Ezra 6

Darius Finds Cyrus's Decree

1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and ¹search was made in the archives *, where * the treasures were stored in Babylon.

2 In Ecbatana in the fortress, which is ²in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was written in it as follows: "Memorandum -

3 "³In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: 'Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;

4 ⁴with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.

5 'Also let ⁵the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.'

6 "Now therefore, ⁶Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keep away from there.

7 "Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site.

8 "Moreover, ⁷I issue a decree concerning what * you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay.

9 "Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail,

10 that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and ⁸pray for the life of the king and his sons.

11 "And I issued a decree that ⁹any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his house and he shall be impaled * on it and ¹⁰his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.

12 "May the God who ¹¹has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts * to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!"

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then ¹²Tattenai, 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 ¹³the 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 ¹⁴of Cyrus, ¹⁵Darius, and ¹⁶Artaxerxes king of Persia.

15 This temple was completed on the third day of the ¹⁷month 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 *, ¹⁸celebrated 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 ¹⁹their divisions and the Levites in ²⁰their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, ²¹as it is written in the book of Moses.

The Passover Observed

19 ²²The exiles * observed the Passover on ²³the fourteenth * of the first month.

20 ²⁴For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then ²⁵they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles *, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and ²⁶all those who had separated themselves from ²⁷the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover.

22 And ²⁸they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and ²⁹had turned the heart of ³⁰the king of Assyria toward them to encourage * them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

The decree for completing the temple. (1-12) The temple is finished. (13-22)

Verses 1-12 When God's time is come for fulfilling his gracious purposes concerning his church, he will raise up instruments to do it, from whom such good service was not expected. While our thoughts are directed to this event, we are led by Zechariah to fix our regard on a nobler, a spiritual building. The Lord Jesus Christ continues to lay one stone upon another: let us assist the great design. Difficulties delay the progress of this sacred edifice. Yet let not opposition discourage us, for in due season it will be completed to his abundant praise. He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

Verses 13-22 The gospel church, that spiritual temple, is long in the building, but it will be finished at last, when the mystical body is completed. Every believer is a living temple, building up himself in his most holy faith: much opposition is given to this work by Satan and our own corruptions. We trifle, and proceed in it with many stops and pauses; but He that has begun the good work, will see it performed. Then spirits of just men will be made perfect. By getting their sins taken away, the Jews would free themselves from the sting of their late troubles. Their service was with joy. Let us welcome holy ordinances with joy, and serve the Lord with gladness.

Cross References

• 1. Ezra 5:17
• 2. 2 Kings 17:6
• 3. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 5:13
• 4. 1 Kings 6:36
• 5. Ezra 1:7; Ezra 5:14
• 6. Ezra 5:3; Ezra 6:13
• 7. Ezra 6:4; Ezra 7:14-22
• 8. Ezra 7:23; Jeremiah 29:7; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2
• 9. Ezra 7:26
• 10. Daniel 2:5; Daniel 3:29
• 11. Deuteronomy 12:5, 11; 1 Kings 9:3
• 12. Ezra 6:6
• 13. Ezra 5:1, 2
• 14. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 5:13
• 15. Ezra 4:24; Ezra 6:12
• 16. Ezra 7:1
• 17. Esther 3:7
• 18. 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5
• 19. Ezra 8:35
• 20. 1 Chronicles 24:1; 2 Chronicles 35:5
• 21. 1 Chronicles 23:6
• 22. Numbers 3:6; Numbers 8:9
• 23. Ezra 1:11
• 24. Exodus 12:6
• 25. 2 Chronicles 29:34; 2 Chronicles 30:15
• 26. 2 Chronicles 35:11
• 27. Nehemiah 9:2; Nehemiah 10:28
• 28. Ezra 9:11
• 29. Exodus 12:15
• 30. Ezra 7:27; Proverbs 21:1
• 31. Ezra 1:1; Ezra 6:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "house of the books"
• [b]. Aram "Achmetha"
• [c]. Lit "house"
• [d]. Or "fixed, laid"
• [e]. So Gr; Aram "a layer of new timber"
• [f]. Lit "king's house"
• [g]. Lit "go"
• [h]. I.e. Euphrates River, and so throughout the ch
• [i]. Aram "their"
• [j]. I.e. Euphrates River, and so throughout the ch
• [k]. Lit "be distant"
• [l]. Lit "pleasing;" or "sweet-smelling sacrifices"
• [m]. Lit "sends his hand"
• [n]. Lit "were building and succeeding"
• [o]. Lit "built and finished"
• [p]. Lit "house"
• [q]. Lit "until"
• [r]. Lit "sons of the captivity"
• [s]. Lit "which is in"
• [t]. Lit "strengthen their hands"

Chapter Summary

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.