of the second house, what did?

3. It sustains against the assaults of enemies.

(1) Opposition reappears, now led by Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, who question the right of the Jews to resume the building which had been stopped by command of Artaxerxes (verses 3, 4).

(2) Zechariah now appeared. He opened his commission by exhorting to repentance (Ze Zec 1:1-6). NoteWhen trials come we should search our hearts, and, if we see cause, amend our ways.

(3) Haggai also followed with words of encouragement, and assurances that, despite the opposition, the work would be prospered. Zechariah subsequently gave them like assurances. These messages came at seasonable intervals to help the leaders and the workers. ReflectionAll these encouragements belong to those building the spiritual temple, for the prophecies have an ulterior reference to gospel times. Let us use the inspirations of prophecy.J.A.M.

HOMILIES BY J.S. EXELL

Ezr 5:1-5

A faithful ministry in the Church.

I. THAT IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIVINE NAME. “In the name of the God of Israel” (Ezr 5:1).

1. It advances in the Divine Name. These two prophets came to Israel in the name of God; a faithful ministry is commissioned by God, has his authority, and is qualified by him (2Co 5:20).

2. It partakes of the Divine Character. These prophets must bear in their conduct the purity of God, and in their words the mercy of God; a faithful ministry must exhibit the Divine Character.

3. It recognises the Divine Covenant. These two prophets came to Israel as the covenant people engaged in a great work; a faithful ministry is for the Church in its redemptive relationships.

II. THAT IT IS REQUIRED IN TIMES OF MORAL DEGENERACY. The building operations of Israel had ceased; Israel had settled down to an easy life, and was reluctant to enter again upon the arduous task of civil and religious restoration.

1. This faithful ministry was necessary. The Israelites were dwelling in ceiled houses, and God’s house was waste (Hag 1:4). They required to see the wrong of this; and who will show it them if the prophets of God do not?

2. It was timely. It was a word in season to the people; they needed to be called from indifference to their great work. A faithful prophet will adapt his words to the condition of his hearers, and seek to engage the Church in the duty of the hour.

3. It was effective. The people no longer “earned wages to put into a bag with holes,” but they feared the Lord, and entered upon his work (Hag 1:6). Duty is really more remunerative than luxury. See then the reviving effect which two earnest men may exert within a lukewarm Church; they quicken its fading life and inspire its languid work. A faithful ministry is most influential for good.

III. THAT THE SPIRITUAL IS THE MEDIUM OF ITS INFLUENCE, “Prophesied unto the Jews.”

1. Not carnal. No sensational appeals were made to set the luxurious Israelites to build again the ruined temple; but by the word of the Lord they were urged to duty. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual; the word of God is the preacher’s power. Christ’s ministry was spiritual.

2. Not coercive. The sword did not drive the Israelites out of their celled houses; but the word of God spoken by his servants, working in the conscience. The truth is attractive, not coercive. Christ drew sinners to hear him.

3. Not cunning. These two prophets did not seek by cunning arts to win the Israelites from luxury to work for God; but by faithful words of remonstrance. Christ sought not to win men by artifice, but by a solemn statement of fact and duty. The world will not be subdued to virtue by the statesman, by the warrior, by the educationalist, but by the prophet.

IV. THAT ITS WELFARE WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE CO–OPERATION OF GOOD MEN. “Then rose up Zerubbabel” (Ezr 5:2). The prophets alone are morally powerful; but much more so when Zerubbabel and Jeshua are allied with them.

1. The alliance augments numbers. The work of restoration gathers strength by numerical addition, especially by the addition of influential men like Zerubbabel. The ministry needs numerical support; numbers increase the force of the testimony: exhibit the power of the gospel; aid the argument of the truth; are prophetic of future increase.

2. The alliance ensures efficiency. Zerubbabel will aid, advise, support the two prophets, and they in turn will aid him; this combined agency will inspire Israel with duty and courage. Four men can do what two cannot (Mar 2:3). In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom.

V. THAT IT LEADS THE CHURCH TO THE HOLY ENTERPRISE FOR WHICH IT IS CALLED.

1. Productive work. “To build the house of God” (Ezr 5:2). But for these two prophets it is likely that Israel would have continued to dwell in their ceiled houses, and have neglected the temple. The Church would be much more unmindful of Christian work than it is were it not for its faithful ministers. They awaken its memory. They quicken its conscience. They arouse its affections. They give it a good personal example by coming themselves to build the house of God; well nigh all houses of God in the earth would be unbuilt but for the ministers of the gospel.

2. Permanent work. The house endures when those who built it are gone.

VI. THAT IT IS SURE TO MEET WITH IMPEDIMENTS IN THE ENTERPRISE IT CONTEMPLATES. “Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet” (verse 1). “At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river” (verse 3). When the prophet comes to a Church to aid its work, Satan generally sends agencies to hinder it. The satanic:

1. Simultaneous. The prophets and the hostile governors come together; the spiritual and the satanic move side by side.

2. Inquisitive. “Who hath commanded you to build this house?” How the satanic interrogates the spiritual.

3. Overruled. “But the eye of the Lord was upon the elders of the Jews.” Providence is co-operative with a faithful ministry, and helps to overcome all hindrances.E.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Ver. 1. Haggaiand Zechariah Concerning these prophets, see the books which bear their names. They are both thought to have been born at Babylon during the captivity, and both with united zeal encouraged the people to go on with the work of the temple. Upon the accession of Darius to the throne, Haggai in particular, by reproaching the people with their indolence and insensibility; by telling them, that they were careful enough to lodge themselves very commodiously, while the house of the Lord lay buried in its ruins; and by putting them in mind, that the calamities of drought and famine, wherewith God had afflicted them since their return, were owing to their neglect in building the temple, prevailed with them to set about the work in good earnest; so that, by virtue of these reproofs, as well as some encouragements which God occasionally authorized him to give them, they brought the whole to a conclusion in a short time.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

THIRD SECTION
The Resumption of the Work of Building the Temple and its completion

Ezra 5, 6

A.THE RESUMPTION OF THE WORK AND THE REPORT OF THE OFFICIALS TO DARIUS

Ezr 5:1-17

I. The Resumption of the Work of Building the Temple. Ezr 5:1-5

1 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. 2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua 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. 3At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? 4Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? 5But 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.

II. The Report of the officials. Ezr 5:6-17

6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: 7They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. 8Be 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. 9Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? 10We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. 11And 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. 12But 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. 13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. 14And 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; 15And 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. 16Then 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. 17Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the kings 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.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Ezr 5:1-5. The author now narrates in the closest connection with the last verse of the previous chapter how it came to pass that the work of building, which had been interrupted, was resumed.

Ezr 5:1. Then the prophets, Haggai, the prophet and Zechariah.We learn also from Haggai himself that the congregation at that time needed prophetic admonition. At first the most of them had, without doubt, with great reluctance allowed the building to remain unfinished, but gradually had lost the desire thereto, caring only for their own interests, such as the erection of their own houses in as beautiful a manner as possible. Notwithstanding this, however, some of them had still such devotion to the Lord and zeal for His worship, that the prophetic office was possible, and there was relatively a great susceptibility for it. in Hebrew , seems to have been almost a surname of Haggai, Ezr 6:14; Hag 1:1. The plural the prophets, which in the Hebrew text follows Zechariah son of Iddo, as if Haggai had not yet been called prophet, is in favor of this view. The preposition after prophesied, does not denote hostility, but simply the direction of the address, unto (comp. 2Ch 20:37; 1Ki 12:8, etc.), as is sufficiently clear from the contents of the prophecies.The Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem.Thus they are designated to distinguish them from those who remained behind in Chaldea. At the same time it indicates those who had undertaken the task of building the temple. is a closer designation of the name of God, so that the relative might be supplied before it: Who was over them (comp. Ezr 3:3, etc.), which characterizes them as those who belonged to God. (Isa 4:1 and Jer 4:16), who leads them, urges them on and encourages them.1

Ezr 5:2. Then rose up Zerubbabel.They now had an express command of God, which already in itself was an advantage; now moreover they could no longer doubt that the building would succeed.And began to build.Properly it should have been: They re-commenced, but we might disregard the fact that readily =rebuild, for the first beginning was so long before, and had had such little success, that it no longer came into consideration.

Ezr 5:3. At the same time.Now again they were threatened with interruption. , at it, the time, = at the same time. Comp. Dan 3:7; Dan 3:9; Dan 4:33.2 Again Persian officials arrive, but at this time only do their duty.Tatnai, governor on this side the river, of the entire province to the west of the Euphrates, outranked Zerubbabel, whom Cyrus had appointed governor of Judah (comp. Ezr 5:14). He was perhaps unacquainted with the mission of Zerubbabel, because he had come into his office at a subsequent period to him.Shethar Boznai who accompanied him, is not designated indeed as Shimshai (chap.Ezr 4:8 sq.), e. g., as scribe or chancellor, but the entire appearance is in favor of his being likewise a magistrate.Their companions, however, who in Ezr 5:6 are especially called his companions, that is, Shethar-Boznais companions, and are named the Apharsachites, are according to Ezr 5:6 likewise government officials, probably of a lower grade. At this time also the Samaritans may have been at work in that they had called attention to the building of the temple in Jerusalem, but now they were no longer able to fill the officials with hostile sentiments. They simply inquire who hath commanded you to build this house? here and in Ezr 5:13 is a singular form, since the infin. in Chald. is (comp. Ezr 5:2; Ezr 5:17; Ezr 6:8), or , comp. chapter Ezr 5:9. R. Norzi has here and in Ezr 5:13 a dagesh in the , but there cannot be an assimilation of the because it has a vowel. It may be that the language was not entirely fixed in its usage of in the infin., as it is here absent from the infin. in Peal., to which elsewhere it is peculiar, so it has been at times prefixed to the Pael and Aphel, before which it is usually absent, and always to the infinitive of the passive conjugations in the later Targums. Comp. Winer, Gram., 12. [Luzzatto Gram., 88.Tr.]. [Rawlinson, in loco. There was no doubt a formal illegality in the conduct of Zerubbabel and Jeshua; since all edicts of Persian kings continued in force unless revoked by their successors. But they felt justified in disobeying the decree of the Pseudo-Smerdis, because the opposition between his religious views and those of his successors was a matter of notoriety. (See Ancient Monarchies, IV. p. 405).Tr.]. , a word of doubtful etymology, is in Esdras rendered by (the beams and all the rest), in the Sept. on the other hand by (this sacred service = this building). These derivations in the versions makes it probable that there was no fixed tradition respecting the meaning; the one rendering being as much guess work as the other. The Vulg., Syriac and the Rabbins have explained it as walls, which might well be the most suitable and correct, having as its root not (Gesen.), but more properly (firm, strong).

Ezr 5:4. Then said we unto them.Here the Masoretic text gives at once the answer of the Jews. But this text is in more than one respect singular. The first person might be explained, it is true, very well as having come from the use of an ancient document, whose author had taken part in the building. But should be followed by the direct discourse, whilst the indirect is used, so that we must translate, not, then we said, but then said we to them, what the names of the men were. Besides, if the Jews here spake, that is, answered to the question in Ezr 5:3, instead of referring to the names of the men, we should expect another answer. It is natural therefore with Bertheau to conjecture that the text has been corrupted in some way, that is to say that the first person is incorrect, as it were, has come over from Ezr 5:9, instead of which we must read here the third person, so that the Persian officials still continue: then said they to them, what are the names of the men, etc., as from the start we might expect, according to Ezr 5:9-10. It is possible then that likewise , which would separate almost too much the second part of the address from the first in Ezr 5:3, is a mistake likewise. The Sept. and Esdras already have regarded the verse as a question of the Persian officials, the former translating: , the latter, in that it passes over entirely the first four words. It is true that the objection might be raised, that then there is no answer on the part of the Jews. But this might have been omitted with reference to Ezr 5:11. The names of the men were important to the officials, for they had to know whom the king was to hold responsible. Instead of the more accurate editions have .

