View Ezra 5 in the note window.
Zerubbabel encouraged by Haggai and Zechariah, sets the work
forward again, ver. 1, 2.
Their adversaries oppose them again, ver. 3 - 5.
Write to Darius, ver. 6 - 17.
1: The son - His grand - child; for he was the son of Baraciah.
Prophesied - Commanding them from God to return to building the
temple, with a promise of his favour and assistance.
2: Helping - Encouraging the people to work by their presence, and
assurance of success. It is supposed, the work had stopt about fifteen
years. The first chapter of Haggai is the best comment on these two
verses.
3: Shethar - boznai - Not Rehum and Shimshai, &c. who were
either dead, or removed from their office by Darius.
4: We - Jews. Accordingly - According to what they asked.
That made this building - That were the undertakers and encouragers of it.
8: Great God - And indeed, thus far the greater part of the
Samaritans agreed with them.
17: Now therefore. &c. - If the case had been so fairly stated to
Artaxerxes, he would hardly have hindered the work. The people of God
could not be persecuted, if they were not belied.
