Darius makes the search, and at Achmetha, in the palace, a scroll is found: Cyrus's decree, with its measurements and its order that the expenses be given out of the king's house. The reply is everything the builders could have asked: let the work of this house of God alone; the cost paid from the king's goods; whatever they need for offerings given day by day without fail — 'that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.' The house is finished on the third of Adar in the sixth year of Darius, dedicated with joy; the priests and Levites are set in their courses 'as it is written in the book of Moses'; and the children of the captivity keep the Passover.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up, in Babylon.
verse value 3295
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "in·Babylon" (בְּבָבֶֽל) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "made" (שָׂ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "being·deposited" (מְהַחֲתִ֥ין, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "the·archives" (סִפְרַיָּ֗א), "being·deposited" (מְהַחֲתִ֥ין). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "in·the·house·of" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "where" (root די, 59x in Ezra). First appearance of the root תמה ("there") in Ezra. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'decree', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: בֵּאדַ֛יִן [then] (67) + דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ [Darius] (520) + מַלְכָּ֖א [the·king] (91) + שָׂ֣ם [made] (340) + טְעֵ֑ם [decree] (119) + וּבַקַּ֣רוּ [and·they·searched] (314) + בְּבֵ֣ית [in·the·house·of] (414) + סִפְרַיָּ֗א [the·archives] (351) + דִּ֧י [where] (14) + גִנְזַיָּ֛א [the·treasures] (71) + מְהַחֲתִ֥ין [being·deposited] (513) + תַּמָּ֖ה [there] (445) + בְּבָבֶֽל [in·Babylon] (36) = 3295.
Rashi
Then then when the letter reached Darius’s hand. gave an order The king ordered the matter. and they searched They searched in the library where the archives were stored in Babylon.
Ibn Ezra
"were laid up" (mehachtin) — means "are brought down / stored."
Ralbag
'Then Darius the king made a decree,' etc. - Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were stored, in Babylon.
Metzudat David
'Then' — Darius the king issued a decree, and they searched in the house of records, where the treasures were kept, in Babylon.
Malbim
The questions (1-2): How can it say that they searched in the house of the archives in Babylon, yet it was found in Media? 'Then' - Darius the king issued a decree, and they searched in the house of the archives, where the treasures were kept, there in Babylon, and in a chest in the capital city of the province of Media they found a single scroll, in which a record was written. It appears that the royal capital had originally been in Babylon, and that all the king's decree-records were kept there; likewise the letter that Cyrus had sent concerning the building [whose text was, 'All the kingdoms of the earth has Hashem given me,' as stated at the beginning of the book] was also kept there in Babylon. But in the days of Ahasuerus the royal throne was moved from Babylon to Shushan, as it says, 'on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the capital' (see my commentary there), and it was then that this letter was lost [it may be that Haman the Agagite, who was viceroy, destroyed this letter, since it was to the benefit of the Jews], and it was not found in Babylon. It was through Hashem's providence that there was found, in the capital city that is now in Media, a small scroll in which a record of this decree was written [for this one had remained in Media, just as the Book of Records, the Chronicles, was kept there - as I explained in my commentary on the Scroll of Esther, that this was not in Haman's possession] - and there it had been written down briefly, as a record.
And there was found at Ahmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a roll, and in it was thus written: ‘A record.
verse value 3285
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·thus·written" (וְכֵן־כְּתִ֥יב, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·was·found" (וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֣ח), "in·Ahmetha" (בְּאַחְמְתָ֗א), "in·the·palace" (בְּבִ֥ירְתָ֛א). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root די, 59x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְהִשְׁתְּכַ֣ח [and·was·found] (739) + בְּאַחְמְתָ֗א [in·Ahmetha] (452) + בְּבִ֥ירְתָ֛א [in·the·palace] (615) + דִּ֛י [that] (14) + בְּמָדַ֥י [in·Media] (56) + מְדִינְתָּ֖א [the·province] (505) + מְגִלָּ֣ה [scroll] (78) + חֲדָ֑ה [one] (17) + וְכֵן־כְּתִ֥יב [and·thus·written] (508) + בְּגַוַּ֖הּ [in·its·midst] (16) + דִּכְרוֹנָֽהֿ [record] (285) = 3285.
Rashi
And there was found in a pouch And a text of one scroll was found there in an אַחְמְתָא. So did the interpreters interpret, that it is a receptacle made for letters, written sheets and books, and they established it from the root of (Gen. 21:14): “a skin of water (וְחֵמַת מַיִם),” and the “aleph” in the word is not a radical, like the rest of the Aramaic language. in the citadel in that citadel that was in the province of Media. and so was written and so was written therein its memorandum.
Ibn Ezra
"at Ahmetha" — some say it is related to "chemet mayim" (a skin-flask of water) (Genesis 21:14), or that it is the name of a vessel in which record-documents would be stored. "in the palace" (birta) — [that is,] a fortress/citadel; [cf.] the Targum's rendering of "in our palaces" as "be-varnitana."
Ralbag
'And there was found at Ahmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a roll,' etc. - And there was found, in a container in the capital city that is in the province of Media, a scroll, in which was thus written: 'A record.' I think that what was written there stated that it had been recorded as a memorandum, that this matter had been decreed by King Cyrus.
Metzudat David
'And there was found' — a single scroll, [kept] in a leather pouch, was found in the palace that is in the province of Media — for it was not found in Babylon; they searched and found it in Media. 'And thus' — this is what was written in it: a record [of the decree].
Metzudat Zion
At Ahmetha (be'achmeta) - This is related to the word "chemet mayim" ("a skin-bottle of water") (Genesis 21), that is, a bag made of leather. A roll (megilah) - A scroll.
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 built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid; its height threescore cubits, and its breadth threescore cubits;
verse value 8162
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 104 letters. The shortest word is "made" (שָׂ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·house·of·God" (בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֤א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 760: sixty, sixty. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "place" (אֲתַר֙), "where·are·sacrificing" (דִּֽי־דָבְחִ֣ין), "sacrifices" (דִּבְחִ֔ין). The root כורש appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 48x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'being·borne', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 6 words.