Ezr 5:5. The eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews.This is the prelimiminary result, producing for them mildness on the part of the officials, and securing them from interruption. The eye is used instead of the hand, because the Providence and Wisdom of God above all came into consideration. Comp. Psa 34:16; Zec 4:10; 1Pe 3:2. The , corresponding with the in Hebrew, are at the same time the Ezr 10:8.Until the report came to Darius, and they then brought back a letter concerning the matter.Bertheau understood it as: Until a command arrived from Darius, etc. But need not be the royal decree. Although this word does not assume the wider sense of causa (Keil), it yet has the meaning of ratio, and indeed also in the sense of account (or likewise of consideration) Dan 6:3 = give account. Thus it may be used here for a report, by which officers would give their king an account of an important occurrence, and their observation of it. The before Darius cannot be a circumlocution of the genitiveit is thus used only in designations of time. On the other hand its use with to give the end, is entirely assured. Comp. Ezr 7:13, etc. Finally, if it did not mean to Darius, the alone would be too indefinite. As well Esdras as the Septuagint also has, therefore, although rendering freely, properly understood it as a report to Darius. Naturally, however, these words are only preparatory for the following clause: Until they bring back a letter, etc., which really for the first expresses the limit of time meant. imperf. of (comp. Ezr 6:5; Ezr 7:13) is referred by Winer, 25, to a special root . It is possible, however, that as usually the is absorbed at the beginning, so here the of and thus we have for .3 The letter to be brought back, was certainly to come from Darius, there is no occasion to think of one from Tatnai, etc., unless it is already supposed that there is a royal command in . The subject of is indefinite they.

Ezr 5:6-17. The report of the officers to Cyrus in Ezr 5:6-7, at first, precisely like Ezr 4:8-11, has the superscription which this letter probably received already in the collection of documents at Jerusalem.These are the contents of the letter that Tatnai.Shethar-boznai and his companions the Apharsachites.We must leave in doubt the question why the Apharsachites (comp. Ezr 4:9) are especially mentioned as the companions of Shethar-boznai, which here means either lower officials or as it were men of the same race, or else people especially attached to him.4

Ezr 5:7. They sent a report. according to its etymology (comp. Ezr 4:17) is used in the same sense as in Ezr 5:5, e.g., report, message. is loosely connected with = peace, hence peace universally = peace in its fulness.

Ezr 5:8. Be it known unto the king.The letter in Ezr 4:12 began in the same way. The present letter however is distinguished by the fact that it gives first of all a simple objective report. Judah is called a (see Ezr 2:1), the god of the Jews, the great God.It is not probable however that they, like the Samaritans (Ezr 4:1) actually paid a certain degree of reverence to him, rather the deep reverence of the Jews made such an impression upon them that they supposed He must be an especially great God (namely, for His worshippers). What they say respecting the building, is manifestly to show that the work was welldone, in a strong, stately manner.Of great stones. here the accusative of material is the stone which was too heavy to lift, and which could only be rolled along; thus very heavy and large stones (as Ezr 4:4), which were only taken for great buildings, designed to last a very long time. The Sept. emphasizes by its translation , the excellence of the material; Ezr 4:9, by its translation at the same time the labor applied to them, as well as their costliness.And timber is laid in the walls.Berth. understands by this the placing of beams in the walls, that is, in the partitions, [Rawlinson, in loco, party walls], or likewise the erection of the scaffolding on the outer walls. But the expressions indicate rather the inlaying of the walls with wood work artistically finished (comp. Psa 74:6), thus according to the view of the writer represent the building as one erected with great care. It is true the work had not made such progress, in fact that the walls, which themselves were first built of the great stones, could have been already inlaid. But it is probable that the zeal, which is clearly enough attested by Haggai, manifested itself likewise in this way, that those skilled in wainscoting went at once to work, since moreover it was necessary to make as great haste as possible on account of the threatened interruption. The haste is expressly referred to by the officials in the last wordsand this work goeth fast on (comp. Ezr 6:8; Ezr 6:13; Ezr 7:17; Ezr 7:21; Ezr 7:26) is explained from the Persian, and means properly, very active. is probably the ancient Persian us or os, Sanscrit ut, which expresses intensity; as our very and parna is an adjective from the ancient Persian par, Zend pere = do, complete. Comp. Haug. a. a. O. The subject of , it prospereth is not the form (comp. Ezr 4:14; Dan 6:28), but it.

Ezr 5:9-10 then give an account at first of their question.Then asked we those elders., those who, as a matter of course, were in Jerusalem at the head, Ezr 5:10, at their head. is more naturally explained as at their head (comp. 2Ch 20:2), than: in their capacity as their heads (Berth., Keil). [A. V., that were the chief of them]. The latter interpretation of is in itself doubtful, especially moreover, since no verb is given with it. The plural, expressed by the vowels, may be explained by the fact that they worked in different groups, namely, by families (comp. Nehemiah 3.)

Ezr 5:11 sq. gives the answer of the heads of the Jews.And thus they made us the report, namely, the one required. = We are the servants of the God of heaven.The pleonastic suffix of emphasizes very strongly the fact, not that they above all others and alone are servants of God (Berth.) but that they above all others are servants of the God of heaven, and not of any lower being. They therefore expressly designate God as the God of heaven and earth, that is, the highest; yea, properly the only true God. They would without doubt show the officers that they had good grounds and were very well entitled to build their temple, and that those would do wrong who should oppose their undertaking. On this account therefore they add that their God had had this house long ago, and in it had long ago possessed a worthy place of worship.And we build the house that was built.not , it was once built, but , it was built and continued to be a place of worshipthese many years ago. =before this (present) time.A great king of Israel built and completed it.It would have been an evidence against their God if He had not provided Himself with a worthy place of worship in ancient times, and had not made the king of his people great and mighty. They say intentionally not the great king Solomon, but a great king (the genitive relation being expressed by ); they thus emphasize better the idea itself, that the king was a great one.

Ezr 5:12. It is true the temple has been destroyed, but this does not show any weakness in their God, but rather His holiness.On this account, because our fathers provoked. does not refer to that which precedes, but to what follows, for it is used in its usual sense of on this account, and is here really = only on this account. It does not follow from the fact that it sometimes has the sense of but after negative expressions, that it may also be an adversative particle, and mean nevertheless, however, yet. however, is here not in the temporal sense, [A. V.after that], for then it would express very vaguely the idea: since that the fathers had already provoked God long before He abandoned His temple; but it is here in its usual causal sense because. may be very properly used in this sense, comp. Hebrew , Isa 43:4. , = to conceal, then like the Hebrew , to destroy. It is true it is only used here in the Bible in this sense, but in the Targums occurs quite frequently. might, if it had the suffix, that is, if the were pointed with mappiq, mean simply, the people of the land; is often to be supplied. Yet the Massora remarks, that mappiq is not to be written, and R. Norzai and J. H. Mich. have left it out, so that the is to be taken as a representative of the , as is often the case in this book.

Ezr 5:13. But in the first year of Cyrus.When the predestined time of chastisement had passed the Lord Himself was able to gain recognition from Cyrus, so that now the restoration of His temple has a good and assured foundation. Comp. chaps. Ezr 1:2; Ezr 6:3., as Ezr 5:3.

Ezr 5:14. And the vessels alsodid Cyrus the king take.So great was the recognition that Cyrus gave to the true God, that he not only allowed His veneration, but furthered it with offerings, so that the building of the temple, unless the vessels were to remain without a suitable place, became so much the more necessary. is here used as at the first, so naturally also the second and third time in the sense of temple. Comp. , Ezr 2:7. is probably the conjugated passive participle = and they were given, not the active preterite = they gave, for the indefin. subject with sing. (against Berth.). In the last case we would expect after the object, which is not elsewhere in such cases omitted: moreover, the yod in the second syllable has usually only an intrans. or passive signification.Whose name is Sheshbazzarthus indefinitely, as we would say, to Sheshbazzar, as he is called. For this name see Ezr 1:8. As in Hag 1:1, etc., so here Zerubbabel is designated as Pechah, whilst in Ezr 1:8 as prince of Judah, .

Ezr 5:15. And he said unto him, Take these vessels.In connection with giving out the vessels Cyrus expressly ordained the building of the temple. Instead of , the Qeri is here as in 1Ch 20:8, . The three unconnected imperatives, take, go forth, lay down, comprehend the three acts, to a certain extent, in one, thus expressing likewise the zeal of Cyrus, and the zeal that Sheshbazzar was expected to exhibit. , notwithstanding the Chateph Pathah, may be merely the imper. Aphel of , of which we have the part. in Ezr 6:1, and the imperf. in Ezr 6:5.And let the house of God be built.These words are connected with the words lay them down in the temple as a necessary complement, by the copula .

Ezr 5:16. Then came this Sheshbazzar, namely from Babylon to Jerusalem, and laid the foundations,etc.The copula is also lacking before , because the two acts are connected together in the closest way. , as in Ezr 4:12. Here it can only mean the laying of the foundations in Ezr 3:8-10.Since that time even until now hath it been in building, and is not yet finished.These words were probably designed to let the present activity appear as a simple continuation of the building, ordained by Cyrus, thus also as something entirely justified. At any rate it was entirely in the interest of the Jews to be silent respecting the fact that Cyrus had allowed an interruption to take place, and there is nothing in our representation of the subject opposed to its reality. But had the express prohibition of the Artaxerxes in Ezr 4:17 sq. already preceded, yet the Jews might well have said that it had been occasioned only by the entirely groundless slanders of the Samaritans. Hence they must regard it as their absolute duty to contradict these slanders. occurs only here in Bib. Chaldee, yet often enough in the Targums and Syriac, and indeed in the sense of complete and ready.

Ezr 5:17. And now, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the treasure-house., comp. Ezr 7:18; Dan 6:24, as in later Hebrew, , Est 1:19, good according to any ones judgment. , Heb. (Est 3:9; Est 4:7), are the treasures, probably from = , collect, and dshanasa, conceal, but at the same time in accordance with the Arian gaza, comp. , Ezr 1:8; on the other hand, 1Ch 28:11. It is clear from this passage and Ezr 6:1, that written documents were likewise preserved in the treasure-house.Whether a command was given by king Cyrus. = whether, as likewise Jer 2:10. For , vid. Ezr 4:19. , comp. Ezr 7:18, from = , voluntas, opinion.

THOUGHTS UPON THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION

Ezr 5:1. Notwithstanding the great readiness which distinguished the new congregation at first (comp. notes upon chap. 3.), they yet fell into indolence and worldliness as soon as difficulties were placed in the way of their work, comp. Haggais prophecy. It was even necessary that again Gods word should arouse, encourage, strengthen them, and fill them with joy. And indeed the Lord does not fail on His part: wherever any powers whatever are present; if slumbering, He awakens them. The more we need His all-awakening call, and the more that is the result of undeserved grace and faithfulness that shames us, the more willing should we be to hear and follow Him.

