1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:
The opponents and enemies of the Jewish returnees (their own brethren and the others who had settled in the area to the north of Judea known as Samaria in Jesus’ day) had thought to cause great trouble to them by appealing to the authorities north of the river” in the prior chapter. They were certain that the rebuilding to Jerusalem and the Temple couldn’t be progressing with the
The search for Cyrus’s decree is made first in Babylonia, where Cyrus had declared himself king in 539 B.C. and where many exiled Jews lived. But the scroll containing the record of the decree was found in Ecbatana (v. 2), a summer residence of the Persian kings, where Cyrus may have gone soon after his triumph over Babylon. The province of Media (v. 2) was formerly the seat of an empire itself, but Cyrus had made it part of the Persian realm. Leather scrolls are known to have been used in Persia for official documents in Aramaic. The document now discovered is called a record (v. 2) and is apparently a memorandum concerning the decree rather than the decree itself (which would probably have been written on a clay tablet).
In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, 4 with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king’s treasury. 5 Also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple which is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and taken back to the temple which is in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God” (Ezra 6:3–5)
This record is not identical with the decree as recorded in Ezra 1:2–4. It makes new stipulations about the building, its location, its size, and its materials. This may be because a copy of the original decree had been found and additional instructions may have been added to it in light of the particulars of this complaint and to address the matters brought up by the people from the Northern Province.
Moreover, different copies of Cyrus’s original decree may have been made, varying in wording according to the purpose for each copy. It is interesting to note that the size of the temple might be specified in order to limit it, since public funds were being used to pay for it. The absence of a length dimension is odd, and the greater breadth than Solomon’s temple is unexpected (1 Kings 6:2), especially in view of Ezra 3:12.
In 6:4 the prescription of three layers of great stones and one layer of timber exactly follows the construction of the older temple (1 Kings 6:36; 7:12), which was modeled after temples in other lands (cf. 1 Kings 5:1–12). While the original decree had required people in Babylon to support the cost of the exiles’ project (Ezra 1:4), this record requires that the cost be met from the royal treasury.
We mention all of this to say that it yet another of many example in God’s Word of His mercy and patience to His people. Even here in the greatest of their failures, resulting in their exile to Babylon, the departure of the glory from the Temple, etc., God is still willing to intercede for them and allow them to return and to make provision for them, not only to return, but to rebuild! Ah – the glory of the great mercy and patience of our God! How blessed is His longsuffering!
In chapter 6:6–12, Darius now specifically and in no uncertain terms instructs Tattenai, the Governor and his fellow officials to allow the work to continue. This leaves those instructions in such a form as to prevent any “misinterpretation” by the locals once away from authorities later on.
Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and your companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves far from there. (Ezra 6:6)
It is specifically here in verse 6 God reverses the plans of the opponents and uses Darius to favor the restoration. This confounds the plans and expectations of those who had opposed that restoration. This had occurred again and again throughout the history of Israel as God defended and prospered, or had taken mercy upon them and restored them to a place great blessing after chastening. Here, God so favored the Jews (cf. 5:5) that, through Darius, He forbade the officials from interfering with the building project.
Of course, this all is prefiguring God’s work in blessing the church. Paul makes this clear in Rom. 8:28:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
All things, up to and including captivity, the worst of things in Israel’s National life, work for their collective and national good, being ultimately realized in the coming of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ – Who did for them what they could not and would not do for themselves…obey their God!
Luke shows us the fulfillment of this in Acts 4:29–31 as a Jewish “congregation” was filled with God’s Spirit at the beginning of the Church age:
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
In Acts 8:4 we read that they, in turn scattered and preached this “new” Testament to all men:
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word.
Christ came, sinlessly born of a virgin, and did, both actively and passively what no man, neither Jew nor Greek could nor would do for themselves. He fulfilled God’s Law. Then, at the appointed time, He set His eyes toward Jerusalem as the spotless Lamb of God and yielded Himself as a satisfaction for the wrath of holy God against the sins all those who will believe. This is the God we serve…
7 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site.
In verse seven, the Governor of the Jews refers to Zerubbabel (Hag. 1:1). Nothing is known, either Biblically or extra-Biblically of what became of the first governor, Sheshbazzar.
Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the cost be paid at the king’s expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered. 9 And whatever they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
In verses 8-10 Darius not only confirms Cyrus’s decree but also provides for costs to be met from taxes raised in Beyond the River itself (v. 8). He also provides for materials for sacrifice in perpetuity (v. 9), with the political stipulation that the Jews pray for the life of the king and his sons (v. 10)—showing that Darius’s generosity was part of his policy to sustain Persian power.
Once more, we are amazed to note the province of God over the secular world and the “power” of the king. Darius was one the great rulers of the ancient world. Yet God moves his will like it was naught! Is your life and mine and more difficult? Can we view the moving and scheming of our own authorities or those around us as any more an obstacle than that of these great Kings whom God “tossed about” with seemingly no difficulty?
Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. 12 And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently.
Darius makes in effect a further decree, backed up with a typical threatened sanction (v. 11). The final warning borrows language from the Jews’ own way of speaking about God’s presence in Jerusalem (the God who has caused his name to dwell there, v. 12; cf. Deut. 12:5); Darius strikingly acknowledges the efficacy of the God of Jerusalem in his own place (although, like Cyrus in Ezra 1:3, he might not be claiming that there is only one true God). We can conclude that there had been some witness, by faithful Jews, on Cyrus there in his palace.
This would follow the example of Nebuchadnezzar who had the example and active witness of Daniel and his three friends at the very least, with the result that, after his time of insanity Nebby came to know the Lord of heaven in a saving way. Certainly this passage indicates that Cyrus, at the very least, had heard truth concerning the God of Heaven and had come to respect that God above other Gods. Was he redeemed? We have no positive indicator one way or the other…
13 Then Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions diligently did according to what King Darius had sent.
Verse 13 tells us that, due to God’s undertaking on the behalf of the returning captives, Tattenai and his fellow officials respond quickly to Darius’s decree. Of course, this is not a shocking development. Ancient Near Eastern Monarchs not only had the absolute power to make such decrees, they also had the power to enforce them! In short, if one did not submit and submit immediately, one was fodder for the animals! Tattenai knew this and he quickly obeys. Those beneath him follow his example.
How gracious and patient is our God and wonderful it is that we can trust Him to receive those who will humble themselves and turn to Him when their have need and humble themselves before Him in that time of need? How sad that this great act of mercy witnessed here is a temporary one, for Israel ultimately descends into the condition our Lord found her when He walked the earth…but that is a topic for another time.
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