Ezra 6:13-18

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then ¹Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent.

14 And ²the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree ³of Cyrus, ⁴Darius, and ⁵Artaxerxes king of Persia.

15 This temple was completed on the third day of the ⁶month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles *, ⁷celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 * lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel * male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.

18 Then they appointed the priests to ⁸their divisions and the Levites in ⁹their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, ¹⁰as it is written in the book of Moses.

Ezra 6:13-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 6

Darius, on receiving the letter from his officers in Samaria, searched for the decree of Cyrus, and found it, and which he confirmed, Ezr 6:1-7 and made a fresh decree, and ordered expenses to be given out of his tribute for the building of the temple, and for the sacrifices of it; and that whosoever altered it should be hanged on the timber of his own house, and imprecated a curse on those that should destroy the house of God, Ezr 6:8-12 upon which the building went on, and was finished, Ezr 6:13-15 and the temple was dedicated to God in a solemn manner, Ezr 6:16-18, and the passover was kept by all the people, Ezr 6:19-22.

Cross References

• 1. Ezra 6:6
• 2. Ezra 5:1, 2
• 3. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 5:13
• 4. Ezra 4:24; Ezra 6:12
• 5. Ezra 7:1
• 6. Esther 3:7
• 7. 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5
• 8. Ezra 8:35
• 9. 1 Chronicles 24:1; 2 Chronicles 35:5
• 10. 1 Chronicles 23:6
• 11. Numbers 3:6; Numbers 8:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "were building and succeeding"
• [b]. Lit "built and finished"
• [c]. Lit "house"
• [d]. Lit "until"
• [e]. Lit "sons of the captivity"
• [f]. Lit "which is in"