Then ceased the work on the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Read Chapter 4
Bede
AD 735
The Jews said, “This temple was built in fortysix years, and you will raise it up in three days?” They answered as they understood. But lest we too should perceive our Lord’s spiritual word in a carnal way, the Evangelist subsequently explained what temple it was of which he was speaking. As for their stating that the temple was built in fortysix years, they meant not its first but its second building. For Solomon, the first [builder], finished the temple very rapidly within seven years, during a time of great peace in his kingdom. It was destroyed by the Chaldeans, but after seventy years it began to be rebuilt, at the bidding of Cyrus the Persian, when the captivity was lightened. But the descendants of those who were deported were unable to finish the work that they were doing under the rulers Zerubbabel and Jeshua before fortysix years had passed, on account of the resistance of the neighboring nations. This number [fortysix] of years is also most apt for the perfecting of our Lord...
House. They went beyond the order, which only forbade the building of the city, ver. 21.
Darius, the year of the world 3485. (Calmet)
He was the son of Hystaspes, (St. Jerome) and not No thus, the sixth from Cyrus, as Sulpitius and Scalinger believe. (Tirinus)