Rashi
the House of God in Jerusalem regarding the House of God in Jerusalem; what should be with it? “The House should be built.” a place where they offer up sacrifices which is a place where they offer up sacrifices. and its walls should be founded Aram. וְאֻשּׁוֹהִי. And its walls should be founded, like (4:12): “and its walls (וְאֻשַּׁיָא) they have joined.” its height sixty cubits the height of the House was sixty cubits, and sixty cubits was its width.
Ibn Ezra
"and let its foundations be strongly laid" (ushohi mesubalin) — similar to "even galal" (hewn stone) above; the meaning is that its foundations are borne up by heavy, load-bearing stones. "its height sixty cubits" — higher than Solomon's first building, whose height was thirty cubits. and likewise "its breadth sixty cubits" — so that the height and the breadth would be equal; and the length is not mentioned, because it was to be the same as the original measure.
Ralbag
'In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree,' etc. - In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus decreed concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: that this house be built - the place where they offer the sacrifices - and that its walls be joined together and made strong; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits.
Metzudat David
'In the year' — in the first year of Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the house of God that is in Jerusalem: that the house be built — the place where sacrifices are offered. 'And its foundations' — the foundations of the house shall be [laid] with great stones, able to bear a heavy load and weight. 'Its height' — the height of the house shall be sixty cubits, and its breadth sixty cubits.
Metzudat Zion
Strongly laid (mesobalin) - An expression of "heavy burden," as in "and those who bear burdens" (Nehemiah 4).
Malbim
'In the first year of Cyrus the king' - the king issued a decree: (1) that the House of Hashem in Jerusalem should be built - this being the authorization to build the House; (2) 'the place where they offer sacrifices there'; (3) 'and let its foundations be strongly laid' - that the foundations of the House should be strong enough to bear the building; (4) he specified the dimensions of the House - and this, too, was by [divine] providence, that its dimensions were not altered from what was proper, for otherwise they would not have been able to build it, as it is written, 'all of it in writing, from the hand of Hashem, He gave me understanding of it'; (5) that there should be...
with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber, and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house;
verse value 3723
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "great" (גְּלָל֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "rows" (נִדְבָּכִ֞ין, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "rows" (נִדְבָּכִ֞ין), "of·stone" (דִּי־אֶ֤בֶן), "three" (תְּלָתָ֔א). The root נדבך appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "from·house·of" (root בית, 64x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'new', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: נִדְבָּכִ֞ין [rows] (136) + דִּי־אֶ֤בֶן [of·stone] (67) + גְּלָל֙ [great] (63) + תְּלָתָ֔א [three] (831) + וְנִדְבָּ֖ךְ [and·row] (82) + דִּי־אָ֣ע [of·wood] (85) + חֲדַ֑ת [new] (412) + וְנִ֨פְקְתָ֔א [and·the·expenses] (637) + מִן־בֵּ֥ית [from·house·of] (502) + מַלְכָּ֖א [the·king] (91) + תִּתְיְהִֽב [let·it·be·given] (817) = 3723.
Rashi
rows Aram. נִדְבָּכִין, an expression for walls. The walls were of marble. marble Aram. גְּלָל (marmre in Old French). and a row and a wall of new wood from within, in the manner of the building of the Temple that Solomon built. and the expenditures And the expenditures for the needs of the House and for the other matters pertaining to the House shall be given them from the royal palace.
Ibn Ezra
"rows" (nidbachin) — means "courses"; [cf.] the Targum's rendering of "below the turrets" as "mi-lera le-nidbachaya"; and this resembles the first building, as it says: "three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams" (1 Kings 6:36). "expenses" (nafka) — means "expenditure."
Ralbag
'With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber,' etc. - Three rows of great stones and one row of timber, and the expense shall be given from the king’s house.
Metzudat David
'Rows' — three rows shall be built of marble stones, and one row of timber, and so on in this order until the height is completed, for a building of this kind is exceptionally strong; and so it is stated regarding the building of Solomon's [Temple]: 'three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams' (I Kings 7). 'And the expenses' — the expenses of the building shall be given from the king's house.
Metzudat Zion
Rows (nidbachin) - Courses [of stone]; and so in the words of our sages: "...at the top of the course (nidbach)" (Berachot 15).
Malbim
...three rows of marble stones and a row of new timber - which, according to the words of our Sages, was so that if they should rebel, it could be burned with fire; (6) that the expense of the building should be given from the king's house; (7) that he should take out the vessels of Hashem and hand them over to them.
and also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be restored, and brought back to the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place, and you shall put them in the house of God.’
verse value 5503
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 107 letters. The shortest word is "of" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "which·in·Jerusalem" (דִי־בִירוּשְׁלֶ֖ם, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 602: which·in·Jerusalem, which·in·Jerusalem. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "vessels·of" (מָאנֵ֣י), "let·them·restore" (יַהֲתִיב֗וּן), "and·let·it·go" (וִ֠יהָ֠ךְ). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "of" (root די, 59x in Ezra); "which·in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 48x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Babylon', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 8 words.
Rashi
And also the vessels of and also the sacred vessels of the House of God, of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon. let them be given over [as translated,] let them be given over. and brought which he brought. and brought Let all this work be brought to the Temple that is in Jerusalem, to its place. and it shall be deposited And it shall be deposited in the House of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Ibn Ezra
"and also let ... be restored" (yehativun) — [means] those responsible for restoring them will restore them. "and let it go" (ve-yehakh) — [meaning] "and let every vessel go to the Temple"; the verb is singular even though [it applies to] a plural [subject], in the manner of a general expression like "if he gives water." "and you shall put" (ve-tachet) — addressed to Sheshbazzar, of whom the letter speaks; and the sense is: "and you, Sheshbazzar, shall bring them down," or set them at rest, in the house of God; the lamed of "for the service" stands in place of two [prepositions], and so too [the lamed] of "to the governor of Judah."
Ralbag
'And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God be restored,' etc. - And also, the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, shall be restored, and all of it shall go back to the Temple in Jerusalem, each to its place, and you shall place them in the house of God.
Metzudat David
'And also the vessels' — also the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon. 'Be restored' — they shall return them, carrying them back to the Temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place, and deposit them in the house of God.
’Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your companions the Apharesachites, who are beyond the River, be you far from there;
verse value 5388
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "who" (דִּ֖י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·your·companions" (וּכְנָוָ֣תְה֔וֹן, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "far" (רַחִיקִ֥ין), "from·there" (מִן־תַּמָּֽה). The root נהר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who" (root די, 59x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·river', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 3 words. Full calculation: כְּעַ֡ן [now] (140) + תַּ֠תְּנַ֠י [Tattenai] (860) + פַּחַ֨ת [governor] (488) + עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָ֜ה [beyond·the·river] (532) + שְׁתַ֤ר [Shethar] (900) + בּוֹזְנַי֙ [bozenai] (75) + וּכְנָוָ֣תְה֔וֹן [and·your·companions] (543) + אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔א [the·Apharesachites] (372) + דִּ֖י [who] (14) + בַּעֲבַ֣ר [beyond] (274) + נַהֲרָ֑ה [the·river] (260) + רַחִיקִ֥ין [far] (378) + הֲו֖וֹ [be] (17) + מִן־תַּמָּֽה [from·there] (535) = 5388.
Rashi
Now, Tattenai This is the reply with which Darius answered Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai. who are on the other side of the river to the side of the land of Israel, which is the other side of the river to those in Babylon distance yourselves from there Distance yourselves from the building of the Temple, so that you do not disturb the workers.
Ralbag
'Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River,' etc. - Therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues the Apharesachites who are beyond the River, must keep far away from there.
Metzudat David
'Now therefore' — now, [as for] Tattenai, etc., and their companions who are beyond the River: keep far away from there — meaning, keep away from interfering with the work.
Malbim
'Now' - 'you, Tattenai, etc., be far from there' - you are to keep your distance from this building, so as not to idle the hands of those doing the work, since it already has authorization for this from Cyrus - according to the law of Persia and Media, which is not to be transgressed. Therefore: 'leave alone the work of this House of God' - do not interfere in the matter, for it is the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews upon whom the responsibility rests to build it in its place. All this follows from Cyrus's original decree: he did not command that they [the officials] should help them with the building, only that they should not stop them from their work, and that they [the Jews] would do the building. And according to this decree you are obligated to stand at a distance - neither to help nor to stop the work - but...
let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
verse value 3602
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "the·Jews" (יְהוּדָיֵא֙) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "this" (דֵ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·house·of·God" (בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֣א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 449: the·house·of·God, the·house·of·God. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "leave" (שְׁבֻ֕קוּ), "the·work·of" (לַעֲבִידַ֖ת), "and·the·elders·of" (וּלְשָׂבֵ֣י). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "let·them·build" (root בנה, 31x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: שְׁבֻ֕קוּ [leave] (408) + לַעֲבִידַ֖ת [the·work·of] (516) + בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֣א [the·house·of·God] (449) + דֵ֑ךְ [this] (24) + פַּחַ֤ת [the·governor·of] (488) + יְהוּדָיֵא֙ [the·Jews] (36) + וּלְשָׂבֵ֣י [and·the·elders·of] (348) + יְהוּדָיֵ֔א [the·Jews] (36) + בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֥א [the·house·of·God] (449) + דֵ֖ךְ [this] (24) + יִבְנ֥וֹן [let·them·build] (118) + עַל־אַתְרֵֽהּ [in·its·place] (706) = 3602.
Rashi
this [as translated,] this. the governors of the Jews The rulers of the Jews shall do this thing. and to the elders of the Jews And to the elders of the Jews I command. this House of God [as translated,] this House of God.
Ralbag
'Let the work of this house of God alone,' etc. - Leave the work of this house of God to the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews, and let them build this house of God in its place.
Metzudat David
'Let...alone' — leave alone the work of this house of God. 'The governor' — the governor of the Jews, together with the elders of the Jews, shall build this house of God on its site.
Metzudat Zion
And the elders of (velasavei) - The lamed here stands in place of "et" (in the sense of "with"), meaning "and with the elders."
Moreover I make a decree concerning what you shall do to these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God; that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses be given with all diligence to these men, that they be not hindered.
verse value 5871
Insights
Verse structure: 25 words, 110 letters. Notable word values: "the·Jews" (יְהוּדָיֵא֙) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "this" (דֵ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "which·you·shall·do" (דִֽי־תַֽעַבְד֗וּן, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 51: these, these. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "to·what" (לְמָ֣א), "which·you·shall·do" (דִֽי־תַֽעַבְד֗וּן), "with·elders·of" (עִם־שָׂבֵ֤י). The root אלך appears 2 times in this verse. 24 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "which" (root די, 59x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 14 words.
Rashi
And from me shall be issued an order And from me this command will go forth. regarding what you shall do regarding that building, the work that you shall do with these elders of the Jews to build the House of the Holy One, blessed be He. and from the king’s property And from the king’s property they shall make ths building. from the taxes of the other side of the river from the taxes of the other side of the river, which belong to the king. taxes Aram. מִדַּת, tax, like (4:13): “the king’s due (מִנְדָּה), the head tax, or the meal tax.” quickly Aram. אָסְפַּרְנָא. The building shall quickly be built; esploytosemant in Old French. The expenses shall be given The expenses shall be given to these men so that they should not idle from their work.
Ibn Ezra
"these" (eilekh) — is like "ilein" [these]; and they are two [dialectal] forms — one speaker says it this way, another says it that way.
Ralbag
'Moreover I make a decree concerning what you shall do to these elders of the Jews,' etc. - And from me a decree has gone out as to what you shall do with these elders of Judah for building this house of God: from the king’s property, from the king’s tribute that is beyond the River, the expense (shall be given) to these men without delay, so that the work not cease.
Metzudat David
'Moreover I' — and from me a decree has been issued as to what you shall do for these elders of the Jews. 'For the building' — of this house of God — meaning, that you shall also further assist them with the matter of the building. 'And of the goods' — that is, from the king's property, from the tax and tribute collected from the people beyond the River. 'With all diligence' — swiftly, the funds for the building shall be given to these men, so that the work not be halted for lack of money.
