Ezra 5

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Ezra 5:1

Sometime after he arrived at Jerusalem (458 BC), Ezra wrote this section looking backward to 520 BC when the temple building process was renewed. It had been stalled around 15 years at the time. He names Haggai and Zechariah as the prophets responsible for beginning the construction. Ezra identifies Zechariah as a descendant of Iddo, but in Zechariah 1:1 he is called the son of Berekiah. Probably by Ezra’s time, some 62 years after Zechariah prophesied, Iddo was better remembered than Berekiah. It was also customary in Bible genealogies to often consider a grandson as the son of the grandfather (cf. Gen. 48:5).

Ezra does not fill us in on the background of Haggai. It is generally felt that the prophet Haggai was an older man who had survived much of the exile in Babylon (cf. Ezr. 6:14). He was the first post-Exilic prophet to minister to the returning exiles. The period of his prophecy continued from summer only through mid-December of 520 BC and we never hear from him again. Perhaps he simply died of old age after delivering his important messages. Work on the temple was not renewed till around September, a mere three weeks after Haggai began preaching. Zechariah began his preaching the next month and his last message was in February 519 BC. [1] It would be helpful to the reader to refer back to the books of Haggai and Zechariah for more detailed information.

When we read the accounts of Haggai and Zechariah we realize how important the inspiration and revelation of God is in the progress of his work. Wiersbe says, “The preaching of John Wesley produced a spiritual awakening in Great Britain that swept many into the kingdom of God. Historians tell us that the Wesleyan Revival helped to rescue England from the kind of blood bath that France experienced during the French Revolution.” [2] Two things are of utmost importance in the Lord’s work, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the power of the word of God.

“Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them” (5:2). Zerubbabel was the appointed governor over the Jews and Joshua was the high priest. Zerubbabel the leader had bloodlines through Shealtiel, through King Jehoiachin all the way back to King David. [3] Joshua’s line went through Jozadak back through Israel’s priesthood. It was of utmost importance for both these leaders to be involved in the rebuilding.

Since some of the earlier prophets had spoken against the temple and had seen it as a danger to true piety (cf. Amos 5:21ff’ Isa. 1:11-17; Jer. 7:1-15), we might wonder why God wanted the temple rebuilt. McConville comments: “Every group – from nation to scout troupe – needs emblems of its identity…God’s gift of the temple to his people, then, was an act of his compassion, by which he gave them something that they really needed in order to keep them faithful.” [4] McConville continues saying that without a temple: “…the people would assimilate to the surrounding nations and there would cease to be a people of God.” [5]

An Official Challenge

At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” Ezra 5:3-4

As we remember, it was a challenge from leaders in Samaria and a resulting royal decree from Cambyses that originally stopped the work and discouraged the people. Now that the work has just started again another official shows up to challenge the workers. We note that Tattenai was a high official or satrap in the Persian government. He was governor of all of Trans-Euphrates or all the territory west and south of the Euphrates River. [6] Although Zerubbabel was governor of Judah he was most likely under the ultimate authority of Tattenai. This was truly an official challenge.

Commentators seem certain that Tattenai was only acting in his legal capacity and not out of the spite and jealousy that was seen in the earlier Samaritan challenge. Tattenai, in his role, seemed concerned about the large stones and timbered walls. The central Persian government was always watchful for signs of revolt and there had been several to this point. With its massive stones, the temple may have looked more like a fortress than a sanctuary. [7]

Along with Tattenai’s official party was Shethar-Bozenai, who was probably the secretary. Persian secretaries operated with a separate authority to keep an eye on the governor and report back to the king. Anders adds, “…Darius also appointed inspectors, popularly known as ‘the king’s eyes and ears.’ They, in turn, kept watch on the secretaries to make sure officials were properly fulfilling their jobs. These inspectors or ‘associates’ accompanied Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai to Jerusalem.” [8] To the faint of heart Tattenai and his team spelled trouble. However, God was in control and it was he through his prophets who had initiated the rebuilding.

Adam Clarke, the early British Methodist theologian, says of Tattenai: “He seems to have been a mild and judicious man; and to have acted with great prudence and caution, and without any kind of prejudice.” [9] Anders adds: “…The questions indicated no hostility or suspicion. In fact, they were routine, civil inquiries that assumed legal justification for the building.” [10]

“But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received” (5:5). It was a blessing and answered prayer that Tattenai did not stop the work. Rather, he sent a letter to Darius to clarify the matter and that bought time for the builders. The Persians had a network of good roads and messengers that traveled back and forth by horse to keep the government informed. The scriptures say: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save…Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.” (Psa. 146:3, 5). Today we may think that a horse is a slow mode of transportation but it was the fastest mode until the invention of the vehicular steam engine in 1776 AD.

