5:1 VE HIT'NAVI CHAGAI NEVIY'AH U ZECHAR-YAH VAR ID'O NEVIY'A'YA AL YEHUDAY'E DI VIYHUD U VIYRUSHLEM BE SHEM ELAH YISRA-EL ALEYHON
וְהִתְנַבִּי חַגַּי נְבִיָּאה וּזְכַרְיָה בַר עִדּוֹא נְבִיַּאיָּא עַל יְהוּדָיֵא דִּי בִיהוּד וּבִירוּשְׁלֶם בְּשֻׁם אֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלֵיהוֹן
KJ (King James translation): Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
BN (BibleNet translation): Now Chagai the prophet, and Zechar-Yah ben Ido the prophet, prophesied to the Yehuday'e who were in Yehud and in Yerushlem; in the name of the goddess of Yisra-El they prophesied to them.
Our text continues in Aramaic.
CHAGAI: see the link. A full text of his book, with commentary, will be available shortly. The same for Zechariah, below.
ZECHAR-YAH BEN IDO: Interesting that he's Ben Ido and not Bar Ido. Both Zeru-Bavel and Yeshu'a have the Aramaic form - see next verse.
HIT'NAVI...NEVIY'AH ... NEVI'A'YA: All three words from the same root, which also gives Mount Nebo, where Mosheh went to die - "the Mountain of the Prophet". The first is the verb, in the reflective (Hit'pael) form; the second and third both appear to be titles, though the third has an extended ending which may actually be nothing more than a scribal error.
If that Aramaic Aleph (א) is their way of doing what would be a Hey (ה) ending in Yehudit, does that make Chagai and Zechar-Yah prophets of Yah? ELAH, which is feminine, does rather seem to confirm it. And obviously Zechar-Yah's own name, like several other of the prophets - the Yirme-Yah reference in the opening verse of this book is also significant in this regard, because elsewhere he is named Yirme-Yahu, probably a change made in the Hasmonean epoch, a century and more after Ezra.
YEHUDAY'E: Yehudim, as in chapter 4, but note that the land is named Yehud here, not Yehudah.
ELAH: Feminine, as noted above; in the next verse it gets a fuller rendition as Elah'a, corroborating the feminine.
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5:2 BE'DAYIN KAMU ZERU-BAVEL BAR SHE'ALTIY-EL VE YESHU'A BAR YO-TSADAK VE SHARIV LE MIVN'E BEIT ELAH'A DI VIYRUSHLEM VE IM'HON NEVIY'A'YA DI ELAH'A MESA'ADIN LEHON
בֵּאדַיִן קָמוּ זְרֻבָּבֶל בַּר שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל וְיֵשׁוּעַ בַּר יוֹצָדָק וְשָׁרִיו לְמִבְנֵא בֵּית אֱלָהָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם וְעִמְּהוֹן נְבִיאַיָּא דִי אֱלָהָא מְסָעֲדִין לְהוֹן
KJ: Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
BN: And imediately Zeru-Bavel bar She'alti-El, and Yeshu'a bar Yo-Tsadak, organised the rebuilding the house of Elah'a which is in Yerushlem; and with them were the prophets of Elah'a, helping them.
YESHU'A BAR YO-TSADAK: See my note on his name at Ezra 3:2; that verse also gives the same general information as this verse, which is problematic, because in the intervening period, in chapter 4, a decree was issued to suspend the building. Is this then going back in time, and resuming there? Or have we moved forward in time, and the urging of the prophets has encouraged them to challenge the edict and break the enforced suspension? The tale that follows confirms the latter, but we have to point out that its date nevertheless conflicts with the data in chapter 4.
Why is that historians forever afterwards have remembered Zeru-Bavel, but Yeshu'a never gets a mention; and there he is sharing a name with, transitioning a name between, Yehoshu'a (Joshua), Yehsa-Yahu (Isaiah) and Yishai (Jesus).
