Ezra 5:6 Commentary and Bible Study

The Israelites had answered their questions by saying to them, ‘This is the history of how we came to be back in Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple. We have come back from Babylon. We were allowed to do so by Cyrus. We have been given a special commission to rebuild the temple. We have even been given back all the riches of the temple that were stolen by the Babylonians, and were held by the Persian emperor. They have been entrusted to us. They were committed into the hands of the governor, Sheshbazzar, probably another name for Zerubbabel. Look at the authority we have. We have come back and we have started to build.’ The Samaritans write to the King of Persia what appears to be a most reasonable letter. When you read it you think, this doesn't sound the sort of thing that enemies would write. They say, ‘Look, O king, these people have come back and this is what they say, that you have authorised this, that you have given the money, and you have given them their temple gold back. That is what they are telling us. So would you mind, please searching the records and ascertaining whether this is so.’ Why would their enemies write such a reasonable letter? Clearly because they don't believe a word of it! They don't believe what the Israelites have told them. They don't believe that they have got the authority they claim to have. They don't believe Cyrus ordered this, or that they have been given all these things and money to build, and so they can afford to write a polite letter. ‘Look at what they are telling us. Do please check the records.’ They fold their arms, as it were, and they think what's going to come back from Cyrus is, ‘We haven't directed any such thing. Stop them immediately.’ But what actually comes back from Cyrus is recorded in Ezra 6 and shows that the Persians fully understood the spirit of this letter no matter how reasonable it sounded. There is a sharp tone to the letter coming back from Persia – ‘Don’t you dare try to stop the Jews from building.’In a subtle way, the letter is worded to incite the maximum prejudice. Verse 8: ‘Which is builded with great stones.’ Why do they mention that?’ The suggestion is: this is not a temple; this is a fortress. It is part of the grand fortification that they are constructing to return to their rebellion against the empire. Then in verse 11 the letter relates the admission of the Jews that the temple was built by a great king of Israel. He built it and set it up years ago. See what Tatnai is trying to put across – ‘These people are intensely nationalistic. They surely could not have been given permission to rebuild their city and their temple when they are talking about their great king and his accomplishments. This is dangerous talk. They are nationalists. Then too these Jews are probably bitter, because they report being delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. They want their liberty and their independence again.’ This Tatnai is a brilliant civil servant, and he knows how to load his letter with these ideas and suggestions to sway the authorities in the court of Persia. So the letter is sent tongue in cheek in the full expectation that permission to build would be denied.