Ezra 6:11, commentary and pictures

Ezra 6:11 is part of the second command issued by Darius in support of rebuilding the house of the Lord, the temple at Jerusalem, continuing and completing the work begun under Cyrus. The decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes are counted together as one decree concerning the restoration of Jerusalem, with the decree of Artaxerxes in his seventh year dated to 457 B.C. The permission from Darius came after opposition had stopped the work, for Samaritan hindrance by false reports had aroused suspicion and the work of the house of God at Jerusalem ceased until the second year of Darius. When Darius came to the throne he set aside the prohibition imposed by Smerdis the usurper and authorized the work to go forward with liberty and facilities as Cyrus, whom God had moved to grant the Jews liberty, had granted.

The verse prescribes a severe penalty for anyone who alters the decree, that timber is to be pulled down from his own house and, being set up, he is to be hanged on it, and his house is to be made a dunghill or refuse heap. The offender's house was thus to be dismantled and reduced to a dunghill, and the offender hanged on its timber. This severe punishment helped protect the royal order so the temple work could proceed. It shows a Persian ruler using his authority to protect and advance God's work.

The decree is an example of God moving upon the hearts of kings and rulers in behalf of His people, as He had moved Cyrus to grant liberty and to furnish facilities for rebuilding. Even after the prohibition was removed, the people who should have been most interested remained indifferent, misapplied prophecy to say the time to build had not come, left the house of the Lord unbuilt, and built mansions for themselves. Just as long as the Spirit of God is striving with the world, God's people are to both impart favors by giving the light of truth and receive favors from the world. They are to accept what God moves men to do for His cause and not cut off favors or withdraw from the help He has moved men to give for the advancement of His work.