Ezra 4:24

“Then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem, etc.] How far they had proceeded is not said, whether any further than laying the foundation of it; though probably, by this time, it might be carried to some little height; however, upon this it was discontinued: so it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia; not Darius Nothun, as some think, for from the first of Cyrus to the sixth of his reign, when the temple was finished, was upwards of one hundred years; yea, according to some, about one hundred and forty; which would carry the age of Zerubbabel, who both laid the foundation of the temple, and finished it, and the age of those who saw the first…”

“Then ceased the work of the house of God--It was this occurrence that first gave rise to the strong religious antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans, which was afterwards greatly aggravated by the erection of a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Next: Ezra Chapter 5”

“It ceased - The stoppage of the building by the Pseudo-Smerdis is in complete harmony with his character. He was a Magus, devoted to the Magian elemental worship, and opposed to belief in a personal god. His religion did not approve of temples; and as he persecuted the Zoroastrian so would he naturally be hostile to the Jewish faith. The building was resumed in the second year of Darius (520 B.C.), and was only interrupted for about two years; since the Pseudo-Smerdis reigned less than one year. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Ezra 4". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible".…”

“Darius - Darius the son of Hystaspes, successor of Cambyses. Next: Ezra Chapter 5”

“4:24–5:5 Ezra now returns to telling about the building of the Temple in 520–515 BC. 4:24 The events of the following verses occurred approximately sixteen years after the events up through 4:5.”

“So: Neh 6:3, Neh 6:9; Job 20:5; Th1 2:18 Darius: This was Darius Hystaspes, one of the seven princes who slew the usurper Smerdis. he ascended the throne of Persia, am 3483, bc 521, and reigned 36 years. Ezr 5:5, Ezr 6:1; Hag 1:15 Next: Ezra Chapter 5”

“"Then ceased the work of the house of God at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of Darius king of Persia." With this statement the narrator returns to the notice in Ezr 4:5, that the adversaries of Judah succeeded in delaying the building of the temple till the reign of King Darius, which he takes up, and now adds the more precise information that it ceased till the second year of King Darius. The intervening section, Ezr 4:6, gives a more detailed account of those accusations against the Jews made by their adversaries to kings Ahashverosh and Artachshasta. If we read Ezr 4:23 and Ezr 4:24 as successive, we get an impression that the discontinuation to build mentioned in Ezr 4:24…”