Ezra
Ezra 6
Chapter VI · Vol. II, pp. 899–900
1 Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, maketh a new decree for the advancement of the building. 13 By the help of the enemies, and the directions of the prophets, the temple is finished. 16 The feast of the dedication is kept, 19 and the passover.
1 Then Dariusa the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls,1 where the treasures were laid up2 in Babylon.
B.C. 519.
a ch.5.17.
1 Chald. books.
2 Chald. made to descend.
2 And there was found at Achmetha,3 in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written:
3 Or Ecbatana, chief city of Media; or in a coffer.—[Generally supposed to be the Ecbatana of ancient, and the Hamedan of modern history, where the tombs of Esther and Mordecai still continue to be pointed out to travellers. Some expositors, however, consider it a mere secretaire or book-case, in which the records of Media were kept at Babylon. C. —— The name Achmetha was applied exclusively to cities having a fortress constructed to protect royal treasures. The city here referred to is the Ecbatana of the Apocryphal books and of Herodotus. 'The walls,' says the latter, 'were built circle within circle. The number of the circles was seven, and within the innermost was the palace of the treasury.' The site of Ecbatana is now occupied by the city of Hamadan, the capital of one of the provinces of Persia. It stands on a conical hill on the borders of a great plain. It still contains a large community of Jews, who claim to be descended from the Babylonian exiles.—P.]
3 In the bfirst year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; cthe height thereof threescore cubits[≈ 27 m · 90 ft], and the breadth thereof threescore cubits[≈ 27 m · 90 ft];4
b ch.1.1-4;5.13-15. 2 Ch.36.23. Is.44.28;45.13.
4 There is no reason to conclude that this temple was larger than that of Solomon. The apparent difference lies in the different points from which the measurement is taken. If Solomon's 20 cubits were measured from inside to inside of the actual temple, and those of Cyrus from the inside to the inside wall of the outer and surrounding apartments, the difference disappears. The difference in height may be accounted for in the same way: Solomon's 30 cubits being from the basement course, the 60 cubits of Cyrus including all that was below it; or Solomon's to the body of the temple, those of Cyrus to the highest pinnacle.—C.
4 With dthree rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and elet the expenses be given out of the king's house:
5 And also flet the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought5 again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
f ch.1.7,8;5.14. Je.27.18-22. 2 Ch.36.8,18. Da.1.2.
5 Chald. go.
6 Nowg therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions6 the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:7
g Ps.76.10. Pr.21.1,30. Je.5.22. Ro.8.31. 2 Ch.4.17.
6 Chald. their societies.
7 Do not approach to give any interruption.—C.
7 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.
8 Moreover, I make a decree8 what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that hof the king's goods, even of the tribute9 beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not ihindered.
8 Chald. by me a decree is made.
h ver.4. Ps.68.29. Hag.2.8. Is.60.6,9.
i Chald. made to cease.
9 The Jews, under the guidance of Haggai and Zechariah, inspired prophets of the Lord, do not hesitate to receive, with thankfulness, even from a heathen monarch, a part of his 'tribute' for the building of their temple, and a legal endowment for its service, and the consequent support of its priesthood.—C.
9 And that which they have need of, 1both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt-offerings of the God of heaven,2 wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
A.M. 3485. B.C. 519.
1 Le.i.-iv. Nu.xv.xxviii.xxix. 1 Ch.9.29;12.40.
2 The terms occurring throughout the decree of Darius, imply his conviction that the God of the Jews was the true Jehovah. He did not, indeed, relinquish the worship of his idols, but he clearly believed Jehovah to be superior to them all. He seems to have acknowledged him to be the supreme. He makes provision for the daily sacrifices, the morning and evening burnt-offerings, which, according to the law, were to be made day by day continually; and he desires an interest for himself and for his sons in the prayers of Jehovah's worshippers.—I.
10 That they may offer sacrifices kof sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and lpray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
11 Also I have made a decree, mthat whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and, being set up, let him be hanged3 thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
m ch.7.26. Da.3.28,29;6.24,26.
3 Chald. let him be destroyed.
12 And the God that hath caused nhis name to dwell there odestroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I pDarius have made a decree; let it be done qwith speed.
