Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezra 5:6
The 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:
6. Tatnai, the governor on this side the river ] R.V. Tattenai, the governor beyond the river, and Shethar-bozenai. See note on Ezr 5:3.
the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river ] R.V. the Apharsachites which were beyond the river. Who the Apharsachites of the ‘Abhar Nahara’ were is not known. Possibly the same as the ‘Apharsathcites’ of chap. Ezr 4:9 (where see note), represented officially by Shethar-bozenai, whose companions they are called.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Apharsachites, like Apharsites, and Apharsathchites Ezr 4:9, are thought by some to be forms of the word Persians, which is applied here generally to the foreign settlers in Samaria. (Others identify the first and the third names with the Paretaceni, a people on the Medo-Persian border.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Ezr 5:6-17
The copy of the letter that Tatnai.
The letter of the king concerning the work
This letter has three chief divisions.
I. The inquisition of the Persian authorities.
II. The reply of the Jewish leaders. It presents the following aspects of the work. That it was–
1. Not a mere human enterprise, but a Divine commission.
2. Not an innovation, but a restoration.
3. Not in a spirit of presumption and pride, but of obedience and humility.
4. Not in opposition to, but in conformity with, royal authority.
5. Not political, but religious in its character.
III. The appeal of the Persian authorities to the king. Conclusion: Two things we may well admire and imitate.
1. The fairness of the Persian officials.
2. The faithfulness of the Jewish leaders. (William Jones.)
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth.
The supremacy of God
Consider:
I. The universal supremacy of God.
1. Its ground.
(1) The perfections of His being.
(2) All things were created by Him.
(3) All things are sustained by Him.
(4) The benefits He bestows upon us and especially our redemption by Christ.
2. Its extent.
(1) Throughout heaven.
(2) Throughout earth.
(3) Throughout hell (2Pe 2:4).
II. The great obligation of men to obey Him. Our obedience should be–
1. Complete.
2. Perpetual.
3. Hearty.
4. Joyous.
III. The exalted privilege of men. When the service of God is rightly estimated, it is regarded as a glory and rejoiced in as a privilege. (William Jones.)
But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven.–
Arguments against sinning
In this verse we have three weighty reasons against abstaining from sin.
I. It provokes god. This will be more impressively realised if we reflect that He is a being of–
1. Infinite purity.
2. Infinite patience.
II. It deprives the sinner of his protection.
III. It strips the sinner of power to battle with his foes. Guilt robs a man of courage. The consciousness of right action in a righteous cause is the mightiest inspiration in conflict and the surest defence in peril. (William Jones.)
.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
The Apharsachites; a people so called, sent hither as a colony. As the other people, mentioned Ezr 4:9 they seem to have had a greater power with Rehum and Shimshai that with these new officers, who made choice of other companions.
Which were on this side the river, whereby they are distinguished from those of their brethren who yet continued in their native country beyond the river, and were not transplanted hither.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river,…. Which is thought by some to be one of the nations mentioned, Ezr 4:9 the name being pretty near alike to two of them; but perhaps might be a distinct colony in those parts Tatnai was governor of:
these sent unto Darius the king; and is as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In Ezr 5:6-17 follows the letter which the royal officials sent to the king. Ezr 5:6 and Ezr 5:7 form the introduction to this document, and correspond with Ezr 5:8-11 in Ezra 4. Copy of the letter (comp. Ezr 4:11) which Tatnai, etc., sent. The senders of the letter are, besides Tatnai, Shethar-Boznai and his companions the Apharsachites, the same called Ezr 4:9 the Apharsathchites, who perhaps, as a race specially devoted to the Persian king, took a prominent position among the settlers in Syria, and may have formed the royal garrison. After this general announcement of the letter, follows the more precise statement: They sent the matter to him; and in it was written, To King Darius, much peace. here is not command, but matter; see above. , its totality, is unconnected with, yet dependent on : peace in all things, in every respect. The letter itself begins with a simple representation of the state of affairs (Ezr 5:8): “We went into the province of Judaea, to the house of the great God (for so might Persian officials speak of the God of Israel, after what they had learned from the elders of Judah of the edict of Cyrus), and it is being built with freestone, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work is being diligently carried on, and is prospering under their hands.” 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 wainscotting. The word here, and Ezr 6:8, Ezr 6:12-13; Ezr 7:17, Ezr 7:21, Ezr 7:26, is of Aryan origin, and is explained by Haug in Ew. Janro. v. p. 154, from the Old-Persian us – parna , to mean: carefully or exactly finished-a meaning which suits all these passages.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
More letters, Verses 6-17
Tatnai’s letter to king Darius was informative and much more fair than had been that sent by Rehum at the earlier time, although he was still associated with some of the Samaritan people in the inquiry. He told the king of his trip to Judea and to “the house of the great God.” The Jew’s building must have been well along, for he referred to the temple as being built with great stones and timber “laid in the walls.” The work, he reported, was advancing rapidly. Tatnai had inquired as to the Jews’ authority for building and the names of the elders who were in the leadership.