The Letter To Darius

This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. Ezra 5:6

Today many folks scoff at the Bible as some book of folklore and fables. This section especially shows how the Bible is based upon historical facts – plenty of them. In this case, copies of the actual letters are included in the Bible text. Guzik says: “As a good administrator, Tattenai not only sent a letter to Darius, he also preserved a copy that made its way into Ezra’s record.” [11]

“The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: Cordial greetings. The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction” (5:7-8). In his letter, Tattenai was careful to honor the God of the Jews since he probably knew that the administration was quite tolerant to local gods. [12] He noted that the Jews were building with large stones and that seemed to be a concern for him. The Aramaic even speaks of “rolling stones.” These were stones so big that they had to be moved around on rollers. [13] The Jews were obviously following the building pattern that Solomon used long before, with three layers of stones and one of timbers (1 Ki. 6:36; Ezr. 6:4). The fact that timbers were already being used was an indication that the work was progressing rapidly.

“We questioned the elders and asked them, ‘Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?’ We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information” (5:9-10). In verse 13 the leaders would later give their authority for building, which was King Cyrus. We are not told that they gave their names to this query. Supposedly they did. Pet says of Tattenai: “He was no doubt confident that Darius’ system of spies would have provided him with the names of any who appeared to be subversive.” [14]

“This is the answer they gave us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished’” (5:11). We note how the leaders of Israel stuck to the simple facts of their situation. The expression “God of heaven” was one used for the True God by people living outside the land of Israel (cf. Ezr. 1:2). [15] It would have had a familiar ring to the Persian king.

“But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon” (5:12). Again, the leaders were sticking to simple facts without embellishments or excuses. Perhaps the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah had already brought a note of penitence to their speech. Anders says, “The community understood that the ruins at their feet came not from the capricious act of a monarch but from their own unfaithfulness and disobedience to God…” [16]

“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site’” (5:13-15). Cyrus the Great began his reign in 559 BC but he only became the king of Babylon in 538 BC after the defeat of that nation. Breneman points out how several cuneiform inscriptions support him using this title. [17] He immediately made his decree that the Jews could return to their land. It was the custom of Cyrus and Persian kings to honor foreign gods and captured people by returning them to their lands of origin. Pett says, “Cyrus was concerned to get all the gods in his empire on his side, as indeed Darius would be too (Ezra 6:7-12).” [18] Once a Persian king made a decree it was final and could not be changed (cf. Dan. 6:8, 12, 15).

Here we note that King Cyrus returned the captured temple treasures to Sheshbazzar who was the appointed governor. We discussed the problem of Sheshbazzar in 1:8 and determined that this was just another name for Zerubbabel.

“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.” Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter” (5:16-17). Anders says, “Sheshbazzar not Zerubbabel, was mentioned in the historical Persian records, and Darius would note this.” [19] As we said earlier, the two were one and the same because in 3:8-10 we saw that Zerubbabel laid the foundation of the temple. Apparently, the Persians kept good records and the decree of Cyrus would be in the more recent records. Tattenai assumed that the records would be found at Babylon but it turned out that they were found at Ecbatana in the province of Media (Ezr. 6:2).

Again, we almost have to marvel that Tattenai seems to have no malice in his report to King Darius. Clarke says, “There is a great deal of good sense and candor in this letter. Nothing of passion or prejudice appears in it.” [20] His report is quite far removed from the evil activities of the Samaritans that we saw in chapter 4.

Footnotes

1. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 106.

2. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 740.

3. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 107.

4. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, p. 34.

5. Ibid.

6. Dummelow, Commentary on Ezra, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 5:3.

7. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 740.

8. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 61.

9. Clarke, Commentary on Ezra, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 5:3.

10. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 57.

11. Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary, Ezra, v. 5:6.

12. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 5:7.

13. Guthrie, ed., The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 401.

14. Pett, Commentary on Ezra, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 5:10.

15. Ibid., v. 5:11.

16. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 58.

17. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 111.

18. Pett, Commentary on Ezra, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 5:15.

19. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 58.

20. Clarke, Commentary on Ezra, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 5:17.