Ezra 5

King James Version

Full text for Ezra Chapter 5

1¶ Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that [were] in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, [even] unto them.

2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which [is] at Jerusalem: and with them [were] the prophets of God helping them.

3¶ At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

4Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this [matter].

6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which [were] on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:

7They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.

8Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

9Then asked we those elders, [and] said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?

10We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that [were] the chief of them.

11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon [the same] king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

14And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that [was] in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto [one], whose name [was] Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

15And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.

16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which [is] in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and [yet] it is not finished.

17Now therefore, if [it seem] good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which [is] there at Babylon, whether it be [so], that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Encouraged by prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua resumed building the Temple in Jerusalem. This activity prompted Tatnai, the Persian governor, to question their authority and report the matter to King Darius. The Jews' God protected them, preventing the work from stopping until a formal inquiry was sent to the king.

Medium Summary

Following the encouragement of prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, along with other elders, recommenced the rebuilding of the house of God in Jerusalem. This activity drew the attention of Tatnai, the governor "on this side the river," and his companions, who challenged the builders' authority and demanded to know who commanded the work. The elders responded by asserting their identity as servants of the God of heaven and earth, explaining that they were rebuilding a temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar due to their forefathers' sin. Tatnai then dispatched a detailed letter to King Darius, describing the rapid progress of the construction and recounting the elders' explanation. The letter also referenced King Cyrus's earlier decree permitting the Temple's reconstruction and the return of its sacred vessels under Sheshbazzar. Tatnai requested Darius to search the royal archives in Babylon to verify Cyrus's decree and issue his own directive concerning the matter.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesying to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem, inspiring Zerubbabel and Jeshua, along with other elders, to resume the construction of the house of God. As the work progressed, Tatnai, the governor "on this side the river," accompanied by Shetharboznai and their companions, arrived and questioned the builders' authority, demanding to know who had commanded them to undertake such a project. The elders of the Jews, protected by "the eye of their God," were not forced to cease their work while the matter was referred to King Darius. Tatnai and his associates then composed a formal letter to King Darius, detailing their observations. In the letter, they reported that they had visited the province of Judea and found the house of the great God being built with large stones and timber, noting that the work was proceeding rapidly and successfully. They further explained that they had interrogated the elders, who identified themselves as servants of the God of heaven and earth, engaged in rebuilding a temple originally erected many years prior by a great king of Israel. The elders recounted how their ancestors' provocation of God led to Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the temple and the people's captivity in Babylon. Crucially, they informed Tatnai that in the first year of King Cyrus, a decree was issued to rebuild this very house of God. They also mentioned that Cyrus had returned the sacred vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar, entrusting them to Sheshbazzar, who then laid the foundation of the Temple in Jerusalem. The elders stated that the building had been ongoing since Sheshbazzar's time but remained unfinished. Concluding their letter, Tatnai requested that King Darius conduct a search in the royal treasure house at Babylon to confirm Cyrus's decree regarding the Temple's reconstruction in Jerusalem and then send his royal pleasure on the matter.

Core Concepts

  • Prophetic EncouragementThe prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah directly motivated Zerubbabel and Jeshua to recommence the rebuilding of the Temple, highlighting the role of divine inspiration in the work.
  • Persian Administrative OversightTatnai, the governor "on this side the river," represents the Persian Empire's authority, questioning the Jews' construction project and demanding official authorization for their actions.
  • Divine Providence"The eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews," signifying divine protection that prevented the immediate cessation of the work, allowing the matter to be formally referred to King Darius.
  • Historical JustificationThe Jewish elders defended their actions by referencing the historical context of the first Temple's destruction due to their fathers' sin and King Cyrus's subsequent decree permitting its reconstruction.
  • Cyrus's DecreeThe chapter emphasizes the importance of King Cyrus's original decree, which legally authorized the rebuilding of the Temple and the return of its sacred vessels, serving as the foundation for the Jews' work.
  • Temple ReconstructionThe central theme is the ongoing effort to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem, a project initiated by Sheshbazzar and now continued by Zerubbabel and Jeshua, despite administrative challenges.
  • Royal InquiryTatnai's letter to Darius initiates a formal royal inquiry, seeking verification of Cyrus's decree and a definitive ruling from the current king regarding the Temple's construction.