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Ezra

Ezrachapter 5

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A.Two prophets speak and the building begins againvv. 1-5

1 Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them. 3 At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?” 4 They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.

B.Tattenai's report: who commanded you to build this house?vv. 6-17

6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace. 8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands. 9 So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?” 10 We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information. 11 And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. 12 But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon. 13 In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor 15 and instructed, ‘Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.’ 16 So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.” 17 Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

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Chapter summary

Haggai and Zechariah prophesy, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua rise and begin to build: 'and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.' Tattenai, governor beyond the River, comes asking who gave them a decree and demands the builders' names; 'but the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews,' and the work was not stopped while the case went up to Darius.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

Haggai and Zechariah prophesy, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua rise and begin to build: 'and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.' Tattenai, governor beyond the River, comes asking who gave them a decree and demands the builders' names; 'but the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews,' and the work was not stopped while the case went up to Darius. Tattenai's letter preserves the Jews' own answer: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth,' rebuilding a house a great king of Israel built long ago, torn down when the fathers provoked God, and Cyrus himself decreed its rebuilding. Let search be made in the king's treasure-house.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Ezra — Ezra overview

  • A. 1–5 Two prophets speak and the building begins again
  • B. 6–17 Tattenai's report: who commanded you to build this house?
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • Ezra 67 verses
    • Ezra 6:1Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon.
    • Ezra 6:3In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide,
    • Ezra 6:5Furthermore, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, must also be returned to the temple in Jerusalem and deposited in the house of God.
    • Ezra 6:6Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!
    • Ezra 6:13In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.
    • Ezra 6:14So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.
    • Read Ezra 6: 1 more there →
  • Ezra 34 verses
    • Ezra 3:2Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
    • Ezra 3:3They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD—both the morning and evening burnt offerings—even though they feared the people of the land.
    • Ezra 3:8In the second month of the second year after they had arrived at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their associates including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years of age or older to supervise the construction of the house of the LORD.
    • Ezra 3:10When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as David king of Israel had prescribed.
    • Read Ezra 3 →
  • Ezra 44 verses
    • Ezra 4:9From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
    • Ezra 4:11(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
    • Ezra 4:15that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
    • Ezra 4:19I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
    • Read Ezra 4 →
  • Ezra 53 verses
    • Ezra 5:3At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
    • Ezra 5:9So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
    • Ezra 5:16So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”
    • Read Ezra 5 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • Ezra 12 verses
    • Ezra 1:1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:
    • Ezra 1:2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.
    • Read Ezra 1 →
  • Ezra 72 verses
    • Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
    • Ezra 7:28and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.
    • Read Ezra 7 →
  • Zechariah 41 verse
    • Zechariah 4:6So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
    • Read Zechariah 4 →
  • Haggai 11 verse
    • Haggai 1:1In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating
    • Read Haggai 1 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.