John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezra 5:16
Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem ,.... Which makes it clear, that by Sheshbazzar is meant Zerubbabel; for he it was that laid the foundation of the temple, or at least by whose order it was laid, see Zechariah 4:9 and since that time even until now ; from the first of Cyrus to the second of Darius, a space of about eighteen years, and just seventy from the destruction of the temple: hath it been in building, and yet it... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezra 5:3-17
We have here, I. The cognizance which their neighbours soon took of the reviving of this good work. A jealous eye, it seems, they had upon them, and no sooner did the Spirit of God stir up the friends of the temple to appear for it than the evil spirit stirred up its enemies to appear against it. While the people built and ceiled their own houses their enemies gave them no molestation (Hag. 1:4), though the king's order was to put a stop to the building of the city (Ezra 4:21); but when they... read more