The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim.
The exiles had come home, but not every record had survived. Several families claiming priestly descent could not prove it, so the governor barred them from the priests' food until a priest with Urim and Thummim could settle the case.
Who the Tirshatha Was
The ESV says simply "the governor." The writers here use an older translation, which keeps the word behind it: Tirshatha.
H. L. RossierA great number of priests "looked for their genealogical register, but they were not found; so they were treated as unclean and removed from the priesthood. And [Zerubbabel] the Tirshatha (a Persian word: the name given in Ezra and Nehemiah to the governor of Jerusalem under the Persian kings) said to them that they were not to eat of the most holy things..."
Unproven, Not Disproved
No one had evidence against these men. The problem was that no one had evidence for them, and the usual way of asking God had gone.
Frederick W. GrantWhen the remnant who returned found priests who could not show their genealogy, those priests were put out of the priesthood. No one had disproved their claim; they could not prove it. There was no one to decide whether they truly were priests, and no recognised way of getting an answer from God. So they were told to wait until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim.
This was a suspension, not a verdict. The door stayed open.
Edward DennettThey were not told that they were not priests. The ruling was only that their claim was not proven. It might be proven at a future time... but meanwhile their claim was forfeited. Grace could restore what was lost under law; only for this they must wait patiently.
No Human Substitute for a Divine Answer
There was an obvious fix: settle it by the best evidence available and fill out a thin priesthood at the same time. Zerubbabel refused.
T. B. Baines"Decide the matter by human rules of evidence," is the natural reply; "settle their standing one way or the other, by the best light we have." That is how man brings his own wisdom into the things of God. But Zerubbabel was a man of faith. He would not act without God. No motive of convenience, not even the need to strengthen the priesthood, would make him put them in without God's approval... What a blessed and refreshing faith this is! When God gives no guidance, it refuses the wisdom of the flesh and the pull of convenience; it stands still and waits patiently on God.
What the Urim and Thummim Were
The names of the two say what they did — and this verse marks where they were lost.
F. B. HoleThese two words mean "Light" and "Perfection." No one knows just what they were or how they worked. After the captivity in Babylon they were lost, as Ezra 2:63 shows. What seems certain is that through the Urim and the Thummim people could ask God and get an answer, so that divine light could be shed on dark points in Israel's history in a perfect way.
The Priest Who Will Stand Up
The ruling ends by pointing to a person still to come.
William Kelly"The Tirshatha (or governor) said to them that they were not to eat of the most holy things" — that is, they were not to have the full enjoyment of priestly privilege — "until there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim." That is, until the Lord Jesus comes by and by. He will, no doubt, be the King, and He will also act in the full power of priesthood, the power of Urim and Thummim, in the lights and perfections of God. He will then untangle all the confusion and supply all that is lacking.
For Israel, that priest has still not stood up.
The Bible TreasuryIsrael after the flesh has never had this since, and least of all when they refused the Lord Jesus. It will not always be so. They will look on Him whom they pierced; and then there will be pardon and peace, power and blessing.
Living Honestly With What Is Missing
The decision cost something, and one writer applies it to us.
Michael HardtIn these circumstances, the best course is to face our weakness and not to pretend to have what we do not have (v.63). It must have been hard to refuse those priests, but doing so showed that they put God first, not human feelings.
Summary
- Lost. Urim and Thummim, "Light" and "Perfection," were the way to ask God and get a clear answer. This verse shows they were gone after the captivity.
- Unproven. No one disproved these priests. They could not prove their claim, and no way remained of settling it.
- Suspended. No one told them they were not priests. Their claim stayed open for a future day, and they had to wait.
- Unforced. Zerubbabel would not settle it by human evidence, even to fill out a thin priesthood. With no word from God, he stood still.
- Awaited. The ruling points to a priest yet to stand up. He will untangle the confusion and supply what is lacking. Until then, honesty about weakness beats pretending.