Malbim
'Moreover, by me a decree is made' - I am issuing a new decree, in addition to Cyrus's decree, for according to my decree it is not enough that you keep your distance and remain passive; rather, I command that it is not enough merely that you not stop the work - you are further obligated to actively help with the work. This is the meaning of 'concerning what you shall do with these elders of the Jews' - you must act together with them, to help them in building this House of God. Likewise I command that 'of the king's goods, that is, the tribute' [related to the mindah-tax] 'beyond the River, expenses shall promptly be given' - that they give them this expense from that tax without delay [for in Cyrus's decree it was written that the expense would come from the king's house, but it was not given to them promptly; so I command that it be given from the tribute of Beyond the River, and given at once] - 'that they be not hindered' - so that they should not be held up in their work for lack of funds.
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
verse value 5216
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 101 letters. Notable word values: "the·priests" (כָּהֲנַיָּ֤א) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "and·what" (וּמָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "who·in·Jerusalem" (דִי־בִירֽוּשְׁלֶם֙, 9 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "is·needed" (חַשְׁחָ֡ן), "and·rams" (וְדִכְרִ֣ין), "and·lambs" (וְאִמְּרִ֣ין). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 22 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·sons·of" (root בן, 167x in Ezra); "who·in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 48x in Ezra); "to·the·God·of" (root אלה, 43x in Ezra). First appearance of the root תור ("oxen") in Ezra. First appearance of the root דכר ("and·rams") in Ezra.
Rashi
And what they require and what they are concerned about. and young bulls young bulls, rams and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven. wheat for fine flour. salt for sacrifices. wine for libations. and oil for the meal-offerings. When the priests who are in Jerusalem will say [what they need], that shall be given to them the requirements of each day on its day. without delay Aram. דִּי לָא שָּׁלוּ (son destorber in Old French).
Ibn Ezra
"and whatever is needed" (u-mah chashchan) — [means] whatever they require; and likewise "chashchut" (Ezra 7:20) means "necessity."
Ralbag
'And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven,' etc. - And whatever is needed for this building - young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, and oil - according to the word of the priests who are in Jerusalem, let it be given to them day by day without fail.
Metzudat David
'And that which they have need of' — whatever they require: young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and oil — according to the amount specified by the priests who are in Jerusalem, shall be given to them every single day, so that you do not err or forget to give all of it.
Metzudat Zion
Have need of (chashchan) - Like "chosheshin" (are in need of), as in "we have no need" (Daniel 3:16). Fail (shalu) - An expression of "error" and "forgetting," as in "concerning the error" (II Samuel 6:7).
Malbim
The questions (9-12): At first it says that they should be 'far from there,' implying that they should not get involved at all; but afterward it says, 'concerning what you shall do with these elders of the Jews,' [implying] that they should help them with the building. And why does it say 'by me a decree is made' three times? 'And that which they have need of' - he adds still further to Cyrus's decree, that the expense of the sacrifices and the needs of the [Temple] service should also be given to them [something not mentioned in the previous decree]. That is: whatever they need - young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of Heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil - according to the word of the priests who are in Jerusalem, should be given to them day by day without delay, so that they may offer sacrifices to the God of Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
verse value 1525
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "to·the·God·of" (לֶאֱלָ֣הּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "offering" (מְהַקְרְבִ֛ין, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "offering" (מְהַקְרְבִ֛ין), "pleasing" (נִיחוֹחִ֖ין), "and·praying" (וּמְצַלַּ֕יִן). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·his·sons" (root בן, 167x in Ezra); "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "to·the·God·of" (root אלה, 43x in Ezra). First appearance of the root קרב ("offering") in Ezra. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heaven', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: דִּֽי־לֶהֱוֺ֧ן [that·let·them·be] (105) + מְהַקְרְבִ֛ין [offering] (407) + נִיחוֹחִ֖ין [pleasing] (142) + לֶאֱלָ֣הּ [to·the·God·of] (66) + שְׁמַיָּ֑א [heaven] (351) + וּמְצַלַּ֕יִן [and·praying] (226) + לְחַיֵּ֥י [for·life·of] (58) + מַלְכָּ֖א [the·king] (91) + וּבְנֽוֹהִי [and·his·sons] (79) = 1525.
Rashi
That they should in order that they should offer up pleasing sacrificing to the God of the heavens, and that they should pray for the life of the king and his children.
Ralbag
'That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savor to the God of heaven,' etc. - So that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
Metzudat David
'That they may' — that they may offer the sacrifices as a pleasing spirit to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this;
verse value 4996
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 78 letters. The shortest word is "that" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·his·house" (מִן־בַּיְתֵ֔הּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: that, who. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "all·man" (כׇל־אֱנָ֗שׁ), "shall·change" (יְהַשְׁנֵא֙), "let·it·be·pulled·out" (יִתְנְסַ֥ח). The root די appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·his·house" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "that" (root די, 59x in Ezra); "upon·it" (root על, 30x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 4 words.
Rashi
And an order is issued by me And a command is issued by me, along with the issue of a word regarding any person who disobeys this word. shall be torn Aram. יִתְנְסַח. The beams of his house shall be destroyed. יִתְנְסַח is like (Deut. 28:63): “and you shall be uprooted (וְנִסַחְתֶּם) from the land.” and a gallows upon which to place him And a gallows upon which to hang him shall be [raised up] high, so that he be hanged upon the gallows. and his house shall be made a dungheap and his house shall be made a dungheap because of this. נְוָלוּ connotes filth and excrement.
Ibn Ezra
"let ... be pulled out" (yitnasach) — means "it shall be torn down," as in "Hashem shall tear away" (yisach Hashem) (Proverbs 15:25) — He shall destroy; and likewise, "the watch of the house" [refers to] the breached spot, for he commanded that they guard the watch of the house at the site of the destruction, so that no one enter from there. "and let him be lifted up" (ve-zakif) — alludes to the standing walls and pillars; its counterpart is "who raises up (zokef) those who are bowed down" (Psalms 145:14), and its sense is "lifts up" or "sets upright"; and so too the Targum renders "and he lifted up his eyes" with the same root; and the meaning [of the verse] is that the one set upright shall be dashed against the wood [i.e., impaled upon the beam]. "a dunghill" (nevalu) — means "befouled," similar to "and they made it into a latrine" (2 Kings 10:27); and in the language of our Sages, of blessed memory: "manolta."
