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Ezra 5:17

in Ezra 5

Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

Now 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.

KJV

Now 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.

This verse in Ezra 5

Commentary

3 notes on this verse
Let there be search made ... at Babylon - They perhaps doubted whether proof of the decree of Cyrus remained in the archives. The Pseudo-Smerdis had had the records in his power for seven months; and, when he reversed the policy of his predecessors, might have been expected to destroy their edicts. The decree was not found at Babylon, the most natural place for it, but in the provincial capital of Ecbatana, which Tatnai and his friends had not asked Darius to have searched (see Ezr 6:2).

This site's exposition

laid the foundation of the house of God

on Ezra 5:16-17

Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and the elders' answer closes with an honest admission, it has been in building ever since, and it is not finished yet. The unfinished house is the whole reason for the letter, the very thing Tatnai found in progress and asked about. His closing request is even-handed rather than hostile: let the king search the treasure house at Babylon and confirm whether Cyrus really made such a decree, then send his pleasure on the matter. Keil reads the request as the turning point of the episode, since a search of the royal archives is the one thing that can settle the question without another stoppage.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

We have reason to think that if Artaxerxes, in the foregoing chapter, had had the Jews' cause as fairly represented to him as it was here to Darius, he would not have ordered the work to be hindered.

The words behind it

32 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וּכְעַ֞ןand now

    ukheanH370513 times

  • הֵ֧ןif

    henH200619 times

  • עַל־to

    ʾal-H5922104 times

  • מַלְכָּ֣אking the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • טָ֗ב[it is] good

    tavH2869

  • יִ֠תְבַּקַּרlet it be searched

    yitbakarH12405 times

  • בְּבֵ֨יתin [the] house of

    beveitH100544 times

  • גִּנְזַיָּ֜אtreasures the

    ginzaiya'H15963 times

  • דִּי־of

    di-H1768345 times

  • מַלְכָּ֣אking the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • תַמָּה֮there

    tamahH85364 times

  • דִּ֣יwhich

    diH1768345 times

  • בְּבָבֶל֒[are] in Babylon

    bevavelH89525 times

  • הֵ֣ןwhether

    henH200619 times

  • אִיתַ֗יthere

    ʾitaiH383

  • דִּֽי־[is] that

    di-H1768345 times

  • מִן־from

    min-H4481109 times

  • כּ֤וֹרֶשׁCyrus

    koreshH35678 times

  • מַלְכָּא֙king the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • שִׂ֣יםit was made

    simH776126 times

  • טְעֵ֔ם[is] a decree

    teemH294228 times

  • לְמִבְנֵ֛אto build

    lemivne'H112422 times

  • בֵּית־[the] house of

    beit-H100544 times

  • אֱלָהָ֥א<the> God

    ʾelaha'H42695 times

  • דֵ֖ךְthis

    dekhH179113 times

  • בִּירוּשְׁלֶ֑םin Jerusalem

    birushelemH339026 times

  • וּרְע֥וּתand [the] will of

    ureutH7470

  • מַלְכָּ֛אking the

    malka'H4430180 times

  • עַל־concerning

    ʾal-H5922104 times

  • דְּנָ֖הthis

    denahH183658 times

  • יִשְׁלַ֥חlet him send

    yishlachH797214 times

  • עֲלֶֽינָא׃ סto us

    ʾaleina'H5922104 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Proverbs 25:2

    It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 29:29

      The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

    • Romans 11:33–34

      O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

    • Job 11:7–8

      Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?

    • Job 38:4

      Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

    • Job 42:3

      You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

  • Through

    Ezra 4:19

    I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 24:20

      For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Kings 18:7

      And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.

  • Through

    Ezra 4:15

    that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting…

    it leads to

    • Ezra 4:12

      Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing…

About Ezra

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.