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
8 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 authorized you to rebuild this temple
on Ezra 5:3-4
Tattenai, governor of the region west of the Euphrates, comes to the site with Shethar-bozenai. They ask who authorized the Jews to rebuild this temple, and they ask for the builders' names. The question is one of jurisdiction, and the elders answer it by giving their names openly.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
At that time, Thathannai came to them, etc. The sense of the letter is clear, because the leaders of the Jews, strengthened by the words of the prophets, were not able to be hindered by the persecution of the enemies from the holy work, which …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 7 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The third evil counselor is he who leads what is certain into doubt. Whence it is said in Ezra that certain ones who were from across the river came to the Jews and said: 'Who gave you counsel to build this house and restore its …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Commentary on Chapter V 1. The son - His grand-child; for he was the son of Baraciah. Prophesied - Commanding them from God to return to building the temple, with a promise of his favour and assistance.
At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions,....
If all men have not faith ( 2 Thess. iii. 2 ), it is well some have, and a sense of honour. The church's enemies are not all equally wicked and unreasonable.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Tatnai, governor - He was governor of the provinces which belonged to the Persian empire on their side of the Euphrates, comprehending Syria, Arabia Deserta, Phoenicia, and Samaria. He seems to have been a mild and judicious man; and to have acted with great prudence and caution, and without any kind of prejudice. The manner in which he represented this to the king is a full proof of this disposition.
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
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.