Ezr 5:1-5. Although the new congregation, when they were called upon by the prophets and strengthened by their prophecies, might have readily supposed that the building of the temple would now be finished without stumbling upon difficulties, they were yet obliged presently to submit to an inquiry on the part of the Persian officials, that might again easily result in an interruption. Such trials the Lord Himself sends at the time,and then often very properly,when His own word has given the impulse to an undertaking or action. Even then, and then particularly, faith must be strengthened by trials. The congregation at this time did not allow the interference of the Persian officials to surprise them too much; they were not faint-hearted on this account, and did not allow themselves to be deterred thereby from building; in the careful hesitancy of the officials they saw rather the influence and protection of God. Thus is it ever for the church, so long as it is in covenant with the Lord, to regard the hinderances, even if they seem threatening, and easily might be destructive, as yet trifling; and things favorable, even, if they seem at first insignificant, as great and important. We must be inclined thereto by the contentment with which one feels impelled to thankfulness for the little, and the faith in Him who has all things in His hand. It is the very reverse with the world.

Ezr 5:6-17. The magistracy often, as is clear from chap. 4, allows itself to use calumniators as its instruments. But without regard to the fact that they are obliged to help in realizing the design of God even in such a case, they are easily preserved by their office and their duties from such errors, even if they are worldly and heathen in their character. In our present chapter they act as true magistrates; they quietly listen to the report of the Jews, and bring it without misrepresentation before the king. Brentius rightly remarks: vides differentiam inter calumniatores et bonos ac probos viros. Una eademque causa erat dificii templi, unus idemque populus Judorum: attamen hujus populi causa aliter refertur ab impiis calumniatoribus aliter a bonis viris. How much worse off the Jewish congregation would have been, if the Samaritans had had to do with them without the Persian officials! Hence the church should never forget, even if at times it has had to suffer injustice from worldly authorities, to be thankful from the heart to God that there are magistrates after all, comp. Rom 13:1 sq., etc.

Ezr 5:11-12. The congregation did not keep back their faith, when it came to the point of rendering account of their designs before the magistrates, rather did they lay down an open confession, even before the heathen, without fearing to be laughed at for their assertion that they served the only true God. In order to ward off the objection that their Lord had been without power, they confessed the sinfulness of their fathers, and praised the holiness of God. Gods honor was for them more important than the honor of their fathers or of the nation. Well for the church, when the world itself is obliged to give testimony to it, as it here gives to the Jewish congregation, that it has made such a good confession as this. If with such a confession heart and hand accord, it has the power that overcomes the world.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Ezr 5:1-5. How does the Lord prevent our being conformed to the world? 1) By His warning word.Starke: It is the office of faithful teachers to strengthen the faint hands and feeble knees (Isa 35:3). 2) By the trials that He sends, especially by making the accomplishment of His own word difficult. 3) By providential care and preservation (Ezr 5:5).Brentius: Multa hic notanda. Primum, quod Deus spenumero nos a bono proposito impedit, non ut non exequamur, sed ut clarius et illustrius exequamur. Deinde, quod sit ingenium vulgi: mox enim putat, numquam fore, ut promoveat (sc. Deus opus suum, si aliquamdiu intermittatur).The movements that the development and advance of the kingdom of God call forth: 1) The congregation is agitated by the overwhelming voice of God; it gives new courage, and lays hold of the work of building obligatory upon it with new joy.Starke: Although it involves not a little danger for awhile to accomplish with obedience that which God commands in His word, yet we should obey not withstanding, and not allow ourselves to be frightened off by any danger. 2) The world is agitated, for it cannot quietly see the events in the kingdom of God, especially when the congregation is subordinated to its civil authority, but it is obliged to assist in furthering the cause of God in its own way. 3) God Himself is agitated. He directs His eye with especial care and wisdom upon the leaders of the congregation, and stretches forth His hand to give protection and help.

Ezr 5:11-12. The true confession. 1) The occasion of itthe magistrates call to account,2) its contents, Gods grace and truth and our own sins,3) its aim, the establishment of a tabernacle of God among men. The true contents of a believing confession. 1) Gods gracious actsHe has by them from the most ancient times obtained worship. Starke: If we purify the doctrines with which Christ and His apostles have erected a spiritual temple to God, from human ordinances, we start no new doctrine, but erect again the marred temple of God. 2) Exhibition of the divine holiness. He has imposed upon His church dependence and deficiencies on account of its sins.Starke: Even the sins of our forefathers we should not cloak, but where they have erred, confess it. 3) Gods assertions of power.He has wrung a recognition from even a Cyrus, even the mightiest worldly power, and made them serviceable for the re-establishment of His worship.

[Scott: Whilst we continue in this world, we shall always have to confess that our sins have provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, and that all our sufferings spring from this source, and all our comforts from His unmerited mercy.Henry: Our eye upon God, observing His eye upon us, will keep us to our duty, and encourage us in it when difficulties are never so discouraging. Let the cause of God, and Truth, be fairly stated and fairly heard, and it will keep its ground.Tr.]

Footnotes:

[1][Rawlinson in loco more properly renders in accordance with the current Hebrew phrase which was upon them that is, having Gods name called upon them.Tr.]

[2][Suffix with prep. before its noun has this force in Aramaic, Riggs Manual. 49, 3. Comp. Cowper, Syriac. Gram., 203, 5.Tr.]

[3][So Luzatto Gram., 104. This is the better interpretation of the form.Tr.]

[4][Rawlinson, in loco, regards them as Persians or foreign settlers in Sameria generally.Tr.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

The affairs of the Church put on a better aspect than in the foregoing chapter. Haggai and Zechariah encourage the people to resume the building, and Zerubbabel and Joshua are animated to the work.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

We shall do well to compare the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah with this part of the history; for both scriptures will mutually explain each other. How beautiful it is when the Lord at any time stirreth up his people. And how important a part it must be of a gospel-ministry, to stir up the minds of the saints of God by way of remembrance. And how doubly beautiful is it, when the church is supported by the civil power, as was the case here; when Zerubbabel the governor, as well as Joshua, put their shoulders to the work. It should seem, by what the prophet Haggai said, that there were some that concluded the time was not come to build the temple, by which the minds of others were discouraged. Hag 1:2-8 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Ezr 5

1. Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo [the prophecies of these writers should be read at this point], prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

2. Then rose up [being inspired and excited] 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.

3. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor [of the entire province of Syria and Phoenicia] on this side the river, and Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? [the work had been resumed before the decree had been annulled].

4. Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men [the chief promoters] that make this building? [not a question but a statement].

5. 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.

6. The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-Boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites [some kind of Persian guard], which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:

7. They sent a letter [remarkable for dispassionateness and good faith] unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

8. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God [showing reverence], which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls [of the temple, not the city], and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

9. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?

10. We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

14. 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;

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made [all depended on the original decree] 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.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXI

THE RETURN AND REORGANIZATION UNDER ZERUBBABEL

Ezra 1-6

This section embraces the return unto the dedication of the Temple, 536-516 B.C. (Ezra 1-6). First, we have the decree of Cyrus, Ezr 1:1-4 , issued 536 B.C. In this remarkable decree Cyrus gives his authority for issuing it, as Jehovah, the God of Israel. This does not imply that Cyrus was a monotheist or a believer in the God of Israel, but it does imply that he recognized the existence of the God of the Hebrews and acknowledged him as the promoter of their welfare.

There are five remarkable things about this decree, viz: (1) It was promulgated by a heathen king. (2) It recognized Jehovah as the dispenser of the kingdoms of the world, saying, “All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me.” (3) It declares that the supreme God had “charged” him to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. (4) It originated in a “stir” of the king’s spirit by God himself. (5) It provided for money and free will offerings for the Temple. All this may have been brought about as tradition says, by Daniel showing Cyrus the prophecy of Isaiah, thus causing him to issue this decree. However this may be, we have here some great lessons on God’s government of the world, viz: First, God’s universal sovereignty over the kings of the earth. Second, these heathen people had some light of the true God which perhaps, they received from the Jews. Third, God’s prophecy cannot fail and his promise is made sure, as in the case of Caesar Augustus, who issued the decree that all the world should be enrolled, fulfilling a prophecy of Micah some five hundred years before. It may be added that all this shows that the Persians during this period recognized the one supreme God, though they worshiped others gods, and that Isaiah had foretold this decree giving the very name of the king and bringing us the lesson that God’s foreknowledge is unlimited making possible all predictive prophecy.

Next follows the first return and genealogy, Ezr 1:5-2:67 . The company was composed of those whom the Spirit of God stirred up, which was not large comparatively speaking, perhaps, because the larger part of them were engaged in commerce and did not wish to take chances on transferring their business interests. He charged their friends to help them freely, which has a parallel in the case of the children of Israel leaving Egypt, though without order from the king. Cyrus was honest in his decree. All the vessels that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar were returned. They numbered in all 5,400. A partial list of them is given, but only the best materials are mentioned, such as the silver and the gold.

The genealogy in the second chapter gives only the heads of the various tribes or representatives of them: this list had been carefully preserved through the Exile. This company of returning pilgrims is the “remnant” so frequently spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. The total number was 42,360 Jews, and 7,337 servants. Their beasts numbered 736 horses, 250 mules, 435 cattle, 6,720 asses a large caravan. The mention of the actual heads of the tribes in Ezr 2:2 and Neh 7:7 , gives evidence that the twelve tribes were represented in this return, the prophetic proof of which is found in Jer 3:18 ; Jer 16:15 ; Jer 30:3 ; Eze 11:15 ; Eze 11:17 . These prophecies show that Israel and Judah both were to return to their land. There is also abundant historical proof that Israel returned with Judah. After the division of the kingdom and before the captivity ‘of Israel there were four defections from Israel to Judah. Then the history of the Jews after their return proves it (See Zec 11:14 ) ; the twelve tribes were there in Christ’s day, and James addresses the twelve tribes. This exact numbering here in Ezra has the historical value of preserving the genealogy and the details here given show the poor and insignificant beginning they had upon their return.

The first attempt was to rebuild the Temple, Ezr 2:68-3:13 . There was a considerable amount of wealth among those who returned in this company. The larger part of them settled in the various cities of Judah, comparatively few of them in the city of Jerusalem. We have an account of the first offering toward the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezr 2:69 ) amounting to about $450,000.00. In the seventh month they gathered together under the leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel and erected an altar; the starting of the worshiping of God in sacrifices. They had learned in the Exile that it was impossible to have a religion without a temple. It is probable that the stone upon which this altar was erected is the stone now under “The Dome of the Rock.” They offered their burnt offerings and then kept the “Feast of the Tabernacles” as best they could. In the next year under the direction of the leaders they laid the foundation of the Temple. This probably occurred in 535 B.C. It was attended with joyful ceremonies as recorded in Ezr 3:10 . It is possible that the song they sang then was the whole or part of Psa 136 . There were those present who remembered the former Temple and they thought of the destruction of that grand building and doubtless they lived over again the fifty years intervening. The younger members of the congregation were overjoyed at the present success, and the old men as truly were grateful, but gave vent to their feeling with a wailing of sorrow at the memory of the former Temple. Fifty years had passed since their former beautiful Temple had been destroyed, and they could not but think over the awful past, when it went down in ruins. So the younger men rejoiced but the older men wept and wailed.

We find the first hindrance to the work in Ezr 4:5-24 . This is by the Samaritans) that mixed race to the north of Judah. Their first offer was friendly, to co-operate with and help the Jews build the Temple, and from Ezr 4 we see that Zerubbabel did not accept their offer, but promptly rejected it because they saw the outcome of such an alliance; then, they showed that the decree of Cyrus had appointed them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The refusal angered the Samaritans and they succeeded in putting a stop to the work of erecting the sacred edifice. In Ezr 4:24 we are told that the work on the house of the Lord ended until the second year of the reign of Darius the king of Persia. This would be 520 or 519 B.C.