Ralbag
'Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word,' etc. - And from me a decree has gone forth that whoever alters this decree - a beam shall be pulled from his house, and upon that beam he shall be hanged, and his house shall be made a dunghill on account of this.
Metzudat David
'Also I' — and from me a decree has been issued, that any man who alters this matter— 'Let...be pulled out' — his punishment shall be that a beam shall be torn out of his own house, and he shall be set up and hanged upon it; and this is meant as an exceptionally severe threat and warning, that he be hanged upon the very beam torn out from his own house. 'And his house' — and his house shall be turned into a place of disgrace and a garbage-heap, on account of this.
Metzudat Zion
Be pulled out (yitnasach) - An expression of "uprooting," as in "Hashem will uproot the house of the proud" (Proverbs 15:25). Fastened on it (vezakif) - This is the beam on which a person is hanged; and in the words of our sages: "one who has a hanged relative should not say to his friend, 'hang up (zekof) the fish'" (Bava Metzia 59). [Let it be] fastened (yitmecha) - [Meaning] "let it be placed"; and in the words of our sages: "they placed it with the shopkeeper (hamechuhu etzel chenvani)" (ibid. 111).
Malbim
'Also, by me a decree is made' - this decree, too, is from me [for it is not found in Cyrus's original decree]: that whoever alters this matter, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and from it a stake shall be made on which he shall be hanged, at the door of his house, and his house shall be made into a dunghill.
and may the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples, who shall put forth their hand to alter the same, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.’
verse value 5970
Insights
Verse structure: 23 words, 91 letters. The shortest word is "who" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·house·of·God" (בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֥א, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 14: who, who, which. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·God" (וֵֽאלָהָ֞א), "caused·to·dwell" (שַׁכִּ֧ן), "may·he·overthrow" (יְמַגַּ֞ר). The root די appears 3 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "who" (root די, 59x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 6 words.
Rashi
And God, Who caused His name to rest there [as translated,] and God, Who caused His name to rest there. will cast down will cast down and destroy any such king and any such people that will stretch forth a hand to lay waste and destroy His house that is in Jerusalem. have issued an edict I have issued a command concerning this matter, that the building be constructed swiftly. Until here is Darius’s reply.
Ralbag
'And may the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples,' etc. - And may the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow every king and people who put forth their hand to alter or destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have decreed; let it be done with diligence.
Metzudat David
'And...God' — the God who causes His name to dwell there shall bring down any king or people who puts forth a hand to alter my decree, to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. 'I' — I, Darius, have issued a decree; let it be carried out with all speed.
Metzudat Zion
Overthrow (yemagar) - An expression of "casting down," as in "and his throne cast down to the ground" (Psalms 89).
Malbim
'And may the God' - however, if some [other] king or nation [over whom I have no power] should wish to destroy this House, may Hashem, who dwells there, cut him off. 'I, Darius' - meaning, beyond Cyrus's decree that it be built, I have issued a decree that it be done quickly; and this includes both that the building be built quickly, and that Tattenai and his colleagues make his decree known quickly, without delay. This is the meaning of 'then' [in the following verse] - that is, then, just as Darius had sent word, so, in accordance with these words, they acted, carrying out his decree quickly, just as he had commanded.
Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, because Darius the king had thus sent, acted with all diligence.
verse value 5173
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "governor·of" (פַּחַ֧ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·companions" (וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "they·acted" (עֲבַֽדוּ). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "they·acted" (root עבד, 24x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·their·companions', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: אֱ֠דַ֠יִן [then] (65) + תַּתְּנַ֞י [Tattenai] (860) + פַּחַ֧ת [governor·of] (488) + עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָ֛ה [beyond·the·River] (532) + שְׁתַ֥ר [Shethar] (900) + בּוֹזְנַ֖י [Bozenai] (75) + וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן [and·their·companions] (543) + לׇקֳבֵ֗ל [according·to] (162) + דִּֽי־שְׁלַ֞ח [that·sent] (352) + דָּרְיָ֧וֶשׁ [Darius] (520) + מַלְכָּ֛א [the·king] (91) + כְּנֵ֖מָא [thus] (111) + אׇסְפַּ֥רְנָא [thoroughly] (392) + עֲבַֽדוּ [they·acted] (82) = 5173.
Rashi
as was said [as translated,] as was said. acted swiftly [as translated,] acted swiftly.
Ibn Ezra
"in this manner ... with diligence" (kenema, asparna) — we have already explained these [above].
Ralbag
'Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their companions,' etc. - Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, because King Darius had sent word as we have stated, acted with diligence in accordance with it.
Metzudat David
'Then' — at that time. 'Tattenai, etc.' — and their companions, because of the message that Darius the king had sent, as we have said — accordingly, they carried out his word with all speed.
And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
verse value 6349
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 104 letters. Notable word values: "the·Jews" (יְהוּדָיֵא֙) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "Haggai" (חַגַּ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Artaxerxes" (וְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּא, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 526: Cyrus, and·Darius. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·elders·of" (וְשָׂבֵ֤י), "and·prospering" (וּמַצְלְחִ֔ין), "in·prophecy·of" (בִּנְבוּאַת֙). The root בנה appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·of" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "the·God·of" (root אלה, 43x in Ezra); "are·building" (root בנה, 31x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·son·of·Iddo', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 11 words.
Rashi
And the elders of the Jews And the elders of the Jews were building and succeeding in their work, according to the prophecy of Haggai and Zechariah, and they built and founded the building by the command of the God of Israel and by the authorization of Cyrus, the first king of Persia, in whose days the laying of the foundation was commenced, and by the authorization of this Darius, the king of Persia. and Artaxerxes He is Darius, but he was called Artaxerxes because of the province and the kingdom, for all kings of Persia were thus named just as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh.
Ibn Ezra
"and Darius" — he is Darius the Mede, the elder; and "Artaxerxes" is Ahasuerus, [reigning] in the kingship of Darius, who is the son of Ahasuerus.
