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Ezra 5:8

in Ezra 5

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goeth on with diligence and prospereth in their hands.

KJV

Be 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.

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This verse in Ezra 5

Commentary

3 notes on this verse
Great stones - literally, as in the margin; i. e., stones so large that they were rolled along, not carried. Others translate “polished stones.”

This site's exposition

The copy of the letter

on Ezra 5:6-8

The copy of the letter that Tatnai and his companions send to Darius is filed here in full, the book's habit of keeping its own documents rather than summarizing them. This section runs in Aramaic, the empire's own language, the correspondence quoted as it was filed. Their report to the king is fair: they name the house of the great God, note that it is built with great stones and timber, and add plainly that the work goes on fast and prospers in their hands. Matthew Henry points out that a hostile governor could have written otherwise, framing the project as rebellion the way the letter in the chapter before had done.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

"It is the house of the great God, and therefore we dare not oppose the building of it without orders from thee." (2.) They told him truly what was done, not stating, as their predecessors did, that they were fortifying the city as if they intended war, but only that they were rearing the temple as those that intended worship,

The words behind it

23 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.

  • יְדִ֣יעַ׀known

    yedia'H3046 →47 times

  • לֶהֱוֵ֣אlet it be

    leheve'H1934 →71 times

  • לְמַלְכָּ֗אto king the

    lemalka'H4430 →180 times

  • דִּֽי־that

    di-H1768 →345 times

  • אֲזַ֜לְנָאwe went

    ʾazalna'H236 →7 times

  • לִיה֤וּדto Judea

    lihudH3061 →7 times

  • מְדִֽינְתָּא֙province the

    medineta'H4083 →11 times

  • לְבֵית֙to [the] house of

    leveitH1005 →44 times

  • אֱלָהָ֣אGod the

    ʾelaha'H426 →95 times

  • רַבָּ֔א<the> great

    raba'H7229 →15 times

  • וְה֤וּאand it

    vehu'H1932 →

  • מִתְבְּנֵא֙[is] being built

    mitbene'H1124 →22 times

  • אֶ֣בֶןstone of

    ʾevenH69 →

  • גְּלָ֔לrolling

    gelalH1560 →

  • וְאָ֖עand timber

    vea'H636 →5 times

  • מִתְּשָׂ֣ם[is] being set

    mitesamH7761 →26 times

  • בְּכֻתְלַיָּ֑אin walls the

    bekhutlaiya'H3797 →

  • וַעֲבִ֥ידְתָּאand work the

    vaavidta'H5673 →6 times

  • דָ֛ךְthis

    dakhH1791 →13 times

  • אָסְפַּ֥רְנָאdiligently

    ʾaseparna'H629 →7 times

  • מִתְעַבְדָ֖א[is] being done

    mitavda'H5648 →28 times

  • וּמַצְלַ֥חand [is] prospering

    umatzlachH6744 →

  • בְּיֶדְהֹֽם׃ סin hand their

    beyedhomH3028 →17 times

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

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Nehemiah 7:6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,5 worksHaggai 1:14So the LORD stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and began the work on the house of the LORD of Hosts, their God,4 worksNehemiah 1:3And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”3 worksDeuteronomy 10:17For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.2 worksEzra 1:2–3“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.2 worksDaniel 4:2I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.2 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Esther 1:1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.2 worksDaniel 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire,2 worksDaniel 6:26I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end.2 worksDaniel 2:47The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”2 worksDaniel 4:34–37But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.2 worksEzra 2:1Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,2 worksEsther 1:22He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.2 worksEzra 7:23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?2 worksPsalms 145:3Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.2 worksDeuteronomy 32:31For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies concede.2 worksNehemiah 11:3These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem. (In the villages of Judah, however, each lived on his own property in their towns—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants—2 worksMark 13:1–2As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!”2 works

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

    Deuteronomy 10:17

    For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.

    it leads to

    • Acts 10:34

      Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,

    • Romans 2:11

      For God does not show favoritism.

    • Daniel 2:47

      The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”

    • Job 34:19

      who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.

    • Nehemiah 9:32

      So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders,…

  • Through

    Esther 1:1

    This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.

    it leads to

    • Daniel 9:1

      In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—

    • Ezra 4:6

      At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Through

    Daniel 4:2

    I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

    it leads to

    • Daniel 3:26

      Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the…

About Ezra

Ezra Kneels in Prayer, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezra Kneels in Prayer, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezra: the study guide →Read Ezra 5 →

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.

Read on in Ezra 5 →