Ezra 6:4

Ezra 6:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:
• New International Version (NIV)with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury.
• English Standard Version (ESV)with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.
• New King James Version (NKJV)with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king’s treasury.

Context of Ezra 6:4

2But it was at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said: “Memorandum: 3“In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem. “Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. 5Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God.” 6So King Darius sent this message: “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates River—stay away from there!

Ezra 6:4 word by word

נִדְבָּכִ֞ין דִּי־אֶ֤בֶן גְּלָל֙ תְּלָתָ֔א וְנִדְבָּ֖ךְ דִּי־אָ֣ע חֲדַ֑ת וְנִ֨פְקְתָ֔א מִן־בֵּ֥ית מַלְכָּ֖א תִּתְיְהִֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• threeתְּלָתtelâth telâthâh telâthâ' · threeH8532
• rowsנִדְבָּךְnidbâk · layerH5073
• of greatגְּלָלgelâl · greatH1560
• stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH69
• of newחֲדַ֑תchădâth · newH2323
• timberאָע'â‛ · woodH636
• and let the expensesנִפְקָאniphqâ' · costH5313
• be givenיְהַבyehab · to giveH3052
• out ofמִן־min · fromH4481
• the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · houseH1005

Cross-references for Ezra 6:4

• 1 Kings 6:36The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone.
• Ezra 7:20If you need anything else for your God’s Temple or for any similar needs, you may take it from the royal treasury.
• Psalms 68:29The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your Temple in Jerusalem.
• Psalms 72:10The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts.
• Isaiah 49:23Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”
• Isaiah 60:6Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the Lord.
• Revelation 12:16But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.

Commentaries on Ezra 6:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber - We have noticed this kind of building before, three courses of stones, and then a course of strong balk; and this continued to the square of the building. And let the expenses be given - Cyrus had ordered wood to be cut at Libanus, and conveyed to Joppa at his expense; but it does not appear that he furnished the other expenses of the building, for we have already seen that the Jews contributed for the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The word translated “row” occurs only in this passage. Some regard it as a “course,” and suppose that after every three courses of stone there followed a course of timber. Others understand three “storeys” of stone, with a fourth “storey” of woodwork on the summit (compare 1 Kings 6:5-6). Others consider that Cyrus intended to limit the thickness of the walls, which were not to exceed a breadth of three rows of stone, with an inner wooden wainscotting…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The royal treasury will cover all expenses. It may seem surprising that the Persians would do this, but it was their usual practice. They did the same at Sais and Elephantine in Egypt, and at Ur in Mesopotamia. This generosity aimed to ensure loyalty to Persia.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-121. Darius the king--This was Darius Hystaspes. Great and interesting light has been thrown on the history of this monarch and the transaction of his reign, by the decipherment of the cuneatic inscriptions on the rocks at Behistun. in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon--An idea of the form of this Babylonian register house, as well as the manner of preserving public records within its repositories, can be obtained from the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 6:4

• Church and State
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Rulers
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Chaldee language
• Cyrus
• House
• Pure
• Temple, the Second
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language
• Bible, the
• Esdras, the First Book of
• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Genealogy

Commentaries on Ezra 6

• 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