Esdra 5:7 Commento

We left the temple-work at a full stop; but, being God's work, it shall be revived, and here we have an account of the reviving of it. It was hindered by might and power, but it was set a-going again "by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts." Now here we are told how that blessed Spirit, I. Warmed its cool-hearted friends and excited them to built (Ezr 5:1, Ezr 5:2). II. Cooled its hot-headed enemies, and brought them to better tempers; for, though they secretly disliked the work as much as those in the foregoing chapter, yet, 1. They were more mild towards the builders (Ezr 5:3-5). 2. They were more fair in their representation of the matter to the king, of which we have here an account (Ezr 5:6-17).

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 5 This chapter relates, how that the people of the Jews were stirred up by the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah to set about the building of the temple again, notwithstanding the orders to the contrary from the deputy governors of the king of Persia; nor could the present ones cause them to cease from it; though it must be owned they behaved towards them in a better manner than the former ones did, Ezr 5:1, and who, upon the answers received from the Jews, wrote a letter to Darius, to know the truth of things; and in which they seem to state fairly the case of the Jews, as they had it from them, so far as they understood it, Ezr 5:6.

They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus,.... Or this was the inscription of it: unto Darius the king, all peace; wishing him all kind of happiness and prosperity.

And it pleased them that the matter should be referred to Darius, etc., until the end of the letter. This letter that Thathannai writes to Darius is very different from the letter that Rehum and Samsai wrote to Artaxerxes. For that letter was filled with accusations against the people of Jerusalem, whereas this one is full of praise not only of the people but also of Almighty God. Indeed, it begins thus: “To King Darius, all peace. Let it be known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is being built with unpolished stone, and timber is being laid in the walls, and this work is being diligently built, and it grows in their hands. Therefore, we questioned these elders, and thus we said to them: Who gave you the authority to build this house? etc.” In these words, it is also noteworthy how it is said, the house of God is built with unpolished stone; since it is evident that such a work could only have been done with polished stones. But “unpolished stone” should be understood to mean new stone, which they indeed found unpolished, but by polishing, they made it fit for building the house of the Lord: for even if some of the old stones, which, as Jeremiah lamentingly shows (Lamentations 4), were scattered at the head of every street, remained, it is nonetheless doubtful that new stones had to be polished, from which the work of the temple could be completed. In which indeed there is an evident mystery, since we see the Church of God being built, not only from those who repentantly return to the life of holiness which they previously lost by sinning; but also from those who recently have been called to faith, composed under the instruction of teachers like the rule of craftsmen, and placed in the building of the house of the Lord in a suitable order. Although it can also be rightly understood this way, that the temple was built of both old and new stones, of long-polished and more recently unpolished stones; since from both peoples, namely the Jews and the Gentiles, one Church of Christ is gathered; one, which was long polished in knowledge and observance of God's law; the other, which was enslaved to idolatry, had shed the deformity of a rustic and earthly mind by no industry of spiritual architects, by no cult of piety. And what follows in the same letter: And timber is placed in the walls. The timber that was placed for the monument or ornament of the walls of the temple signified the same life of the saints in the ornament of the holy Church, which the stones also signify, as we have taught above. These timbers the prophet mentions in a psalm, in which the house of the Lord is built after the captivity: “Then all the trees of the forest will rejoice before the face of the Lord, because he comes, for he comes to judge the earth” (Psalm 96). Indeed, the hearts of the once proud rejoice because they were cut from the impious mount of ancestral tradition, and have deserved to be transferred into the construction of the house of the Lord. They rejoice before the face of the Lord, because he comes to judge the earth; whose strict judgment they have anticipated by a healthy fear, and whose coming once they dreaded as sinners, now corrected and justified, they eagerly desire. That former letter, therefore, was written with insidious intent, this one with friendly letters; and rightly so, because the former was from the Samaritan enemies of the Jews everywhere; but this one was sent by the governor of the region beyond the river, that is, lower Syria and Phoenicia, and by his associates, who had no domestic enmities against the Jews, but only wished to know and execute the will of the king, from whom they received the authority of governance. Hence, the Samaritans, who wrote the first letter inciting the king's anger against the builders of the temple, are rightly compared to heretics, who often so defile the Church with vile plagues that they even make it hateful to the Gentiles and arouse their fury against it. Nevertheless, this governor of Syria, who does not accuse but consults the king about the work of the house of God, rightly represents those who, still situated in gentile life, marvel at the faith and works of the Church; nor do they deny that they would believe if they could understand that this is the true and just worship of divinity. Finally, hearing from the elders of the Jews, when they gave an account of their construction: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. But because our fathers 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 the rest, which they answered about the renovation of the same temple, which was commanded by Cyrus.” Having nothing further to contradict with his advisers, nor wishing to impede the builders, he was simply inquiring whether Cyrus had indeed ordered the temple to be built, and whether Darius himself wanted it built. Having recognized the will of both kings, along with his own, he diligently aided the construction of the temple that the entire work might be completed, as is written subsequently. All these things harmonize with the mind and action of those who, previously living a gentile life, suddenly witnessing the conduct of the holy Church, desire to hear and learn the rationale of the same religion; and at last, recognizing that this originated from the God of heaven and earth, who is the only true God, they themselves, believing, rejoice to assist its building. But let us see what King Darius did when he received the letter from the governor and his advisers.

Haggai and Zechariah the prophets encourage Zerubbabel and Jeshua to proceed with the building of the temple, Ezr 5:1, Ezr 5:2. Tatnai, the governor of the provinces on this side the Euphrates, and his companions, inquire by what authority they do this, Ezr 5:3-5. They write to Darius; a copy of the letter, Ezr 5:6-16. They request to know how they are to proceed, Ezr 5:17.

ZERUBBABEL AND JESHUA SET FORWARD THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE IN THE REIGN OF DARIUS. (Ezra 5:1-17) Then the prophets . . . prophesied . . . in the name of the God of Israel--From the recorded writings of Haggai and Zechariah, it appears that the difficulties experienced and the many obstacles thrown in the way had first cooled the zeal of the Jews in the building of the temple, and then led to an abandonment of the work, under a pretended belief that the time for rebuilding it had not yet come (Hag 1:2-11). For fifteen years the work was completely suspended. These two prophets upbraided them with severe reproaches for their sloth, negligence, and worldly selfishness (Hag 1:4), threatened them with severe judgments if they continued backward, and promised that they would be blessed with great national prosperity if they resumed and prosecuted the work with alacrity and vigor. Zechariah the son of Iddo--that is, grandson (Zac 1:1).

The Building of the Temple Continued, and Notice Thereof Sent to King Darius - Ezra 5 In the second year of Darius Hystaspis (Darajavus Vitapa) the prophets Zechariah and Haggai arose, and exhorted the people by words, both of reproof and encouragement, to assist in the work of rebuilding the house of God. In consequence of these prophetic admonitions, the rulers of the community resumed the work (Ezr 5:1, Ezr 5:2); and the royal governor on this side the Euphrates allowed them, when in answer to his inquiries they appealed to the decree of Cyrus, to proceed with their building until the arrival of a decision from King Darius, to whom he addressed a written report of the matter (Ezr 5:3-17).