American Standard Version
Ezra 5:11
11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished.
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 asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall? 10We asked them their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were at the head of them. And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished. 12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto 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. 13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
Read all of Ezra 5Ezra 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
- returnedתּוּבtûb · to return: returnH8421
- sayingאֲמַר'ămar · to sayH560
- servantsעֲבַד‛ăbad · servant/slaveH5649
- Godאֱלָהּ'ĕlâhh · godH426
- heavenשָׁמַ֫יִןshâmayin · heavenH8065
- earthאֲרַע'ăra‛ · earth: planetH772
- buildingבְּנָהbenâ' benâh · to buildH1124
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · houseH1005
- manyשַׂגִּיאώaggîy' · greatH7690
- yearsשְׁנָהshenâh · yearH8140
- greatרַבrab · greatH7229
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3479
- finishedכְּלַלkelal · to completeH3635
Cross-references for Ezra 5:11
- Joshua 24:15And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
- Psalms 119:46I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings, And shall not be put to shame.
- Daniel 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire.
- Jonah 1:9And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land.
- Matthew 10:32Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
- Luke 12:8And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
- Acts 27:23For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,
- Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
- Romans 6:16Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
- Galatians 6:14But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
- 1 Kings 6:1And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah.
- 2 Chronicles 3:1Then Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, whereJehovahappeared unto David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in 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
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries