Synopsis of the Chapter
Darius at his own expense, in accordance with the decree of Cyrus, completes the temple, which in the sixth year is consecrated with great rejoicing of the people and many victims; then the Passover is celebrated for seven days.
Verse 2: At Ecbatana ¶
2. At Ecbatana — In Hebrew, Achmata; for the letters beth and mem are both labial, and therefore are often interchanged, with one substituted for the other.
In the province of Media — In Hebrew, Madai, that is, Media; the kingdom of the Medes, which had already been subjugated by the Persians and reduced to a province.
Verse 3: A Height of Sixty Cubits ¶
3. A height of sixty cubits — The former temple of Solomon was twice as high, being 120 cubits tall; but Cyrus did not want this new one built so high, lest the Jews make a fortress out of it and rebel.
And a width of sixty cubits — By "width" here he means extension, whether in length or in breadth. So says the Chaldean text; for it forbids the temple to extend in any direction beyond 60 cubits. Hence Lyranus says: "width" here means "length" — for the length of the temple, that is, of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, was 60 cubits, while the actual width was twenty. So says Ribera, Book I of On the Temple, chapter XXVII.
Verse 5: They Were Placed in the Temple ¶
5. They were placed in the temple — that is, they are to be placed in the temple being built. The Septuagint reads: "that they may be placed." Better, and more properly: "they have been placed in the temple," that is, in the treasury of the temple, as I said at chapter V, verse 15. For Darius is reporting that the decree of Cyrus has already been carried out. Cyrus had commanded that the vessels be returned to the temple; Darius now reports that they have been returned, in accordance with his command.
Verse 14: By Decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes ¶
14. They built, etc., by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes. — Refer this not to the building of the temple itself, namely the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies — for that was completed in the sixth year of Darius, verse 15 — but to the completion of the courtyards and ornaments of the temple, and to the prospering of the offerings, gifts, and celebrations of the temple. For these were completed under Artaxerxes. Again, the construction of the temple itself was completed under Darius, while the city of Jerusalem was completed under Artaxerxes.
You ask: Who was this Artaxerxes mentioned here and in chapter VII and following? Some think it was Xerxes, for he was the son of Darius Hystaspes and succeeded him in the kingdom. For there seems to be no reason why Ezra would have omitted Xerxes and skipped from the grandfather Darius to his grandson Artaxerxes Longimanus — especially since this Xerxes was most famous, being the one who led 1,100,000 soldiers into battle against the Greeks, covered the land with his troops and the sea with his fleets, and was therefore first the terror of Greece, but soon its laughingstock, when defeated he was compelled to flee almost alone. Hence Daniel specifically described Xerxes in chapter XI, verse 1. Moreover, Xerxes was very well-disposed toward the Jews, as Josephus reports, Book XI of the Antiquities, chapter V; hence he seems to have promoted the building of the temple. Finally, Ezra, already clearly very old, does not seem after the time of Xerxes to have been fit for so arduous an embassy to Jerusalem as described in chapter VII, verse 6. Hence Josephus says that Ezra, an old man, died under Xerxes not long after reforming the commonwealth. Therefore this book of the deeds of Ezra closes with this reformation.
But others more probably hold that this Artaxerxes was Longimanus, the son of Xerxes. First, because it is not Xerxes but Longimanus who is properly called Artaxerxes by all historians. Second, the same is clear from the continuity of this history with the history of Nehemiah, which was originally one book with this book of Ezra. For the one called Artaxerxes here, who in chapter VII in the seventh year of his reign sent Ezra to Jerusalem, is the same one who, according to Nehemiah chapter II, verse 5, also sent Nehemiah in the twentieth year of his reign. And the one who sent Nehemiah was Longimanus, as will be clear there. The reason Ezra omitted Xerxes is that he, wholly occupied with the Greek war, did not think about the Jews and the temple, nor did he contribute any assistance to them in this matter. Moreover, Josephus confuses Xerxes with Artaxerxes, for he assigns 28 years to Xerxes, although it is certain he reigned only twenty years; therefore the remaining eight years should be given to Artaxerxes. Regarding the name "Artaxerxes" I spoke at chapter IV, verse 6, to which add that "Artaxerxes" in Hebrew and Chaldean is written Artachsasta, which in Hebrew means "fervor of joy," says Pagninus, from ratach, meaning "to boil and seethe," and sas meaning "to rejoice." Or it means "light hastening to set," derived from or, meaning "light," and chas, meaning "to hasten," and sach, meaning "to set." Finally, the reason why Artaxerxes was so benevolent toward the Jews was Esther, whom many think was his wife; and therefore Haman was hanged by his order, and Mordecai was exalted. But I shall examine this in the proem to Esther.
Verse 15: The Month of Adar ¶
15. The month of Adar — This is the twelfth and last month of the Hebrews, which corresponds partly to our February and partly to March.
Which is the sixth year of King Darius. — Therefore in the sixth year of Darius the inner part of the temple, which was properly called "the temple" and which only priests were permitted to enter, was completed. But in the ninth year of Darius all the parts of the temple, both interior and exterior — that is, the courtyards, porticoes, and other ornaments of the temple — were completed. So say Josephus, Ribera, Pererius, and others.
Verse 20: As One ¶
20. As one — that is, with unanimous consent, as if all had been one man, having one and the same heart and mind.
Verse 21: Separated from the Uncleanness of the Gentiles ¶
21. Who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles — Those who, having abandoned paganism and become proselytes, had been initiated into Judaism through circumcision.
Verse 22: The Heart of the King of Assyria ¶
22. And He had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them — This is Darius king of Persia, who is called "king of Assyria" because the Assyrians, formerly lords and monarchs of all things, as well as the Babylonians subdued by Cyrus, were now subject to the Persian monarchy and to Darius.