Ezra 6:16 - Exposition

The children of Israel. Again the writer is careful to present the returned exiles to us as "Israel," and not merely "Judah" (comp. Ezra 2:70 ; Ezra 3:1 , Ezra 3:10 , Ezra 3:11 ; Ezra 4:3 ; Ezra 5:1 ). This is especially fitting when he is about to explain why the number of the he-goats offered was twelve (see the next verse). Kept the dedication of this house of God . The primary dedication seems to be glanced at in the words, "the dedication of this house," an expression repeated in the next verse. It is one of the great objects of Ezra to link the present with the past, the new temple with the old, the restored religion with that of former times.