John Gill Commentary Ezra 5

Ver. 1. Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the
Ezra 5:2

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the
son of Jozadak
Whose spirits were stirred up and quickened by the ministry of the prophets, the Lord accompanying it by his Spirit, (Haggai 1:12Haggai 1:14) ,

and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem ;
to go on with the building of it; for they had laid the foundation before, and perhaps had carried it up to some little height, at least, before they ceased from it, (Ezra 3:10)

and with them were the prophets of God helping them ;
with words of counsel, comfort, and exhortation, directing and encouraging them, and promising them protection and success: these are the prophets before named.

And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children
of Israel
Which is repeated for the certainty of it, and for the sake of what follows:

and the stranger that sojourneth among them ;
the proselyte of righteousness; so the blessing of pardon, through the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, comes upon believing Gentiles as well as Jews, (Romans 4:9) (1 John 2:2) ;

seeing all the people [were] in ignorance ;
both the congregation of Israel and the stranger; (See Gill on Numbers 15:25).

At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the
river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions
These were new governors and officers under the king of Persia in those parts, the old ones, Rehum, Shimshai being either dead, or removed upon this new king coming to the throne: these came to the Jews,

and said thus unto them, who has commanded you to build this house,
and to make up this wall ?
for it seems by this time they had raised up the walls of the temple from its foundation to some height; for of these it must be understood, see (Ezra 4:8Ezra 4:9) for it can hardly be thought they were as yet enclosing it with a wall round about it; now they asked them by what authority they did this? who set them to work? and what were their names? for that this question was asked, though not here expressed, is clear from (Ezra 4:10) and to which an answer is given in the next verse.

Then said we unto them after this manner
In answer to their questions; namely, Ezra and other Jews replied; for though Ezra is said after this to come from Babylon in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, he might go thither on some business, and then return again at that time;

Some indeed think these are the words of Tatnai and those with him; so Ben Melech, which seems to be favoured by (Ezra 4:10), and by reading the words with an interrogation, as we do; Aben Ezra says they are either the words of the builders, or of the scribes, the secretaries that came to question them; but they are the words of the former, as order requires, or otherwise no answer would be returned, at least as expressed;

And the next clause may be read without an interrogation, and the sense be, that they told them not only that they acted according to an edict of Cyrus king of Persia, for this was said, as appears from (Ezra 5:13), but they declared

what were the names of the men that did make this building ;
employed them in it, namely, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the chief men of the Jews; they made no scruple of telling them who they were; neither ashamed of their masters nor of their work, nor afraid of any ill consequences following hereafter.

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews He in his providence looked favourably at them, smiled upon them, encouraged them in the work by his good Spirit, and by the prophets, and gave them success, and protected and defended them, see (2 Chronicles 16:9) (Zechariah 3:9) (4:10) ,

that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius; they were not intimidated by what the governor and those with him said to them, but went on in their work; nor did the governor attempt to interrupt them, they having referred him and their cause to Darius for the truth of what they had said, and for further information from him:

and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter; that is, Tatnai and those with him sent a letter to Darius about this affair, to which they had an answer, which are both related in this and the following chapters.