Ezra 5:8
in Ezra 5Let 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
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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
This is the text of the letter
on Ezra 5:6-8
The report is fair. It names the house of the great God, notes the large stones, and says the work is carried out diligently and prospers in their hands. Matthew Henry notes that a hostile governor could have framed it as rebellion, as the letter of chapter 4 did.
This site's exposition
with large stones
Albert Barnes takes large stones literally, stones so large that they were rolled along. Others, he notes, translate the phrase polished stones. Matthew Henry reads the house of the great God as the officials' reason for caution: they dared not oppose its building without orders.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
"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,
Be it known unto the king,....
Note, (1.) The temple of God among men is to be built by prophecy, not by secular force (that often hinders it, but seldom furthers it), but by the word of God. As the weapons of our warfare, so the instruments of our building, are not carnal, but spiritual, and they are the ministers of the gospel that are the master-builders.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones--literally, "stones of rolling"; that is, stones of such extraordinary size that they could not be carried--they had to be rolled or dragged along the ground.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Not a word was uttered to dispirit the Jews or afford cause of triumph to their opponents. Matters were to go on till contrary orders arrived from Babylon. After surveying the work in progress, he inquired: first, by what authority this national temple was undertaken; and, secondly, the names of the principal promoters and directors of the undertaking.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
With great stones - They are making a very strong and a very costly building.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְדִ֣יעַ׀ | yedia' | known | H3046 → | 47 times |
| לֶהֱוֵ֣א | leheve' | let it be | H1934 → | 71 times |
| לְמַלְכָּ֗א | lemalka' | to king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| דִּֽי־ | di- | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| אֲזַ֜לְנָא | ʾazalna' | we went | H236 → | 7 times |
| לִיה֤וּד | lihud | to Judea | H3061 → | 7 times |
| מְדִֽינְתָּא֙ | medineta' | province the | H4083 → | 11 times |
| לְבֵית֙ | leveit | to [the] house of | H1005 → | 44 times |
| אֱלָהָ֣א | ʾelaha' | God the | H426 → | 95 times |
| רַבָּ֔א | raba' | <the> great | H7229 → | 15 times |
| וְה֤וּא | vehu' | and it | H1932 → | |
| מִתְבְּנֵא֙ | mitbene' | [is] being built | H1124 → | 22 times |
| אֶ֣בֶן | ʾeven | stone of | H69 → | |
| גְּלָ֔ל | gelal | rolling | H1560 → | |
| וְאָ֖ע | vea' | and timber | H636 → | 5 times |
| מִתְּשָׂ֣ם | mitesam | [is] being set | H7761 → | 26 times |
| בְּכֻתְלַיָּ֑א | bekhutlaiya' | in walls the | H3797 → | |
| וַעֲבִ֥ידְתָּא | vaavidta' | and work the | H5673 → | 6 times |
| דָ֛ךְ | dakh | this | H1791 → | 13 times |
| אָסְפַּ֥רְנָא | ʾaseparna' | diligently | H629 → | 7 times |
| מִתְעַבְדָ֖א | mitavda' | [is] being done | H5648 → | 28 times |
| וּמַצְלַ֥ח | umatzlach | and [is] prospering | H6744 → | |
| בְּיֶדְהֹֽם׃ ס | beyedhom | in hand their | H3028 → | 17 times |
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.
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
Deuteronomy 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.
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,…
- Acts 10:34
Through
Esther 1:1This 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.
- Daniel 9:1
Through
Daniel 4:2I 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…
- Daniel 3:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezra
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.