Ralbag
'And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo' - they built and finished it by the decree of the God of heaven; and by the decree of Cyrus and Darius they built the house of Hashem, as their charge was mentioned in this place [earlier in the book]. And by the decree of Artaxerxes king of Persia they built the wall of Jerusalem, as will be mentioned later on [in the continuation of this book]. This [Artaxerxes] was also called Darius - if what is reported is true, that Alexander defeated Darius and took his kingdom. It appears that from Ahasuerus they obtained nothing at all toward the building of Jerusalem or the building of the Temple. Do not wonder how this could be, given Mordechai's greatness - for Ahasuerus's reign did not continue long after this: the whole span of his reign was fourteen years, and it was in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus's reign that Mordechai's greatness came about in the king's house. It is possible, too, that Mordechai simply was unable to obtain this from him.
Metzudat David
'And the elders' — the elders of the Jews built and prospered, just as Haggai, etc., had prophesied. 'And they built' — they began to build and completed the building, in accordance with the decree of the God of Israel, who had commanded through the prophets. 'And according to the decree' — of Cyrus, who originally granted permission to build the house, and of the decree of Darius the Persian, who reaffirmed Cyrus's word. 'And Artaxerxes' — this is Darius the Persian; [the name] 'Artaxerxes' is a title applied to all the kings of Persia, just as 'Pharaoh' is to the kings of Egypt, and similarly [for other nations].
Malbim
'And the elders of the Jews... built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel' - etc. - This means that there was a providence at work, hidden within the natural order: the matter came about through the God of Israel by way of [His] providence, but not by way of an openly revealed miracle - only that Hashem placed such a thing in the hearts of the kings. As has been said, Israel deserved that a miracle be performed for them in the days of Ezra, just as was done for them in the days of Joshua son of Nun, but sin caused it not to happen. Now, as for '[through the decree] of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes' - according to the view of our Sages in [tractate] Rosh Hashanah, this is one and the same name; and so, too, Rashi explains that Artaxerxes is Darius, called by that name after [the style of] the monarchy. Likewise, regarding what is written above (4:7), 'and in the days of Artaxerxes,' Rashi explains that this refers to Cyrus - for such is the view of our Sages. The Razah, however, in the first chapter of [tractate] Rosh Hashanah, wrote: this is what emerges according to the Sages' midrashic teaching, but the correct explanation, according to the plain sense of '[through the decree] of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes,' is that these were three [separate] kings - Cyrus, who began [the work]; Darius, who completed the building of the House; and, soon after him, Artaxerxes, who built the walls of Jerusalem. Various systems and opinions have already been proposed regarding the number and names of the kings of Persia, and nothing about this is certain.
And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
verse value 4928
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֛ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "was·finished" (וְשֵׁיצִיא֙, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 417: was·finished, the·house. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "was·finished" (וְשֵׁיצִיא֙), "the·house" (בַּיְתָ֣ה), "three" (תְּלָתָ֖ה). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·king" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "the·house" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "day" (root יום, 25x in Ezra). First appearance of the root היא ("which·was") in Ezra. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Adar', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְשֵׁיצִיא֙ [was·finished] (417) + בַּיְתָ֣ה [the·house] (417) + דְנָ֔ה [this] (59) + עַ֛ד [until] (74) + י֥וֹם [day] (56) + תְּלָתָ֖ה [three] (835) + לִירַ֣ח [of·the·month] (248) + אֲדָ֑ר [Adar] (205) + דִּי־הִ֣יא [which·was] (30) + שְׁנַת־שֵׁ֔ת [year·of·six] (1450) + לְמַלְכ֖וּת [of·reign·of] (526) + דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ [Darius] (520) + מַלְכָּֽא [the·king] (91) = 4928.
Rashi
And the completion of this House And the end of the completion of this House was until the third day of the month of Adar, which is the sixth year of King Darius; hence the building of the House took four years.
Ralbag
'And this house was finished' - on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
Metzudat David
'And...was finished' — the completion of the building of this house was delayed until the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.
Metzudat Zion
Was finished (veshitzia) - An expression of completion, as in "when they had finished" (Genesis 43:2), which Targum Onkelos renders "kad shetzi'u" (when they had finished).
Malbim
'And this house was finished' - the building was completed on the third of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius; it follows that the building took four years and six months (see Haggai 1:15).
And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
verse value 2850
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "the·priests" (כָּהֲנַיָּ֨א) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 2850 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "this" (דְנָ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·Israel" (בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·they·kept" (וַעֲבַ֣דוּ), "sons·of·the·exile" (בְּנֵי־גָלוּתָ֗א), "the·dedication·of" (חֲנֻכַּ֛ת). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of·Israel" (root בן, 167x in Ezra); "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "the·priests" (root כהן, 34x in Ezra). Full calculation: וַעֲבַ֣דוּ [and·they·kept] (88) + בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל [sons·of·Israel] (603) + כָּהֲנַיָּ֨א [the·priests] (86) + וְלֵוָיֵ֜א [and·the·Levites] (53) + וּשְׁאָ֣ר [and·rest·of] (507) + בְּנֵי־גָלוּתָ֗א [sons·of·the·exile] (502) + חֲנֻכַּ֛ת [the·dedication·of] (478) + בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֥א [the·house·of·God] (449) + דְנָ֖ה [this] (59) + בְּחֶדְוָֽה [with·joy] (25) = 2850.
Ralbag
'And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity' - kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
Metzudat David
'And...kept' — the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the exile — namely, the Nethinim and the sons of Solomon's servants — all of them held the dedication of this house of God with joy.
Metzudat Zion
The dedication (chanukat) - The beginning of a matter, to be established in it from then onward, is called "chanoch" (dedication) in biblical language.
Malbim
'And they kept the dedication of this house with joy' - the early commentators have already explained the phrase 'this house': that had they merited it, the time of the future redemption would have arrived right then, and immediately after this building was finished, the Temple would have descended from heaven, like the Temple that Ezekiel saw for the time to come, and they would have begun the second dedication spoken of in Ezekiel. But for the time being they held the dedication only of 'this' house - the word 'this' [dena] indicating that [the verse] looks forward to the dedication of another House [yet to come]. Now, the dedication described by Ezekiel is to begin on the twenty-third of Adar, as is explained there, and they extended their own dedication until the twenty-third of Adar, which comes to twenty-one days. And had they merited it, the dedication of that final House, to be built by the hand of Heaven, would have followed immediately. And since Purim - a time of feasting and joy - fell within these very days, it says [pointedly] that the essential joy was over the dedication, which was greater than the joy of Purim.
