Ezra 5:16

16 Then this ¹Sheshbazzar came and ²laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is ³not yet finished.'

Ezra 5:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 5:16

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the
house of God which is in Jerusalem
Which makes it clear, that by Sheshbazzar is meant Zerubbabel; for he it was that laid the foundation of the temple, or at least by whose order it was laid, see ( Zechariah 4:9 )

and since that time even until now;
from the first of Cyrus to the second of Darius, a space of about eighteen years, and just seventy from the destruction of the temple:

hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished;
the work going on slowly, not without interruption and intermission, through the enmity of the Samaritans unto them, who had made false representations of them; but these men, Tatnai and those with him, as the Jews gave them a very particular account of things, as above, so they fairly and fully related them in this their letter to the king.

Ezra 5:16 In-Context

14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

15 and he said to him, "Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site."

16 Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.'

17 Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter."

Cross References

• 1. [See ver. 14 above]
• 2. Ezra 3:8, 10
• 3. [Ezra 6:15]