In Ezr 4:4-5 we have a general statement of the opposition in this language: “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.” Then follows the opposition in particular: In a letter to Ahasuerus (Cambyses) they bring an accusation against Judah and Jerusalem, but there are no particulars given. Then in a second letter to Artaxerxes (Pseudo-Smerdis), they brought an accusation against Jerusalem with the following particulars: (1) they are building the rebellious and bad city; (2) they have finished the walls; (3) the people are preparing to avoid tribute, custom and toll; (4) the records show this to be a rebellious and hurtful city, and there should be an investigation to see if these things are so; (5) this means that Persia will have no portion beyond the river Euphrates. The result was that Artaxerxes responded that he had examined and found records as they had charged, and therefore he ordered the work stopped, and did stop it by force.

There are some critical matters just here that call for consideration: (1) “Ahasuerus” and “Artaxerxes” are royal titles and are applied to various monarchs of Persia; (2) these are not the “Ahasuerus” and “Artaxerxes” of Esther and Nehemiah, making Ezr 4:6-23 parenthetical as some say, but they refer to “Cambyses” and “Pseudo-Smerdis” as indicated above, and Ezr 4:6-22 connects directly with the preceding and following verses; (3) “the rebellious city” has a certain basis of truth in three instances: It rebelled (a) in the reign of Jehoiakim, (b) in the reign of Jehoiakin, and (c) in the reign of Zedekiah; (4) the statement, “have finished the walls,” is an Oriental exaggeration (Ezr 5:3 ) ; (5) “no portion beyond the river” has basis of truth in the reigns of Solomon and Menahem.

The work was stopped, for probably seventeen or eighteen years, and apparently no efforts were made to continue it. At this time there appeared two prophets upon the scene, Haggai, an older prophet, and Zechariah a younger one. They aroused the people to activity by a series of prophecies which we find recorded in their books. Haggai says, “The time has come for you to build God’s house.” The trouble was they had taken time to build houses for themselves and neglected God’s house. He says they ought to consider their ways; that the present drought and hard circumstances existed because they had neglected the building of the house of God (Hag 1:7-11 ). Zechariah by a series of visions co-operates with Haggai and the people are at length aroused to a genuine effort to build, or rather rebuild the Temple.

As they were rebuilding the Temple the matter was reported to Tattenai, the Satrap, who had charge of all this part of the Persian Empire. It caused him some apprehension. He wished to know for certain whether the Jews had authority to rebuild the Temple or not. They answered that the decree of Cyrus was their authority. Then Tattenai entered into correspondence with the king about the matter.

The history of the old Temple, the Jews’ disobedience and captivity, and the decree of Cyrus was all recited in the correspondence between Tattenai and Darius. The king ordered a search for the Cyrus decree, the decree was found, and the work was ordered to go forward. This decree granted all that the Cyrus decree did and added the help of the governor with gifts of various kinds and for various purposes. The date of this decree was 519 B.C. If we compare this letter of Tattenai to Darius with the former one, we find that there is a vast difference. The former was characterized by bitterness and false accusations, while the latter was a fair statement and a legitimate inquiry into the merits of the case.

We note here that credit is given to the prophets for the success of the work, though it was four years, five months, and ten days after they began to prophesy before the work was completed. It is well to note here also the points made by the prophets bearing directly on the work of rebuilding the Temple. Haggai reproves them for excusing themselves from the building under the plea that it was not time to build and refers to their building themselves houses to live in and neglecting the house of God. Zechariah by a series of visions confirms Haggai’s work and encourages them to undertake the great task of building. (Here the student should read Haggai and Zechariah they will be interpreted later in the course).

The Temple was finished and dedicated 516 B.C. (Ezr 6:13-22 ). This great event occurred about seventy years after the destruction of the first Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. The nation now had a religious center. A new era for Judaism dawned. This Temple remained until A.D. 70, when it was destroyed by the Romans. Haggai promised that the desire of all the nations should come into it. In the courts of this same building Jesus of Nazareth walked and talked. There was a note of joy in this dedication. They offered sacrifices as they did at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, but this exercise did not compare with Solomon’s in magnificence. There was also a resetting here of the priests and Levites in the service of the Temple. Then followed a great celebration of the Passover. Few other such celebrations of this feast are recorded in sacred history. Along with this one may be named the one in Egypt at its institution, the one at Gilgal upon the entrance into the land, another in the days of Hezekiah, yet another in the days of Josiah, and the last one in the days of Jesus when he instituted his Supper to take the place of the Passover.

QUESTIONS

1. By whose decree did the first exiled Jews return to their country and what was the date of this decree?

2. What five remarkable things about this decree and how brought about?

3. What great lessons here on God’s government of the world?

4. What light does this give us on the religious condition of Persia during this period?

5. What great prophet had foretold this decree giving the very name of this king and what the lesson?

6. What, in general, was the response to this decree, what kindness shown to them by the Persians, what parallel found in earlier Jewish history and why was the response so small?

7. Who were the men named in Ezr 2:2 (cf. Neh 7:7 ), counting the regular Israelites, the Nethinim, the servants and singers, how many people and how many beasts of burden in this first return, and what evidence that all the twelve tribes were represented in this return?

8. What prophetic proof that the ten tribes were not wholly lost?

9. What historical proof?

10. Why this exactness in numbering and detail?

11. What was the first thing they did upon their arrival in Jerusalem and what was the amount of this offering?

12. When did they set the altar and inaugurate regular service, who were the leaders, what was the first feast kept, what was the next step, what steps did they take now toward rebuilding the Temple, and where did they get their material? (See your Bible.)

13. When did they lay the foundation, what correspondence here (see 1Ki 6:1 ), what the ceremonial on this occasion, what Psalm did they sing; how did they sing it and how did the people give expression to their emotion?

14. From whom did opposition come to the work of rebuilding the Temple, what proposition did they make, what the subtlety of it, how was it met and why?

15. Where do we have a general statement of the opposition, in what form does the opposition appear in particular, what points made, what result and what critical matters in this connection?

16. How long did the work of building cease, who stirred them up to renew the work, what new opposition arose, what form did it take, what history was recited in the correspondence, what was the result, what enlargement of this decree over the Cyrus decree, what was the date of this decree and how does the correspondence here compare with the former letter to the king?

17. What credit is here given to the prophets for the success of the work, and how long after they began to prophesy to the completion of the work.?

18. What were the points made by these prophets bearing directly upon the work or rebuilding the Temple?

19. Describe the dedication service, contrast it with Solomon’s dedication of his Temple and note the resetting here in the service of this Temple.

20. What great Jewish festival did they keep at this time and how many great occasions of a like celebration in the history of Israel can you name?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Ezr 5:1 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.

Ver. 1. Then the prophets ] He that is now called a prophet was previously called a seer, 1Sa 9:9 , because his eyes were enlightened, Num 24:3 , and he saw visions of God, Eze 1:1 Dan 1:17 , prophets they were afterwards called, that is, interpreters of God’s will by his command: Exo 7:1 , “Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet,” that is, thine interpreter. By the mouth of these holy prophets God spake to his people in all ages, Luk 1:70 . Yet not without some intermissions of prophecy, as the Church complaineth, Psa 74:9 , till that Cathimath Chazon (as the Jews call it), the sealing up of prophecy, which they place between the prophet Malachi and John Baptist, who was more than a prophet. The original word, Nabi, signifieth one that, from the inward counsel of God, uttereth oracles.

Haggai the prophet ] Who was not an angel incarnate, as Origen and Jerome held; but a young saint (as Epiphanius describeth him), and might therefore well be an old angel, if he lived to be old: Iuvenis admodum ex Babylone profectus est Hierosolymam, &c. An exceedingly young man left from Babylon for Jerusalem. (Epiph. lib. de Proph. Vit.). See more of him, Hag 1:1 . See Trapp on “ Hag 1:1 “

And Zechariah the son of Iddo ] That is, of “Berechiah the son of Iddo,” Zec 1:1 , See Trapp on “ Zec 1:1 “ These two God sent within two months of each other, in the eighteenth year of the people’s return out of Babylon; which happened to be in the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, in 520 BC. according to Ussher’s Chronology. Christ usually sent his prophets and apostles by couples, for mutual comfort, and greater confirmation.

Prophesied unto the Jews ] Who had brought a judgment of sore famine upon themselves by their slackness and backwardness to rebuild the house of God, Hag 1:4 ; Hag 1:6 ; See Trapp on “ Hag 1:4 “ See Trapp on “ Hag 1:6 “ and learn, of the heathen historian, to prefer God’s interest before thine own, or else to look for his curse, Y (Herodot.). For he is a great King, and stands upon his seniority, Mal 1:14 ; he will have us first to seek his kingdom, Mat 6:33 , and to give unto God the things that are God’s, or we shall hear of him, to our small comfort, Mat 22:21 .

In the name of the God of Israel ] Who both authorized and enabled them. God sendeth none whom he gifteth not. The apostles also were ambassadors in the same name, 2Co 5:20 , and so colleagues to the prophets, Luk 10:16 , see 1Pe 1:12 ; angels admiring the matter of their embassy, and their happy harmony.

Even unto them ] Who yet were very little amended by their seventy years’ captivity. Afflictions (God’s hammers) had but beaten upon cold iron (as it were), as appears by this history, and by the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah; whom, for his labour and love to their souls, they afterwards slew between the temple and the altar, Mat 23:35 , serving him as Hercules did his tutor Linus, whom, for a few sharp words given him, he knocked on the head, Hoc ictu ceu didactro accepto Linus mortuus est (Buchol.). Or, as their ancestors did the prophet Isaiah, whom they sawed asunder (saith Jerome out of the Rabbis), because he had called them princes of Sodom and people of Gomorrah, Isa 1:10 . This is the world’s wages to faithful ministers.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Ezra Chapter 5

There is another thing, too, of exceeding interest, and that is, that the way that God set this to right was not by the king’s authority, opening the door again, but the direct intervention of His own power – the power of the Spirit of God by the prophets (Ezr 5 ). It is by the prophets, not by the king – not by Darius. “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. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build” (vers. 1, 2). How bold faith is! And God justifies the faith that He gives, for although this looked as though it was a want of deference to the royal authority, the fact is that they had, at least, as good an authority for going on with the work. For, in point of fact, if Artaxerxes here stops the building of the house, Cyrus had previously authorised the building of it. They did what was quite right. They regarded as an accident what Artaxerxes brought in. They regarded it as a thing merely brought about by circumstances. They viewed it as a commandment, not of Persia, but of himself. They go back to what Cyrus had commanded. They knew well that it was one of the great maxims of the Persian kingdom that the laws of the Medes and Persians did not change. It was Artaxerxes that had changed.

Had Artaxerxes forbidden the building of the temple at the beginning, they might have been rather in a difficulty. There would have been the direct claim of God on the one hand, against that of the kingdom on the other, and the principle that we must obey God rather than men. But in point of fact, it was really, you see, between two kings, with this only difference, and a very great one, that the first and the greatest king, the founder of the Persian monarchy – was the very one that had commanded the building of the temple. They were right, therefore in acting upon his edict. The other had merely come in influenced by temporary circumstances, and he had indeed passed away. They were quite justified in falling back upon the word of Cyrus, but the truth of it is, that the grand thing that influenced their souls was that it was the word of God – through the prophets. I point out this to show how beautifully God can give, along with the word of the prophet, the justification of what His people did; and this is the more important because, as you know, this very thing is alluded to in the prophets. The prophet Isaiah particularly names, in connection with Cyrus, the building of the house of Jehovah. It is distinctly connected with him – not only the destruction of Babylon, but the building of Jehovah’s house, so that the children of the captivity were amply justified, as God always gives faith His full protection as well as guidance.

