Ezra 5

Ezra 5 follows the note at the end of Ezra 4 that work on the temple ceased until the second year of King Darius (Ezra 4:24) and describes how construction resumed. The chapter belongs to the portion of the book originally written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew (Ezra 4:8–6:18).

Outline

• Verses 1–2: When the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the grandson of Iddo prophesy, Zerubbabel and Jeshua begin again to build the house of God in Jerusalem, and the prophets support them.
• Verses 3–5: Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River (the region west of the Euphrates), and Shetharboznai ask who authorized the building. Because God watches over the elders of the Jews, the work is not stopped; the officials report to King Darius and await his reply.
• Verses 6–10: The letter sent to the king reports that the work is advancing diligently with great stones and timber, and that the officials asked the elders for the name of the one who ordered the construction and the names of those in charge.
• Verses 11–16: The elders' answer: they are rebuilding the house that a great king of Israel built long ago. Because of their fathers' sins, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the house and carried the people away captive, but in the first year of Cyrus a decree was issued, and the temple vessels were returned to Sheshbazzar, the governor. Sheshbazzar laid the foundation, but the building is not yet finished.
• Verse 17: The officials request that a search be made in the royal treasury in Babylon for the decree of Cyrus and that the king make his will known.

Key Verses

• Ezra 5:1 "Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied…" — The prophetic word is portrayed as the impetus that set the halted work in motion again.
• Ezra 5:5 "But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews" — The verse attributes the continuation of the work, even while foreign officials were investigating it, to God's providence.
• Ezra 5:11 "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth" — With these words the elders declare their identity before the Persian officials.

People and Places

• Haggai: A prophet of the same period. His prophecies are recorded in the book of Haggai.
• Zechariah: A prophet introduced as the grandson of Iddo. His prophecies are recorded in the book of Zechariah.
• Zerubbabel: The son of Shealtiel and a leader of the returned community.
• Jeshua: The son of Jozadak and the high priest. In the books of Haggai and Zechariah he is called "Joshua."
• Tatnai and Shetharboznai: Persian officials of the province Beyond the River.
• Darius: The Persian king of this period.
• Sheshbazzar: The governor appointed by Cyrus, who received the temple vessels and laid the foundation.
• Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar, Jerusalem, Babylon

Points for Reflection

• Verse 16 states that Sheshbazzar laid the foundation, whereas Ezra 3 reports that Zerubbabel and Jeshua laid it. Scholars are divided over whether Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel are the same person or two different people.
• The "great king of Israel" in verse 11 is not named in the text but is generally understood to be Solomon.
• This chapter covers the same period as Haggai 1 and Zechariah 4, so reading them together gives a fuller understanding of the background.
• In the New Testament, Zerubbabel's name appears in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:12–13; Luke 3:27).

In the Korean Church

The chapter is sometimes cited, together with the book of Haggai, as a text on temple rebuilding in sermons related to church building or dedication services.