Ezra 5:1-17

5:1-2 | Haggai and Zechariah were the same prophets who authored the OT books that bear their names. They prophesied that work on the temple should resume (Hag. 2:3-5).

5:3-5 | As confirmation that the prophets had spoken the word of the Lord, He made a way for their work to continue while the Persian officials prepared a report to the king (2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 33:18). They eye of God is another way of expressing the Lord’s protection and oversight, similar to “the eyes of the LORD” or “the hand of the LORD” elsewhere.

5:8 | That the rebuilding of the temple required heavy stones and timber shows the magnitude of the work involved. It also explains the fears of surrounding nations, because these same materials could also be used to make preparation for war.