Encouraged by prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua resumed building the Temple in Jerusalem. This activity prompted Tatnai, the Persian governor, to question their authority and report the matter to King Darius. The Jews' God protected them, preventing the work from stopping until a formal inquiry was sent to the king.
¶ Then 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.
Then 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.
¶ At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
But 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.
The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
Be 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.
And 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.
But 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.
And 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;
Then 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.
Now 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.
Study Notes for Ezra 5
Verse 1
This verse bridges the historical gap between the previous chapter (stoppage under Artaxerxes, c. 522 BC) and the resumption of work, attributing the renewed effort directly to the ministries of Haggai and Zechariah (c. 520 BC).
Verse 2
Zerubbabel (the political governor) and Jeshua (the high priest) represent the necessary partnership between civil and religious leadership. The prophets actively assisted the rebuilding efforts, providing crucial spiritual and moral support.
Verse 3
Tatnai was the governor of the vast Persian province 'Beyond the River' (Transeuphrates), encompassing the territory west of the Euphrates. His inquiry was a standard administrative procedure to verify imperial authorization for large public projects.
Verse 5
This verse highlights divine providence. The phrase 'the eye of their God was upon the elders' signifies that God actively protected the builders, preventing the local officials from immediately halting the construction until the matter could be referred to King Darius.
Verse 6
Verses 6–17 are written in Aramaic, the official language of the Persian administration, suggesting this is a copy of the actual administrative correspondence sent to Darius I (Hystaspes).
Verse 8
Tatnai’s report is notably objective, confirming that the work was progressing rapidly and successfully. He notes the quality of construction, specifying 'great stones' and timber framework.
Verse 11
By calling themselves 'servants of the God of heaven and earth,' the elders assert the supremacy of their deity and establish the historical legitimacy of the temple, linking it back to King Solomon.
Verse 12
The elders demonstrate theological humility by acknowledging that the destruction of the first temple was not due to military defeat alone, but was divine judgment resulting from the sins of their ancestors.
Verse 13
The reference to the decree of Cyrus (538 BC) provides the necessary legal defense. This moves the justification for the building project from a local religious claim to an established imperial policy.
Verse 14
The return of the sacred vessels was crucial evidence, proving that Cyrus's permission was an official, recognized state act involving the transfer of imperial property back to Jerusalem.
Verse 16
Sheshbazzar (likely the first post-exilic governor) laid the foundation shortly after the first return. The officials accurately report that the project had been stalled but was now actively underway again.
Verse 17
Tatnai requests that the king search the royal archives (specifically those in Babylon or Ecbatana) to verify the existence of the original decree, ensuring that any subsequent action aligns with established Persian law.
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