13 Then rTatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, sso they did speedily.
r 2 Ki.17.24-34. ch.4.9. Jn.4.9. Lu.9.52,53.
s Es.6.11. Job 5.12,13. Pr.16.7. Ps.18.44.
14 And tthe elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the uprophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo: and they builded, and finished it, according to the xcommandment of the God of Israel, and according to the ycommandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes4 king of Persia.
t ch.3.8;4.3. Zec.4.6-9.
u ch.5.1,2. Hag.i.ii. Zec.i.-xiv. 2 Ch.14.7.
y Chald. decree, ver.2-12.
4 Artaxerxes Longimanus, or the long-handed, as some suppose, from the extraordinary length of his hands, but more probably from the vast extent of his dominions. The building originally begun by Cyrus was finished, so far as mere building was concerned, by Darius—the finishing was reserved for Artaxerxes, the friend of Ezra, ch. 7. 12, 27.—Note, The overruling providence of God employs the enmity of the Samaritans to keep the temple of the Lord and his service so long before the eyes of the government, that it necessarily forces its claims to their attention. And even thus, in Christian times, the violence of persecutors has been overruled, to bring the nature, evidences, and excellences of Christianity before kings and judges, so that 'the blood of martyrs has become the very seed of the church.'—C.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 And zthe children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the adedication of this house of God bwith joy,
17 And coffered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and, for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
c Nu.7.1-88. 1 Ki.8.63;18.31. ch.8.35. 1 Ch.16.1. 2 Ch.29.22.
18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem; das it is written in the book of Moses.
d Nu.3.6;8.9, with 1 Ch.xxiv.-xxvi.
19 And the children of the captivity ekept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.5
e Ex.12.2-49;23.14,15;34.18. De.16.1,2,16. Le.23.5. Nu.9.2,3;28.16. 1 Co.5.7,8. Jos.5.10. 2 Ch.xxx.xxxv.
5 B.C. 515.
20 For the priests and the Levites were fpurified together; all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all gsuch as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,
A.M. 3489. B.C. 515.
g ch.9.11. Ps.93.5. Ex.12.47-49. Ro.12.1,2. 2 Co.6.14-18. Phi.2.15,16.
22 Andh kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and iturned the heart of the king of 6Assyria7 unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
h 2 Ch.30.21; 35.17. Ex.12.18-20; 13.6,7; 23.15; 34.18. Le.23.6-8. Nu.28.17-25; 16.3,4. Jos.5.11. 1 Co.5.7,8. 1 Pe.2.1,2.
i Pr.21.1. Jn.19.11. ch.9.9; ver.3-13.
6 Persia, which now included Assyria.
7 Persia now constituted the head of the Asiatic empire; but, owing to the provincial arrangement, the emperor legislated for Judea, as king of Assyria, the ancient name of one of his kingdoms.—C.
Notes
Reflections.—Impartial search never hurts but helps the cause of truth: and God makes the attempts against his church the means of her advantage and honour. He raises up unexpected instruments to accomplish his gracious purposes. And often his spiritual work is carried on by their means who have neither part nor lot in the matter. The prayers of the godly are, or ought to be, the great support of nations and their magistrates; and if magistrates understood their own interests they would carefully secure them in their favour. But dreadful is the curse which shall at last light upon all the enemies of Christ and his church. And it is high time to be active and bold in his work, when we are bound to it by his express command, shamed into it by repeated edicts of heathen magistrates, and encouraged in it by his faithful ministers. God will have his work finished at last, notwithstanding ten thousand obstructions. What a mercy is it when Christ's church is prepared for the exact observance of all his ordinances, the most solemn not excepted! And it is a matter of great joy to all his true friends, and an honour to a church, when ministers are remarkably holy and faithful. Yea, it is highly necessary that all of us solemnly dedicate ourselves for temples to God; and offer up the solemn prayers of faith for God's blessing on the ordinances of his grace, which we have, or expect to enjoy. Yet not upon our services in his church must our hopes and joys depend, but on Jesus, as our God-honouring and sin-expiating oblation, and our passover sacrificed for us. If we live on him as our all in all, and occupy ourselves diligently in his service, the Lord will provide friends for us, even where we least expected.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.