The Jews had told the story of their temple to the Persian officers. The house, they said, was for “the God of heaven and earth,” whose servants they were. It had been first built many years ago by a great king of Israel (Solomon, of course). They quite honestly admitted that their sins had provoked their God’s wrath, and He had allowed Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to destroy the house and to carry them into captivity. However, they had received permission from king Cyrus in the first year of his reign over Babylon to return and restore the house of God. Since Cyrus had conquered Babylon, though he was Persian, the Jews thought of him primarily as the king of Babylon.
Continuing, Darius was informed how Cyrus had taken the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple at Jerusalem and returned them to Jerusalem with the returning Jews.
They had been conveyed under the hand of Shesh-bazzar, the governor of the Jews. So they had come to Jerusalem, and the foundation of the temple had been laid. The long delay due to the interruption of Cambyses and Artaxerxes Smerdis in not mentioned, but is implied in the statement that the temple had been building since the Jews’ early return, “and yet it is not finished.”
Tatnai advises that Darius should make search of the records to see if there is actually a decree of Cyrus for this building in Jerusalem. When a determination has been made he asks that he be enlightened as to the king’s pleasure in the matter. There is a marked difference in the spirit of the two informers against the Jews. Again it can be contributed to the hand of the Lord, following the renewed faith of the Jews, when Haggai and Zechariah had preached to them.
More observations: 1). The Lord always has those to comfort His people; 2) God’s purposes cannot be successfully resisted; 3) truthfulness is always the right policy for God’s children, whomever they are dealing with; 4) things go well for the obedient children of God.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
2. A letter is sent to clarify the situation.
TEXT, Ezr. 5:6-17
6
This is the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.
7
They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace.
8
Let it be known to the king, that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands.
9
Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?
10
We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head.
11
And thus they answered us, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
12
But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
13
However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
14
And also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor.
15
And he said to him, Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.
16
Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction, and it is not yet completed.
17
And now, if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the kings treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.
COMMENT
According to Ezr. 5:6, what follows is an actual copy of Tattenais letter. It is not accusative nor angry; in fact, it praises Israels workmanship. It appears to be an honest inquiry concerning a situation which had arisen, for which the governor had insufficient instruction to act.
In the KJV, the Apharsachites are mentioned. The KJV has a similar name at Ezr. 4:9. Some see this as the name of an unknown tribe. The term is translated officials in the NASB. The problem here stems from the fact that the Hebrew alphabet has no separate capitals, therefore it is always difficult to tell when such a word is a proper noun and should be transliterated, and when it is a description or title and should be translated. However, in the Hebrew text the word has the definite article, which usually means it is to be translated. Thus, the officials is preferred, as in the NASB.
Ezr. 5:7 gives the heading and salutation of the letter. The phrase, All peace, is interesting; it is obviously an abbreviated form of a longer greeting such as, I wish for you all the things that are included in the word, peace, or even, In all your realm, may there be peace, It may have the force of our Heartiest greetings.[32] The salutation, Peace, has been used before (Ezr. 4:17), without the additional all. It has been called the most beautiful word in the Hebrew language. Its Greek equivalent appears in the salutation of almost every letter in the N.T.: in fact, more often than its usual twin, Grace! For a fuller treatment of its meaning, see the Word Studies which follow.
[32] Luck, op. cit., p. 40.
Ezr. 5:8 states the problem which caused the letter to be written: the resumption of construction on the House of God. A question arises about the placement of the adjective: is it the house which they called great, or is it God? To some, it seems more likely that foreigners would speak of the great temple, instead of the great (Hebrew) God.[33]
[33] Interpreters Bible, Vol. III, p. 610.
But the Temple was not an especially large building. Its dimensions, about 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high (1Ki. 7:2), would provide floor space equal to a basketball gym seating a few hundred spectators, though it would be quite a bit taller. Many ancient buildings, particularly kings palaces, were much larger than that. On the other hand, even these foreigners could acknowledge the greatness of the God who, from the testimony of the Jews, had influenced the mighty Cyrus to command the reconstruction of His Temple.
A description of the progress on the building follows. The basic material was stone. The wood beams probably were laid across to support additional floors and the roof. The writer also speaks with commendation for the quality and dispatch of the construction work.
Ezr. 5:9 shows their dilemma and repeats their question from Ezr. 5:3. Rulers must be in charge of everything in their realm; something was going on without their leadership; therefore they must inquire into the authorization back of it.
The purpose of Ezr. 5:10 was to demonstrate to their superiors in Persia that they were faithfully looking after Persian interests, and were prepared to provide information about guilty persons if any crime was being committed.
In Ezr. 5:11-16, the letter conveys the answer which the Jews gave to justify their actions. Three reasons are cited.
First, their action was a service to the Supreme God over all: heaven and earth (Ezr. 5:11). The Persians would understand the reference to the God of Heaven; they used the phrase frequently themselves.
Secondly, Ezr. 5:11 continues, they were only repeating what one of their great kings (Solomon) had previously done. (The thirdly is in Ezr. 5:13.)
