Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
All Commentaries on Ezra 5:2 Go To Ezra 5
Bede
AD 735
“Now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews.” … These things are reported in full detail in the books of the same prophets. And with their words they reproached the laziness of those who had been negligent in the reconstruction of the temple and exhorted them to work with the help of God. And thanks to their exhortation and devotion, Zerubabbel and Jeshua together with the entire people set out to rebuild the house of the Lord. And certainly the prophet Haggai began with these words: “In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest: Thus says the Lord of the hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house. Then the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?” And a bit further: “And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twentyfourth day of the month, in the sixth month.” And as a sequel to the words that we have quoted above: “The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts.” In the same way Zechariah begins: “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you.”
