When they came to the house of the Lord That is, to the place in which the temple had stood, and where the ruins still remained. Offered freely Made a new offering, besides that which they had brought out of Babylon, from their brethren there, mentioned Ezra 1:4; Ezra 1:6. By this it appears that the Jews were not made absolute slaves in Babylon, but had liberty to trade and get riches for themselves; some of them being advanced to considerable offices in the king's court. Otherwise they could not have been able to offer such sums as are mentioned in the next verse.
Related Commentaries of Ezra 2:68
Ezra 2:68
68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: