Ezra 5:10

10 But also we asked of them their names, that we should tell to thee; and we have written the names of those men, which they be, that be princes among them. (And we also asked them their names, so that we could tell them to thee; and we have listed the names of those men, who they be, who be the leaders of this work.)

Ezra 5:10 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 5:10

We asked their names also
The names of the elders, those that set men about this work:

to certify that we might write the names of the men that were the chief
of them;
take the names of them in writing, that they might with certainty acquaint the king who they were, and that if it was necessary they might be called to an account for what they were doing.

Ezra 5:10 In-Context

8 Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of [the] great God, which is (being) builded (again) with stone(s) unpolished, and wood (that) be set in the walls thereof, and that (the) work is builded diligently, and increaseth in the hands of them. (Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judah, to the House of the great God, which is being rebuilt with unpolished stones, and timber that be set in its walls, and that the work is being diligently done, and progresseth under their hands.)

9 Therefore we asked those eld(er) men, and thus we said to them, Who gave to you power to build (again) this house, and to restore these walls? (And so we asked those elders, and we said to them thus, Who gave you the authority to rebuild this House, and to restore these walls?)

10 But also we asked of them their names, that we should tell to thee; and we have written the names of those men, which they be, that be princes among them. (And we also asked them their names, so that we could tell them to thee; and we have listed the names of those men, who they be, who be the leaders of this work.)

11 Soothly they answered by such (a) word, and said, We be the servants of (the) God of heaven and of earth; and we build (again) the temple that was builded before these many years, and which temple the great king of Israel had builded, and made (and we rebuild the Temple that was built here many years ago, which Temple the great king of Israel had built and furnished).

12 But after that our fathers had stirred [the] God of heaven and of earth to wrathfulness, he betook them in(to) the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, (the) Chaldean, king of Babylon; and he destroyed this house, and translated the people thereof into Babylon (and carried off the people to Babylon).