The Meaning of Ezra 5:11 Explained

Ezra 5:11

KJV: And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

YLT: And thus they have returned us word, saying, We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built many years before this, that a great king of Israel built and finished:

Darby: And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it.

ASV: And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and finished.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thus  they returned  us answer,  saying,  We  are  the servants  of the God  of heaven  and earth,  and build  the house  that was  builded  these  many  years  ago,  which a great  king  of Israel  builded  and set up. 

What does Ezra 5:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 5:1-17 - The Mission Of Haggai And Zechariah
It is necessary to read the books of Haggai and Zechariah to see what difficulties the leaders of the people had to meet, and how much they needed the help of the prophets. At last matters were brought to an issue by the failure of the crops, which gave the prophets additional arguments. When God's judgments are abroad in the earth, men learn righteousness. As soon as the rebuilding began after a lapse of fifteen years, another letter was sent to the metropolis for advice. Tatnai appears to have been incited by the Samaritans, and he made a visit of personal inspection. His account of the proceedings is very graphic. The eye of God is on those whose hearts are perfect towards Him, Ezra 5:5; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Psalms 33:18. It is very well to imitate these elders in giving an answer in meekness and fear, but not terrified by our adversaries, 1 Peter 3:12; 1 Peter 3:15. If God has clearly set us to do work for Him, let us go through with it in spite of all human opposition. Storms are the methods by which He reveals our weakness and His all-sufficiency. The walls of the spiritual temple are built "in troublous times," but the work goeth fast on. The rulers of this world cannot understand and gnash impotently with their teeth, God's plan shall stand, though earth be in arms to resist it. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 5

1  Zerubbabel and Jeshua, incited by Haggai and Zechariah, set forward to building
3  Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai are not able to hinder the Jews
6  Their letter to Darius against the Jews

What do the individual words in Ezra 5:11 mean?

And thus an answer they returned us saying we are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and we are rebuilding temple the that was built ago this [is] years many and a king of Israel great which built and completed
וּכְנֵ֥מָא פִתְגָמָ֖א הֲתִיב֣וּנָא לְמֵמַ֑ר אֲנַ֣חְנָא הִמּ֡וֹ עַבְדוֹהִי֩ דִֽי־ אֱלָ֨הּ שְׁמַיָּ֜א וְאַרְעָ֗א וּבָנַ֤יִן בַּיְתָא֙ דִּֽי־ הֲוָ֨א בְנֵ֜ה מִקַּדְמַ֤ת דְּנָה֙ שְׁנִ֣ין שַׂגִּיאָ֔ן וּמֶ֤לֶךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ רַ֔ב בְּנָ֖הִי וְשַׁכְלְלֵֽהּ

וּכְנֵ֥מָא  And  thus 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כְּנֵמָא  
Sense: thus, so, accordingly, as follows.
פִתְגָמָ֖א  an  answer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: פִּתְגָם  
Sense: command, work, affair, decree.
הֲתִיב֣וּנָא  they  returned  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine plural, first person common plural
Root: תּוּב  
Sense: to return, come back.
לְמֵמַ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֲמַר  
Sense: (P’al) to say, to speak, to command, to tell, to relate.
עַבְדוֹהִי֩  the  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲבֵד  
Sense: servant, slave.
אֱלָ֨הּ  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֱלָהּ  
Sense: god, God.
שְׁמַיָּ֜א  of  heaven 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural determinate
Root: שְׁמַיִן  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְאַרְעָ֗א  and  earth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular determinate
Root: אֲרַע  
Sense: earth, world, ground.
וּבָנַ֤יִן  and  we  are  rebuilding 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בְּנָה  
Sense: to build.
בַּיְתָא֙  temple  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: בַּיִת  
Sense: house (of men).
דִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: דִּי  
Sense: who, which, that mark of genitive.
בְנֵ֜ה  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: בְּנָה  
Sense: to build.
מִקַּדְמַ֤ת  ago 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קַדְמָה  
Sense: former time or situation, as before.
דְּנָה֙  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: דְּנָה  
Sense: this, on account of this adv.
שְׁנִ֣ין  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שְׁנָה  
Sense: year.
שַׂגִּיאָ֔ן  many 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: שַׂגִּיא  
Sense: great, much.
וּמֶ֤לֶךְ  and  a  king 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
רַ֔ב  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב  
Sense: great.
בְּנָ֖הִי  which  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּנָה  
Sense: to build.
וְשַׁכְלְלֵֽהּ  and  completed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּלַל  
Sense: to finish, complete.