Ezra 6:13

6:13-22 The gospel church, that spiritual temple, is long in the building, but it will be finished at last, when the mystical body is completed. Every believer is a living temple, building up himself in his most holy faith: much opposition is given to this work by Satan and our own corruptions. We trifle, and proceed in it with many stops and pauses; but He that has begun the good work, will see it performed. Then spirits of just men will be made perfect. By getting their sins taken away, the Jews would free themselves from the sting of their late troubles. Their service was with joy. Let us welcome holy ordinances with joy, and serve the Lord with gladness.

Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions,.... Having received and read the above letter: according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily; acquainted the Jews with what the king had written; were so far from hindering the work going forward, that they encouraged it; and made disbursements to them out of the king's tribute, and furnished them with everything necessary for sacrifice: and this they did immediately, without delay.

Verse 13. - So they did speedily. Tatnai and Shethar-boznai showed no reluctance. They had no enmity against the Jews. Once clearly advertised of the king's wishes, they carried them out with zeal. The rapid completion of the temple must be in part attributed to their good-will. Ezra 6:13

Verse 13. - In the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon. Recent discoveries of contract tablets have shown that at Babylon Cyrus bore the title of "king of Babylon" from the date of his conquest of the city. The same title was passed on to his successors, Cambyses, Darius, etc. Hence we find Artaxerxes Longimanus called "king of Babylon" by Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 13:6 ). Ezra 5:13

Destroy all - A similar malediction is found at the end of the great inscription of this same king Darius at Behistun: If anyone injures the tablet which he has set up, he prays that Ormazd will be their enemy, and that they may have no offspring, and that whatever they do, Ormazd may curse it for them. To alter and to destroy this house - i. e., to alter the decree, and then proceed to destroy the house.

Ezr 6:13-15. The Temple Finished. 13-15. Then Tatnai … did speedily—A concurrence of favorable events is mentioned as accelerating the restoration of the temple and infusing a new spirit and energy into the workmen, who now labored with unabating assiduity till it was brought to a completion. Its foundation was laid in April, 536 B.C. (Ezr 3:8-10), and it was completed on February 21, 515 B.C., being twenty-one years after it was begun [Lightfoot].

13–18 . Darius’s decree executed: ( a ) The Temple completed, (14, 15), ( b ) duly consecrated and dedicated (16–18) 13 . according to that which Darius the king had sent ] R.V. because that. R.V. marg. ‘ because of that which ’. The A.V. fails to give the meaning of the original. The rendering of the R.V. margin seems preferable. The prompt action of the governor was the result not so much of the king’s sending (for in any case an answer to the governor’s question was expected) as of the emphatic command contained in the royal letter. In the face of this explicit order, steps were at once taken. so they did speedily ] R.V. did accordingly with all diligence. See Ezra 6:8; Ezra 6:12 , Ezra 5:8 . We have no reason to suppose that Tattenai himself was ill-disposed against the Jews. His letter to the king ( Ezra 5:6 , &c.) may have been due to Samaritan representations. But once acquainted with the facts and informed of the king’s wishes, he had no ill-will against an insignificant Jewish settlement at Jerusalem.

The execution of the royal decree, the completion of the building, and the dedication of the new temple. - Ezra 6:13 Tatnai and his associate diligently executed the commands of Darius. "Because Darius the king sent (i.e., despatched to them the letter, whose contents have just been given, Ezra 6:6 ), they speedily acted accordingly in the manner stated" (כּנמא).