Ezra 5

Ezra · Chapter 5

Ezra 5:9

1Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.3At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?4Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:7They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.8Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.9Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?10We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.13But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.14And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;15And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.17Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
9Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Aramaic words

This passage was written in Aramaic, the common language of the Babylonian and Persian empires, which the Jews of the exile also spoke. It uses the same alphabet as Hebrew.

EnglishAramaicSay itStrong'sMeaning
thenאֱדַ֗יִן'e-DA-yinH0116
then

אֱדַ֫יִן (e.da.yin) then, afterwards, thereupon, from that time Aramaic of az (אָז "then" H0227A)

we askedשְׁאֵ֙לְנָא֙she-'E-le-na'H7593
to ask

שְׁאֵל (she.el) 1) to ask 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to ask for, request 1a2) to enquire for or about

to elders theלְשָׂבַיָּ֣אle-sa-vai-YA'H7868
be gray

שִׂיב (siv) 1) to be gray, be hoary, be hoary-headed 1a) (P'al) elders (subst)

theseאִלֵּ֔ךְ'i-LEKHH0479
these

אִלֵּךְ (il.lekh) these, those Aramaic of el (אֵל "these" H0411)

as followsכְּנֵ֖מָאke-NE-ma'H3660
thus

כְּנֵ֫מָא (ke.ne.ma) thus, so, accordingly, as follows

we saidאֲמַ֣רְנָא'a-MAR-na'H0560
to say

אֲמַר (a.mar) (P'al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate Aramaic of a.mar (אָמַר "to say" H0559)

who?מַן־man-H4479
who?

מָן (man) who?, what?, whoever, whosoever Aramaic of mah (מָה "what?" H4100)

did he makeשָׂ֨םsamH7761G
to set: make

שׂוּם (sum) 1) to set, make, appoint 1a) (P'al) 1a1) to make, make decree, setout (decree) 1a2) to make, appoint 1a3) to set, fix 1b) (Ithp'al) to be made, be set, be laid

a decreeטְעֵ֗םte-'EMH2942
command

טְעֵם (te.em) 1) report, taste 1a) taste 1b) report

house theבַּיְתָ֤אbay-TA'H1005
house

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) 1) house (of men) 2) house (of God)

thisדְנָה֙de-NAHH1836
this

דְּנָה (de.nah) demons pron 1) this, on account of this adv 2) therefore

to buildלְמִבְנְיָ֔הle-miv-ne-YAHH1124
to build

בְּנָה (be.nah) 1) to build 1a) (P'al) to build 1b) (Ithp'il) to be built

and structure theוְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥אve-'u-shar-NA'H0846
wall

אֻשַּׁרְנָא (ush.shar.na) wall, panelling, beams, structure (precise meaning and derivation uncertain) Aramaic of shur (שׁוּר "wall" H7791A)

thisדְנָ֖הde-NAHH1836
this

דְּנָה (de.nah) demons pron 1) this, on account of this adv 2) therefore

to finishלְשַׁכְלָלָֽה׃le-shakh-la-LAHH3635A
to complete

כְּלַל (ke.lal) 1) to finish, complete 1a) (Shaphel) to finish 1b) (Ishtaphel) to be completed

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.