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Ezra 5

KJV · Chapter 5/10

1Then 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 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.

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.

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 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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encourage the people to resume building the temple, which had come to a halt. Local Persian authorities question the legality of the work and write to King Darius to confirm whether authorization had truly been given.

Explanation

After years at a standstill, the work on the temple resumes not because of favorable political pressure, but because of the courageous preaching of two prophets who reignite the people's faith. It's an example of how the prophetic word can reverse collective discouragement. When the Persian officials question the legitimacy of the rebuilding, the Jewish leaders respond with an honest, historical explanation of the situation, trusting that the truth would be confirmed in the royal archives. The practical lesson is that, faced with questioning, the best response is often documented truth, paired with patience for justice to be established.

Fun facts

  • Haggai and Zechariah are the authors of prophetic books of the Old Testament, and their messages from this period are recorded in greater detail in the books that bear their names.
  • The respect for legal process shown here (searching the royal archives for proof of Cyrus's decree) reflects the meticulous administration of the Persian empire, which kept detailed records in its various capitals.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ezra 5:1After years of stalled work, two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, begin speaking in God's name, urging the people to resume building the temple.
  2. Ezra 5:2Encouraged by the prophets' words, Zerubbabel and Jeshua decide to resume construction, now with the direct backing of those speaking in God's name.
  3. Ezra 5:3Tatnai was the Persian governor of the region west of the Euphrates, and it was his job to oversee everything being built in his territory. He arrives asking who authorized rebuilding the temple and the wall, which shows that even with Cyrus's decree, the Jews still had to answer to local authorities.
  4. Ezra 5:4The Persian officials also want to know the names of those working on the project, probably to identify who was responsible in case an account was needed later.
  5. Ezra 5:5Despite the pressure from the Persian officials, no one manages to stop the work this time — the text credits this to God's watchful eye over the Jewish leaders, while they wait for King Darius's answer.
  6. Ezra 5:6Here begins the transcription of the letter Governor Tatnai sent to King Darius, asking for instructions on what to do about the temple project.
  7. Ezra 5:7The letter opens with the usual formal greeting, wishing the king all peace, before getting into the report on what was happening in Jerusalem.
  8. Ezra 5:8Tatnai reports that the temple is being built with great stones and that timber is already being fitted into the walls — the work was moving fast and was well made.
  9. Ezra 5:9The report repeats the question the officials had asked the Jewish leaders in person: who had authorized this rebuilding.
  10. Ezra 5:10Tatnai also records that he asked for the names of those in charge, precisely so he could tell the king exactly who was leading the work.
  11. Ezra 5:11The Jews themselves answer by telling the whole story: that the house had been built by a great king long ago, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and that they are now rebuilding it by order of Cyrus. It is a defense that uses the official letter itself to prove they are within the law, not rebelling.
  12. Ezra 5:12The Jews themselves explain the reason for the first temple's destruction: according to them, it was God's punishment for their ancestors' disobedience, which resulted in Nebuchadnezzar's conquest.
  13. Ezra 5:13They point out that it was Cyrus himself, already in the first year of his reign over Babylon, who gave the original order for this house of God to be rebuilt.
  14. Ezra 5:14The Jews also mention that Cyrus had returned the sacred vessels, handing them over to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he himself had appointed governor of the province.
  15. Ezra 5:15According to the account, Cyrus himself personally instructed Sheshbazzar to carry the vessels back and rebuild the house of God on its former site.
  16. Ezra 5:16Sheshbazzar really did lay the temple's first foundations, but the work sat unfinished for decades, right up to the moment this letter was being written.
  17. Ezra 5:17Finally, Tatnai asks that Darius himself have the royal archives in Babylon searched to confirm whether this story about Cyrus's decree is really true.

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