Ezra 5:11
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
And this is the answer they returned: “We are 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.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The answer of the elders of the Jews. They returned us answer in the following manner (לממר = לאמר): "We are His, the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house which was built many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it." דּנה מקּדמת, of before this, i.e., before the present; to which is added the more precise definition: many years (accusative of time), i.e., many years before the present time.
Open source ↗We left the temple-work at a full stop; but, being God's work, it shall be revived, and here we have an account of the reviving of it. It was hindered by might and power, but it was set a-going again "by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts." Now here we are told how that blessed Spirit, I. Warmed its cool-hearted friends and excited them to built (Ezr 5:1, Ezr 5:2). II. Cooled its hot-headed enemies, and brought them to better tempers; for, though they secretly disliked the work as much as those in the foregoing chapter, yet, 1. They were more mild towards the builders (Ezr 5:3-5). 2. They were more fair in their representation of the matter to the king, of which we have here an account (Ezr 5:6-17).
Open source ↗5:11 the God of heaven: This title would be understood by the Persians: He was the universal high God, not an insignificant local deity. • a great king of Israel: Solomon (see 1 Kgs 5–8).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed.
Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace and called out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire,
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.