Ezra 6:12
in Ezra 6May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the God that hath caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples that shall put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.
KJV
And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
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This verse in Ezra 6
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Destroy all - A similar malediction is found at the end of the great inscription of this same king Darius at Behistun: If anyone injures the tablet which he has set up, he prays that Ormazd will be their enemy, and that they may have no offspring, and that whatever they do, Ormazd may curse it for them. To alter and to destroy this house - i. e., to alter the decree, and then proceed to destroy the house.
This site's exposition
a pile of rubble for this offense
on Ezra 6:11-12
Darius backs the decree with a threat as severe as the grant is generous. Anyone who interferes will have a beam torn from his house and be impaled on it. He closes by asking God to overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter the decree.
This site's exposition
who has caused His Name to dwell there
Barnes reads alter and destroy as two steps: a king or people would first alter the decree and then destroy the house. He sets beside this the curse Darius placed at the end of his own inscription at Behistun. Wesley suggests Rome felt the curse after it destroyed this temple.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
I, Darius, have established a decree, etc. And he himself, therefore, as a man temporarily endowed with the kingdom, for the peace of the house of God, does everything he can with public law, breaks those who contradict as much as he can: and God, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Destroy - Tho' this temple was at length most justly destroyed by the righteous hand of God, yet perhaps the Romans, who were the instruments of that destruction, felt the effects of this curse. For that empire sensibly declined ever after, 'till it was wholly destroyed.
And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there,....
From all this we learn, (1.) That the heart of kings is in the hand of God, and he turns it which way soever he pleases; what they are he makes them to be, for he is King of kings.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And God, Who caused His name to rest there [as translated,] and God, Who caused His name to rest there.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And an order is issued by me And a command is issued by me, along with the issue of a word regarding any person who disobeys this word.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וֵֽאלָהָ֞א | velaha' | and <the> God | H426 → | 95 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | who | H1768 → | 345 times |
| שַׁכִּ֧ן | shakin | he has caused to dwell | H7932 → | |
| שְׁמֵ֣הּ | shemeh | name his | H8036 → | 12 times |
| תַּמָּ֗ה | tamah | there | H8536 → | 4 times |
| יְמַגַּ֞ר | yemagar | may he overthrow | H4049 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3606 → | 82 times |
| מֶ֤לֶךְ | melekh | king | H4430 → | 180 times |
| וְעַם֙ | veam | and people | H5972 → | 15 times |
| דִּ֣י׀ | di | who | H1768 → | 345 times |
| יִשְׁלַ֣ח | yishlach | he will stretch out | H7972 → | 14 times |
| יְדֵ֗הּ | yedeh | hand his | H3028 → | 17 times |
| לְהַשְׁנָיָ֛ה | lehashnayah | to violate | H8133 → | |
| לְחַבָּלָ֛ה | lechabalah | to destroy | H2255 → | |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | [the] house of | H1005 → | 44 times |
| אֱלָהָ֥א | ʾelaha' | <the> God | H426 → | 95 times |
| דֵ֖ךְ | dekh | this | H1791 → | 13 times |
| דִּ֣י | di | which | H1768 → | 345 times |
| בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם | virushelem | [is] in Jerusalem | H3390 → | 26 times |
| אֲנָ֤ה | ʾanah | I | H576 → | |
| דָרְיָ֙וֶשׁ֙ | dareyavesh | Darius | H1868 → | 15 times |
| שָׂ֣מֶת | samet | I make | H7761 → | 26 times |
| טְעֵ֔ם | teem | a decree | H2942 → | 28 times |
| אָסְפַּ֖רְנָא | ʾaseparna' | diligently | H629 → | 7 times |
| יִתְעֲבִֽד׃ פ | yitavid | let it be done | H5648 → | 28 times |
וֵֽאלָהָ֞אand <the> God
velaha'H426 →95 times
דִּ֣יwho
diH1768 →345 times
שַׁכִּ֧ןhe has caused to dwell
shakinH7932 →
שְׁמֵ֣הּname his
shemehH8036 →12 times
תַּמָּ֗הthere
tamahH8536 →4 times
יְמַגַּ֞רmay he overthrow
yemagarH4049 →
כָּל־every
kol-H3606 →82 times
מֶ֤לֶךְking
melekhH4430 →180 times
וְעַם֙and people
veamH5972 →15 times
דִּ֣י׀who
diH1768 →345 times
יִשְׁלַ֣חhe will stretch out
yishlachH7972 →14 times
יְדֵ֗הּhand his
yedehH3028 →17 times
לְהַשְׁנָיָ֛הto violate
lehashnayahH8133 →
לְחַבָּלָ֛הto destroy
lechabalahH2255 →
בֵּית־[the] house of
beit-H1005 →44 times
אֱלָהָ֥א<the> God
ʾelaha'H426 →95 times
דֵ֖ךְthis
dekhH1791 →13 times
דִּ֣יwhich
diH1768 →345 times
בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם[is] in Jerusalem
virushelemH3390 →26 times
אֲנָ֤הI
ʾanahH576 →
דָרְיָ֙וֶשׁ֙Darius
dareyaveshH1868 →15 times
שָׂ֣מֶתI make
sametH7761 →26 times
טְעֵ֔םa decree
teemH2942 →28 times
אָסְפַּ֖רְנָאdiligently
ʾaseparna'H629 →7 times
יִתְעֲבִֽד׃ פlet it be done
yitavidH5648 →28 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
Exodus 20:24You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:5
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 132:13–14
For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home:
- 2 Chronicles 6:6
But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
- 1 Kings 9:3
And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple you have built by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart…
- 2 Chronicles 7:16
For I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time.
- Deuteronomy 12:5
Through
1 Kings 9:3And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple you have built by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:29
May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 8:29
Through
Deuteronomy 12:5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:11
then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all…
- Deuteronomy 26:2
you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go…
- Deuteronomy 12:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Ezra
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.