King James Version

What Does Ezra 6:14 Mean?

Ezra 6:14 in the King James Version says “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the s...” — study this verse from Ezra chapter 6 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And 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. commandment: Chaldee, decree”

Ezra 6:14 · KJV

Context

12

And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.

13

Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.

14

And 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. commandment: Chaldee, decree

15

And 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.

16

And 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, the children of the captivity: Chaldee, the sons of the transportation

Read Ezra 6 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The summary statement identifies multiple causation: 'the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah.' Human builders worked, prophets encouraged, and God blessed—multiple simultaneous causes at different levels. The phrase 'they builded and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel' establishes ultimate divine causation. The continuation 'and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia' shows God working through political authority.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

This verse synthesizes the entire restoration narrative showing God's sovereignty operating through: (1) prophetic word, (2) human labor, (3) divine command, and (4) governmental decrees. Artaxerxes' mention (who reigned 465-424 BC) looks forward to his support of Ezra's later mission (Ezra 7), demonstrating biblical theology's comprehensive view of interconnected events across decades. The temple's completion in 516 BC fulfilled prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10) exactly seventy years after destruction (586 BC).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Scripture's attribution of success to multiple simultaneous causes avoid reductionism—neither only human effort nor only divine sovereignty?
  2. What does the inclusion of three Persian kings demonstrate about God's long-term faithfulness across generations and regimes?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 22 words
וְשָׂבֵ֤י1 of 22

“And the elders”

H7868

properly, to become aged, i.e., (by implication) to grow gray

יְהֽוּדָיֵא֙2 of 22

“of the Jews”

H3062

a jehudaite (or judaite), i.e., jew

וּבְנ֣וֹ3 of 22

“And they builded”

H1124

to build

וּמַצְלְחִ֔ין4 of 22

“and they prospered”

H6744

to advance (transitive or intransitive)

בִּנְבוּאַת֙5 of 22

“through the prophesying”

H5017

inspired teaching

חַגַּ֣י6 of 22

“of Haggai”

H2292

chaggai, a hebrew prophet

נְבִיָּ֔אה7 of 22

“the prophet”

H5029

a prophet

וּזְכַרְיָ֖ה8 of 22

“and Zechariah”

H2148

zecarjah, the name of twenty-nine israelites

בַּר9 of 22

“the son”

H1247

a son, grandson, etc

עִדּ֑וֹא10 of 22

“of Iddo”

H5714

iddo (or iddi), the name of five israelites

וּבְנ֣וֹ11 of 22

“And they builded”

H1124

to build

וְשַׁכְלִ֗לוּ12 of 22

“and finished”

H3635

to complete

מִן13 of 22

“it according”

H4481

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of

טַ֙עַם֙14 of 22

“to the commandment”

H2941

properly, a taste, i.e., a judicial sentence

אֱלָ֣הּ15 of 22

“of the God”

H426

god

יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל16 of 22

“of Israel”

H3479

isreal

וּמִטְּעֵם֙17 of 22

“and according to the commandment”

H2942

properly, flavor; figuratively, judgment (both subjective and objective); hence, account (both subjectively and objectively)

כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ18 of 22

“of Cyrus”

H3567

koresh (or cyrus), the persian king

וְדָֽרְיָ֔וֶשׁ19 of 22

“and Darius”

H1868

darejavesh, a title (rather than name) of several persian kings

וְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּא20 of 22

“and Artaxerxes”

H783

artachshasta (or artaxerxes), a title (rather than name) of several persian kings

מֶ֥לֶךְ21 of 22

“king”

H4430

a king

פָּרָֽס׃22 of 22

“of Persia”

H6540

paras (i.e., persia), an eastern country, including its inhabitants

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ezra. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ezra 6:14 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ezra 6:14 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ezra 7:1Ezra 5:13Ezra 4:24-5:2Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 6:12-13Zechariah 2:1-4

Places in This Verse

PersiaRegion · Modern: Tell Hagmatana · 34.81°N, 48.52°E27 verses across 5 books
View all places in Ezra 6 →

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