Ezra6

King Darius discovers Cyrus's original decree authorizing the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. Darius reaffirms this decree, ordering royal funds for the construction and forbidding any hindrance to the work. Consequently, the temple is speedily completed and joyfully dedicated by the Jewish people, who also observe Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
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Darius Searches for Cyrus's Decree

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. ​

Darius Confirms the Decree and Provides Funds

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. ​

Completion of the Temple

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. ​

Dedication and Passover Celebration

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. ​
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. ​

Study Notes for Ezra 6

Verse 1

Darius’s action demonstrates the efficiency and importance of the centralized record-keeping system maintained by the Persian Empire, even across vast territories.

Verse 2

Achmetha (Ecbatana) was the summer capital of the Medes and Persians. Finding the original decree here suggests Cyrus may have issued it early in his reign while traveling the empire.

Verse 3

The specified dimensions (60x60 cubits) are large, confirming Cyrus’s generous intent and providing a legal basis to counter the claims of the local adversaries who had questioned the scope of the project.

Verse 5

The mandated return of the sacred vessels signifies the reversal of Babylonian conquest and is a physical sign of God fulfilling his promise to restore his presence among his people.

Verse 6

Darius addresses the officials who had earlier attempted to halt the work (Ezra 5:3), commanding them to immediately withdraw and cease all interference with the temple rebuilding.

Verse 8

Crucially, Darius mandates that the required funds be drawn directly from the royal treasury, specifically the tribute collected from the very region where the opposition resided ('beyond the river').

Verse 10

The requirement to pray for the king demonstrates the Persian policy of religious tolerance, viewing the God of Israel as a powerful deity whose favor protected the stability of the empire.

Verse 11

The extreme penalty (impaling and house demolition) underscores the seriousness of the decree and serves as a powerful deterrent against future administrative interference.

Verse 12

Darius’s decree ends with a curse, invoking the power of the God of Israel to protect the temple, effectively aligning Persian imperial law with divine authority.

Verse 13

The immediate and speedy compliance of the local officials shows the absolute authority of the Persian monarch, ensuring the work could proceed without further hindrance.

Verse 14

This verse credits the successful completion not only to the decrees of three Persian kings but primarily to the prophetic encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah, highlighting the divine initiative.

Verse 15

The temple was finished in March 515 BC, approximately four and a half years after the work resumed and about 70 years after the destruction of the first temple by Babylon (586 BC).

Verse 16

The dedication marked the official reconsecration of the site and the establishment of worship, signifying the restoration of the covenant community.

Verse 17

The offering of twelve he-goats for a sin offering symbolized atonement for all twelve tribes of Israel, emphasizing the unity of the people despite the historical division of the kingdoms.

Verse 18

The organization of the priests and Levites into divisions and courses was essential for restoring the proper, mandated structure of worship as detailed in the Law of Moses.

Verse 19

The observance of Passover marked the communal purification and remembrance of God's redemption, linking the returning exiles to the foundational identity of Israel.

Verse 21

Those who 'separated themselves' were non-Israelites who had committed fully to the worship of Yahweh alongside the returnees, demonstrating the openness of the restored community to genuine converts.

Verse 22

Referring to Darius as 'the king of Assyria' is a common biblical usage, generalizing the title of the ruler of the dominant Mesopotamian empire. The Lord had sovereignly shifted this ruler’s heart to bless Israel.

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