Ezra 5:4
in Ezra 5They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were that were making this building.
KJV
Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
⋯
This verse in Ezra 5
Commentary
2 notes on this verseWhat are the names - It is most evident that this is the answer of the Jews to the inquiry of Tatnai, Ezr 5:3, and the verse should be read thus: Then said we unto them after this manner: These are the names of the men who make this building.
This site's exposition
Who hath commanded you to build this house
on Ezra 5:3-4
Tatnai the governor beyond the river and his companions come to the site and ask a plain question of jurisdiction, who hath commanded you to build this house and make up this wall. The challenge is a formal audit, not an assault, and the elders answer it by giving the names of the builders rather than hiding them. Adam Clarke reads their openness as the confidence of men building under a real grant, willing to be checked. The exchange sets up the letter that follows, a fair record rather than an accusation dressed as fact.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֱדַ֥יִן | ʾedayin | then | H116 → | 57 times |
| כְּנֵ֖מָא | kenema' | as follows | H3660 → | 5 times |
| אֲמַ֣רְנָא | ʾamarna' | we said | H560 → | 71 times |
| לְּהֹ֑ם | lehom | to them | ||
| מַן־ | man- | what? | H4479 → | 10 times |
| אִנּוּן֙ | ʾinun | [are] they | H581 → | |
| שְׁמָהָ֣ת | shemahat | [the] names of | H8036 → | 12 times |
| גֻּבְרַיָּ֔א | guvraiya' | men the | H1400 → | 21 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | who | H1768 → | 345 times |
| דְנָ֥ה | denah | this | H1836 → | 58 times |
| בִנְיָנָ֖א | vinyana' | building the | H1147 → | |
| בָּנַֽיִן׃ | banayin | [are] building | H1124 → | 22 times |
אֱדַ֥יִןthen
ʾedayinH116 →57 times
כְּנֵ֖מָאas follows
kenema'H3660 →5 times
אֲמַ֣רְנָאwe said
ʾamarna'H560 →71 times
לְּהֹ֑םto them
lehom
מַן־what?
man-H4479 →10 times
אִנּוּן֙[are] they
ʾinunH581 →
שְׁמָהָ֣ת[the] names of
shemahatH8036 →12 times
גֻּבְרַיָּ֔אmen the
guvraiya'H1400 →21 times
דִּֽי־who
di-H1768 →345 times
דְנָ֥הthis
denahH1836 →58 times
בִנְיָנָ֖אbuilding the
vinyana'H1147 →
בָּנַֽיִן׃[are] building
banayinH1124 →22 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Ezra
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.