Ezra 6:13-18 Meaning: The Joy of a Finished Work
13Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.
14The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
13Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar–boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
14And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
17And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.
13Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, because that Darius the king had sent, did accordingly with all diligence.
14And the elders of the Jews builded and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.
13Then Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king hath sent, so they have done speedily;
14and the elders of the Jews are building and prospering through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15And this house hath gone out till the third day of the month Adar, that is in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16And the sons of Israel have made, and the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy,
17and have brought near for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks a hundred, rams two hundred, lambs four hundred; and young he-goats for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel;
18and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
13Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, because of that which king Darius had sent, did so diligently.
14And the elders of the Jews built; and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and completed [it] according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
16And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy;
17and they presented at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18And they set the priests in their classes, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem: as it is written in the book of Moses.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did a Persian governor suddenly support the temple? Ezra 6:13-18 shows God moving hearts, completing His house, and His people's joyful dedication.
Context
Ezra brings us to the end of a long struggle. The temple in Jerusalem had been a ruin for decades. A first attempt to rebuild it stalled under opposition, local Persian officials like Tattenai had written letters to stop the work. But then God raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, who stirred the people to start again. King Darius investigated, found Cyrus’s original decree, and issued his own order: let the building continue, and let the governor provide supplies. Now, in these six verses, we see what happened next. The governor obeyed the king’s decree without delay. The elders built and finished the house. And the people, priests, Levites, and all who had returned from exile, gathered to dedicate it with joy. The long wait was over.
Key Words
Three words carry the weight of this passage. The first is “diligently” in verse 13. The original Aramaic word (אָסְפַּרְנָא) means more than just doing a job, it carries the sense of eagerness, of doing something thoroughly and even eagerly. Tattenai, who once wrote letters to stop the work, now carried out the king’s decree with full energy. The second word is “prospered” in verse 14 (צְלַח). This word means to have success, but the way it is used here points to God as the source. The text connects that prosperity directly to the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah, the people were not simply lucky; they were being carried forward by God’s word spoken through His messengers. The third word is “joy” in verse 16 (חֶדְוָה). This is not a quiet satisfaction. It is the sound of a people who had wept at the foundation and now shouted at the finish. In each case, the human response, diligence, prosperity, joy, is rooted in something God had set in motion.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage with an eye on God’s quiet sovereignty. Matthew Henry, the Puritan commentator, emphasizes that the sudden cooperation of the Persian governor and the king was not by chance, God turned their hearts. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown notes how modest the offerings were compared to Solomon’s lavish dedication, calling attention to “the day of small things” that Zechariah spoke of. The Cambridge Bible highlights the role of the prophets: the work succeeded “through the prophesying” of Haggai and Zechariah, not through political maneuvering. Catholic readers of the Douay translation see the careful organization of priests and Levites according to the Book of Moses as a sign that worship was restored in continuity with the old covenant. All these readings agree on one point: the completion of the temple was not a human achievement but a gift from God, received with gratitude.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think that Tattenai’s sudden cooperation was purely a matter of political calculation, that he changed sides because he saw which way the wind was blowing. In fact, the text goes out of its way to show that his obedience was a direct response to the king’s decree, and that decree itself was the result of God’s hand moving through the prophets. The verse says plainly that the elders “built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah.” The real engine of the story is the word of God, not the shifts of politics.
Living This Out
Perhaps you are in the middle of something that seems stalled, a project at work, a relationship you are trying to rebuild, a step of obedience that feels stuck. You have prayed and worked, but the opposition has been louder than the progress. This passage does not promise that a king’s decree will arrive by tomorrow’s mail. But it does invite you to look beyond the human obstacles and trust that the God who turned the heart of a Persian governor is still at work. He can move the people you cannot persuade. He can provide the resources you do not have. And when He does, when the work is finally finished, do not rush past the moment. Stop and dedicate it. Bring your offering, however small it seems, and let your heart be full of joy. The same God who saw the temple through to completion sees your work too.
Main takeaway: God faithfully brings His work to completion, using both prophetic words and earthly rulers, and His people respond with joyful worship.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God helped His people finish building the temple. They were so happy that they had a big celebration. They thanked God and gave Him the best gifts they had.
For ages 9, 12
The temple took years to rebuild. Enemies tried to stop it, but God used a king named Darius to make sure it got finished. When the building was done, the people didn’t just go home. They gathered together, dedicated the temple to God, and celebrated with sacrifices and music. The priests started serving in their proper order, just like God had told Moses. It was a new beginning for God’s people after a long, hard wait.
Questions People Ask
Why did Tattenai obey so quickly after previously trying to stop the temple work?
In Ezra 5, Tattenai wrote to King Darius questioning the Jews' right to rebuild. But once Darius searched the records and issued a decree supporting the project, Tattenai had no choice as a Persian official, he carried out the king's orders. The text emphasizes that he acted "with all diligence," suggesting God also moved his heart to be eager about it.
Why is Artaxerxes mentioned in verse 14 when the temple was finished before his reign?
Artaxerxes Longimanus ruled after Darius, but he later supported the temple by providing funds and allowing Ezra to return. The writer of Ezra includes his name here as a summary of the kings who helped the temple, even though his contribution came later. It is a way of saying that the temple stood because of God's ongoing provision through successive Persian rulers.
What was the meaning of the twelve male goats offered as a sin offering?
The twelve goats were offered for all Israel, one for each tribe. Even though only a remnant had returned from exile, the dedication was for the entire nation. The sin offering acknowledged that the people needed cleansing before God could dwell among them, just as the tabernacle was purified at its dedication in Moses' time.
How did this dedication compare to Solomon's dedication of the first temple?
It was far more modest. Solomon offered thousands of animals, while the returned exiles offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs. Commentators note that this suited "the day of small things" (Zechariah 4:10). Yet the joy was just as real. The people were grateful not for the size of the ceremony but for the fact that God had restored His house at all.
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