Ezra 5:17

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Now	וּכְעַ֞ן u.khe.'An	H3705	now · conjunction + adverb
if	הֵ֧ן hen	H2006	lo! also there(-fore) · conjunction
good	טָ֗ב Tav	H2869	good · adjective, both genders singular absolute
to	עַל 'al-	H5922	above · preposition
king	מַלְכָּ֣א mal.Ka'	H4430	a king · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
search	יִ֠תְבַּקַּר Yit.ba.kar	H1240	properly · verb, imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
king’s	מַלְכָּ֣א mal.Ka'	H4430	a king · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
treasure	גִּנְזַיָּ֜א gin.zai.Ya'	H1596	treasure · noun, common masculine plural determined + particle of affirmation
house	בְּבֵ֨ית be.Veit	H1005	a house (in the greatest variation of applications · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
there	תַמָּה֮ ta.Mah	H8536	there · adverb
Babylon	בְּבָבֶל֒ be.va.Vel	H895	Babel (i.e. Babylon) · preposition + proper noun, a place name
whether	הֵ֣ן hen	H2006	lo! also there(-fore) · conjunction
be	אִיתַ֗י 'i.Tai	H383	properly · noun, common both genders singular absolute
decree	טְעֵ֔ם te.'Em	H2942	properly · noun, common both genders singular absolute
made	שִׂ֣ים sim	H7761	to put (used in a great variety of applications · verb, perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
of	מִן min-	H4481	properly · preposition
Cyrus	כּ֤וֹרֶשׁ Ko.resh	H3567	Koresh (or Cyrus) · proper noun, a man's name
king	מַלְכָּא֙ mal.Ka'	H4430	a king · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
build	לְמִבְנֵ֛א le.miv.Ne'	H1124	to build · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
this	דֵ֖ךְ dekh	H1791	this · demonstrative particle
house	בֵּית beit-	H1005	a house (in the greatest variation of applications · noun, common both genders singular construct
God	אֱלָהָ֥א 'e.la.Ha'	H426	God · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
Jerusalem	בִּירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם bi.ru.she.Lem	H3390	Jerusalem · preposition + proper noun, a place name
king	מַלְכָּ֛א mal.Ka'	H4430	a king · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
send	יִשְׁלַ֥ח yish.Lach	H7972	to send away · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
pleasure	וּרְע֥וּת u.re.'Ut	H7470	desire · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct
concerning	עַל 'al-	H5922	above · preposition
matter	דְּנָ֖ה de.Nah	H1836	this · demonstrative particle

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ezra 4:15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is…
Ezra 4:19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebell…
Ezra 6:1-5 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ezra 5:3–end

We have here, I. The cognizance which their neighbours soon took of the reviving of this good work. A jealous eye, it seems, they had upon them, and no sooner did the Spirit of God stir up the friends of the temple to appear for it than the evil spirit stirred up its enemies to appear against it. While the people built and ceiled their own houses their enemies gave them no molestation (Hag 1:4), though the king's order was to put a stop to the building of the city (Ezr 4:21); but when they fell to work again at the temple then the alarm was taken, and all heads were at work to hinder them, Ezr 5:3, Ezr 5:4. The adversaries are here named: Tatnai and Shethar-boznai. The governors we read of (…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezra 5:16

Then came . . . Shesh-bazzar . . . since that time even until now hath it been in building--This was not a part of the Jews' answer--they could not have said this, knowing the building had long ceased. But Tatnai used these expressions in his report, either looking on the stoppage as a temporary interruption, or supposing that the Jews were always working a little, as they had means and opportunities. Next: Ezra Chapter 6

Adam Clarke on Ezra 5:17

The - treasure house - גנזיא ginzaiya. This is a Persian word, gunji, a treasury. There is a great deal of good sense and candour in this letter. Nothing of passion or prejudice appears in it. They laid before the king a fair statement without any attempt to prejudice his mind, and gave him those directions which were most likely to lead him to the truth, and to form a correct judgment on a business which, however it issued, must be of considerable importance to the state. God was in all this business; he was now giving an additional proof of his continued regard for a disobedient people, whom, though he had punished in his justice, he had spared in his mercy.

John Gill on Ezra 5:17

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon,.... Where were the archives of the kingdom, where the laws, decrees, edicts, and proclamations, and other things relating to the state, were laid up, that recourse might be had to them upon occasion: whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; which the Jews affirmed was made by him, and upon which they proceeded: and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter; whether the Jews should be allowed to go on with the building of their temple, and finish it, or whether they should be restrained from…

Dictionary and topics

Cyrus — (Heb. Ko’resh), the celebrated “King of Persia” (Elam) who was conqueror of Babylon, and issued the decree of liberation to the Jews (Ezra 1:1, 2). He was the son of Cambyses, the prince of Persia,…
Temple, the Second — After the return from captivity, under Zerubbabel (q.v.) and the high priest Jeshua, arrangements were almost immediately made to reorganize the long-desolated kingdom. The body of pilgrims, forming…
Treasure houses — The houses or magazines built for the safe keeping of treasure and valuable articles of any kind (Ezra 5:17; 7:20; Neh. 10:38; Dan. 1:2).
Temple, The Second · Tatnai the governor wrote to Darius to know if the building had his sanction — Tatnai the governor wrote to Darius to know if the building had his sanction
Treasure-Houses · Records preserved in — Records preserved in

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Ezra 5:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ezra 5:3–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezra 5:16

Adam Clarke on Ezra 5:17

John Gill on Ezra 5:17

Dictionary and topics

Ezra 5:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Ezra 5:3–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezra 5:16

Adam Clarke on Ezra 5:17

John Gill on Ezra 5:17

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Ezra 5:17–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Ezra 5:16

Rashi on Ezra 5:17