So, then, the prophets began to stir up the hearts of the people, and the people went forward according to the word of the Lord, and God took care of the king. God took care that although influence had been brought out against the people through the wickedness of the Samaritan instigators, and Artaxerxes had been influenced to see that Israel, and the Jews, and Jerusalem particularly, had bean a rebellious city, now comes a new search. Darius looks into the matter, and it is a well known fact in history, as we find it exactly in this book, that Darius was always disposed to act upon what Cyrus had done. He had the greatest regard and reverence for Cyrus as the founder of the empire. He had a desire to be a restitutor of all the institutions of Cyrus. Hence, therefore, we can see the beautiful appropriateness, and Darius does not care in the least for Artaxerxes or anybody else. He goes back to Cyrus, and he finds that Cyrus fully authorised what the Jews wished, against their adversaries. Thus God knows how to divert and suit everything. Our business is not to be setting one king against another, but to go forward in the name of the Lord – to take His word as our full warrant, perfectly sure that as we seek to be guided by God, it is God’s part to guide all men and all circumstances. That is His work, not ours. Our part, in short, is to go on in faith. He knows how to deal with those that oppose us.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 5:1-2

1When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

Ezr 5:1 Haggai See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: Haggai (Taken from Dr. Utley’s Old Testament Survey)

Zechariah the son of Iddo See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: Zechariah

prophesied This VERB (BDB 612) is a Hithpael PERFECT. It implies the supernatural presence and power of the Spirit of God (cf. Num 11:25-27; 1 Samuel 10; 1 Samuel 19).

SPECIAL TOPIC: OT Prophecy

in the name of the God of Israel who was over them The purpose of this phrase is to verify a renewed covenant relationship between the returning Israelites and the God of Israel. See Special Topic: The Name of YHWH .

Ezr 5:2 Zerubbabel For a good discussion of the theories about the relationship of Sheshbazzar to Zerubbabbel see Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason L. Archer, pp. 216-219.

Jeshua See notes at Ezr 2:2.

arose This Aramaic VERB (BDB 1110; KB 1086, Peal PERFECT) is used in the sense of arise out of inactivity.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Haggai. The prophet of that name. In the second year of Darius (Hag 1:1), “sixth month”.

Zechariah. The prophet of that name. In the second year of Darius, “eighth month” (Zec 1:1).

GOD. Chaldee. ‘elah (sing). Same as Eloah. App-4.

of Israel. Still “Israel”, because representative of the whole nation. See note on 1Ki 12:17.

even unto them: or “[which was] over them”.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Chapter 5

So it tells us here in chapter five,

The prophet Haggai, and the prophet Zechariah, they prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, and they began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them ( Ezr 5:1-2 ).

Now in the first effort, it was, there were the priests that were doing the work. And now Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets have pitched in and they are helping them to rebuild the house of God.

And at the same time there came to them Tatnai, who was the governor on that side of the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and they said unto them, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make this wall? And they said or they said to them, What are the names of you men that are making this building? ( Ezr 5:3-4 )

So the guys came up like building inspectors, a lot of thread, “Who commanded you to build it? What are your names, fellows?” And started giving them a bad time.

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 so they returned answer by letter concerning this matter. The copy of the letter that Tatnai, the governor sent to Darius the king: they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written; Unto Darius the king, all peace ( Ezr 5:5-7 ).

Now remember, this is the Darius who loved Daniel. Daniel sat with him many times. Had long conversations about God and the power of God. And Daniel, a man of such wisdom and such fellowship with God, no doubt Darius was. Well, he was, scripture tells us, extremely impressed by Daniel. Loved him. So Darius gets this letter; God moved Ahasuerus out of the way and put Darius on the throne now. And it said,

Be it known unto the king, 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 is going on fast, and it is prospering in their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? We asked their names also, in order that we could certify to you, that we might write the names of the men that were chief among them. And thus they returned us an answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we build the house that was builded these many years ago, which the great king of Israel builded and set up. 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. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. 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; 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 5:8-15 ).

It says, “Now if it seems good to the king, search and see if Cyrus did made such an order. And let us know quickly so that we can put a stop to what’s going on or let us know the king’s pleasure in this matter.” “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Ezr 5:1-2

Introduction

AFTER A 15-YEAR DELAY; WORK ON THE TEMPLE RESUMED; THE GOVERNOR REPORTS TO DARIUS I;

THE HISTORICAL SITUATION

The opposition of the people of the land had succeeded in weakening the purpose of Israel to rebuild the temple. As we learn from Haggai and others of the Minor Prophets, the lack of zeal and devotion on the part of God’s people themselves had also contributed to this long delay (Hag 1:2-11). Under the urgent admonitions of Haggai, both Zerubbabel and Jeshua rose up and vigorously began work on the temple. The foundation had been laid much earlier, but that foundation was probably little more than a ground-breaking that projected the size of the structure but did little else.

Also a new governor, operating from his headquarters in Damascus, under the authority of the Persian ruler who, at this time was Darius Hystaspes, was in charge of the satrapy that included Palestine. The governor was Tattenai, a far more noble person than the evil Rehum, a governor who came much later, and whose sympathies were totally in favor of the Samaritans and who was bitterly opposed to Israel.

We may be sure that when work was resumed on the temple that the Samaritans went immediately to Damascus to enlist the aid of the new governor in stopping it. Tattenai, however, refused to take any action against the temple work until he had consulted his overlord Darius I.

This chapter provides the sacred record of these developments.

Ezr 5:1-2

WORK ON THE TEMPLE RESUMED

“Now 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, prophesied they unto them. 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.”

“Now the prophets” (Ezr 5:1). The record here does not mention what the prophets prophesied; but it is clear that they demanded that the Jews resume work on their temple. At any rate, Israel heeded it, and began to build the temple.

“Haggai … and Zechariah” (Ezr 5:1). “The work on the temple was renewed only three weeks after Haggai began preaching, which was Sept. 20,520 B.C.” “Zerubbabel is highly honored in Haggai and in Zechariah 4; Jeshua is honored in Zechariah 3 and Zechariah 6.”

“And began to build the house of God” (Ezr 5:2). This supports our view that the first laying of the foundation was a very elementary thing. Haggai complained that the house of God “lay in waste” (Hag 1:4); and that is the same terminology that was used after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. Furthermore, as Hamrick pointed out, “Hag 1:12-15 does not mention any previous attempt to build the temple; and this probably means that Sheshbazzar’s beginnings had been so meager that the project had to be started anew.”

“Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel” (Ezr 5:2).

E.M. Zerr:

Ezr 5:1. Then applies to the date stated in the closing verse of the previous chapter; the 2nd year of Darius. He is the man whose name you have at the head of the 4th column of the chart. You have him designated as Darius I, which is correct. He is known also in secular history as Darius Hystaspes. He was thus associated with the name of his father to distinguish him from a number of other Persian rulers named Darius. He was a good man, morally, and showed the same attitude toward the Jews as did Cyrus. He had a long reign, and it was in his 2nd year that the work on the temple was resumed. The verse says that Haggai and Zechariah prophesied. Strong’s definition of the word is, “a primitive root; to prophesy, i. e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse).” This definition will help us understand the verse as a whole, especially when we have read the passages that will be cited soon. The verse gives the mere fact of these two prophets’ speaking as the reason the Jews resumed the work. Now, I urge that before reading further in the present book, the student read Haggai 1, and Zec 1:1-17. Be sure to read these passages carefully and more than once, then you will be prepared to understand the chapter we are studying. Although Cyrus had given the Jews the right to rebuild the temple to their God, they had let the threatening of the adversaries interfere with their work. The edict of Cyrus had not been repealed, for the Persians never canceled one of their laws, except by enacting a new one that would counteract the old. But there was no evidence that what the adversaries said to them was a law enacted by the king. Therefore, they should have paid no attention to it. It is true that force was brought to bear on them which they could not resist at once. They should have called for an investigation (as was done under Darius as we shall soon see), and then gone ahead with the work. But they were like many professed Christians. If some “unavoidable” circumstance causes an interference in their devotions to the Lord, they will often become indifferent toward their duty, and begin to show more interest in their personal affairs, just as these Jews did, as shown in the passages cited in the prophetic books. Then it becomes necessary for some man of God to get after them and rouse them to action. That is what these prophets did, and it produced the desired effect on the leaders. Now the reader should be prepared to understand the verses to follow the one of this paragraph. But before going further, put this notation in the 4th column of the chart: “2nd year, work resumed on the temple by order of the king.” The basis for that notation will appear soon.

Ezr 5:2. Then rose up means they became active after the two prophets delivered their messages. The messages contained exhortation and warning, and brought the Jewish leaders to realize how negligent they had been, and how nearly they had come to bringing the wrath of God upon them. Zerubbabel was a leading man of the tribe of Judah, and as general supervisor of the building. Jeshua, otherwise spelled Joshua, was a high priest, and hence a member of the tribe of Levi. These two men represented the material and religious interests of the nation at the time of its restoration. Began to build signifies they resumed the work of the house of God, that was stopped at the foundation 15 years before. The prophets helped them with their exhortations and encouraging speeches, addressed to the helpers of the work.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

A study of the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah makes it perfectly evident that the cessation of the work of building was unworthy of the men who had commenced. Judged by all human standards they could fairly urge the difficulties of the situation, and the necessity for obedience to the edict of the reigning king. Judged by the divine standard, as all the burning words of the prophets named make perfectly clear, they had no right to cease.

Under the inspiration of this prophetic message, governor and priest, Zerubbabel and Toshua, commenced the work again. But no sooner did they commence than opposition was raised, and they were challenged. To this challenge, however, they gave no heed, and the reason is graphically stated, “The eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews.” We are not to suppose for a moment that this was something new. That eye had always been upon them, but through the teaching of the prophets, and their rousing call, their consciousness of relationship to God had again been renewed; and they went forward in spite of the challenge of their foes, determined not to cease until the matter had been submitted to Darius, the new king. The copy of the letter sent to him by Tattenai is preserved for us, and is very interesting. It is hardly possible to read it without feeling that there was in the mind of this enemy of the work some suspicion of a friendly feeling existing in the mind of the king toward the Jews. It would seem, however, that he did not believe their story concerning the edict of Cyrus, and appealed to the king that it be sought for, and produced if in existence.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

the Mission of Haggai and Zechariah

Ezr 5:1-17

It is necessary to read the books of Haggai and Zechariah to see what difficulties the leaders of the people had to meet, and how much they needed the help of the prophets. At last matters were brought to an issue by the failure of the crops, which gave the prophets additional arguments. When Gods judgments are abroad in the earth, men learn righteousness. As soon as the rebuilding began after a lapse of fifteen years, another letter was sent to the metropolis for advice. Tatnai appears to have been incited by the Samaritans, and he made a visit of personal inspection. His account of the proceedings is very graphic. The eye of God is on those whose hearts are perfect towards Him, Ezr 5:5; 2Ch 16:9; Psa 33:18. It is very well to imitate these elders in giving an answer in meekness and fear, but not terrified by our adversaries, 1Pe 3:12; 1Pe 3:15. If God has clearly set us to do work for Him, let us go through with it in spite of all human opposition. Storms are the methods by which He reveals our weakness and His all-sufficiency. The walls of the spiritual temple are built in troublous times, but the work goeth fast on. The rulers of this world cannot understand and gnash impotently with their teeth, Gods plan shall stand, though earth be in arms to resist it.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Chapter 5

Prophetic Ministry

It has often been said, and truly, that it is one thing to occupy a right position, and quite another to be in a right condition. The remnant of Judah were in the right position when gathered back to the place of the Name. But we have just seen that they had dropped from the happy state in which they were when they first returned to Jerusalem, and had lapsed into a condition that made them easily disheartened.

