Chapter Text
The Decree of Darius
The Temple Completed
The Passover
Summary
Tattenai the governor carries out Darius's orders, providing full support for the temple construction. The elders of the Jews build and prosper through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah. The temple is completed in the sixth year of Darius. The dedication is celebrated with joy, and the returned exiles observe the Passover, having purified themselves. All who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the surrounding peoples join in the feast.
Meaning
The completion of the second temple, though far less glorious than Solomon's, represented a profound act of faith and obedience. God honored their faithfulness regardless of the structure's relative modesty.
The Passover celebration immediately following the dedication connects the new temple to Israel's foundational story of redemption from slavery, reminding the community that they too have been delivered from captivity by God's mighty hand.
Background
The temple was completed in 516 BC, exactly seventy years after its destruction in 586 BC, fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy of seventy years of desolation.
The second temple, while structurally complete, lacked several items from the first: the ark of the covenant, the Urim and Thummim, the sacred fire, and the visible glory cloud.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-5The Decree of Cyrus Rediscovered
- vv. 6-12Darius Confirms and Funds the Work
- vv. 13-15The Temple Completed Under Prophetic Encouragement
- vv. 16-18Joyful Dedication of the House
- vv. 19-22Passover Kept by the Returned Exiles
Key Verses
“And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.”— 6:14
This verse credits both prophetic ministry and imperial decree for the temple's completion, showing the providential interweaving of God's word through prophets and His sovereignty over pagan kings.
“And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”— 6:22
A theological summary of the chapter — the LORD turns the heart of kings (cf. Proverbs 21:1), demonstrating that even Persian rulers serve God's redemptive purposes for His covenant people.
“And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.”— 6:12
Darius, a pagan monarch, invokes the God of Israel as defender of the temple, an extraordinary acknowledgment that elevates the rebuilding from local project to international mandate.
People & Places
People
- Darius — Persian king who confirmed Cyrus's original decree and authorized the temple's completion at royal expense.
- Cyrus — Earlier Persian king whose original decree authorized the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple.
- Tatnai — Governor of the province beyond the river who had questioned the rebuilding and now had to facilitate it.
- Shetharboznai — Persian official and companion of Tatnai involved in investigating the temple work.
- Nebuchadnezzar — Babylonian king who had originally destroyed the temple and carried its sacred vessels to Babylon.
- Haggai — Post-exilic prophet whose preaching encouraged the elders to resume and complete the temple work.
- Zechariah — Son of Iddo and post-exilic prophet who, alongside Haggai, stirred the people to finish the temple.
- Artaxerxes — Later Persian king mentioned alongside Cyrus and Darius as a royal patron of the work.
Places
- Babylon — Former imperial capital where Persian archives were searched for Cyrus's decree.
- Achmetha (Ecbatana) — Summer palace of the Persian kings in Media, where the original scroll of Cyrus's decree was discovered.
- Jerusalem — Site of the rebuilt temple and the religious center of the returned exiles.
- The province beyond the river — Persian administrative region west of the Euphrates that included Judah.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
The completion of the temple in 6:14-15 fulfills Jeremiah's prophecy that after seventy years the LORD would restore His people and His house (Jeremiah 29:10), and answers the prophetic urging of Haggai 1:8 and Zechariah 4:9, which promised that Zerubbabel's hands would finish what they had begun. The dedication anticipates the greater temple to come, for Haggai 2:9 declares that the glory of this latter house would exceed the former — a promise ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who called His own body the true temple (John 2:19-21).
Devotional
Ezra 6 reminds us that God's purposes do not depend on favorable circumstances or sympathetic rulers. The same empire that once carried Judah into exile now funds her worship. When the work of God seems stalled by opposition, He often answers not by removing obstacles but by turning them into instruments.
Notice how the people respond when the temple is finished — with joy, sacrifice, and Passover. Faithful work deserves faithful celebration. Whatever good thing God enables you to complete today, mark it with gratitude. He who turned a king's heart can turn yours toward joy as well.
Literary Style
Post-exilic historical narrative interwoven with an official Aramaic royal decree (verses 3-12), shifting from archival quotation to third-person reportage. The chapter culminates in liturgical celebration, blending administrative documentation with covenantal theology and a doxological conclusion.