And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
verse value 7009
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 100 letters. The shortest word is "this" (דְנָה֒, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·all·Israel" (עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 46: hundred, hundred. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·they·offered" (וְהַקְרִ֗בוּ), "at·the·dedication·of" (לַחֲנֻכַּת֮), "two·hundred" (מָאתַ֔יִן). The root מאה appears 3 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "hundred" (root מאה, 60x in Ezra); "for·all·Israel" (root ישראל, 31x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hundred', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 9 words.
Rashi
And they offered up for the dedication They offered up for the dedication of this House these sacrifices, and it was a temporary ruling.
Ralbag
'And they offered at the dedication of this house of God' - a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and, as a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.
Metzudat David
'Bullocks' (torin) — the Aramaic word for bulls. 'Rams' (dichrin) — the Aramaic word for rams. 'Lambs' (immrin) — the Aramaic word for lambs. 'And he-goats' — and goats [offered] as a sin-offering on behalf of all Israel — [including] the people who did not return in the Second Temple [period], except for Judah and Benjamin [who did]. 'According to the number' — corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel; and our sages, of blessed memory, said that this was a temporary ruling [for that occasion only], for a sin-offering is not [otherwise] brought as a voluntary offering.
Malbim
'And they offered' - the fact that these offerings included male goats brought as a communal sin-offering is not in accordance with the strict law, but rather a temporary ruling instituted on the authority of the prophets, as the Gemara concludes in [tractate] Horayot and [tractate] Temurah.
And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.
verse value 3875
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 63 letters. Notable word values: "the·priests" (כָהֲנַיָּ֜א) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "which" (דִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·their·courses" (בְּמַחְלְקָ֣תְה֔וֹן, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·they·set" (וַהֲקִ֨ימוּ), "in·their·divisions" (בִּפְלֻגָּתְה֗וֹן), "in·their·courses" (בְּמַחְלְקָ֣תְה֔וֹן). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root די, 59x in Ezra); "in·Jerusalem" (root ירושלם, 48x in Ezra); "God" (root אלה, 43x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַהֲקִ֨ימוּ [and·they·set] (167) + כָהֲנַיָּ֜א [the·priests] (86) + בִּפְלֻגָּתְה֗וֹן [in·their·divisions] (576) + וְלֵוָיֵא֙ [and·the·Levites] (53) + בְּמַחְלְקָ֣תְה֔וֹן [in·their·courses] (641) + עַל־עֲבִידַ֥ת [for·service·of] (586) + אֱלָהָ֖א [God] (37) + דִּ֣י [which] (14) + בִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם [in·Jerusalem] (588) + כִּכְתָ֖ב [as·writing·of] (442) + סְפַ֥ר [the·book·of] (340) + מֹשֶֽׁה [Moses] (345) = 3875.
Rashi
Now they set up the priests in their divisions for the priests were divided in their service and the Levites in their watches.
Ibn Ezra
"in their divisions" (be-fluggatehon) — [means] in their division/group.
Ralbag
'And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses' - for the service of God which is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.
Metzudat David
'And they set' — they appointed the priests according to their divisions, and the Levites according to their watches, for the service of God that is in Jerusalem, as is written in the book of the Torah of Moses — the priests for the service of the altar, and the Levites for song.
Metzudat Zion
In their divisions (bifelugatehon) - An expression of "division."
Malbim
'And they set the priests in their divisions' - the priests were divided into twenty-four watches, each of which would serve in a different week, and each watch was divided into seven ancestral houses, each of which would serve on a different day - but which particular service each would perform was decided by lottery. The Levites, however, were divided even further: the heads of the ancestral houses would assign to each man which particular service he was to perform, as is explained in the Rambam (Hilchot Klei HaMikdash, ch. 3, halachah 40; see the Kesef Mishneh there). This is why it says of the Levites, 'in their courses' - [indicating] that they were divided more finely than the priests, each man to his own particular service.
And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
verse value 2811
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "ten" (עָשָׂ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·the·captivity" (בְנֵי־הַגּוֹלָ֖ה, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "the·passover" (אֶת־הַפָּ֑סַח), "in·four" (בְּאַרְבָּעָ֥ה). 7 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·passover', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ [and·they·made] (392) + בְנֵי־הַגּוֹלָ֖ה [sons·of·the·captivity] (111) + אֶת־הַפָּ֑סַח [the·passover] (554) + בְּאַרְבָּעָ֥ה [in·four] (280) + עָשָׂ֖ר [ten] (570) + לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ [of·the·month] (342) + הָרִאשֽׁוֹן [the·first] (562) = 2811.
Rashi
the Passover [offering] Now Israel made the Passover offering on this fourteenth of Nissan, which followed this Adar, when the building was completed.
Ralbag
'And the children of the captivity kept the passover,' etc. - He states that the priests and the Levites purified themselves together - all of them were pure - and that is why all of them were able to keep the Passover on the fourteenth day; for one who is impure through contact with the dead is deferred to the Second Passover, as is explained in Parashat Beha'alotcha.
Metzudat David
'The children of the captivity' — meaning, those who returned from the exile.
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure; and they killed the passover lamb for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
verse value 1869
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·their·brothers" (וְלַאֲחֵיהֶ֥ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 130: the·priests, the·priests. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "had·purified·themselves" (הִֽטַּהֲר֞וּ), "pure" (טְהוֹרִ֑ים), "and·they·killed" (וַיִּשְׁחֲט֤וּ). The root טהר appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·priests" (root כהן, 34x in Ezra); "all·of·them" (root כל, 33x in Ezra); "and·the·Levites" (root לוי, 23x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pure', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 7 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + הִֽטַּהֲר֞וּ [had·purified·themselves] (225) + הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים [the·priests] (130) + וְהַלְוִיִּ֛ם [and·the·Levites] (97) + כְּאֶחָ֖ד [as·one] (33) + כֻּלָּ֣ם [all·of·them] (90) + טְהוֹרִ֑ים [pure] (270) + וַיִּשְׁחֲט֤וּ [and·they·killed] (339) + הַפֶּ֙סַח֙ [the·passover] (153) + לְכׇל־בְּנֵ֣י [to·all·sons·of] (142) + הַגּוֹלָ֔ה [the·captivity] (49) + וְלַאֲחֵיהֶ֥ם [and·to·their·brothers] (100) + הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים [the·priests] (130) + וְלָהֶֽם [and·to·them] (81) = 1869.
