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.