Ezr. 5:12 is an answer to an unspoken theological question: if their God is supreme, why had He permitted His Temple to be destroyed in the first place, and made necessary the work they were doing at present? Their answer, that God had become angry with them and was punishing them for their sins, shows that they had indeed come to believe the message of their prophets (cf. Amo. 2:4-5 for example), which had seemed so futile when it was given.
Ezr. 5:13 gives the information for which the letter seeks confirmation or disproof. Thirdly, then (see Ezr. 5:11), their action was claimed to be backed by the authority of a decree issued by Cyrus.
Ezr. 5:14 repeats the information of Ezr. 1:7-8 regarding the temple utensils. Sheshbazzar is named as the governor at the time. Now, and in Ezr. 5:16, we hear once more the name of Sheshbazzar.
Ezr. 5:15 records the instructions that Cyrus gave to Sheshbazzar about the disposition of the utensils; this detail is lacking in the first chapter.
With Ezr. 5:16 the answer of the Jews is concluded. Sheshbazzar, we note, is credited with laying the foundations of the House of God. Yet Ezr. 3:8-10 credits Zerubbabel with this act. Are these the same person, or are they two persons who successively held the same office? This is the last mention of either one in the book of Ezra; all the other references to Zerubbabel in Scripture (in Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah) recite incidents that occurred earlier; Sheshbazzar is mentioned nowhere else in the Scriptures. So at this point we have seen all that the Bible tells on the subject.
Every reference to Sheshbazzar has been in Babylonian or Persian surroundings. His name is itself an indication of Babylonian influence; it is a Babylonian name. In Ezr. 1:8; Ezr. 1:11 he is placed in charge of the returnees by Cyrus before they leave Babylonia. In Ezr. 5:14; Ezr. 5:16 his work is described in a letter to the Persian officials.
On the other hand, every reference to Zerubbabel is in Jewish surroundings. The name itself is Hebrew. He is listed in the genealogies of Hebrew kings in 1Ch. 3:19. Ezra (Ezr. 2:12; Ezr. 3:2; Ezr. 3:8; Ezr. 4:2-3; Ezr. 5:2) identifies him with the return to Jerusalem and the leadership in the reconstruction of the Temple. Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah also deal with the return and reconstruction from the Jewish point of view, and use only the name, Zerubbabel, Further, there is no passage in which both names appear together. Since the Jewish account of the laying of the foundations uses the name, Zerubbabel, and since the letter addressed to the Persians and written by a Gentile uses the name Sheshbazzar in describing the same event, it seems logical that these are but the Babylonian and Hebrew names of the same person.
Ezr. 5:16 closes with the information that the Temple was not yet completed; in the next chapter, Ezr. 5:15, its completion will be reported.
In Ezr. 5:17, Tattenai closes his letter with the request that the government files be opened and search be made to see if Cyrus had indeed given such an order to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. Since it involved people who had been held by the Babylonians and who were being freed from bondage to them, therefore the logical place to look for the letter would be in the Persian offices in Babylon, which was one of the cities from which the Persians ruled their farflung empire.
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.
SUMMARY
After years of inactivity, work on the Temple was resumed when two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, showed this to be Gods will. This raised questions among the next echelon of officials between them and Persia. The Jewish builders did not back down, but insisted that they had authority from the highest Persian ruler for their action, and that their subjection to the Supreme God further required it. A check of official documents was therefore initiated, while the construction work continued.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Identify the following persons, showing how they were related to the reconstruction of the Temple:
1.
Cyrus
2.
Darius
3.
Haggai
4.
Nebuchadnezzar
5.
Sheshbazzar
6.
Shethar-bozenai
7.
Tattenai
8.
Zechariah
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(6) The copy of the letter.This letter of Tatnai is introduced much in the same way as Heliums; but its dispassionateness and good faith are in striking contrast with the latter.
Apharsachites.Probably here the same as the Apharsites before, and suggesting some kind of Persian guard. But the reason of their introduction specifically here is obscure.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. The Apharsachites This one tribe and class of the colonists are here put for all those mentioned in Ezr 4:9, just as the Hittites are apparently named for all the Canaanites in Jos 1:4. See note there.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Persian Governor Writes To King Darius Concerning The Building Of The Temple And The Statement Of The Elders Concerning Their Case ( Ezr 5:6-17 ).
It should be noted how deliberately the writer gives an exact record of the correspondence which took place to and fro. He was a careful historian. He first records the letter which Tattenai sent to King Darius in Aramaic. It is probable that a copy of this letter (Ezr 5:6) was given to the Jewish elders so that they would know what was said. This would serve to confirm the impartiality of Tattenai who appears only to have been doing his duty as he saw it.
Ezr 5:6-7
‘The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Inspectors (Apharsachites), who were of Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. They sent a letter to him, in which was written thus:’
This would appear to summarise the preamble with which a letter would normally commence, which would be something like, ‘Tattenai, the governor of Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, to Darius the King’. The Apharsachites are again referred to in Ezr 6:6. The word is derived from the Old Persian (OP) word frasarka meaning inspectors. They are to be distinguished from the Apharsathchites of Ezr 4:9, where the word probably signifies ‘envoys’ (OP fraistarka). We are then given the contents of the letter. We again note the Persian style, both of the preamble and of the letter, confirming its authenticity.
