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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Ezra 5:3 - 5:3
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When the building was recommenced, the governor on this side Euphrates, and other royal officials, evidently informed of the undertaking by the adversaries of the Jews, made their appearance for the purpose of investigating matters on the spot. עֲלֵיהֹון אַתָּה, came to them, to the two above-named rulers of the community at Jerusalem. Tatnai (lxx Θανθαναΐ́) was פֶּחָה, viceroy, in the provinces west of Euphrates, i.e., as correctly expanded in 1 Esdras, of Syria and Phoenicia, to which Judaea with its Pecha Zerubbabel was subordinate. With him came Shethar-Boznai, perhaps his secretary, and their companions, their subordinates. The royal officials inquired: “Who has commanded you to build this house, and to finish this wall?” The form לִבְנֵא here and Ezr 5:13 is remarkable, the infinitive in Chaldee being not בְנֵא, butמִבְנֵא; compare Ezr 5:2, Ezr 5:17, and Ezr 6:8. Norzi has both times לִבְּנֵא, as through the Dagesh forte were compensating for an omitted .מ אֻשַּׁרְנָא which occurs only here and Ezr 5:9, is variously explained. The Vulgate, the Syriac, and also the Rabbins, translate: these walls. This meaning best answers to the context, and is also linguistically the most correct. It can hardly, however, be derived (Gesenius) from אָשַׁר, but rather from אָשַׁן, in Chaldee אָשׁוּן, firm, strong-walls as the strength or firmness of the building. The form אֻשַּׁרְנָא has arisen from אֻשַׁנָּא, and is analogous to the form בָּשְׁנָה.
(Note: The interpretations of the lxx, τὴν χορηγίαν ταύτην, meaning these building materials, and of 1 Esdr. 6:4, τὴν στέγην ταύτην καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, this roof and all besides, for which Bertheau decides, without considering that שַׁכְלֵל may mean to complete, and not to prepare for anything, are but conjectures.)
Ezr 5:4
Then told we them after this manner (כְּנֵמָא, Ezr 4:8), what were the names of the men who were building this building. From אֲמַרְנָא, we said, it is obvious that the author of this account was an eye-witness of, and sharer in, the work of building. These is not a shadow of reason for altering אֲמַרְנָא into אֲמַרוּ, or into the participle אַמְרִין (Ew., Berth., and others); the εἴποσαν of the lxx being no critical authority for so doing. The answer in Ezr 5:4 seems not to correspond with the question in Ezr 5:3. The royal officials asked, Who had commanded them to build? The Jews told them the names of those who had undertaken and were conducting the building. But this incongruity between the question and answer is merely caused by the fact that the discussion is reported only by a short extract restricted to the principal subjects. We learn that this is the case from the contents of the letter sent by the officials to the king. According to these, the royal functionary inquired not merely concerning the author of the command to build, but asked also the names of those who were undertaking the work (comp. Ezr 5:9 and Ezr 5:10); while the rulers of the Jews gave a circumstantial answer to both questions (Ezr 5:11-15).
Ezr 5:5
Tatnai and Shethar-Boznai had power to prohibit them from proceeding; they allowed them, however, to go on with their work till the arrival of an answer from the king, to whom they had furnished a written report of the matter. In these dealings, the historian sees a proof of the divine protection which was watching over the building. “The eye of their God was over the elders of the Jews, that they should not restrain them (from building) till the matter came to Darius; and they should then receive a letter concerning this matter.” Bertheau incorrectly translates יְהָךְ לד עַד־טַעְמָא: until the command of King Darius should arrive. לְ is only used as a paraphrase of the genitive in statements of time; otherwise the genitive, if not expressed by the status construc., is designated by דְּ or דִּי. יְהָךְ, fut. Peal of הֲלַךְ, formed by the rejection of ל, construed with לְ, signifies to go to a place (comp. Ezr 7:13), or to come to a person. טַעְמָא (טְעַם) does not here mean commandment, but the matter, causa, which the king is to decide; just as פִּתְגָּן, Ezr 6:11, means thing, res. The clause יְתִיבוּן וֶאֱדַיִן still depends upon עַד: and till they (the royal officials) then receive a letter, i.e., obtain a decision.