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5:3 BEH ZIMN'A AT'A ALEYHON TATNAI PACHAT AVAR NAHARAH U SHETAR-BOZNAI U CHENAVAT'HON VE CHEN AMRIN LEHOM MAN SAM LECHOM TE'EM BAYET'A DENAH LIBN'E VE USHARN'A DENAH LE SHACHLALAH
בֵּהּ זִמְנָא אֲתָא עֲלֵיהוֹן תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה וּשְׁתַר-בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתְהוֹן וְכֵן אָמְרִין לְהֹם מַן שָׂם לְכֹם טְעֵם בַּיְתָא דְנָה לִבְּנֵא וְאֻשַּׁרְנָא דְנָה לְשַׁכְלָלָה
KJ: At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
BN: No sooner had they done so than Tatnai, the governor beyond the river, and Shetar-Boznai, and their associates, came to them, and spoke thus to them: "Who issued you a decree to build this house, and to finish this structure?"
TATNAI: Lots of speculation at the link about its meaning, but wouldn't it be simpler to assume that the Persian governor would have a Persian name, and track it down there. Tatnai - "a gift".
SHETAR-BOZNAI: Interesting name - I have a paragraph about the firts part of it in my history of the Jews of England, "The Badge & The Cross":
The following claim is rejected by many scholars, but worth a passing reference anyway. It was first suggested by William Blackstone (1723-1780), Member of Parliament, justice of the King’s Bench and Justice of the Common Pleas, whose "Commentaries on the Laws of England" remains to this day the definitive work on English Law. In a paper published in 1769 he suggested that the otherwise incomprehensible name “Star Chamber” may have derived from the Hebrew word “shetar”, which means “a document”, and specifically a legally-binding contract. However, the earliest known record of the name “Star Chamber” called it “The Sterred Chamber”, which is further away from “Shetar", and closer to the other presumed meaning, that the ceiling of the original building that housed what was effectively the mediaeval Court of Appeal was painted with stars.
As to the BOZNAI part - the root is BAZAH, and it means "contempt" - so yet another name for one of Yehudah's enemies, rendered as a derogatory nickname - "old Mr Contempt-for-the-law across the river". If so, the correct name is take-your-pick from Ezra 4:7 and 4:8.
And if not, as with Tatnai, is there a Persian equivalent? Perhaps Šêtharabûzana, which means something like "delivering the Empire".
AVAR NAHARAYIM: Could mean either "west of the Euphrates" or "east of the Yarden", depneding on whose perspective is being taken; but in both cases it still means Ashur (Assyria), and probably Damasek (Damascus).
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5:4 EDAYIN KE NEM'A AMARN'A LEHOM MAN INUN SHEMAHAT GUVRAY'A DI DENAH VINYAN'A BANAYIN
אֱדַיִן כְּנֵמָא אֲמַרְנָא לְּהֹם מַן אִנּוּן שְׁמָהָת גֻּבְרַיָּא דִּי דְנָה בִנְיָנָא בָּנַיִן
KJ: Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
BN: And at the same time they asked: "What are the names of the men who are building this building?"
The text here is very confusing, and not only because neither I nor the King James translators know very much Aramaic; the text here is very confusing anyway. But verse 9 clarifies that Ezra is telling us what was being said by the Persian governor et al, so this is "they", not "we".
5:5 VE EYN ELAHAHOM HAVAT AL SAVEY YEHUDAY'E VE LA VATILU HIMO AD TA'M'A LE DAR-YAVESH YEHACH VE EDAYIN YETIYVUN NISHTEVAN'A AL DENAH
וְעֵין אֱלָהֲהֹם הֲוָת עַל שָׂבֵי יְהוּדָיֵא וְלָא בַטִּלוּ הִמּוֹ עַד טַעְמָא לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ יְהָךְ וֶאֱדַיִן יְתִיבוּן נִשְׁתְּוָנָא עַל דְּנָה
KJ: But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.
BN: But the eye of their god was upon the elders of the Yehuday'e, and they could not make them cease, not until the matter should come to Dar-Yavesh, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
ELAHAHOM: adding to the confusion by speaking about his own people in the 3rd person.