‘In which was written thus. The word for ‘thus’ (signifying ‘in the body of the letter’) is typical of Aramaic legal documents
Ezr 5:7
‘Unto Darius the king, all peace.’
The name of the addressee is given with a wish for his total wellbeing, something typical of such letters.
Ezr 5:8
‘Be it known to the king, that we went into the district of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with massive stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goes on with thoroughness and prospers in their hands.’
The reason for writing is now given. They wish to make known to the king that they have been fulfilling their responsibilities of being the eye of the king, in this case by going into the district of Judah to check out a report that the Jews were engaged in building something with massive stones. The first years of Darius, as so often when kings first came to the throne, had been a signal to disaffected factions to rebel against him. The report that they had received of the use of ‘massive stones’, very naturally therefore had aroused their suspicions.
No doubt the report, suitably embellished, had come from Judah’s enemies (Ezr 4:1). But when the Persian representatives had arrived they had discovered that what was being built was a Temple to ‘the great God’ (the same description of God is used in Persepolis fortification tablets). It was being built with massive stones, and with timber laid in the walls (as with Solomon’s Temple – 1Ki 6:36). These courses of timber would provide the flexibility needed if an earthquake struck. Here was the explanation for the massive stones. And the work was going on with thoroughness, and was prospering. In other words they were making a good job of it, and making proper use of the materials. These words confirm that Tattenai was seeking to be fair to the builders, and did not see them as a threat. But the question then was, did they have proper authorisation?
Ezr 5:9
‘Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to make use of and fashion this material?”
So the writer of the letter then made clear to the king that they had asked the Jewish elders who it was who had given the authorisation for the building of the house, and the use and shaping of this expensive building material. They wanted the king to recognise that they had done their own job thoroughly as well.
Ezr 5:10
‘We asked them their names also, to certify to you, that we might write the names of the men who were at the head of them.’
They also confirmed that they had demanded the names of those who were responsible for the work, so that they could report them to Darius. This may have been in order that, if he felt it necessary, he could take suitable action against them, or it may have been so that he would know that the men doing the work were not subversive, but reliable. He was no doubt confident that Darius’ system of spies would have provided him with the names of any who appeared to be subversive. The kings of Persia had an efficient spy system which reported back directly to him. Thus a quick check of the list would confirm whether or not there was anything reported against these men.
Ezr 5:11
‘And thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the house which was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.”
The writer then reported on the answer that they had received. The Jewish elders had declared that they were the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We have seen previously that the ‘God of Heaven’ was the Name by which YHWH was known outside Palestine, and which Cyrus had used in his decree (see Ezr 1:2). Here the elders were also emphasising another relevant fact about Him. He was not only concerned with heaven but also with earth. And it was as His servants that they were rebuilding the house, a house which had been built many years before by a great king of Israel. It was thus not something new, but the establishing of something which had existed for centuries. There was nothing subversive about it.
‘A great king of Israel.’ The elders would have known the name of the great king of Israel but they recognised that Tattenai would not, and they wanted to get over the idea of how great he was.
Ezr 5:12
“But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.”
And the elders had explained that the reason why the Temple had needed rebuilding was not because of the powerlessness of their God, the God of Heaven. It was because their fathers had provoked the God of Heaven to anger. As a consequence He had given them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who had destroyed the house and carried the people away to Babylon. The reference to Nebuchadnezzar as ‘the Chaldean’ distinguishes him from the current King of Babylon, who was a Persian. It was making clear that this destruction had not been the work of a Persian.
Ezr 5:13
“But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.”
But then had come a new change in the situation, for on Cyrus the Persian becoming king of Babylon he had made a decree that the house of God on which they were now working should be rebuilt. (They did not need to spell out that Cyrus was a Persian, for it was something that everyone knew, most of all Darius). Thus what they were doing was actually at the command of the king of Persia.
This is an almost unique reference to Cyrus as king of Babylon outside records which relate to Babylon (where it is used regularly), but the reason for it is clear. He was being seen as having taken over the reins from the Chaldean kings of Babylon. Cyrus was in fact seen as king of Persia, king of Babylon, king of Egypt, as well as many other titles, depending on who was in mind in the record being made (compare ‘king of Assyria’ in Ezr 6:22).
Ezr 5:14
“And the gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor,”
Furthermore as proof of his generosity, and his reverence for the God of the Jews, Cyrus had taken out of the temple of Babylon the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnazzar had taken from the house of God in Jerusalem, and had delivered them to Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed as governor over the returnees, so that they might eventually be restored to their rightful place, the house of God in Jerusalem.
Ezr 5:15
“And he said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple which is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.’ ”
And what was more it was his command that the house of God be rebuilt in Jerusalem, and that those vessels then be put within it. This command envisaged both the rebuilding of the Temple, the task that the elders were now engaged in, and the restoration to that Temple of the gold and silver vessels which had been stolen from the previous Temple. Cyrus was concerned to get all the gods in his empire on his side, as indeed Darius would be too (Ezr 6:7-12).
Ezr 5:16
“Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem, and since that time even until now has it been in building, and yet it is not completed.”
The elders had then explained that this same Sheshbazzar had obeyed the king’s command, and had laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem, and since then it had been in process of being built, but was not yet completed, which was why they were now working on it.
This was a slightly artificial description of what had happened, for as we know after the foundations were laid, the work had ceased for a good number of years, until recently recommenced. But the Jews would have been well aware that they might well be asked why they had not carried out Cyrus’ decree immediately. They thus tried to give the impression of a long process which had not yet been completed. So while what they said was not untrue, it was certainly deceptive. But they would not have dared to say otherwise. To suggest that they had deliberately not obeyed the king’s command could have been seen as gross disobedience.
This is the only mention of the fact that Sheshbazzar laid the foundations of the Temple. In Ezr 3:10 we were informed that it was Zerubbabel and Jeshua who had caused the foundations of the Temple to be laid. Can they both be correct? There are a number of possible explanations:
1) That Sheshbazzar commenced laying foundation stones in obedience to the charge given him by Cyrus, but that this was interrupted by his early death so that the final completion of the laying of the foundations was carried out by his successor. It must be recognised that the laying of the foundations of so large a project would necessarily take a good amount of time. The ground had to be levelled, the correct material had to be obtained from sources outside Jerusalem, and it then had to be conveyed to the site and shaped so as to be suitable for their purpose, and whilst some suitable stones might be found from the previously destroyed Temple, even they would have required to be dressed ready for the project in hand. The initial laying of some foundation stones may have been achieved easily by utilising material available on the site, but the returnees would not have had the resources immediately available which would have enabled the rest of the work to be done quickly. Building so large a building was a huge project. So laying the whole foundations would necessarily therefore have been a lengthy task, easily commenced but not so easily finished.
The Jews would mention Sheshbazzar because his was the name linked with Cyrus’ decree, but it would not necessarily indicate that he had completed the task. In our view this must be seen as a very probable explanation. It is difficult to see how, having received the king’s command, Sheshbazzar would have dared not to have commenced the work as soon as practicable, even if only in a very limited fashion. He would want to report back to the king that the work had begun. But we can easily see how his early death might have devolved the work on Zerubbabel and Jeshua, so that it was they who really completed the task of laying the foundations. Nor would they have delayed too long. Whilst not as conscious of the king’s command as Sheshbazzar, he would have instilled into them the necessity of carrying out the work, and besides this was one of the main reasons for their return. Jeshua especially, as High Priest designate, would have been keen for the work to continue, to say nothing of the fact that the valuable gold and silver vessels that they had brought with them were for use in the Temple, and would meanwhile have to be kept safe. All this would have increased the sense of urgency.
But equally we can see how the delay necessary for the gathering of the materials, the problems of actually obtaining those materials and conveying them to the site, and the continuing hostility of those round about them which would often erupt into violence, would over time have weakened their resolve, and especially so because the task was so enormous, whilst they had their own livelihoods to consider in very difficult circumstances. It would have been so easy to find excuses for delaying the work until ‘a more suitable time’.
2) That Sheshbazzar’s name was connected with the work by the elders because they knew that it was his name that would be in the decree, but that the work had really been begun by Zerubbabel soon after his early death. Thus it was Sheshbazzar’s representatives who had laid the foundations, and not Sheshbazzar himself, although that was not something that had to be particularised in such a brief statement. They had acted in Sheshbazzar’s name.
3) That Sheshbazzar was mentioned because his was the name connected with the decree, but that the work had actually not been commenced until the initiative brought about by Haggai and Zechariah nearly twenty years afterwards, and that the statement that the work had commenced ‘in the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem’ (Ezr 3:8) did not indicate the second year of their return, but the second year of their eventually taking an interest in building that house of God in Jerusalem. In my view, however, this is to ignore the plain meaning of the words (their very reason for returning was so that they might come to that holy site), and overlooks the fact that the king’s command to build the Temple would have been seen as urgent, and this especially so in view of the valuable artefacts which they had brought with them whose purpose was to be used in the Temple. The presence of those artefacts would have made the building of the Temple an urgent priority to the one into whose charge they had been committed.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Letter of Inquiry Directed To Darius
v. 6. The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river v. 7. they sent a letter unto him, v. 8. Be it known unto the king that we went into the province of Judea, v. 9. Then asked we those elders and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house and to make up these walls? v. 10. We asked their names also to certify thee, v. 11. And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, v. 12. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, v. 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, v. 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, v. 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. v. 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. v. 17. Now, therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure-house, which is there at Babylon,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
The Lord had certainly softened the minds of those men, that though they sent an accusation against the people to the king, yet the Lord overruled the inditing of it. When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Pro 16:7 . But I beg the Reader to observe further what confidence the people had taken from the consciousness that the eye of the Lord their God was upon them. No doubt the Lord blessed the words of his servants the prophets unto them. I cannot sufficiently praise the firmness and zeal of the people in stating their just pretensions to prosecute the work; not only because Cyrus the king had tolerated, but from an infinitely higher cause, that the king of kings, even the God of heaven and earth, they were servants to. And they had suffered his displeasure in the captivity they were lately brought out of, for neglecting what they now were determined to engage in. Oh! how precious it is to find souls faithful to God and Christ, and determined to persevere in his service, be the consequence what it may. Reader! make your just observations upon the same characters, as they appeared in the foregoing chapter and in this. There through fear of man, which bringeth a snare, they ceased from the work. Here, through fear and love of God, which giveth confidence, they set up their banners. But Reader! do not fail at the same time to put down this different conduct to the right cause. Left to themselves in the former instance, we see what human strength is. Aided and encouraged by the Lord’s prophets, and more especially the Lord’s grace, in this latter instance, we see what man can do, the Lord helping. Precious Jesus! I can do nothing by myself except to sin and forget thee. But I can do all things when thou art by and guidest me on, and enablest me.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ezr 5:6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which [were] on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
Ver. 6. The Apharsachites ] That is, Persians, sent as deputies by the king of Persia, to see the peace kept, and good orders observed.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Ezr 5:6-17
6This is the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace. 8Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. 9Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ 10We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head. 11Thus they answered us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. 13However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. 15He said to him, Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place. 16Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is not yet completed.’ 17Now if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.
