Ezra 5:10

Study note

Setting — The Persian officials report to the king, describing their follow-up inquiry to the Jewish elders after questioning who authorized the temple reconstruction (Ezra 5:9). They state this administrative step immediately before recording the elders’ response about rebuilding the ancient temple (Ezra 5:11).

The words — שְׁאֵ֥לְנָא (she.'E.le.na') translates literally as "we asked," and לְ/הוֹדָעוּתָ֑/ךְ (le./ho.da.'u.Ta/kh) means "to make known to you." These terms frame the verse as a formal bureaucratic report rather than a theological statement.

The thread — The verse tracks the Persian requirement to document leadership and construction authorization through written records. This documentation motif runs through the surrounding administrative reports in the text, where officials repeatedly verify building permits and royal decrees.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to observe how earthly authorities use written documentation to validate religious activity. The text demands attention to the specific procedural steps that precede any recognized restoration project.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.