Ezra 5:3
in Ezra 5At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
KJV
At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar–boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
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This verse in Ezra 5
Commentary
2 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Governor on this side the river - Compare Ezr 4:10 note. Tatnai was apparently satrap of Syria, which included the whole tract west of the Euphrates from Cilicia to the borders of Egypt. Zerubbabel must have been, to some extent, under his authority. Who hath commanded you to build? - There was no doubt a formal illegality in the conduct of Zerubbabel and Jeshua: since all edicts of Persian kings continued in force unless revoked by their successors.
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
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֵּהּ־ | beh- | at it | ||
| זִמְנָא֩ | zimna' | time the | H2166 → | |
| אֲתָ֨א | ʾata' | he came | H858 → | 16 times |
| עֲלֵיה֜וֹן | aleihon | to them | H5922 → | 104 times |
| תַּ֠תְּנַי | tatenai | Tattenai | H8674 → | 4 times |
| פַּחַ֧ת | pachat | [the] governor of | H6347 → | 10 times |
| עֲבַֽר־ | ʾavar- | [the] region beyond | H5675 → | 14 times |
| נַהֲרָ֛ה | naharah' | river the | H5103 → | 15 times |
| וּשְׁתַ֥ר | ushetar | and Shethar- | H8370 → | 8 times |
| בּוֹזְנַ֖י | boznai | Bozenai | H8370 → | 8 times |
| וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן | ukhenavatehon | and associates their | H3675 → | 7 times |
| וְכֵן֙ | vekhen | and as follows | H3652 → | |
| אָמְרִ֣ין | ʾamerin | [they were] saying | H560 → | 71 times |
| לְהֹ֔ם | lehom | to them | ||
| מַן־ | man- | who? | H4479 → | 10 times |
| שָׂ֨ם | sam | did he make | H7761 → | 26 times |
| לְכֹ֜ם | lekhom | for you | ||
| טְעֵ֗ם | teem | a decree | H2942 → | 28 times |
| בַּיְתָ֤א | bayta' | house the | H1005 → | 44 times |
| דְנָה֙ | denah | this | H1836 → | 58 times |
| לִבְּנֵ֔א | libene' | to build | H1124 → | 22 times |
| וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א | veusharna' | and structure the | H846 → | |
| דְנָ֖ה | denah | this | H1836 → | 58 times |
| לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה׃ ס | leshakhlalah | to finish | H3635 → | 7 times |
בֵּהּ־at it
beh-
זִמְנָא֩time the
zimna'H2166 →
אֲתָ֨אhe came
ʾata'H858 →16 times
עֲלֵיה֜וֹןto them
aleihonH5922 →104 times
תַּ֠תְּנַיTattenai
tatenaiH8674 →4 times
פַּחַ֧ת[the] governor of
pachatH6347 →10 times
עֲבַֽר־[the] region beyond
ʾavar-H5675 →14 times
נַהֲרָ֛הriver the
naharah'H5103 →15 times
וּשְׁתַ֥רand Shethar-
ushetarH8370 →8 times
בּוֹזְנַ֖יBozenai
boznaiH8370 →8 times
וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹןand associates their
ukhenavatehonH3675 →7 times
וְכֵן֙and as follows
vekhenH3652 →
אָמְרִ֣ין[they were] saying
ʾamerinH560 →71 times
לְהֹ֔םto them
lehom
מַן־who?
man-H4479 →10 times
שָׂ֨םdid he make
samH7761 →26 times
לְכֹ֜םfor you
lekhom
טְעֵ֗םa decree
teemH2942 →28 times
בַּיְתָ֤אhouse the
bayta'H1005 →44 times
דְנָה֙this
denahH1836 →58 times
לִבְּנֵ֔אto build
libene'H1124 →22 times
וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥אand structure the
veusharna'H846 →
דְנָ֖הthis
denahH1836 →58 times
לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה׃ סto finish
leshakhlalahH3635 →7 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Ezra 1:3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is…
it leads to
- Daniel 6:26
I 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…
- Jeremiah 10:10
But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
- Isaiah 45:5
I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me,
- Daniel 6:26
Through
Matthew 21:23When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And…
it leads to
- Acts 4:7
They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
- Mark 11:27–33
After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.
- 1 Chronicles 24:1–19
These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
- Acts 4:7
Through
Ezra 6:6Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!
it leads to
- Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Proverbs 21:30
What the record shows
1 entry- Tattenai — attested in contemporary inscriptionundisputed
Babylonian tablet dated 502 BC naming Tattannu
Biblical figure (Governor of Trans-Euphrates, late 6th-early 5th c. BC) identified in extra-biblical epigraphy.
About Ezra
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.