Ezr 5:6 Shethar-bozenai This word (BDB 1117, KB 2003) can be a proper name (most English translations) or a title (empire-delivering, cf. The Jewish Study Bible, p. 1677). It always appears in conjunction with Tattenai, the governor (cf. Ezr 5:3; Ezr 5:6; Ezr 6:6; Ezr 6:13).
NASB, NJB,
JPSOAthe officials
NKJVthe Persians
NRSVthe envoys
TEVfellow officials (Ezr 5:3)
This word (BDB 1082, KB 1822) is given three possible meanings.
1. a general name for a people group (i.e., Persian, cf. Dan 6:28)
2. a title (i.e., lessor governor, cf. Ezr 4:9)
3. a proper name
all peace This must be a Persian idiom (cf. Dan 4:1). The word peace (BDB 1116) means prosperity or welfare (cf. Dan 6:26). See Special Topic: Peace (shalom) .
Ezr 5:8 the house of the great God Even though the purpose of this report is negative, these Persian leaders know that the administration is tolerant to national gods. Therefore, they use the ADJECTIVE great in connection to YHWH. This is political correctness, not devotion or faith!
NASBhuge stones
NKJVheavy stones
NRSVhewn stones
TEVlarge stone blocks
NJBlarge stones
Literally the Aramaic has rolling stones (BDB 1078, 1086), which may denote (1) the method of their transportation to the construction site (i.e., on rollers or logs) or (2) how they were polished (i.e., expensive stones). These large stones may have caused the Persian officials concerns that something more than a small temple was being constructed at their government’s expense.
and beams This was a common construction technique of the ancient Near East, which was also used in constructing Solomon’s temple (e.g., 1Ki 6:36). Some speculate that it was a way to guard against earthquake damage (cf. Derek Kidner, Tyndale Commentary Series, p. 55)
Ezr 5:11 the God of heaven and earth This is a Persian title for deity (as is God of heaven). The Jews borrowed the titles used by the Persian Zoroastrians for their high god (Ahura Mazda) and applied them to YHWH.
a great king of Israel This refers to Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 6).
Ezr 5:12 This is the theological understanding of why YHWH allowed Israel and Judah to be defeated and exiled. In the ancient world nations warred on behalf of their god, under his/her protection and power, therefore, a military defeat reflected on the potency of the deities involved. However, in the case of the Israelites, it was their sin and rebellion which allowed their defeat!
Ezr 5:13-16 This is a review of Ezra 1.
Ezr 5:13 King Cyrus issued a decree Cyrus changed the policy of both the Assyrians and Babylonians by allowing all the exiled peoples to return to their homeland and rebuild their national temples. This was both for political and religious reasons. He assumed that the people groups of the ancient Near East would be grateful and pray for him and his successors. See Special Topic: The Rise of Cyrus at Ezr 1:1.
Ezr 5:14 the temple of Babylon Originally each city of Babylon had their own deity. As Babylon (the city) became the capital, its deity (Marduk), became the national deity.
Sheshbazzar This refers to the Judean leader of the first return in chapter 1, while Zerubbabel is not mentioned until chapter 2. Both are of the royal line of Judah.
in its place The site of the temple was crucial in establishing continuity between the Patriarchs and the new covenant community (cf. Gen 22:2; Gen 22:4; Gen 22:14; 2Sa 24:15-25; 2Ch 3:1; 2Ch 7:1 ff).
Ezr 5:15 This verse has a series of commands.
1. take (BDB 1103), Peal IMPERATIVE
2. go (BDB 1079), Peal IMPERATIVE
3. deposit (BDB 1102), Aphel IMPERATIVE
4. let the house of God be rebuilt (BDB 1084), Hithpael IMPERFECT used in JUSSIVE sense
Ezr 5:16 Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem It seems that this man cleared off the rubble and found the original foundations, but the temple itself was not rebuilt until the second return under Zerubbabel and Jeshua (cf. Haggai and Zechariah).
and from then until now it has been under construction and it is not yet completed This may be a comment by Tattenai or a summary statement provided by the Jews themselves. The temple was started soon after 538 B.C. (Cyrus’ decree) by Sheshbazzar (cf. Ezr 5:16), but lapsed the project into inactivity until the time of Zerubabbel and Haggai/Zechariah about 519-520 B.C. (cf. Ezr 4:24 to Ezr 6:22). See Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, vol. 2, pp. 323-324).
