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Ezra 5:2-4
New English Translation
Ezra 5:2-4
New English Translation
2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began[a] to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues came to them and asked, “Who gave you authority[b] to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?”[c] 4 They[d] also asked them, “What are the names of the men who are building this edifice?”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezra 5:2 tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.
- Ezra 5:3 tn Aram “who placed to you a command?” So also v. 9.
- Ezra 5:3 tn The exact meaning of the Aramaic word אֻשַּׁרְנָא (ʾussarnaʾ) here and in v. 9 is uncertain (BDB 1083 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it to mean “wall.” Here it is used in collocation with בַּיְתָא (baytaʾ, “house” as the temple of God), while in 5:3, 9 it is used in parallelism with this term. It might be related to the Assyrian noun ashurru (“wall”) or ashru (“sanctuary”; so BDB). F. Rosenthal, who translates the word “furnishings,” thinks that it probably enters Aramaic from Persian (Grammar, 62-63, §189).
- Ezra 5:4 tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew ms, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta אֲמַרוּ (ʾamaru, “they said”) rather than the reading אֲמַרְנָא (ʾamarnaʾ, “we said”) of the MT.
Ezra 5:2-4
New International Version
Ezra 5:2-4
New International Version
2 Then Zerubbabel(A) son of Shealtiel and Joshua(B) son of Jozadak set to work(C) to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai,(D) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(E) and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(F) 4 They[a] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?”
Footnotes
- Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
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