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5:6 PARSHEGEN IGART'A DI SHELACH TATNAI PACHAT AVAR NAHARAH U SHETAR-BOZNAI U CHENAVATEH APHARSECHAY'E DI BA AVAR NAHARAH AL DAR-YAVESH MALK'A
פַּרְשֶׁגֶן אִגַּרְתָּא דִּי שְׁלַח תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֲבַר נַהֲרָה וּשְׁתַר-בּוֹזְנַי וּכְנָוָתֵהּ אֲפַרְסְכָיֵא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה עַל דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא
KJ: The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
BN: Below is a copy of the letter that Tatnai, the governor beyond the river, and Shetar-Boznai, and his associates the Apharsechay'a, who were beyond the river, sent to Dar-Yavesh the king.
APHARSECHAY'E: see my notes to Ezra 4:9.
5:7 PITGAM'A SHELACHU ALOHI VE CHIDNAH KETIV BE GAVEH LE DAR-YAVESH MALK'A SHELAM'A CHOL'A
פִּתְגָמָא שְׁלַחוּ עֲלוֹהִי וְכִדְנָה כְּתִיב בְּגַוֵּהּ לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שְׁלָמָא כֹלָּא
KJ: They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.
BN: They sent a letter to him, in which it was written as follows: To Dar-Yavesh the king, all peace.
SHELAM'A CHOL'A: I like that for a greeting, I shall have to start using it! But why does this verse repeat what was already said in the previous - second time we've seen this, and oddly that was at Ezra 4:9 as well.
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5:8 YEDIY'A LEHEV'E LE MALK'A DI AZALN'A LIYHUD MEDIYNT'A LE VEIT ELAH'A RAB'A VE HU MIT'BEN'E EVEN GELAL VE A' MIT'SAM BE CHUTLAY'A VA AVIYDET'A DACH ASPARN'A MITAVD'A U MATSLACH BE YEDHON
יְדִיעַ לֶהֱוֵא לְמַלְכָּא דִּי אֲזַלְנָא לִיהוּד מְדִינְתָּא לְבֵית אֱלָהָא רַבָּא וְהוּא מִתְבְּנֵא אֶבֶן גְּלָל וְאָע מִתְּשָׂם בְּכֻתְלַיָּא וַעֲבִידְתָּא דָךְ אָסְפַּרְנָא מִתְעַבְדָא וּמַצְלַח בְּיֶדְהֹם
KJ: Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
BN: "Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Yehud, to the house of the great god, which is being built with great stones, and timber laid in the walls, and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands...
ELAH'A: note how closely this Aramaic name for the deity alligns El and Elohim and Elyon in the Yehudit with al-Lah in the Arabic/Moslem.
MIT'BEN'E: Use of the Hit-pa'el, or reflexive, so this is "being built" rather than suggesting that it is complete, as most translations offer.
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5:9 EDAYIN SHE'ELNAH LE SAVAY'A ILECH KE NEM'A AMARN'A LEHOM MAN SHAM LECHOM TE'EM BAYET'A DENAH LE MIVNEYAH VE USHARN'A DENAH LE SHACHLALAH
אֱדַיִן שְׁאֵלְנָא לְשָׂבַיָּא אִלֵּךְ כְּנֵמָא אֲמַרְנָא לְהֹם מַן שָׂם לְכֹם טְעֵם בַּיְתָא דְנָה לְמִבְנְיָה וְאֻשַּׁרְנָא דְנָה לְשַׁכְלָלָה
KJ: Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?
BN: "Then we enquired of their leaders, saying to them thus: 'Who issued you a decree to build this house, and to finish this gate?..'
USHARN'A: See my note to 4:16.
5:10 VE APH SHEMAHAT'HOM SHE'ELN'A LEHOM LE HODA'UTACH DI NICHTUV SHUM GUVRAY'A DI VERA'SHEYHOM
וְאַף שְׁמָהָתְהֹם שְׁאֵלְנָא לְהֹם לְהוֹדָעוּתָךְ דִּי נִכְתֻּב שֻׁם גֻּבְרַיָּא דִּי בְרָאשֵׁיהֹם
KJ: We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
BN: "We also asked them their names, so that we could inform you - you will find the names of the men who are their leaders written below...