What then was the remedy? Give up all and go back to the place they had left? Not at all; for they had Gods word for remaining where they were, and He could be depended on to send them suited ministry to arouse and revive that they might thus reach a healthier state.

Yet how often do we see the opposite of this. People learn certain lines of truth from the Word of God, and seek grace to walk in them. To do so involves a special position as gathering-alone to the name of the Lord Jesus in separation from what is unholy. But by and by the freshness of early days passes away, and a period of lethargy and apathy succeeds. The love of many waxes cold, and the dew of their youth is gone. What should those do who would be right with God? Forsake the position and go back to what they once left for Christs sake?

Surely not; but in the position cry to God for the Spirits ministry that there may be revival and blessing. Maintain the right position at all costs and cease not looking up to the Head for what each member needs.

But Gods eye was on His discouraged people, and in gracious concern for their state, He raised up among them Haggai and Zechariah, both the Lords messengers in the Lords message (Hag 1:13). In the name of the God of Israel these two devoted servants exhorted the remnant to consider their ways, and be strong, or courageous, for they were directly under Jehovahs care as brands plucked from the fire. Haggai dealt more especially with the consciences of the people. His are stirring, cutting words. Zechariah was commissioned to speak more to their hearts, enthusing them to holy boldness in view of the coming glory. Both lines of ministry were needed; for Gods people are possessed of conscience and hearty and each must be appealed to.

The immediate result was the stirring of spirit among the leaders. 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 (ver. 2). Such was the happy effect of this Spirit-given ministry.

And, as might have been expected, their insolent adversaries are once more immediately active. Hardly have trowel and hammer begun to be used in the work of rebuilding or completing the house, when Tatnai, the Samaritan governor, and Shethar-boznai (new names to us), and their companions appear, and indignantly enquire, Who hath commanded you to build this house? (ver. 3.) To explain to men like these would have been useless, and would have been but casting pearls before swine. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and with no one else. Natural men could not understand a divine call and divine authorization. Therefore Zerubbabel and his helpers made no reference to the prophetic messages which had so stirred their own souls, but simply answered those fools according to their folly. What are the names of the men that make this building? they asked in their reply. This was but another way of saying that the business they were concerned in was one in which their questioners had no part or responsibility.

And though persuasion and threats were evidently used, 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 God so directed the kings heart that he gave an answer of peace and encouragement.

The Darius here mentioned should not be con- founded with the king of the same name in Daniel 6. This was evidently the successor to Xerxes the Great, while the other was but a vice-king under Cyrus. The splendid reign of Artaxerxes, as he is called in this record, had come to an end, and Darius ascended the throne. To him therefore the enemies of the Jews addressed themselves in a lengthy epistle which, at first sight, is of a much more straightforward character than the one drawn up by Rehum and Shimshai. No false evidence as to rebuilding the city is manufactured, but the simple facts stated that the house of the great God was in process of construction, and the work goeth fast on and prospereth. One point is probably a falsification, in that they say, We went into the province of Judea, and beheld these things, as though their going there was only casual, without malice aforethought; whereas, as we know, it was deliberate hostility to the Jews that led them to thus trespass in a district where they had no authority; they were but evil-minded busy-bodies. This they skilfully endeavor to cover, and write as though a mere accident had given them to see what made them fear for the kings honor.

It is a question whether in the light of verse 4, already noted, they are not drawing on a previous knowledge in putting the lengthy answer into the mouths of the elders which is given in verses 11 to 16. All this was actually done, but it hardly seems likely that it was made known to Tatnai and his friends at this particular time. It was, rather, what they had heard when the work first began-the very thing that had rankled in their minds for so long.

They tell how they had questioned these elders as to who had commanded them to build these walls; and then, for very shame, in place of the abrupt and contemptuous reply of the Jews, they tell that (which Zerubbabel apparently did not say) which would have a great effect upon Darius, in throwing him back upon the unalterable decrees of the Persian king.

They declare that an answer was given to this effect: That these builders were the servants of the God of heaven and earth3 and were restoring the house which a great king of Israel (whose name is evidently unknown to these plotters) had set up. But after their fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, He had permitted the Babylonian captivity, under Nebuchadnezzar, by whom the house was destroyed and the people carried away. But declaration had been made of what, to their minds, was evidently a most unheard of and preposterous thing: namely, that in the first year of Cyrus a decree had been given to rebuild this house of God; and that the vessels of that old and destroyed temple had been restored to these Jews with a command given to Sheshbazzar (the Persian name of Zerubbabel), who was reported to have been made governor, to take these vessels and carry them to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. Accordingly the said Sheshbazzar had come to Jerusalem and laid the foundation, and (here followed clear prevarication) since that time even until now hath it been in building (as though in contravention of the decree of Artaxerxes, which they supposed fully covered the case), and yet it is not finished.

These busy-bodies evidently felt sure that this entire report was without authentic foundation, so they urged that search be made to see if such a decree had ever been issued by king Cyrus, and loyally concluded, Let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter (ver. 17).

And so their letter was drawn up and despatched; and doubtless they felt assured that the kings reply would put an effectual quietus upon the work of these obnoxious Jews, and forever stop the erection of a building which was as a sermon directed against their evil and idolatrous ways.

Meantime the work went right on, for the people had a mind to build, as we elsewhere read and the prophets of the Lord encouraged them in carrying out His revealed will, in holy independence of their active and crafty adversaries.

The result could not be in doubt, for God never fails faith. He always makes bare His arm on behalf of those who acknowledge the authority of His Word. He has said, Them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

All that is needed is the faith that fears not the face of man, because the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom is upon the soul.

1 I have previously sent forth a little book called Notes on the Book of Esther,and have published a volume of Lectures on the Book of Daniel.The three post-captivity prophets are in measure expounded in my Notes on the Minor Prophets.If God will, a volume on Nehemiahwill follow the present work.

2 A word of uncertain meaning; they are supposed by many to be the descendants of the wily Gibeonites.

3 Their addition of the words and earthshows their ignorance of Gods relation with Israel at that time.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

CHAPTER 5

1. The prophetic ministry of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezr 5:1)

2. The result of their ministry (Ezr 5:2)

3. Tatnais interference (Ezr 5:3-5)

4. The letter to Darius (Ezr 5:6-17)

Ezr 5:1. At that critical time when the enemy seemed to have triumphed, and they were losing their interest, God graciously intervened by sending them His two messengers the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Their great prophetic messages will be more fully taken up in our annotations on the books which contain their prophecies. The voice of prophecy is always heard when the people of God are in decline. The greatest prophets appeared at the darkest period of Israel–Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Two months before Zechariah began his prophetic ministry Haggai lifted up his voice and addressed Zerubbabel and Joshua (Jeshua). It was the Word of the LORD which he communicated to the princely and priestly leaders of the people. This first message gives an interesting light upon the situation of the remnant. (Read Haggai 1.) The people were saying The time is not come, the time that the LORDs house should be built. This they must have said on account of their enemies; they were waiting for a more providential time, when they could pursue the building of the house. The next words of Haggai reveal the moral condition of the people: is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Then the exhortation, Consider your ways. From these words we learn that they had settled down in comfort and were more occupied with building themselves houses than with finishing the house of the Lord. And God had dealt with them for this neglect; they had suffered on account of it (Hag 1:6-11).

Ezr 5:2. When the burning message of Haggai was delivered the LORD revived them again. They arose from their state of apathy and began to build the house of the LORD, the prophets of God helping them. The book of Haggai tells us that they all obeyed the voice of the LORD their God … and the people did fear before the LORD. No sooner had they obeyed and feared the LORD than another message came through the prophet: I am with you, saith the LORD. They no longer feared their enemies, nor the Kings command, but they feared the LORD, and at once the work was vigorously resumed and the house finished (6:15). The Word of the LORD was used in their revival. Every true and genuine revival always started and always will start with the Word of God, hearing and believing what God has spoken.

Ezr 5:3-5. This new start attracted at once the attention of their enemies. Tatnai, governor on this side of the river and Shethar-boznai with their companions appeared on the scene. (In cuneiform tablets of the first and third years of Darius Hystaspis, a governor Ustnai is mentioned. He is described in Assyrian as the governor of the province.) They asked the questions, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up the wall? What are the names of the men that make this building? (We in verse 4 is they, Tatnai and his companions, See verse 10.) Thus the enemy made another effort to hinder the work. He never fails to attack that which is done to the glory of God. But these enemies did not reckon with the Keeper of Israel who neither sleeps nor slumbers. Little did they know that what they were doing would lead to victory for Gods people and would result in finishing the house of God. The eye of God was upon the elders of the Jews. He gave them strength, courage and assurance, so that they could persevere in the work. God was with them, and who then could be against them? God restrained Tatnai from giving order to suspend the work, so that they worked right on. Blessed are all the servants of the LORD who toil in the fear of the LORD, knowing that His eye is upon them and that He sustains all who put their trust in Him.

Ezr 5:6-17. Then Tatnai and his associates sent a letter to King Darius, which gives the unreported details of their visit to Jerusalem. The letter tells us that the house was built with great stones and timber in the walls, and that all prospered in their hands. Zerubbabel and his companions had answered the inquiries to Tatnai as follows: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. Thus they gave a witness of themselves and then related what had taken place, and how Cyrus had made the decree to build the house of God. The letter stated that Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel) had laid the foundation and that the house was still unfinished. Then follows the request: Now, therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the kings 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 the matter. The builders must have had perfect peace about this letter, knowing that the LORD was with them.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

am 3484, bc 520

Haggai: These are the same Haggai and Zechariah, whose writings we have among the twelve minor prophets; and, as a great part of them refer to the events here recorded, the reader will find it very profitable to compare them with the history. Hag 1:1-15

Zechariah: Zec 1:1-21

the son of Iddo: That is, “the grandson of Iddo;” for Zechariah was the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

in the name: Mic 5:4, Hag 1:2-8, Zec 1:3, Zec 1:4, Zec 4:6-10

Reciprocal: Exo 31:6 – I have given Ezr 6:14 – through Neh 2:17 – come Hag 1:3 – by Haggai Hag 2:18 – even Zec 8:9 – the prophets

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

PROPHET HELPERS

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.

Ezr 5:1

This reference to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah marks very plainly the nature and object of the prophetic office. The word which God in time past spake by the mouth of His holy prophets was no empty sound or mystical foretelling of future events, the interpretation of which was to be found when the events were fulfilled; it was then what it is now: the voice of God to His Church, stirring up zeal, and love, and faith, and obedience to every good word and work. It was the fresh spring of moral and religious life to the nation.

The great lessons we may learn from a review of the last canonical period of Jewish history are:

I. The place which the spiritual element must occupy in all national and social organisation for the good of the people.Secular power, Act of Parliament power, intellectual power, public opinion power, philanthropic power, have been tested and tried to the uttermost, but no one of them, nor all put together, have ever succeeded in regenerating a nation or converting a soul. That people is on the high road to apostasy which teaches for doctrines the commandments of men.