Ezr 5:17 Let a search be conducted The VERB (BDB 1085) is a Hithpael IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. How are the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, connected to Zerubbabel?
2. Explain the difference between the two questions in Ezr 5:3 (cf. Ezr 5:9).
3. Why is Ezr 5:12 so theologically significant?
4. Why is Sheshbazzar mentioned again in this chapter?
5. Explain the phrase laid the foundation.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Tatnai. His name has been recently found in a contract.
Apharsachites. See note on Ezr 4:9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Ezr 5:6-17
Ezr 5:6-17
GOVERNOR TATTENAI’S LETTER TO DARIUS I
“The copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent unto Darius the king; they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus: Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goeth on with diligence and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall? We asked them their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of them. And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded there many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon. But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God. And the gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought 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 he said unto him, Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be buUded in its place. Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time, even until now, hath it been in building, yet it is not completed. Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”
One must admit that this letter is a fair and honorable presentation of the truth as Tattenai laid it out before Darius the king. What a contrast there is here with that prejudiced and derogatory letter that the evil governor Rehum would, at a later time, send to Artaxerxes.
“Builded with great stones” (Ezr 5:8). “The Hebrew here is rolling stones, that is, stones so large that they would have to be moved by rolling them on rollers.” Dummelow gave the dimensions of some of those stones as “Sixty-seven feet long, seven and one half feet high, and nine feet wide.”
“Sheshbazzar” (Ezr 5:14). This is the man to whom was counted the sacred vessels that he restored to Israel, even those that Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the Temple of Solomon. He was evidenly Cyrus’ man in charge of that first expedition to Jerusalem; and scholars differ on just what connection he had with Zerubbabel. Hamrick thought that he might have been the same person as Zerubbabel, in which case his Babylonian name might have been Sheshbazzar. However, the opinion of Cundall may be correct: “If Sheshbazzar was the Persian appointed leader, it would account for the fact that in this official communication he would be tactfully mentioned as the one who laid the foundations of the Temple, whereas Zerubbabel, the popular leader would be given the prominence in the domestic account.”
“Let there be search made … whether it be so … that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build the house of God at Jerusalem” (Ezr 5:17). This was the key request of Darius by Tattenai. If indeed it was true that Cyrus had made such a decree, then according to the Medo-Persian tradition it was impossible to change it. Daniel twice referred to the “Law of the Medes and Persians which altereth not” (Dan 6:8; Dan 6:12). Daniel commented that, “It is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed” (Dan 6:15). If the projected search proposed by Tatrenal revealed that Cyrus indeed had made such a decree as the Jews claimed, then it was settled; the law could not be changed.
E.M. Zerr:
Ezr 5:6-7. This paragraph introduces the reader to the letter that was sent to the King of Persia. The parties sending the letter were the ones who had made the investigation of the work going or in Jerusalem.
Ezr 5:8. The expressions in this verse indicate that some progress had been made with the building. Mention is made of timber, which would not be put into the foundation. Great stones is rendered “stones of rolling” in the margin, and Strong’s lexicon defines the word for great, “from a root corresponding to GALAL; weight or size (as if rolled).” It is an interesting subject, based on one of the methods used in ancient times for raising huge stones to their places in the buildings, in the absence of cranes or derricks, such as are used today. A ramp or sloping roadway was built of earth, the highest point of which reached the surface of the preceding course in the wall of the building. The stone was then rolled over and over on this ramp, with the aid of strong levers, until it reached the top where it was skidded into its place in the wall. The ramp was then lengthened and raised to correspond with the height of the previous stone, and another was rolled up the ramp to its place. This procedure was continued until the desired height of the wall was reached. The great God was not said in derision. We will recall that after the captivity of the 10 tribes (2 Kings 17) some people from an outside territory were brought in to occupy the country. They adopted a mixed religion that included a nominal recognition of the true God. The term used did not indicate all that we would mean by its use, but to them it was a proper way of designating the God of the place where the reported work was going on. Work goeth fast on was said to impress the king with the urgency of the case.
Ezr 5:9-10. These verses correspond Ezr 5:3 and Ezr 5:4, and need no further comment.
Ezr 5:11. This part of the answer from Zerubbabel is not given in the first account of the conversation, but is made a part of the letter to the king. The Jews said they were the servants of the God of heaven and earth, while the expression originating with Tatnai was merely the great God. The difference will be recognized if you will reread the remarks in the preceding paragraph, explanatory of the expression of the Persian governor. He did not know about the God of heaven as we recognize him, but did think of him as the God of the temple. The great king that was mentioned by Zerubbabel and here repeated in the letter to Darius, was Solomon.
Ezr 5:12. This is more of the answer of Zerubbabel to the inquiry of Tatnai. It is not likely that many persons who made this answer to him were living at the time of the captivity. But all such matters were put into the records and could be read by interested ones. This was a truthful though brief statement of the sad downfall of the kingdom of Judah at the hand of the king of Babylon, the Chaldean. These two terms are again used in the same connection. Babylon was the name of the territory, and Chaldean was the name of a prominent people who were in possession of Babylon at the time of which we are studying.
Ezr 5:13. The letter omitted the 70 years of the captivity, and came directly from the beginning of the period’s start to its ending. First year of Cyrus means the first year after he had taken Babylon; he had been a ruler over the Persians about a score of years before. The dates at the top of the chart show only his rule over Babylon. The letter states that Cyrus made a decree the first year he came into Babylon, that the house should be built to the Lora in Jerusalem.
Ezr 5:14. We desire to keep our “bearings” and understand who is who, and why the various names and places are used in such close connection. For this purpose I shall make a brief statement on the subject. At the time the kingdom of Judah was captured, the territory around Babylon was in control of the Babylonians, otherwise called Chaldeans. At the time when the people of God had “served out their sentence” of 70 years, the territory had changed rulers and was under the Persians. When Cyrus the Persian came into power in Babylon, he found the Jews there, as a man would find a bird in a cage that he had captured from another man. And, just as a compassionate man would open the cage and let the bird go free, so Cyrus permitted the imprisoned Jews to have their freedom. To use the illustration further, as the compassionate man might take the interest to provide a suitable nest for the bird, so did Cyrus use his advantage as king to help the Jews find a desirable home and headquarters. If there were articles of service found in the cage that the bird could use in his new home, the good man would transfer them thereto. Accordingly, Cyrus found some vessels in the cage (Babylon) that really belonged to the prisoners, and that had been taken from their native home. These were restored to the rightful owners, but to insure their safe transportation, they were put into the hands of his own officer, which the text calls a governor. The margin renders it “deputy,” which is evidently correct, since Tatnai was govenor over the territory west of the Euphrates River.
Ezr 5:15. Don’t forget that we are still reading the letter that was sent to Darius, in which the edict of Cyrus made 15 years before is being recounted.
Ezr 5:16. The letter goes on to state that the edict of Cyrus had been respected; that the foundation was laid and the work on the building started. Since that time . . . been in building . . . not finished. These words mean that work had been held up through the years, but was again being put forward.
Ezr 5:17. Thus far the letter was giving a true report of what Tatnai learned when he investigated what was going on in Jerusalem. Also, what was told him upon his inquiry for their authority for what they were doing. Having made the report, the authors of the letter wrote a closing paragraph, in which they requested that the royal records be consulted to see if the Jews were correct in their claims. It was also requested that the king return word as to what he wished to have done about the matter.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
am 3485, bc 519
copy: Ezr 4:11, Ezr 4:23
Apharsachites: Ezr 4:9, Apharsathchites, Ezr 6:6
Reciprocal: Ezr 4:7 – companions Ezr 5:3 – Tatnai Ezr 6:13 – Tatnai Ezr 7:11 – the copy Ezr 8:36 – lieutenants
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Tattenai’s letter 5:6-17
In contrast to Rehum and Shimshai’s letter to Artaxerxes (Ezr 4:11-16), Tattenai’s letter to Darius was fair and objective. He gave no indication of wanting to stop the Jews’ project. He only wanted to know if Cyrus had really given permission for the Jews to rebuild the temple and if Darius wanted that edict to stand.
The record of this letter in the text shows that high-ranking government officials had observed God’s care of His chosen people. This would have encouraged the original readers of Ezra with the assurance that what they had done was honest, and that God was moving governors and kings to accomplish His will (cf. Pro 21:1).
|
Opposition to Temple Construction |
|
Scripture |
The form it took |
What it tested |
How they reacted |
|
Ezr 4:1-2 (cf. 2Co 6:14) |
Israel’s enemies offered to help. |
Their wisdom |
Zerubbabel declined the offer. |
|
Ezr 4:4-5 (cf. 2Ti 1:7) |
They discouraged and frightened the builders. |
Their faith |
The Jews trusted God and pressed on. |
|
Ezr 4:6-23 (cf. Mat 16:18) |
They tried legal action and red tape. |
Their patience |
God gave a favorable decision through Artaxerxes, and Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the Jews. |
|
Ezr 5:3 (cf. Mat 28:19-20) |
They demanded proof of authority to build. |
Their perseverance |
The builders kept on working. |
". . . against the background of rampant polytheism or even the dualism of newly emerging Zoroastrianism it was important to affirm that Yahweh is Lord of all in heaven and on earth. To their enemies the Jews affirmed this when they announced that they were building the second Temple as the ’servants of the God of heaven and earth’ (Ezr 5:11)." [Note: Merrill, "A Theology . . .," p. 191.]
"The God of heaven is probably an attempt by the Jews to create sympathy for their cause in the Persian court, because Ahuramazda, the Persian god, was also regarded as ’god of the heaven,’ and was known as the creator of heaven and earth." [Note: Fensham, The Books . . ., p. 83.]