Ezra 4:24

Then ceased the work. That very little progress had been made at the time when work ceased can be seen from the fact that it was necessary to lay a new foundation stone in the second year of Darius, when the work of rebuilding the Temple was resumed (Haggai 2:18).

It was not God’s will that the work of reconstruction should cease. Active faith on the part of the people would have been met by divine power exercised to hold the enemies of His people in check.

Darius. Darius is the Greek form of the name, which in the Hebrew is written Dareyawesh. The Old Persian form is Darayavaush, while the name is spelled Darijawush in Babylonian texts. In Egyptian hieroglyphs, where the vowels are not expressed, the king’s name is written Drjwsh, and in the Aramaic vowelless inscriptions Dryhwsh, Drywhsh or Drywsh. There can be no question that Darius I, who reigned from 522-486 B.C., is meant. According to Persian reckoning, the second regnal year of Darius began on Nisan 1 (April 3), 520 B.C., and ended on the last day of the month Adar (March 22), 519 B.C. (see pp. 98, 99).

=== 15 Ezra 06-07.txt ===