Ezra 5:11

_THEN ASKED WE THOSE ELDERS, AND SAID UNTO THEM THUS, WHO COMMANDED YOU TO BUILD THIS HOUSE, AND TO MAKE UP THESE WALLS?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

3-17 While employed in God's work, we are under his special protection; his eye is upon us for good. This should keep us to our duty, and encourage us therein, when difficulties are ever so discouraging. The elders of the Jews gave the Samaritans an account of their proceedings. Let us learn hence, with meekness and fear, to give a reason of the hope that is in us; let us rightly understand, and then readily declare, what we do in God's service, and why we do it. And while in this world, we always shall have to confess, that our sins have provoked the wrath of God. All our sufferings spring from thence, and all our comforts from his unmerited mercy. However the work may seem to be hindered, yet the Lord Jesus Christ is carrying it on, his people are growing unto a holy temple in the Lord, for a habitation of God through the Spirit....

Verse 11. _WE ARE THE SERVANTS OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN_] How simple, plain, and ingenuous is this confession! They were the servants of the God of heaven. How came they then into bondage! Why, they _provoked the God of heaven - repeatedly sinned_ against him, and then he gave them into the hands of their enemies....

EXPOSITION RENEWAL OF OPPOSITION ON THE PART OF THE NEIGHBOURING HEATHEN. LETTER WRITTEN BY THEM AND SENT TO DARIUS (Ezra 5:3). Once more opposition showed itself. Tatnai, a high officer, called "governor on this side the river" (Ezra 5:3), perhaps satrap of Syria, and Shethar-boznai, or Sitrabarzanes, a Persian noble probably, at this time took the lead, and learning that the building was making progress, came in person to Jerusalem, and demanded to know by what authority the temple and city were being rest

AND THUS THEY RETURNED US ANSWER,.... To the purpose and in the manner following: SAYING, WE ARE THE SERVANTS OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH; signifying that they were doing his work, in obedience to his will, and to whom they were accountable: AND BUILD THE HOUSE THAT WAS BUILDED THESE MANY YEARS AGO; even five hundred years ago, or thereabout; so that they were not erecting a building where there was none before, but were rebuilding what was in ruins: WHICH A GREAT KING OF ISRAEL BUILDED AND SET UP; King Solomon, who was a great king for wisdom, honour, riches, peace, prosperity, and extent of his kingdom....

CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The prophetic ministry of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1)_ 2. The result of their ministry (Ezra 5:2) 3. Tatnai's interference (Ezra 5:3) 4. The letter to Darius (Ezra 5:6) Ezra 5:1. At that critical time when the enemy seemed to have triumphed, and they were losing their interest, God graciously intervened by sending them His two messengers the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Their great prophetic messages will be more fully taken up in our annotations on the books which contain their prophecies. The voice of prophecy is always heard when the peo

EZRA 4:24 TO EZRA 5:17. The narrative which was broken off at the end of Ezra 4:5 is now resumed. There is silence regarding the period 536- 520 B.C.; in 516, however, it is said that the building had been proceeding during the whole of this time. Owing to the action of Haggai and Zechariah, the Jews are once more roused to undertake the work, which had been interrupted sixteen years before, of rebuilding the Temple (so according to our present text). This time there is no objection; on the contrary, application is made to Darius by the governor, who is supported herein by some of the Samaritans (the Apharsachites), to permit the Jews to go on with their work (which is continued, however, pending the arrival of the king's reply) on the ground tha

THE GOD OF HEAVEN. See note on 2 Chronicles 36:23. GOD. Chaldee. _'elah._ Same as Eloah. App-4. THESE MANY YEARS AGO. Neh 500 years. AND SET UP. Compare 1 Kings 6:1....

_We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth_ The words of this profession are very emphatic in the original. _the God of heaven and earth_ i.e. the God not of one kingdom only, but of the whole world, not of terrestrial supremacy alone, but of heavenly as well: see on chap. Ezra 1:2. _build the house that was builded_&c. i.e. we restore the house which having been built in remote times stood as the temple of our God for centuries. _a great king of Israel_ i.e. Solomon. The expression here used shows that Tattenai like Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:20), had heard the rumour either from the Jews themselves or from those acquainted with them, that there had been -mighty kings over Jerusalem". Solomon's temple was built 1014 1007, nearly 500 years before the reign of Darius. and set up

2. A letter is sent to clarify the situation. TEXT, EZRA 5:6-17 6 This is the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7 They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace. 8 Let it be known to the king, that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, -Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?-' 10 We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the name