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5:11 U CHE NEM'A PITGAM'A HA TIYVUN'A LE MEMAR ANACHN'A HIMO AVDOHI DI ELAH SHEMAY'A VE AR'A U VANAYIN BAYET'A DI HAV'E VENEH MI KADMAT DENAH SHENIN SAGIY'AN U MELECH LE YISRA-EL RAV BENAHI VE SHACHLELEH
וּכְנֵמָא פִתְגָמָא הֲתִיבוּנָא לְמֵמַר אֲנַחְנָא הִמּוֹ עַבְדוֹהִי דִי אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא וּבָנַיִן בַּיְתָא דִּי הֲוָא בְנֵה מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָה שְׁנִין שַׂגִּיאָן וּמֶלֶךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל רַב בְּנָהִי וְשַׁכְלְלֵהּ
KJ: 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.
BN: "And this is the answer that they gave back to us, saying: 'We are the servants of the god of the heavens and the Earth, and we are re-building the house that stood here years ago, which a great king of Yisra-El built and finished...
5:12 LAHEN MIN DI HARGIZU AVAHATAN'A LE ELAH SHEMAY'A YEHAV HIMO BE YAD NEVUCHADNETSAR MELECH BAVEL KASDAY'A U VAYETAH DENAH SATREH VE AMAH HAGLI LE VAVEL
לָהֵן מִן דִּי הַרְגִּזוּ אֲבָהֳתַנָא לֶאֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא יְהַב הִמּוֹ בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל כַּסְדָּיאָ וּבַיְתָה דְנָה סַתְרֵהּ וְעַמָּה הַגְלִי לְבָבֶל
KJ: But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
BN: "'But because our ancestors made Elah Shemay'a very angry, he gave them into the hand of Nevuchadnetsar king of Bavel, in Kasday'a, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away to Bav-El...
MELECH: suddenly the text reverts to Yehudit for just one word - rather than the Aramaic Malk'a which is used again, twice, in the next verse; and that verse is the same sentence by the same speaker, so there has to be a textual error here.
KASDAY'A; The Aramaic for Kesed, or Chaldea.
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5:13 BERAM BISHNAT CHADAH LE KORESH MALK'A DI VAVEL KORESH MALK'A SAM TE'EM BEIT ELAH'A DENAH LIVN'E
בְּרַם בִּשְׁנַת חֲדָה לְכוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא דִּי בָבֶל כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שָׂם טְעֵם בֵּית אֱלָהָא דְנָה לִבְּנֵא
KJ: But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
BN: "'But in the first year of Koresh, king of Bavel, Koresh the king issued a decree to build this house for Elah'a...
KORESH: see the link.
ELAH'A: Why, if the deity was known as Elah'a in the time of Ezra and Nechem-Yah, does it not have this name in the earlier texts? Obviously it would be anachronistic, since it's the Arami name, but as the text is intended for Arami speakers... or maybe it was deliberately not used, in order to press for Aramit to be given up in favour of Yehudit. Clearly Ezra and Nechem-Yah were in dispute in this matter - the latter complaining vehemently that his people are speaking a foreign language and have forgotten their own, Ezra continuing to employ it.
5:14 VE APH MA'NAY'A DI VEIT ELAH'A DI DAHAVAH VE CHASP'A DI NEVUCHADNETSAR HANPEK MIN HEYCHL'A DI BIYRUSHLEM VE HEYVEL HIMO LE HEYCHL'A DI BAVEL HANPEK HIMO KORESH MALK'A MIN HEYCHL'A DI BAVEL VIYHIYVU LE SHESHBATSAR SHEMEH DI PHECHAH SAMEH
וְאַף מָאנַיָּא דִי בֵית אֱלָהָא דִּי דַהֲבָה וְכַסְפָּא דִּי נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הַנְפֵּק מִן הֵיכְלָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם וְהֵיבֵל הִמּוֹ לְהֵיכְלָא דִּי בָבֶל הַנְפֵּק הִמּוֹ כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא מִן הֵיכְלָא דִּי בָבֶל וִיהִיבוּ לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר שְׁמֵהּ דִּי פֶחָה שָׂמֵהּ
KJ: And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
BN: "'And the gold and silver vessels which were also from the house of Elah'a, which Nevuchadnetsar took out of the Temple that was in Yerushlem, and brought to the temple at Bavel, those did Koresh the king take out of the temple at Bavel, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbatsar, who he had made governor...
