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Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Ezra 5:4

They also asked Zerubbabel, "What are the names of the men who are working on this building?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Liberality;   Temple;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Temple, the Second;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Tatnai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Persia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezra, Book of;   Jeshua;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Darius;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Sheshbazzar;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Thessalonians Epistles to the;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Building;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They also asked them, “What are the names of the workers who are constructing this building?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were who were making this building.
King James Version
Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
English Standard Version
They also asked them this: "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"
New Century Version
They also asked, "What are the names of the men working on this building?"
New English Translation
They also asked them, "What are the names of the men who are building this edifice?"
Amplified Bible
Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were reconstructing this building.
New American Standard Bible
Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.
World English Bible
Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were who were making this building.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then sayde we vnto them after this maner, What are the names of the men that buylde this buylding?
Legacy Standard Bible
Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were rebuilding this building.
Berean Standard Bible
They also asked, "What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?"
Contemporary English Version
Give us the names of the workers!"
Complete Jewish Bible
What are the names of the men putting up this building?"
Darby Translation
And they said to them after this manner: What are the names of the men that build this building?
George Lamsa Translation
Then they spoke to them according to the law, saying, What are the names of the men who are doing this building?
Good News Translation
They also asked for the names of all the men who were helping build the Temple.
Lexham English Bible
Then we asked them this: "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"
Literal Translation
Then we spoke to them in this way, What are they, the names of the men building this building?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then tolde we them the names of the men, that made this buyldinge.
American Standard Version
Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were that were making this building.
Bible in Basic English
Then they said these words to them: What are the names of the men who are at work on this building?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then saide we vnto them after this maner: What are the names of the men that make this building?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Then spoke we unto them after this manner [, wrote they]: What are the names of the men that build this building?'
King James Version (1611)
Then said wee vnto them after this maner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then they spoke thus to them, What are the names of the men that build this city?
English Revised Version
Then spake we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To which thing we answeriden to hem, whiche weren the names of men, autours of that bildyng.
Update Bible Version
Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the [work]men were that were making this building.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said we to them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
New King James Version
Then, accordingly, we told them the names of the men who were constructing this building.
New Living Translation
They also asked for the names of all the men working on the Temple.
New Life Bible
They also asked, "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"
New Revised Standard
They also asked them this, "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, after this manner, spake we unto them, - What are the names of these men, who, this building, do rear?
Douay-Rheims Bible
In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters of that building.
Revised Standard Version
They also asked them this, "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"
Young's Literal Translation
Then thus we have said to them, `What [are] the names of the men who are building this building?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.

Contextual Overview

3 At that time Tattenai was the governor of the area west of the Euphrates River. Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and the men with them went to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the others who were building. Tattenai and the people with him asked Zerubbabel and the people with him, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and repair it like new?" 4 They also asked Zerubbabel, "What are the names of the men who are working on this building?" 5 But God was watching over the Jewish leaders. The builders didn't have to stop working until a report could be sent to King Darius. They continued working until the king sent his answer back. 6 Tattenai the governor of the area west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and the important people with them sent a letter to King Darius. 7 This is a copy of that letter: To King Darius. Greetings: 8 King Darius, you should know that we went to the province of Judah. We went to the Temple of the great God. The people in Judah are building that Temple with large stones. They are putting big wooden timbers in the walls. The work is being done with much care and the people of Judah are working very hard. They are building very fast; it will soon be done. 9 We asked their leaders some questions about the work they are doing. We asked them, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and repair it like new?" 10 We also asked for their names. We wanted to write down the names of their leaders so that you would know who they are. 11 This is the answer they gave us: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the Temple that a great king of Israel built and finished many years ago. 12 But our ancestors made the God of heaven angry, so God gave our ancestors to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this Temple, and he forced the people to go to Babylon as prisoners.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What are: Ezra 5:10

make this building: Chal, build this building

Reciprocal: Ezra 5:9 - Who commanded

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 5:1
This is the history of Adam's family. When God created people, he made them like himself.
Genesis 5:3
After Adam was 130 years old, he had another son. This son looked just like Adam. Adam named his son Seth.
Genesis 5:7
After Enosh was born, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:10
After Kenan was born, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:13
After Mahalalel was born, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:19
After Enoch was born, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:22
After Methuselah was born, Enoch walked with God for 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:26
After Lamech was born, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:30
After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said we unto them after this manner,.... In answer to their questions; namely, Ezra and other Jews replied; for though Ezra is said after this to come from Babylon in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, he might go thither on some business, and then return again at that time; some indeed think these are the words of Tatnai and those with him; so Ben Melech, which seems to be favoured by Ezra 4:10, and by reading the words with an interrogation, as we do; Aben Ezra says they are either the words of the builders, or of the scribes, the secretaries that came to question them; but they are the words of the former, as order requires, or otherwise no answer would be returned, at least as expressed; and the next clause may be read without an interrogation, and the sense be, that they told them not only that they acted according to an edict of Cyrus king of Persia, for this was said, as appears from Ezra 5:13, but they declared

what were the names of the men that did make this building; or employed them in it, namely, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the chief men of the Jews; they made no scruple of telling them who they were; neither ashamed of their masters nor of their work, nor afraid of any ill consequences following hereafter.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then said we - The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions have “Then said they,” which brings this verse into exact accordance with Ezra 5:10.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezra 5:4. What are the names — It is most evident that this is the answer of the Jews to the inquiry of Tatnai, Ezra 5:3, and the verse should be read thus: Then said we unto them after this manner: THESE are the names of the men who make this building.


 
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