II. The religious teaching must be of the right stamp.It must be revealed truth. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi preached by inspiration of God.

III. If declension and backsliding come in among a people, what appeal can be made to awaken fear and rouse the torpid conscience?The day cometh which shall burn like an oven is no myth. The doctrine of everlasting punishment from the presence of the Lord is as certain as the hope of being with Him and like Him for ever. Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men; for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.

Dean Fremantle.

Illustration

The three causes which are apt to hinder our faithful zeal in building for the Lordselfish sloth, unbelieving despondency, and carnal securityare they not the bane also of our own spiritual life? The Lord will not, He cannot, bless us personally while we yield to these temptations to slackness in the business in which He would engage us.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

IN CONSIDERING THE first four chapters we noted six things that marked the revival granted to the Jews, as recorded by Ezra. Let us briefly recapitulate them. There was: –

1. A return to God’s original centre.

2. No claim to powers they had forfeited by previous failure.

3. A spirit of devotedness and self-sacrifice.

4. Obedience to the word of God.

5. A position of separation from the surrounding world, and consequently,

6. Opposition from the world.

We now begin to read chapter 5, and at once there meets us a seventh feature, which completes the picture immediately before us. The work on the house of God having ceased, because of the contrary edict from the Persian usurper, God’s Word was found in power amongst them, through the two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. The result of this prophetic ministry was that once more the Jews began to build the house, in spite of the contrary edict.

We have the words of these two prophets preserved for us in the books that bear their names, and if we now glance for a moment at these two prophecies, we may readily perceive their general drift or scope.

Haggai’s message was a very plain word of rebuke, of instruction, of encouragement. They had stopped building the house and were engaged in building nice houses for themselves all too willingly. He told them to recommence work on the house of God, and encouraged them by predictions of future glory, though warning them that they must not imagine that anything they did was perfect. The searching eye of God could perceive uncleanness in all the works of their hands.

Zechariah’s message also encouraged but had in it more of visions and symbolic instruction. He foretold the advent of the Messiah, though He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver and rejected, and the sword of Jehovah would awake against Him, so that His hand might turn in blessing upon the ‘little ones’, who would be marked by deep repentance. Nevertheless the Messiah would return in glory as being Jehovah Himself, and Jerusalem would ultimately become Holiness unto Jehovah.

Immediately the building of the house recommenced the adversaries were up in arms. Behind these human adversaries lay the great adversary, who does not mind God’s people ‘feathering their own nests’, but opposes all that is for God. We may wonder perhaps that the prophets incited the people to disobey the edict against the building of the house, but God knew that the usurper being dispossessed and a king of the ancient dynasty being on the throne, the way would be clear. The Darius of verse Ezr 5:6 who was mentioned in verse Ezr 5:5 of the previous chapter. was now on the throne; and just as Artaxerxes, or Smerdis, being a usurper, was inclined to reverse the edicts of his predecessors, the new king, of the ancient line, was inclined to confirm them, and reverse the decrees of the usurper.

Hence, when fresh complaint was sent up to Darius against the Jews, now again working on the temple, he caused search to be made in the records to discover the truth of the matter. This we see in the opening verse of chapter 6, but we shall do well to take note of the ground taken by the leaders of the Jews, when confronted again by their adversaries, as recorded in the latter part of chapter 5.

Their opponents put on record that when challenged their answer was twofold; both religious and political; and they put the religious reason in the first place, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth’, and are building under His command. In the second place they quoted the original authorization they had received from Cyrus.

Their position was indeed a strong one. Centuries later Peter and the other apostles were challenged by the Jewish council in the effort to stop them preaching the risen Christ, and thus working in the spiritual building, that started on the day when the Spirit was poured forth, as narrated in Act 2:1-47. Their answer was, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men’ (Act 5:29); and so they continued to preach the Gospel in spite of the prohibition issued by: the religious authorities. Here, however, the verdict of Darius was entirely favourable. He cancelled the adverse command and confirmed the original edict of Cyrus. Thus God caused the wrath of men to praise Him, and fulfil His word.

Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary

Ezr 5:1. Haggai and Zechariah Concerning these prophets, see the books which bear their names. They are both thought to have been born at Babylon during the captivity, and both with united zeal encouraged the people to go on with the work of the temple. Upon the accession of Darius to the throne, Haggai, in particular, by reproaching the people with their indolence and insensibility; by telling them that they were careful enough to lodge themselves very commodiously, while the house of the Lord lay buried in its ruins; and by putting them in mind that the calamities of drought and famine, wherewith God had afflicted them since their return, were owing to their neglect in repairing the temple, prevailed with them to set about the work in good earnest; so that, by virtue of these reproofs, as well as some encouragements which God occasionally authorized him to give them, they brought the whole to a conclusion in a short time. The son of Iddo That is, the grandson; for Zechariah was the son of Barachiah. Prophesied unto the Jews Commanding them from God to return to building the temple, with a promise of his favour and assistance.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezr 5:4. Then said we. Septuagint: Then said they unto them.

Ezr 5:16. Since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished. The chronology of the Persian empire is involved in great obscurity. Josephus, to whom the learned world have looked for help, is very much embarrassed here, for it is highly probable he had no chronology of those times in which he could confide. Hence, we cannot know how long the Jews had desisted from their work; nor exactly how long it was since Zerubbabel had laid the foundation.

Ezr 5:17. The kings treasure house; so the LXX and the Chaldaic. The Latin has Bibliotheca, Library; but the Archives are understood. The transactions of a nation require a place for the records.

REFLECTIONS.

We are here struck with the great advantages arising from the public ministry. While Judah and Benjamin were supine about resuming the work of the temple, though the king, who had commanded them to desist was dead, the Lord stirred them up to renew their labour by the prophets, as we shall find at large in Haggai, and in the first chapters of Zechariah.

No sooner were the works resumed, than the opposition and jealousy revived; for Satan can never suffer the work of God to proceed in peace. Tatnai, governor over the west of the river, to whom they appealed, acted as an impartial man. He came in person to Jerusalem, and heard the complaints of the Jews, as well as their enemies. He received from the leading men of this glorious work, a faithful account of the sins and punishments of their fathers; for true piety is best defended by simplicity. And this prince, it would seem, was so far affected by the history of their calamities, that he wrote to the king his master a most impartial account of the Lords house. This letter demonstrates an ingenuous and noble mind. The enemy had boasted and said, What do these feeble Jews? Now the Jews might retort and say, What do these, the feeble Samaritans? Behold, in Tatnai, you have raised us up a friend, and not a foe. So the providence of God corresponded with the promises he had made to his people by several of the prophets. Let us learn at all times to rely on the divine care; for God cannot cease to care for us; and what is most to be admired, he causes our enemies to render us the most essential service, or removes them by death out of the way of his work. Oh if we could see the hand extended for our protection, and the angels who are watching for our safety, we should not be discouraged by any affliction, or intimidated by any foe.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezr 4:24 to Ezr 5:17. The narrative which was broken off at the end of Ezr 4:5 is now resumed. There is silence regarding the period 536520 B.C.; in 516, however, it is said that the building had been proceeding during the whole of this time. Owing to the action of Haggai and Zechariah, the Jews are once more roused to undertake the work, which had been interrupted sixteen years before, of rebuilding the Temple (so according to our present text). This time there is no objection; on the contrary, application is made to Darius by the governor, who is supported herein by some of the Samaritans (the Apharsachites), to permit the Jews to go on with their work (which is continued, however, pending the arrival of the kings reply) on the ground that a former king (i.e. Cyrus) had given permission for the work to be undertaken. The reply is favourable. The very different attitude from that spoken of in Ezr 4:1-5, adopted by the Samaritans (the Apharsachites are mentioned in both passages, possibly this word means eparchs, i.e. rulers, but this would not affect the point) shows that the relationship between them and the Jews had undergone a change for the better. Presumably during the sixteen years of which nothing is recorded, a more friendly feeling had by degrees sprung up, and this resulted in the intermarriages so bitterly resented by Ezra and Nehemiah later on. We must suppose that it was owing to this change of feeling that, so far from antagonism, the governor, supported by the Samaritans themselves, now seeks permission on behalf of the Jews to build, and even raises no objection to their continuing operations pending the arrival of the reply to his letter. The governor regarded it as his duty to get legal sanction from headquarters for this building, seeing that it had previously been specifically forbidden; otherwise we may well suppose he would have permitted it to go on without taking further official notice of it.

Ezr 4:24. the second year of Darius: 520 B.C.

Ezr 5:1. Now the prophets . . .: cf. Hag 1:1, Zec 1:1.in the name of . . . : read in the name of the God of Israel which was upon them, cf. Deu 28:10.

Ezr 5:3. this work: i.e. of the Temple.

Ezr 5:4. Then spake we . . .: read Then spake they unto them.

Ezr 5:11. a great king of Israel . . .: i.e. Solomon (see 1Ki 6:1).

Ezr 5:15. put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem: these words are so directly contrary to what immediately follows that they can only be regarded as an unskilful gloss; they should be deleted.

Ezr 5:16. since that time . . .: clearly out of harmony with Ezr 4:24. What is said of Sheshbazzar here does not agree with Ezr 3:8; Ezr 3:10.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

WORK RESUMED AND OPPOSITION RESUMED

(vv. 1-5)

The initiative for resuming the work had come from the Lord who moved the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to speak in His name to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. Haggai’s prophecy is recorded in the book bearing his name, which begins, “In the second year of King Darius on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Hag 1:1).

The Lord ignored the decree of Artaxerxes that the building must not take place before he had given permission. Whose word was to be obeyed, that of Artaxerxes or that of the Lord? The people were saying, “the time has not come, that the Lord’s house should be built” (Hag 1:2). No doubt they would appeal to the fact that Artaxerxes had not given them permission. But the Lord asks them, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to be in ruins?” (Hag 1:4).Haggai prophesied concerning the house of God, while Zechariah emphasized the city of Jerusalem. Here in Ezra we are told that Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build the house, but with the help of the prophets (v. 2).The city was only to surround the house, but the house was God’s center.

But the work of God will always be opposed by Satan, and the adversaries of Judah came to question them as to their having authority to build the temple and to repair the wall (v. 3).These were different men than had opposed them before, so that evidently a good deal of time had elapsed since the work had been stopped.

Judah had nothing to hide, and told them the names of the men who were supervising the work. They told them more than this also, as is reported in the letter that Tattenai sent to the king of Persia (vv. 7-16). At this time Tattenai could not make them cease working because “the eye of God was upon the elders of the Jews” (v. 5). God had commanded them to build and He would restrain any effort of the enemy to resist them.

A LETTER TO DARIUS

(vv.6-17)

Tattenai then wrote a letter to King Darius, not in the same hostile strain as Rehum and his companions hadwritten to Artaxerxes (ch. 4:12-16), but simply inquiring as to the truthof what the Jews had told him. The message was sent as from the governor of the region beyond the river (Tattenai), Shether Boznai and their companions, the Persians beyond the River. These were Persians therefore, not the men of the captivity, as in the case of chapter4:14.

Their letter to Darius begins in reporting that work was progressing rapidly in the building of the temple of the great God at Jerusalem (v. 8). They did not consider the God of Israel as similar to one of the idols of the nations, but recognized Him as the great God. Their presentation of the whole matter was restrained and fair, not demanding that the work be stopped, but inquiring as to its being permitted by the king of Persia.

They reported asking the elders of Judah as to who gave them authority to build, and they replied that they were the servants of the God of heaven and earth and were rebuilding the temple built by a great king (Solomon) many years before. Thus their authority was primarily from God.