NEVUCHADNETSAR: see the link.
BAVEL: see the link.
SHESHBATSAR: see Ezra 1:1. No mention of Zeru-Bavel, and again I am left wondering if Shesh-Batsar was his title, and Zeru-Bavel his name, and they were the same person.
5:15 VA AMAR LEH ELEH MA'NAY'A S'E EZEL ACHET HIMO BE HEYCHL'A DI VIYRUSHLEM U VEIT ELAH'A YITBEN'E AL ATREH
וַאֲמַר לֵהּ אֵלֶּה מָאנַיָּא שֵׂא אֵזֶל אֲחֵת הִמּוֹ בְּהֵיכְלָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם וּבֵית אֱלָהָא יִתְבְּנֵא עַל אַתְרֵהּ
KJ: And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.
BN: "'And he said to him: Take these vessels, go, put them in the Temple that is in Yerushlem, and let the house of Elah'a be built in that place...
Apologies, but I don't have a third way of doing quotation marks, so this second-internal will have to go without any.
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5:16 EDAYIN SHESHBATSAR DECH AT'A YEHAV USHAY'A DI VEIT ELAH'A DI VIYRUSHLEM U MIN EDAYIN VE AD KE'AN MITBEN'E VE LA SHELIM
אֱדַיִן שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר דֵּךְ אֲתָא יְהַב אֻשַּׁיָּא דִּי בֵית אֱלָהָא דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם וּמִן אֱדַיִן וְעַד כְּעַן מִתְבְּנֵא וְלָא שְׁלִם
KJ: Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
BN: "'Then came the same Sheshbatsar, and laid the foundations of the house of Elah'a which is in Yerushlem; and since that time even until now it been in process of building, and still it is not complete'...
LA: on this occasion without an apostrophe; this is simply the word for "no" or "not".
5:17 U CHE'AN HEN AL MALK'A TAV YITBAKAR BE VEIT GINZAY'A DI MALK'A TAMAH DI BE VAVEL HEN IYTAI DI MIN KORESH MALK'A SIM TE'EM LE MIVN'E BEIT ELAH'A DECH BIYRUSHLEM U RE'UT MALK'A AL DENAH YISHLACH ELEYN'A
וּכְעַן הֵן עַל מַלְכָּא טָב יִתְבַּקַּר בְּבֵית גִּנְזַיָּא דִּי מַלְכָּא תַמָּה דִּי בְּבָבֶל הֵן אִיתַי דִּי מִן כּוֹרֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שִׂים טְעֵם לְמִבְנֵא בֵּית אֱלָהָא דֵךְ בִּירוּשְׁלֶם וּרְעוּת מַלְכָּא עַל דְּנָה יִשְׁלַח עֲלֶינָא
KJ: Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
BN: Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's document depository, which is at Bavel, whether it be so, that a decree was issued by King Koresh to build this house for Elah'a in Yerushlem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter."
GINZAYA: Is this the same word as Genizah?
The request for a search of the archive is not coming from the elders of the Yehudim, but from Governor Tatnai himself, a response that is rather more balanced than the hostile response of his predecessor, seeking clarification rather than manoeuvering for opposition. It only leaves us wondering why the search in 4:15 did not lead to the same result as the search about to be undertaken; to which the answer appears to lie in the careful phrasing of the previous: BISPHAR DACHRANAY'A DI AVAHATACH is only one section of the archive, whereas GINZAYA would appear to be the entirety.
BAVEL: Just as a side-note, the Persian king at this time was ruling from Bavel (Babylon), which it had conquered. One of the last of the Babylonian kings was Ashurbanipal (see my notes to Ezra 4:2), whose greatest achievement was the creation of a vast "document depository", the world first truly great library indeed, not in factat Bavel, but in his capital, which was Nin'veh; click here for more background.
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