Ezra 5:4

4 To the which thing we answered to them, and told them, which were the names of (the) men (what the names of the men were), (who were the) authors of that building.

Ezra 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 5:4

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.

Ezra 5:4 In-Context

2 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Joshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and began to build (again) the temple of God in Jerusalem; and with them rose up the prophets of God, helping them. (And then Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up, and began to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God rose up with them, to help them.)

3 And in that time Tatnai, that was duke beyond the flood, and Shetharboznai, and the counsellors of them, came to them; and said thus to them, Who gave counsel to you to build this house (again), and to restore these walls? (And at that time, Tatnai, who was the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shetharboznai, and their counsellors, or their officials, came to them; and said to them thus, Who gave counsel to you to rebuild this House, and to restore these walls?)

4 To the which thing we answered to them, and told them, which were the names of (the) men (what the names of the men were), (who were the) authors of that building.

5 Forsooth the eye of [the] God of them was made on the elder men of (the) Jews, and they might not forbid, or hinder, the Jews to build; and it pleased (them) that the thing should be told to Darius, and that then they should make satisfaction against that accusing. (But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and so they did not forbid, or hinder, the Jews from continuing to build; and it pleased them to report all of this to Darius, but to take no action until he replied to them.)

6 This is the exemplar of the epistle, which Tatnai, duke of the country beyond the flood, and Shetharboznai, and his counsellors, (the) Apharsachites, which were beyond the flood, sent to king Darius. (This is the text of the letter, which Tatnai, the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shetharboznai, and his counsellors, or his officials, the Apharsachites, who also lived there in the province west of the Euphrates River, sent to King Darius.)