Ezra 5:6-17 Meaning: When a Royal Inquiry Reveals God's Plan
6The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king follows.
7They sent a letter to him, in which was written: To Darius the king, all peace.
8Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
9Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”
10We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.
11Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
12But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
14The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
15He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house be built in its place.’
16Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not completed.
17Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”
6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar–boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
7They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.
8Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
9Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?
10We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.
12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
14And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
15And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.
16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
17Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
6The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent unto Darius the king;
7they sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus: Unto Darius the king, all peace.
8Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goeth on with diligence and prospereth in their hands.
9Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
10We asked them their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of them.
11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished.
12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
14And the gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
15and he said unto him, Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in its place.
16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundations of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not completed.
17Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
6The copy of a letter that Tatnai, governor beyond the river, hath sent, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, the Apharsachites who are beyond the river, unto Darius the king.
7A letter they have sent unto him, and thus is it written in it:
8`To Darius the king, all peace! be it known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the great house of God, and it is built with rolled stones, and wood is placed in the walls, and this work is done speedily, and prospering in their hand.
9Then we have asked of these elders, thus we have said to them, Who hath made for you a decree this house to build, and this wall to finish?
10And also their names we have asked of them, to let thee know, that we might write the names of the men who are at their head.
11`And thus they have returned us word, saying, We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built many years before this, that a great king of Israel built and finished:
12but after that our fathers made the God of heaven angry, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the Chaldean, and this house he destroyed, and the people he removed to Babylon;
13but in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God,
14and also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar had taken forth out of the temple that is in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, them hath Cyrus the king brought forth out of the temple of Babylon, and they have been given to one , Sheshbazzar is his name, whom he made governor,
15and said to him, These vessels lift up, go, put them down in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and the house of God is builded on its place.
16Then hath this Sheshbazzar come--he hath laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from thence even till now it hath been building, and is not finished.
17`And now, if to the king it be good, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king, that is there in Babylon, whether it be that of Cyrus the king there was made a decree to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the will of the king concerning this thing he doth send unto us.'
6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were on this side the river, sent to Darius the king.
7They sent a report to him in which was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace!
8Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is being carried on with diligence, and prospers in their hand.
9Then asked we those elders: thus we said to them, Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall?
10We asked their names also, to inform thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it.
12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of the heavens to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon.
13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to build this house of God.
14And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was at Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had appointed governor.
15And he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is at Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.
16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and since that time even until now has it been in building, and it is not completed.
17And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that orders were given by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
Meaning in one sentence
Tattenai's letter to King Darius reports the temple rebuilding.
Context
The builders of the temple had been ordered to stop by a previous Persian king, but the prophets Haggai and Zechariah urged them to resume. When Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, arrived with his officials, he saw the work in progress. Rather than shut it down by force, he wrote a calm, thorough report to King Darius. The letter includes the elders' own words: they are servants of the God of heaven, building on the authority of Cyrus' decree, and they honestly confess why the first temple was destroyed. Tattenai does not accuse or praise, he simply asks Darius to check the royal archives. The passage sits at a turning point where a potentially threatening inquiry becomes an occasion for God to vindicate His people.
Key Words
Three words from this Aramaic passage carry the weight of the story. The elders call themselves עַבְדוֹהִי (avdohi), 'His servants.' It is the same word used for a slave or a loyal subject. They are not ashamed to belong to the God of heaven. The work, Tattenai reports, goes on אָסְפַּרְנָא (asparna), 'diligently,' and even מַצְלַח (matzleach), 'prospering.' That last word means to cause to succeed, it is God who makes the work thrive, not human effort alone. These ordinary words paint a picture: a people who know whose they are, who keep working, and who trust their King to make it prosper. The letter itself becomes a testimony that God's purposes move forward even through the pen of a Persian governor.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have noted the fairness of this letter. Reformers such as Matthew Henry saw here that God can incline the hearts of pagan rulers to act justly, Tattenai did not slander the Jews but laid the facts before the king. Catholic interpreters have pointed to the respect for lawful authority shown by both the governor and the elders; the Jews did not resist but gave a clear account of their commission. Orthodox readers have emphasized that the elders' confession, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth', stands as a model for witnessing under scrutiny. The letter, whatever its author's intentions, became the means by which God preserved the temple work.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Tattenai and his companions were hostile and intended to stop the rebuilding. In fact, the letter shows no bitterness or accusation. They simply report what they saw and heard, and they ask Darius to verify the decree. The text itself says the eye of God was on the elders 'that they could not cause them to cease' (Ezra 5:5). The governor's inquiry, while official, was not malicious, and God used it to bring a royal confirmation that protected the work for years to come.
Living This Out
You may face questions this week about why you live the way you do. A coworker, a neighbor, even a person in authority might ask, 'Who told you to do that?' The elders in this passage did not become defensive or evasive. They gave a plain answer: 'We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building.' That is the kind of reply you can prepare in your heart. Not a speech, not a argument, just a true answer about whose you are and what you are doing. If the work is from God, you can trust that He will preserve it through the questions and the waiting. Keep building. Let your answer be honest and humble, and leave the outcome to Him.
Main takeaway: God uses even the inquiries of earthly rulers to confirm and protect the work He has commanded His people to do.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some men came to see the temple being built. They asked, 'Who said you could build this?' The people gave a good answer. They said, 'We are God's helpers, and a king told us to build.' God made the men send a letter, and the new king said yes.
For ages 9, 12
The Persian governor Tattenai saw the Jews rebuilding the temple and asked for their authority. Instead of panicking, the elders told the truth: they were servants of God, obeying a decree from Cyrus. The governor wrote a fair report to King Darius and asked him to check the records. God was protecting His people through an honest inquiry, and the king later found Cyrus' decree and let them finish the work without interference.
Questions People Ask
Who wrote the letter in Ezra 5:6-17?
The letter was written by Tattenai, the Persian governor of the region west of the Euphrates, along with Shethar-bozenai and their associates. They sent it to King Darius to report on the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
Why did the Jews stop building the temple, and why did they start again?
Opponents convinced an earlier Persian king, Artaxerxes, to order a halt to the rebuilding (Ezra 4). Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to resume, so they began again during the reign of Darius. Tattenai's letter to Darius was a response to this renewed work.
What does 'the God of heaven and earth' mean in this passage?
The elders use the title to distinguish the God of Israel from local Persian deities. It declares that their God is the Lord over all creation, not just a national god. This confession shows their faith while also resonating with Persian respect for a supreme God.
Was Tattenai trying to stop the temple building?
The letter itself is neutral. Tattenai reports what he saw and asks Darius to check the archives. Earlier in Ezra 4, opponents had used lies to get a stop-work order. But here, the governor's inquiry was fair, and God used it to bring a royal confirmation that protected the project.
What happened after this letter was sent?
Darius searched the royal archives and found Cyrus' decree. He then issued a new command that the temple be rebuilt and that Tattenai and his officials should help financially (Ezra 6). The temple was completed and dedicated in the sixth year of Darius' reign.
For pastors & researchers
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