Summary of Ezra 4:1-6:12
Ezra 4:
The enemies of Israel offered to help build the temple. The Israelites said no, so they began to work against the building of the temple, using intimidation and bribes. The enemies persuaded King Artaxerxes to make the Israelites stop building the walls of Jerusalem.
Ezra 5:
In the second year of the reign of Darius, the King of Persia, the temple rebuilding began again with the help of the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Their enemies tried to stop them again, but the Israelites delayed them by writing a letter to King Darius to make a decision, citing that King Cyrus had granted them permission.
Ezra 6:1-12:
King Darius found the decree issued by Cyrus that allowed the rebuilding of the temple, so the Israelites were allowed to continue. He gave them money to do so and threatened anyone who stopped the Jews with death.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12
Great lesson on how God moves people so that His work is accomplished.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12
The foreigners who had been living in Judea since the exiles were not happy that the people were returning. Therefore, they mount an opposition to the temple building. These adversaries were the Samaritans. They were half God-fearing, half-pagans 2 Kings 17:33
Ongoing resistance began to both the temple building and the wall building.
We meet 2 other Persian kings here: Ahasuerus (Xerxes, who reigned between 485 and 465 B.C.) and Artaxerxes I (who reigned between 464 and 424 B.C.).
Fun Fact: Ezra 4:8-6:18 is all written in Aramaic.
The accusations of Israel’s enemies were both true and lies. The past of the Israelites persuaded Artaxerxes, so the building was halted for 15 years.
God sends the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to get the building project moving again.
Haggai records much of what happened here, rebuking the Israelites for their lackadaisical attitude towards the temple rebuilding Haggai 1:2-10. God intervenes (Haggai 1:7-8). He began to speak to the people 16 years after the temple rebuilding first began in 520 BC.
Zechariah means “the Lord remembers.” His job is to motivate the people to continue. God protects His people here.
Tattenai was a local governor for Persia. Tattenai sends a letter to King Darius, explaining the situation. The old scroll of Cyrus is found. Darius allows the work to continue based on historical pretext. The Jews are to pray for his family and his sons. The work should be completed ASAP.
Remember that the book of Nehemiah focuses on the rebuilding of the city and its walls.
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
This section of Ezra chronicles a period of intense opposition, prolonged delay, and ultimate divine vindication in the rebuilding of the Temple. It shows how God’s plan prevails despite persistent human resistance.
Interpretation
- Initial Opposition (Ezra 4:1-5): Immediately, adversaries—the people living in the land, later known as Samaritans—offer to “help” build the Temple, but their intentions are hostile. When their offer is rejected by Zerubbabel to maintain religious purity, they actively work to stop the project through intimidation and political bribery, successfully halting the work for about 16 years.
- Thematic Flash-Forward (Ezra 4:6-23): The author inserts a summary of later opposition during the reigns of Kings Xerxes and Artaxerxes. This section, which focuses on stopping the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, is not chronological but serves to show that the hostility was a long-term, persistent problem for the returning exiles.
- Work Resumes Through Prophetic Encouragement (Ezra 4:24-5:5): After the long delay, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stir the people to resume building. When a local governor, Tattenai, challenges their authority, the Jewish elders cite King Cyrus’s original decree. Protected by “the eye of their God,” they are allowed to continue building while the matter is investigated.
- Divine Vindication Through King Darius (Ezra 5:6-6:12): Tattenai sends a letter to King Darius requesting a search of the royal archives. Miraculously, Cyrus’s scroll is found. Darius not only reaffirms the original decree but issues a powerful new one: he commands Tattenai not to interfere, orders the entire cost of the Temple to be paid from the royal treasury, provides for the daily sacrifices, and issues a death penalty for anyone who obstructs the work.
Conclusion
This narrative powerfully demonstrates God’s sovereignty over human history and politics. Though the project was stalled for years by fierce opposition, God’s purpose was never defeated. He used the encouragement of prophets and even the legal system of a pagan empire to not only restart the work but to ensure its completion with greater resources and protection than before. It is a story of how God turns obstacles into instruments for His will.
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