Ezra 5:11

Ezra 5:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.
• New International Version (NIV)This is the answer they gave us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And this was their reply to us: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And thus they returned us an answer, saying: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.

Context of Ezra 5:11

9Then we asked those elders, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ 10We also asked them their names so that we might notify you, and so that we might record the names of the men in charge. They replied, ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple which was erected many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12But because our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon. 13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, [the same] King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

Ezra 5:11 word by word

וּכְנֵ֥מָא פִתְגָמָ֖א הֲתִיב֣וּנָא לְמֵמַ֑ר אֲנַ֣חְנָא הִמּ֡וֹ עַבְדוֹהִי֩ דִֽי־אֱלָ֨הּ שְׁמַיָּ֜א וְאַרְעָ֗א וּבָנַ֤יִן בַּיְתָא֙ דִּֽי־הֲוָ֨א בְנֵ֜ה מִקַּדְמַ֤ת דְּנָה֙ שְׁנִ֣ין שַׂגִּיאָ֔ן וּמֶ֤לֶךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ רַ֔ב בְּנָ֖הִי וְשַׁכְלְלֵֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thusכְּנֵ֫מָאkenêmâ' · thusH3660
• they returnedתּוּבtûb · to return: replyH8421
• us answerפִּתְגָםpithgâm · edictH6600
• sayingאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
• Weאֲנַ֫חְנָא'ănachnâ' 'ănachnâh · weH586
• areהִמּוֹhimmô himmôn · theyH1994
• the servantsעֲבַד‛ăbad · servant/slaveH5649
• of the Godאֱלָהּ'ĕlâhh · godH426
• of heavenשָׁמַ֫יִןshâmayin · heavenH8065
• and earthאֲרַע'ăra‛ · earth: planetH772
• and buildבְּנָהbenâ' benâh · to buildH1124
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · houseH1005
• that wasהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
• theseדְּנָהdên · thisH1836
• manyשַׂגִּיאώaggîy' · greatH7690
• yearsשְׁנָהshenâh · yearH8140
• agoקַדְמָהqadmâh · former timeH6928
• which a greatרַבrab · greatH7229
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3479
• and set upכְּלַלkelal · to completeH3635

Cross-references for Ezra 5:11

• Joshua 24:15If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
• Psalms 119:46I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed.
• Daniel 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out [of there]! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.
• Jonah 1:9So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear and worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
• Matthew 10:32“Therefore, the one who confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven.
• Luke 12:8“I say to you, whoever declares openly and confesses Me before men [speaking freely of Me as his Lord], the Son of Man also will declare openly and confess him [as one of His own] before the angels of God.
• Acts 27:23For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,
• Romans 1:16I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
• Romans 6:16Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)?
• Galatians 6:14But far be it from me to boast [in anything or anyone], except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
• 1 Kings 6:1Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv (April-May) which is the second month, that he began to build the Lord’s house (temple).
• 2 Chronicles 3:1Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to his father David, in the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Commentaries on Ezra 5:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11We are the servants of the God of heaven - How simple, plain, and ingenuous is this confession! They were the servants of the God of heaven. How came they then into bondage! Why, they provoked the God of heaven - repeatedly sinned against him, and then he gave them into the hands of their enemies.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-17Verses 3-17 While employed in God's work, we are under his special protection; his eye is upon us for good. This should keep us to our duty, and encourage us therein, when difficulties are ever so discouraging. The elders of the Jews gave the Samaritans an account of their proceedings. Let us learn hence, with meekness and fear, to give a reason of the hope that is in us; let us rightly understand, and then readily declare, what we do in God's service…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11the God of heaven: The Persians understood this title. It referred to the universal high God, not a minor local deity. a great king of Israel: Solomon (see 1 Kings 5–8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-175-17. But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, &c.--The unusual presence, the imposing suite, the authoritative enquiries of the satrap appeared formidable, and might have produced a paralyzing influence or led to disastrous consequences, if he had been a partial and corrupt judge or actuated by unfriendly feelings towards the Jewish cause. The historian, therefore, with characteristic piety, throws in this parenthetical verse to intimate…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 5:11

• Courage
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Chaldee language
• Temple, the Second
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Bible, the
• Epistle
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Esdras, the Second (fourth) Book Of; Apocalyptic Esdras

Commentaries on Ezra 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings