Ezra 6:14 - Exposition

And the elders of the Jews builded . See above, Ezra 5:5 , Ezra 5:9 . Probably the same as "the chief of the fathers" of Ezra 2:68 , and Ezra 3:12 . While the younger men were those who actually laboured, the elders superintended the work. Zerubbabel and Jeshua are no doubt included among them . And they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai … and Zechariah. It can well be understood that Haggai's earnest exhortations, his warnings, his threats, his sarcastic reproaches ( Haggai 1:4 , Haggai 1:9 ), his prophecies of a coming glory to the house greater than any known previously ( Haggai 2:9 ), would rouse the spirit of the people, and make them labour diligently and perseveringly; but the visions of Zechariah seem less calculated to stir popular feeling. Still the knowledge that the angels of God were interesting themselves in the restoration of the temple ( Zechariah 1:9-21 ; Zechariah 2:3 , etc.), and the many promises that God would "comfort Zion," and "choose Jerusalem" ( Zechariah 1:17 ; Zechariah 2:12 ; Zechariah 3:2 ), and that the temple should assuredly be brought to completion ( Zechariah 1:16 ; Zechariah 4:9 ), helped no doubt to strengthen the hands of Zerubbabel, and to keep up the zeal of the people . According to the commandment of Cyrus , and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia . The commandments of Cyrus and of Darius have been set forth by the writer (see Ezra 1:3 ; Ezra 6:3-5 , Ezra 6:7 ); but nothing has been said as yet of any commandment given by any Artaxerxes to "build" or "finish" the house. On the contrary, the only Arta-xerxes mentioned has been declared to have expressly forbidden the work to proceed ( Ezra 4:7-22 ). The Artaxerxes of that place, moreover, reigned between Cyrus and Darius, whereas this Artaxerxes should, by the position of his name, be one of the successors of Darius. It has been suggested that Xerxes is intended, and that he may have been associated with his father during the building of the temple. But as Xerxes was the son of Atossa, whom Darius did not marry until he had ascended the throne (Herod; 3:88), he cannot have been more than five years old when the temple was finished. Nor was he ever associated on the throne by his father. Xerxes, therefore, cannot be meant. The next king to Xerxes, however, who really bore the name of Artaxerxes was a favourer of the Jews, and did give commandment to "beautify," and in that sense "finish," the house of the Lord (see Ezra 7:20 , Ezra 7:27 ). We must suppose, therefore, that he is the person intended. The objection that the name is not spelt the same, but has a samech in one place instead of a schin , is too minute to require consideration. The Persians themselves spelt the name of Artaxerxes in more ways than one.