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

9“We asked the leaders, ‘Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?’ 10And we demanded their names so that we could tell you who the leaders were. “This was their answer: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel. 12But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he abandoned them to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who destroyed this Temple and exiled the people to Babylonia. 13However, King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.

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 24:15But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
• Psalms 119:46I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed.
• Daniel 3:26Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.
• Jonah 1:9Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
• Matthew 10:32“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
• Luke 12:8“I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
• Acts 27:23For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,
• Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
• Romans 6:16Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
• Galatians 6:14As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.
• 1 Kings 6:1It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the Lord. This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt.
• 2 Chronicles 3:1So Solomon began to build the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David, his father. The Temple was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected.

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