THE ENEMIES OF THE RETURNEES OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN SEEK TO HIJACK THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE (EZRA 4:1). When they learned that work was beginning on the building of the Temple, the syncretistic Yahwists round about, who worshipped Baal and Asherah, and other gods alongside YHWH, sought to become a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE ENMITY REVEALED AGAINST THE RETURNEES UP TO THE TIME OF NEHEMIAH (EZRA 4:6). What follows up to Ezra 4:23 goes beyond the question of building the Temple. The writer now wishes to bring out precisely how dangerous these adversaries would in the future prove to be, and h... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER A PERIOD OF STAGNATION WORK BEGINS ON THE REBUILDING OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, WHICH CAUSES SOME CONCERN TO THE PERSIAN GOVERNOR (EZRA 4:24 TO EZRA 5:5). Revealing that the work on the house of God ceased as a result of the activities of their adversaries the writer now describes how, as a result... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EVENTUAL BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE AND THE OBSERVANCE OF THE PASSOVER (EZRA 4:24 TO EZRA 6:22). This passage now returns to take up the account of the building of the Temple from Ezra 4:5 where reference was made to the hired counsellors who sought to frustrate the building of the Temple ‘all the d... [ Continue Reading ]