However, they told that the reason for the destruction of the temple, that their fathers had provoked the God of heaven to anger, so that He had delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, under whose authority the temple was destroyed and the Jews carried into captivity (v. 12). This was thoroughly accurate.

But they appealed also to an earthly authority, Cyrus king of Babylon. Actually he was king of Persia (ch.1:1), but since Persia had captured Babylon, Cyrus was king over Babylon too. In his first year (they affirmed) Cyrus had issued a decree to build this house of God (v. 13), giving orders too that the gold and silver articles of the house of God should be taken from Nebuchadnezzar’s temple in Babylon and restored to Jerusalem. These things were placed under the authority of one named Sheshbazzar whom Cyrus had made governor, and this governor had come to Jerusalem and laid the foundation of the temple (v. 14).

Tattenai appeared to have been quite fair in the way he reported what the Jews had said, ending with their assertion that Sheshbazzar had come to Jerusalem and had laid the foundation of the house of God, but though it had been long under construction, it was not yet finished.

Their request to the king then was, not that he should find out if Jerusalem was a rebellious city, as was the charge of Rehum and Shimshi before (ch. 4:12-16), but rather that he should find if the records showed a command of Cyrus to rebuild the temple, and that the king would express his own mind to them as regards this matter (v. 17).

Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

The resumption of work 5:1-2

The Book of Haggai contains four messages that Haggai delivered to the returned exiles in 520 B.C. We know from what he said that the people had turned from their commitment to rebuild the temple, to constructing comfortable houses for themselves (Hag 1:2-11). The prophet Zechariah joined Haggai in encouraging the people to give God’s interests priority over their own (Ezr 5:1).

"There is always an effective answer to discouragement in the bold proclamation of the word of God." [Note: McConville, p. 32.]

In response to the ministries of these prophets, the people began to rebuild the temple again (Ezr 5:2; Hag 1:12-14) in 520 B.C. (Ezr 4:24).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

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ZECHARIAH THE PROPHET

Zec 1:1-6; Ezr 5:1; Ezr 6:14

ZECHARIAH is one of the prophets whose personality as distinguished from their message exerts some degree of fascination on the student. This is not due, however, as in the case of Hosea or Jeremiah, to the facts of his life, for of these we know extremely little; but to certain conflicting symptoms of character which appear through his prophecies.

His name was a very common one in Israel, Zekher-Yah, “Jehovah remembers.” In his own book he is described as “the son of Berekh-Yah, the son of Iddo,” and in the Aramaic document of the Book of Ezra as “the son of Iddo.” Some have explained this difference by supposing that Berekhyah was the actual father of the prophet, but that either he died early, leaving Zechariah to the care of the grandfather, or else that he was a man of no note, and Iddo was more naturally mentioned as the head of the family. There are several instances in the Old Testament of men being called the sons of their grandfathers; {Gen 24:47, cf. 1Ki 19:16, cf. 2Ki 9:14; 2Ki 9:20} as in these cases the grandfather was the reputed founder of the house, so in that of Zechariah Iddo was the head of his family when it came out of Babylon and was anew planted in Jerusalem. Others, however, have contested the genuineness of the words “son of Berekh-Yah,” and have traced their insertion to a confusion of the prophet with Zechariah son of Yebherekh-Yahu, the contemporary of Isaiah. This is precarious, while the other hypothesis is a very natural one. Whichever be correct, the prophet Zechariah was a member of the priestly family of Iddo, that came up to Jerusalem from Babylon under Cyrus. {Neh 12:4} The Book of Nehemiah adds that in the high-priesthood of Yoyakim, the son of Joshua, the head of the house of Iddo was a Zechariah. If this be our prophet, then he was probably a young man in 520, and had come up as a child in the caravans from Babylon. The Aramaic document of the Book of Ezra {Ezr 5:1; Ezr 6:14} assigns to Zechariah a share with Haggai in the work of instigating Zerubbabel and Jeshua to begin the Temple. None of his oracles is dated previous to the beginning of the work in August, 520, but we have seen that among those undated there are one or two which by referring to the building of the Temple as still future may contain some relics of that first stage of his ministry. From November, 520, we have the first of his dated oracles; his Visions followed in January, 519, and his last recorded prophesying in December, 518.

These are all the certain events of Zechariahs history. But in the well-attested prophecies he has left we discover, besides some obvious traits of character, certain problems of style and expression which suggest a personality of more than usual interest. Loyalty to the great voices of old, the temper which appeals to the experience, rather than to the dogmas, of the past, the gift of plain speech to his own times, a wistful anxiety about his reception as a prophet, {Zec 2:13; Zec 4:9; Zec 6:15} combined with the absence of all ambition to be original or anything but the clear voice of the lessons of the past and of the conscience of today these are the qualities which characterize Zechariahs orations to the people. But how to reconcile them with the strained art and obscure truths of the Visions-it is this which invests with interest the study of his personality. We have proved that the obscurity and redundancy of the Visions cannot all have been due to himself. Later hands have exaggerated the repetitions and raveled the processes of the original. But these gradual blemishes have not grown from nothing: the original style must have been sufficiently involved to provoke the interpolations of the scribes, and it certainly contained all the weird and shifting apparitions which we find so hard to make clear to ourselves. The problem, therefore, remains-how one who had gift of speech, so straight and clear, came to torture and tangle his style; how one who presented with all plainness the main issues of his peoples history found it laid upon him to invent, for the further expression of these, symbols so labored and intricate.

We begin with the oracle which opens his book and illustrates those simple characteristics of the man that contrast so sharply with the temper of his Visions.

“In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berekhyah, son of Iddo, saying: Jehovah was very wroth with your fathers.”

“And thou shalt say unto them: Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: Turn ye to Me-oracle of Jehovah of Hosts-that I may turn to you, saith Jehovah of Hosts! Be not like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying: Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, Turn now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds, but they hearkened not, and paid no attention to Me-oracle of Jehovah. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? But, My words and My statutes, with which I charged My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? till these turned and said, As Jehovah of Hosts did purpose to do unto us, according to our deeds and according to our ways, so hath He dealt with us.”

It is a sign of the new age which we have reached, that its prophet should appeal to the older prophets with as much solemnity as they did to Moses himself. The history which led to the Exile has become to Israel as classic and sacred as her great days of deliverance from Egypt and of conquest in Canaan. But still more significant is what Zechariah seeks from that past; this we must carefully discover, if we would appreciate with exactness his rank as a prophet.

The development of religion may be said to consist of a struggle between two tempers, both of which indeed appeal to the past, but from very opposite motives. The one proves its devotion to the older prophets by adopting the exact formulas of their doctrine, counts these sacred to the letter, and would enforce them in detail upon the minds and circumstances of the new generation. It conceives that truth has been promulgated once for all in forms as enduring, as the principles they contain. It fences ancient rites, cherishes old customs and institutions, and when these are questioned it becomes alarmed and even savage. The other temper is no whit behind this one in its devotion to the past, but it seeks the ancient prophets not so much for what they have said as for what they have been, not for what they enforced but for what they encountered, suffered, and confessed. It asks not for dogmas, but for experience and testimony. He who can thus read the past and interpret it to his own day-he is the prophet. In his reading he finds nothing so clear, nothing so tragic, nothing so convincing as the working of the Word of God. He beholds how this came to men, haunted them and was entreated by them. He sees that it was their great opportunity, which being rejected became their judgment. He finds abused justice vindicated, proud wrong punished, and all Gods neglected commonplaces achieving in time their triumph. He reads how men came to see this, and to confess their guilt. He is haunted by the remorse of generations who know how they might have obeyed the Divine call, but willfully did not. And though they have perished, and the prophets have died and their formulas are no more applicable, the victorious Word itself still lives and cries to men with the terrible emphasis of their fathers experience. All this is the vision of the true prophet, and it was the vision of Zechariah.

His generation was one whose chief temptation was to adopt towards the past the other attitude we have described. In their feebleness what could the poor remnant of Israel do but cling servilely to the former greatness? The vindication of the Exile had stamped the Divine authority of the earlier prophets. The habits, which the life in Babylon had perfected, of arranging and codifying the literature of the past, and of employing it, in place of altar and ritual, in the stated service of God, had canonized Scripture and provoked men to the worship of its very letter. Had the real prophet not again been raised, these habits might have too early produced the belief that the Word of God was exhausted, and must have fastened upon the feeble life of Israel that mass of stiff and stark dogmas, the literal application of which Christ afterwards found crushing the liberty and the force of religion. Zechariah prevented this-for a time. He himself was mighty in the Scriptures of the past: no man in Israel makes larger use of them. But he employs them as witnesses, not as dogmas; he finds in them not authority, but experience. He reads their testimony to the ever-living presence of Gods Word with men. And seeing that, though the old forms and figures have perished with the hearts which shaped them, the Word itself in its bare truth has vindicated its life by fulfillment in history, he knows that it lives still, and hurls it upon his people, not in the forms published by this or that prophet of long ago, but in its essence and direct from God Himself, as His Word for today and now. “The fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But My words and My statutes, with which I charged My servants the prophets, have they not overtaken your fathers? Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, Be ye not like your fathers, but turn ye to Me that I may turn to you.”

The argument of this oracle might very naturally have been narrowed into a credential for the prophet himself as sent from God. About his reception as Jehovahs messenger Zechariah shows a repeated anxiety. Four times he concludes a prediction with the words. “And ye shall know that Jehovah hath sent me,” as if after his first utterances he had encountered that suspicion and unbelief which a prophet never failed to suffer from his contemporaries. But in this oracle there is no trace of such personal anxiety. The oracle is pervaded only with the desire to prove the ancient Word of God as still alive, and to drive it home in its own sheer force. Like the greatest of his order Zechariah appears with the call to repent: “Turn ye to Me-oracle of Jehovah of Hosts-that I may turn to you.” This is the pivot on which history has turned, the one condition on which God has been able to help men. Wherever it is read as the conclusion of all the past, wherever it is proclaimed as the conscience of the present, there the true prophet is found and the Word of God has been spoken.

This same possession by the ethical spirit reappears, as we shall see, in Zechariahs orations to the people after the anxieties of building are over and the completion of the Temple is in sight. In these he affirms again that the whole essence of Gods Word by the older prophets has been moral-to judge true judgment, to practice mercy, to defend the widow and orphan, the stranger and poor, and to think no evil of one another. For the sad fasts of the Exile Zechariah enjoins gladness, with the duty of truth and the hope of peace. Again and again he enforces sincerity and the love without dissimulation. His ideals for Jerusalem are very high, including the conversion of the nations to her God. But warlike ambitions have vanished from them, and his pictures of her future condition are homely and practical. Jerusalem shall be no more a fortress, but spread village-wise without walls. Full families, unlike the present colony with its few children and its men worn out in middle life by harassing warfare with enemies and a sullen nature; streets rife with children playing and old folk sitting in the sun; the return of the exiles; happy harvests and spring-times of peace; solid gain of labor for every man, with no raiding neighbors to harass, nor the mutual envies of peasants in their selfish struggle with famine.

It is a simple, hearty, practical man whom such prophesying reveals, the spirit of him bent on justice and love, and yearning for the un-harassed labor of the field and for happy homes. No prophet has more beautiful sympathies, a more direct word of righteousness, or a braver heart.

“Fast not, but love truth and peace. Truth and wholesome justice set ye up in your gates. Be not afraid; strengthen your hands! Old men and women-shall yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand for the fullness of their years; the citys streets shall be rife with boys and girls at play.”

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary