The Lord had brought in the prophets, and caused the building project of erecting the walls around Jerusalem and rebuilding the Temple of God to begin again. News of the work had come to Tatnai’s ears. He was the Persian governor on the west side of the Euphrates, and he, with a small but intimidating military arsenal,[1] came to Jerusalem and challenged the project underway, asking, both, who was responsible, and who gave them the right to do this thing (Ezra 5:3-4). When it was told him by the leaders of the Jews that it was Cyrus who had initially decreed and charged them to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple of God therein, Tatnai realized that this thing was beyond his authority, so he wrote to Darius, the King of Persia, advising him of the situation and requesting his decision on the matter (Ezra 5:6-8).
It seems apparent that Tatnai’s actions reveal a man of integrity, at least of sorts. He wasn’t driven by hatred of the Jews as the Samaritans were. How he felt about the Jews isn’t revealed in the text, but it is revealed that he was more interested in correct procedure than he was with simply overpowering the Jews. What could have stopped him, if he had done so, and how could he have been called into question for his actions? Wouldn’t his superiors believe his account of anything that occurred, had he abused his power and violently stopped the proceedings, punishing or destroying Zerubbabel and Joshua and anyone else who could have spoken against him? Therefore, if these things are logical and true, Tatnai seems to have been driven by what was lawful, rather than by hate or presumed offense.
In his letter to Darius, Tatnai said that, after interrogating the leaders about the building project underway at Jerusalem, he was told that, years ago a great king of theirs had built this Temple of God, but their fathers had provoked him. He, therefore, had Nebuchadnezzar come and destroy both the city and the house and took their fathers captive to Babylon. Nevertheless, after so many years there, they were commissioned to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple by Cyrus during the first year of his reign (Ezra 5:9-13).
Furthermore, Cyrus had determined which vessels of gold and silver Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the House of God at Jerusalem, and those Cyrus removed from the temple at Babylon. He, then, gave them to Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel) to place within the House of God, when it was rebuilt, and made him governor of the Province of Judah (Ezra 5:14-15).
Sheshbazzar, in obedience to the decree by Cyrus, began rebuilding the House of God and the city, Jerusalem, and the project continues to this day, but is yet unfinished (Ezra 5:16).
Tatnai, then advised the king, if he was pleased to do so, he could search the records at the king’s treasure house at Babylon to find out whether or not these things, concerning a decree made by Cyrus, are so, but whatever the king’s pleasure might be, let him (Tatnai) know what he should do concerning this matter going on at Jerusalem (Ezra 5:17).
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[1] The Apharsachites (see also the Apharsites and the Apharsathehites of Ezra 4:9) are believed by some scholars to be forms of the word Persians. They may be Persian settlers living in the lands they conquered or part of a military force. However, even if they were Persian settlers, they would have acted as an armed arsenal to aid the governor.
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