Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryEzra 5

The Jews Encouraged by Their Prophets This passage explains how the work on the temple, which had stopped for many years, was started again. The delay lasted somewhere between nine and fifteen years. During this time, the people continued worshipping God with an altar and a tabernacle, but they did not rebuild the temple. The enemies of the Jews had discouraged them, and some false prophets even claimed it was not yet time to build (Haggai 1:2 ). The people became comfortable in their own homes while God’s house stayed in ruins. But then, God sent prophets to encourage and correct them.v. 1: God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to the people in the second year of King Darius (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1 ). These prophets spoke God’s word, not just human ideas. God’s work is advanced by spiritual means, not by force. The prophets’ job was to stir up the people, strengthen them, and encourage them to do good. When God wants to show mercy, He sends people to deliver His word and inspire action. The prophets spoke directly to the Jews, who were called the children of the prophets (Acts 3:25 ). Their words were meant to give life to a discouraged people, much like Ezekiel’s prophecy over the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:4 ). Sometimes, the word of God comes as a warning, and if people do not listen, it will one day stand as a testimony against them. Haggai and Zechariah spoke in the name of the God of Israel. They were sent by God and reminded the people of His authority, His relationship with them, and His glory among them.

v. 2: Along with good prophets, the people also had good leaders—Zerubbabel (the governor) and Jeshua (the high priest) . These leaders took action and encouraged everyone to continue the work. They were humble enough to listen to the prophets and valued their guidance. Their example shows that leaders should be eager to promote what is right and help others do good. The book of Haggai gives more details about how God worked through His word and Spirit to restart the building of the temple (Haggai 1:1–15 ).

The Case Represented to Darius This passage describes what happened when the Jews began rebuilding the temple again. Their enemies quickly noticed and took action, but this time the Persian officials handled the situation more fairly. The story shows how God protected His people and how the leaders of the Jews wisely answered questions about their work. It also reveals the importance of telling the truth and trusting God’s care, even when others question or oppose us.v. 3–4: As soon as the Jews restarted work on the temple, the local governors, Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, came to investigate (Ezra 5:3 ). While the Jews were only focused on building their own houses, nobody bothered them (Haggai 1:4 ). But when they worked on the temple, their enemies became active again. The Persian officials asked, “Who gave you permission to build this house?” The officials were more reasonable than earlier enemies, and they wanted to report the facts honestly to the king. The historian starts to tell how the Jews answered, but then gives the full answer later in the letter to Darius.

v. 5: God protected the Jewish leaders as they worked . The officials tried to stop them, but the Jews refused to stop until they heard from King Darius. God’s special care (“the eye of their God was upon the elders”) protected and encouraged them. When we are doing God’s work, He watches over us and helps us continue, even when others try to stop us (Zechariah 3:9; 4:10 ).

v. 6–17: The officials sent a letter to King Darius explaining the situation. The Jews explained their actions clearly and calmly. They said, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that Solomon built long ago. Our ancestors sinned, so God allowed the Babylonians to destroy the temple. But King Cyrus of Persia gave us permission to rebuild it and even returned the temple treasures” (Ezra 5:11–15 ). They did not complain about past mistreatment but simply stated the truth. The Samaritans honestly reported to Darius that the Jews were rebuilding the temple, not the city walls, and called it “the house of the great God” (Ezra 5:8 ). They asked the king to check the records to see if Cyrus really did give this order (Ezra 5:17 ). This shows the importance of explaining our actions clearly and trusting God to defend His people when the truth is known (1 Peter 3:15 ).