2 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.
Haggai and Zechariah helped Zerubbabel to build the Temple.
3 At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai and their companions, and said thus unto them, “Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?”
Trouble from the neighbors again.
4 Then said we unto them after this manner, “What are the names of the men that make this building?”
5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.
The Jews kept building while the matter was taken to the king.
6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
This Darius is the fourth king of the Persian Empire.
Cyrus the Great ruled a short time and was likely murdered by his brother-in-law Ahasuerus.
Ahasuerus was murdered after a long reign by a nobleman in his court and the empire ruled by Hamedetha, another nobleman.
A third nobleman’s son, Darius, married Ahasuerus’ (and Ester’s?) daughter and got rid of Hamedetha. He held the empire during its greatest time, even extending far enough to take on Greece. (See the maps in the Appendix).
7 They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; “Unto Darius the king, all peace.
8 “Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goes fast on, and prospers in their hands.”
The Jews enemies went to check out what was going on and found them to not only be building the Temple but doing it quickly.
9 “Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, ‘Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?’
10 “We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.”
Of course if you are going to get someone in trouble you have to know who you are tattling on.
11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up.”
Solomon was the “Great King” who had originally built the Temple.
12 “But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.”
They understood why the Jews had been punished.
13 “But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
14 “And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;”
They might have been better off not mentioning the riches they had brought back with them. That gave financial incentive for their enemies to continue.
15 “And said unto him, ‘Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in his place.’
16 “Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.”
They just laid the whole story out.
17 “Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”
They wanted to make sure the story was true.