Rashi
and for themselves Heb. וְלָהֶם, lit. and for them, and for themselves.
Metzudat David
'Had purified themselves' — they immersed themselves [to cleanse] from their impurity. 'Together' [lit. 'as one'] — like a single individual who purifies himself and becomes entirely pure, so were all of them pure. 'And they killed' — the Levites slaughtered [the passover offering] for the needs of the children of the captivity, and for the needs of the priests, their brothers of the sons of Levi, and for themselves.
Malbim
'For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together' - in contrast to what Ezra states in Chronicles (II Chronicles 29:30), 'for the Levites were more diligent of heart to sanctify themselves than the priests,' here it says that this time they purified themselves together, all as one. And lest one think that some priests or Levites still remained impure, it therefore says: 'all of them were pure; and [they killed the passover lamb] for all the children of the captivity' - the slaughtering of the Passover offerings was performed by the Levites, as is likewise stated (II Chronicles 30:16), and there (35:6, 10, 11). And it recounts, in the Levites' praise, that they gave precedence to the Passover offerings of [ordinary] Israel over those of the priests, since [the Israelites] were eager and prompt, while the Passover offerings of the priests took precedence over the Levites' own offerings for themselves.
And the children of Israel, who had come back out of the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Hashem, the God of Israel, did eat,
verse value 3327
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "and·all" (וְכֹ֗ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·Israel" (בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: and·all, to·Hashem. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "and·they·ate" (וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ), "the·returnees" (הַשָּׁבִים֙), "from·the·captivity" (מֵֽהַגּוֹלָ֔ה). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons·of·Israel" (root בן, 167x in Ezra); "the·God·of" (root אלהים, 47x in Ezra); "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 37x in Ezra). First appearance of the root בדל ("the·separated") in Ezra. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ [and·they·ate] (73) + בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל [sons·of·Israel] (603) + הַשָּׁבִים֙ [the·returnees] (357) + מֵֽהַגּוֹלָ֔ה [from·the·captivity] (89) + וְכֹ֗ל [and·all] (56) + הַנִּבְדָּ֛ל [the·separated] (91) + מִטֻּמְאַ֥ת [from·the·uncleanness·of] (490) + גּוֹיֵֽ־הָאָ֖רֶץ [the·nations·of·the·land] (315) + אֲלֵהֶ֑ם [to·them] (76) + לִדְרֹ֕שׁ [to·seek] (534) + לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה [to·Hashem] (56) + אֱלֹהֵ֥י [the·God·of] (46) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 3327.
Rashi
and whoever separated They are the proselytes, who were separated from the defilement of the nations to cleave to Israel.
Ibn Ezra
"and all such as had separated themselves" — these are the proselytes who separated themselves from the impurity of the peoples of the land and joined them [Israel] to seek Hashem as they did; or, [alternatively,] the one who "separated himself" was from Israel, [meaning] one who separated himself from the impurity of the peoples of the lands.
Ralbag
'and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land' - It appears that many of the exiles had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations in order to go up to Jerusalem. And since many of the exiles - both from the exile of the Ten Tribes and from the exile of Judah - were under the king of Assyria, Scripture says that Hashem, may He be blessed, had already turned the heart of the king of Assyria in their favor. And it appears that Scripture is calling Darius 'the king of Assyria,' because he ruled over the king of Assyria.
Metzudat David
'Did eat' — of the passover [offering]. 'And all such as had separated themselves from the filthiness, etc.' — these are the converts who separated themselves from the impurity of the idolaters in order to join Israel, to seek Hashem as they did.
Malbim
'And all such as had separated themselves' - these are the converts, as is stated in [tractate] Kiddushin, folio 70.
and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for Hashem had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
verse value 5264
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 85 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·house·of·God" (בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים, 9 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezra. Unique to this verse in Ezra (hapax): "festival·of·unleavened·bread" (חַג־מַצּ֛וֹת), "had·made·them·joyful" (שִׂמְּחָ֣ם), "and·had·turned" (וְֽהֵסֵ֞ב). 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king·of·Assyria" (root מלך, 77x in Ezra); "the·house·of·God" (root בית, 64x in Ezra); "the·God·of" (root אלהים, 47x in Ezra). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·joy', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 13 words.
Rashi
and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them And the Holy One, blessed be He, turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward the Israelites who were dwelling under his dominion in the land of Assyria, to strengthen them and to assist in the work of the building.
Ibn Ezra
"and kept [the feast] ... the king of Assyria" — that is Artaxerxes; and he is called "Assyria" rather than "Persia" because the kings of Assyria had laid waste the Land of Israel, and now [his heart] was turned from his evil intent to good — and this is the reason for [the words] "to strengthen their hands."
Metzudat David
'The king of Assyria' — this is Darius, who also reigned over Assyria, which had formerly been the head of all the kingdoms, until Nebuchadnezzar came and transferred the monarchy to Babylon. 'To them' — for their good. 'To strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God' — by giving them the expenses for the building, and help against the enemy who was trying to stop the work.
Metzudat Zion
Had turned (vehasev) - An expression of "turning" (sibuv), meaning He inclined and turned [the king's heart].
Malbim
'The king of Assyria' - the king of Persia, who ruled over Assyria as well; and there [in that region] were the officials and governors who ruled throughout the whole of Beyond the River, and who were always enemies of Israel. Now even [the officials of] the kingdom of Assyria - meaning, all the officers of that realm - turned favorable toward them and strengthened their hands. Compare Daniel (8:21), '[the] king of Greece,' which is [there] explained to mean 'the kingdom of Greece.'
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim