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Ezra

Ezrachapter 6

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A.The scroll found at Achmetha, and Darius makes the enemies payvv. 1-12

1 Thus King Darius ordered a search of the archives stored in the treasury of Babylon. 2 And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum: 3 In 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, 4 with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury. 5 Furthermore, 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. 6 Therefore 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! 7 Leave this work on the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site. 8 I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail. 10 Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons. 11 I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense. 12 May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

B.The house finished with joy in the sixth year of Dariusvv. 13-18

13 In response, Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. 14 So 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. 15 And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel. 18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

C.A Passover kept by all who had separated themselvesvv. 19-22

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover. 20 All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves. 21 The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy, because the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition
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Chapter summary

Search is made, and at Ecbatana in Media a roll turns up with Cyrus's decree, the dimensions, and the costs charged to the king's house.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

Search is made, and at Ecbatana in Media a roll turns up with Cyrus's decree, the dimensions, and the costs charged to the king's house. Darius rules accordingly: let the governors keep far from thence, let the expenses and the daily supplies come out of the king's revenue, that they may sacrifice and pray for the life of the king and his sons; and whoever alters this word, let a beam be pulled from his house and himself fastened upon it. So the elders built and prospered through Haggai and Zechariah, and the house was finished the third of Adar in Darius's sixth year, dedication with joy, then Passover, for Jehovah had turned the king's heart toward them.

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. 1–12 The scroll found at Achmetha, and Darius makes the enemies pay
  • B. 13–18 The house finished with joy in the sixth year of Darius
  • C. 19–22 A Passover kept by all who had separated themselves
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • Ezra 55 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 5:6This 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.
    • Ezra 5:13In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.
    • Ezra 5:14He 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
    • Ezra 5:17Now, 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.
    • Read Ezra 5 →
  • 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 4:15that 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 4:23When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
    • Ezra 4:24Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
    • Read Ezra 4 →
  • Ezra 74 verses
    • Ezra 7:1Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
    • Ezra 7:15Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
    • Ezra 7:23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?
    • Ezra 7:26If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
    • Read Ezra 7 →
  • Proverbs 212 verses
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • Esther 92 verses
    • Esther 9:19This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts to one another.
    • Esther 9:21to establish among them an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar
    • Read Esther 9 →
  • 2 Chronicles 292 verses
    • 2 Chronicles 29:21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
    • 2 Chronicles 29:34However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.
    • Read 2 Chronicles 29 →
  • 2 Chronicles 352 verses
    • 2 Chronicles 35:4Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and Solomon his son.
    • 2 Chronicles 35:11And they slaughtered the Passover lambs, while the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them and the Levites skinned the animals.
    • Read 2 Chronicles 35 →
  • Proverbs 251 verse

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