Ezra 5: The prophets, the governor's questions, and the letter to Darius
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Aramaic. How to read a study
What happens?
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesy to the Jews, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua begin to build God's house at Jerusalem. Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, comes and asks who gave them a decree, and he writes to Darius the king, telling him what the elders answered and asking for a search to be made for Cyrus's decree. This chapter is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew.
Who is speaking?
No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. The narrator tells verses 1 to 5. In verse 3 Tattenai and his companions ask who gave the Jews a decree. Verses 6 and 7 introduce the letter that Tattenai, Shetharbozenai and their companions sent to Darius, and the letter runs to verse 17. Inside the letter, verses 11 to 16 give the elders' answer, and verse 15 gives words said to Sheshbazzar. The prophets' words are not given. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel.
In plain English: Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel (the Aramaic adds: over them).
The Aramaic word: This word is neba, which the dictionary gives as "to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)". It is in this verse only. The verse says Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, and it gives none of their words. The Aramaic ends the verse with "over them" (or: upon them), which the WEB leaves out. says Yahweh's word came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
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2Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
In plain English: Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak got up and began to build God's house, the one at Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, helping them.
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3At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?”
In plain English: At that time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions. They said to them, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall (or: structure)?"
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4They also asked for the names of the men who were making this building.
In plain English: They also asked what the names were of the men building this building (the Aramaic says: we said to them).
Good to know: The Aramaic of this verse says "we said to them", as the letter does in verse 9 ("we asked" and "we said to them") and verse 10 ("we asked them their names"). Verse 3 tells that Tattenai and his companions came and asked. The WEB turns this verse into "they also asked". The text does not say more about who "we" is in this verse.
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5But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they didn’t make them cease until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
In plain English: But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them stop until the matter should come to Darius and a written answer be sent back about it.
The Aramaic word: This word is ayin, which the dictionary gives as "an eye". Word for word the verse says "the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews". The verse says nothing more about what this was like. It says that they did not make the elders stop until the matter came to Darius and a written answer was sent back.
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6The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king follows.
In plain English: This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai and his companions the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.
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7They sent a letter to him, in which was written: To Darius the king, all peace.
In plain English: They sent him a letter (word for word: a word), and this is what was written in it: To Darius the king, all peace.
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8Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
In plain English: Let the king know that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with great stones, and timber is being laid in the walls. This work is being done with care and is doing well in their hands.
The Aramaic word: "Great" in "great stones" is the word gelal, which the dictionary gives as "weight or size (as if rolled)". Word for word the stones are "stones of rolling".
How it is translated: The word is in 2 verses, this one and . The WEB says "great" and "stones" in both.
What changes: Read as "weight", they are stones of weight. Read as "size", they are great stones. The dictionary gives both.
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9Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”
In plain English: Then we asked those elders, and said to them, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall (or: structure)?"
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10We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.
In plain English: We also asked them their names, to let you know them, so that we could write down the names of the men who were at their head.
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11Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
In plain English: This is the answer they sent back to us: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are building the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
Good to know: In the elders' answer the God they serve is called "the God of heaven and earth". The verse says that a great king of Israel built and finished the house, and it does not name him. This verse opens the elders' answer, which carries on to verse 16 inside the letter.
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12But after our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon.
In plain English: But after our fathers made the God of heaven angry, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean. He destroyed this house and carried the people away to Babylon.
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13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
In plain English: But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
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14The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
In plain English: Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon the gold and silver vessels of God's house, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon. They were given to a man whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
Good to know: The text names Sheshbazzar in 4 verses: ("the prince of Judah"), (he brought up the vessels), this verse (the vessels were given to him and he was made governor) and (he laid the foundations). Zerubbabel is named with Jeshua in , where they begin to build, and in , where they are among those who began the work. The text names both men and does not say whether they are one man or two.
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15He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house be built in its place.’
In plain English: He said to him, 'Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God's house be built in its place.'
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16Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not completed.
In plain English: Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God's house in Jerusalem. From that time until now it has been being built, and it is not finished.
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17Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”
In plain English: And now, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king's treasure house there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem. And let the king send us his will about this matter."
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