The Meaning of Ezra 6:3 Explained

Ezra 6:3

KJV: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;

YLT: 'In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king hath made a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: the house let be builded in the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits;

Darby: In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built for a place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be solidly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits,

ASV: In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be builded, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In the first  year  of Cyrus  the king  [the same] Cyrus  the king  made  a decree  [concerning] the house  of God  at Jerusalem,  Let the house  be builded,  the place  where they offered  sacrifices,  and let the foundations  thereof be strongly laid;  the height  thereof threescore  cubits,  [and] the breadth  thereof threescore  cubits; 

What does Ezra 6:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 6:1-22 - Prospered In A Difficult Work
How much depended on the finding of that roll! But God knew where it was, and led them to discover it, and inclined Darius to ratify it. When we are anxious and troubled about our relations to our fellow-men, we do little by worrying, we do much by trusting. Missing documents, alien hearts, tangled skeins, all yield before the hand of our Father working for us. The difficulty raised by their foes really reacted for the benefit of the Jews, for the king decreed that their expenses should be met, and their needs supplied. When we are living upon God's plan and need material resources for His work, He will see that they are forthcoming from the most unlikely sources, and the revenues of heathen monarchs shall be laid under contribution. When the house was finished it was dedicated, Ezra 6:16. What joy was there but amid all a solemn memory of the sin of the whole people of Israel. Though scattered to the four winds, they could not forget that in God's sight they were one still. It is highly probable that Psalms 146:1-10; Psalms 147:1-20; Psalms 148:1-14; Psalms 149:1-9; Psalms 150:1-6 were composed at this time. In the Septuagint they are called the Psalms of Haggai. Burnt offering and song go together, 2 Chronicles 29:27. After the dedication was the Passover. Separation must ever precede our feasting on God's Paschal Lamb, and out of this state of heart, influences proceed which produce the true unity and drawing together of the children of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 6

1  Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for building
13  By the help of Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai the temple is finished
16  The feast of the dedication is kept
19  and the Passover

What do the individual words in Ezra 6:3 mean?

In the year first of Cyrus King Cyrus King issued a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem house the let be rebuilt the place where they offered sacrifices and the foundations of it let be firmly laid its height cubits sixty [and] its width cubits sixty
בִּשְׁנַ֨ת חֲדָ֜ה לְכ֣וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֗א כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא֮ שָׂ֣ם טְעֵם֒ בֵּית־ אֱלָהָ֤א בִֽירוּשְׁלֶם֙ בַּיְתָ֣א יִתְבְּנֵ֔א אֲתַר֙ דִּֽי־ דָבְחִ֣ין דִּבְחִ֔ין וְאֻשּׁ֖וֹהִי מְסֽוֹבְלִ֑ין רוּמֵהּ֙ אַמִּ֣ין שִׁתִּ֔ין פְּתָיֵ֖הּ אַמִּ֥ין שִׁתִּֽין

בִּשְׁנַ֨ת  In  the  year 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שְׁנָה  
Sense: year.
חֲדָ֜ה  first 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: חַד  
Sense: one (number).
לְכ֣וֹרֶשׁ  of  Cyrus 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּורֶשׁ  
Sense: the king of Persia and conqueror of Babylon; first ruler of Persia to make a decree allowing the Israelite exiles to return to Jerusalem.
מַלְכָּ֗א  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ  Cyrus 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּורֶשׁ  
Sense: the king of Persia and conqueror of Babylon; first ruler of Persia to make a decree allowing the Israelite exiles to return to Jerusalem.
מַלְכָּא֮  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
שָׂ֣ם  issued 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׂים  
Sense: to set, make, appoint.
טְעֵם֒  a  decree  [concerning] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טְעֵם  
Sense: decree, taste, judgment, command.
בֵּית־  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת  
Sense: house (of men).
אֱלָהָ֤א  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
בִֽירוּשְׁלֶם֙  at  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשְׁלֶם  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בַּיְתָ֣א  house  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בַּיִת  
Sense: house (of men).
יִתְבְּנֵ֔א  let  be  rebuilt 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּנָה  
Sense: to build.
אֲתַר֙  the  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲתַר 
Sense: track, place.
דִּֽי־  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
דָבְחִ֣ין  they  offered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: דְּבַח  
Sense: (P’al) to sacrifice.
דִּבְחִ֔ין  sacrifices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: דְּבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.
וְאֻשּׁ֖וֹהִי  and  the  foundations  of  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹשׁ  
Sense: foundation.
מְסֽוֹבְלִ֑ין  let  be  firmly  laid 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: סְבַל  
Sense: to bear a load.
רוּמֵהּ֙  its  height 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּם  
Sense: height.
אַמִּ֣ין  cubits 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אַמָּה  
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
שִׁתִּ֔ין  sixty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שִׁתִּין  
Sense: sixty, threescore.
פְּתָיֵ֖הּ  [and]  its  width 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּתָי  
Sense: width, breadth.
אַמִּ֥ין  cubits 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אַמָּה  
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
שִׁתִּֽין  sixty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שִׁתִּין  
Sense: sixty, threescore.