Ezra 5:8

8 We want you to know that we went to the land of Judah. We went to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones. They are putting wooden beams in the walls. The people are working hard. The work is moving ahead very quickly under the direction of the people.

Ezra 5:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 5:8

Be it known unto the king
This seems to have been the usual form of beginning a letter to a king in those days, ( Ezra 4:12 ) that we went into the province of Judea; which from a kingdom was reduced to a province, and was become a part of the Babylonian, now Persian, monarchy, see ( Ezra 2:1 ) to the house of the great God; as the Jews called the Lord their God; and even the Heathens had a notion that there was one supreme God, though they worshipped inferior ones; and some had a notion that Jehovah the God of the Jews was he:

which is builded with great stones;
marble stones; as Jarchi ^F17, stones of rolling, as it may be rendered; which, according to Aben Ezra, were so large and heavy, that they could not be carried, but were obliged to roll them:

and timber is laid in the walls,
cedar wood, as Aben Ezra interprets it, for beams, for flooring and raftering; or rather, is put upon the walls, for the lining and wainscoting of them, which was done with cedar wood:

and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands;
and, unless timely prevented, will soon be finished.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 So David de Pomis, Tzemach David, fol. 15. 3.

Ezra 5:8 In-Context

6 Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to King Darius. It was from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the Euphrates. Shethar-Bozenai joined him in writing it. So did their friends. They were officials of that land.

7 The report they sent to the king said, We are sending this letter to you, King Darius. We give you our most friendly greetings.

8 We want you to know that we went to the land of Judah. We went to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones. They are putting wooden beams in the walls. The people are working hard. The work is moving ahead very quickly under the direction of the people.

9 We asked the elders some questions. We said to them, "Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could make this building like new again?"

10 We also asked them their names. We wanted to write down the names of their leaders for your information.