The Temple Is Finished and Dedicated

6:1 So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon. 6:2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana which is in the province of Media, and it was inscribed as follows: “Memorandum: 6:3 In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus gave orders concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: ‘Let the temple be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in place. Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety feet, 6:4 with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber. The expense is to be subsidized by the royal treasury. 6:5 Furthermore let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be deposited in the temple of God.’ 6:6 “Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates – all of you stay far away from there! 6:7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place. 6:8 “I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work. 6:9 Whatever is needed – whether oxen or rams or lambs or burnt offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as required by the priests who are in Jerusalem – must be given to them daily without any neglect, 6:10 so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family. 6:11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled on it, and his house is to be reduced to a rubbish heap for this indiscretion. 6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation who reaches out to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!” 6:13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues acted accordingly – with precision, just as Darius the king had given instructions. 6:14 The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 6:15 They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 6:16 The people of Israel – the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles – observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy. 6:17 For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 6:18 They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, in accord with the book of Moses. 6:19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6:20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues the priests, and for themselves. 6:21 The Israelites who were returning from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them in separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel. 6:22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had changed the opinion of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he assisted them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.

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Darius confirmed Cyrus’s decree, protected the rebuilding work, and ordered supplies for the temple. The temple was completed, dedicated with joy, and then used for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Ezra 6 shows that God was not defeated by earlier opposition. Darius ordered a search of the royal records, and Cyrus’s decree was found. That decree said the temple in Jerusalem was to be rebuilt for sacrifice, supplied from the royal treasury, and restored with its sacred vessels.

Darius then did more than allow the work. He told the local officials to stay away from it, commanded them not to interfere, and ordered that the rebuilding be funded and supplied so the sacrifices could continue without delay. He also backed his decree with a severe punishment for anyone who tried to change it.

The result was that the leaders of the Jews kept building, and the temple was finished. The text says this happened by the command of the God of Israel and by the commands of Persian kings, with Artaxerxes named in the chapter’s broader summary of imperial support. God was ruling over the whole process, even through pagan rulers.

After the temple was completed, the returned exiles dedicated it with joy. They offered sacrifices, including a sin offering for all Israel, showing that the restored covenant community still needed cleansing and atonement. They also appointed priests and Levites according to the book of Moses, showing that restoration meant returning to God’s written instruction, not inventing a new religion.

The chapter ends with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The priests and Levites purified themselves, the lamb was sacrificed, and the people ate as those who had separated from the uncleanness of the nations to seek the Lord God of Israel. Their joy came from the Lord, who had turned the heart of the king to help them. This is a picture of covenant restoration: God brings his people back to worship, holiness, and remembrance of his saving acts.

• God can use the decisions of kings and archives to accomplish his purposes.
• The temple in Jerusalem was to be rebuilt as a place for sacrifice, not just as a public building.
• God’s people needed both freedom to work and practical support so worship could continue.
• The temple’s completion was a cause for joy, sacrifice, and thanksgiving.
• The restored covenant community still needed cleansing and atonement, as shown in the dedication sin offering.
• True restoration included obedience to the book of Moses.
• Passover reminded the people of God’s saving power and his covenant faithfulness.
• Those who sought the Lord were marked by separation from uncleanness and by purity for worship.

• Do not interfere with God’s work.
• Let the temple be rebuilt in its proper place.
• Provide what is needed for worship and sacrifice.
• Offer worship with purity and according to God’s word.
• Remember that God can turn rulers and events for his people’s good.
• Seek the Lord with separation from uncleanness.
• Rejoice in the Lord’s restoring grace.

This passage belongs to the postexilic restoration of Israel after judgment and exile. God preserves the line of temple worship, priesthood, sacrifice, and Passover in Jerusalem under Persian rule. That restoration is real, but it is still incomplete and should be read first in its own covenant setting, with only restrained later biblical connections beyond the passage’s immediate meaning.

When God opens a door for obedient work, opposition does not get the last word. Believers should trust God’s providence, respect his word, and support worship that is ordered by Scripture. This passage also reminds us that joy in God should go together with holiness, repentance, and thankful remembrance of what the Lord has done.

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