Lectionary Calendar
Monday, September 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Ezra 6:4

It must have three layers of large stones and then one layer of timbers. The costs should be paid from the king's treasury.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church and State;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Rulers;   Temple;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;   Temple, the Second;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Haggai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Aram;   Ezra;   Persia;   Temple;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Decrees;   Zechariah, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   House;   Temple, the Second;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   Ezra, the Book of;   Medes;   Persia;   Temple;   Zerubbabel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Decree;   Israel, History of;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Zechariah, Book of;   Zerubbabel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Darius;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Dari'us;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Medes, Me'dia;   Per'sia;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - New;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cyrus;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
with three layers of cut stones and one of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.
Hebrew Names Version
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
King James Version
With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
English Standard Version
with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.
New English Translation
with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber. The expense is to be subsidized by the royal treasury.
Amplified Bible
with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.
New American Standard Bible
with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber. And the cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.
World English Bible
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Three orders of great stones, & one order of timber, and let the expenses be giuen of the Kings house.
Legacy Standard Bible
with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be given from the royal treasury.
Berean Standard Bible
with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.
Contemporary English Version
with one row of wooden beams for each three rows of large stones. The royal treasury will pay for everything.
Complete Jewish Bible
with three rows of large stones and one row of new timber. The expenses are to be charged to the king's treasury.
Darby Translation
[with] three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
Easy-to-Read Version
Its wall will be in layers that have three rows of large stones and one row of wooden timbers. The cost of building the Temple must be paid for from the king's treasury.
George Lamsa Translation
With three rows of great stones and doors of new timber: and let the expenses be paid out of the kings house;
Good News Translation
The walls are to be built with one layer of wood on top of each three layers of stone. All expenses are to be paid by the royal treasury.
Lexham English Bible
with three layers of great stones and a layer of timber. Let the new expenses be paid from the house of the king.
Literal Translation
with three layers of rolling stones, and a layer of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& thre walles of all maner of stones, and one wall of tymber, & the expences shalbe geuen of the kynges house.
American Standard Version
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
Bible in Basic English
With three lines of great stones and one line of new wood supports; and let the necessary money be given out of the king's store-house;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Three rowes of rough stones, and one rowe of newe timber: and the expences shalbe geuen of the kinges house.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber, and let the expenses be given out of the king's house;
King James Version (1611)
With three rowes of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expences bee giuen out of the kings house.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And let there be three strong layers of stone, and one layer of timber; and the expense shall be paid out of the house of the king.
English Revised Version
with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and so ordris of newe trees. Sotheli costis schulen be youun of the kyngis hows.
Update Bible Version
with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
Webster's Bible Translation
[With] three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
New King James Version
with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury.
New Living Translation
Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury.
New Life Bible
There should be three very large stones laid on the top of each other, and then one large piece of wood laid. Let it be paid for from the king's money.
New Revised Standard
with three courses of hewn stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
layers of large stones, three, and one layer of new timber, - and, as for the expenses, out of the house of the king, let them be given.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Three rows of unpolished stones, and so rows of new timber: and the charges shall be given out of the king’s house.
Revised Standard Version
with three courses of great stones and one course of timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.
Young's Literal Translation
three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and the outlay let be given out of the king's house.
THE MESSAGE
So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon. Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it: Memorandum In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows: The Temple where sacrifices are offered is to be rebuilt on new foundations. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide with three courses of large stones topped with one course of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal bank. The gold and silver vessels from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar carried to Babylon are to be returned to The Temple at Jerusalem, each to its proper place; place them in The Temple of God. Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way. Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it. I hereby give official orders on how you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God: 1. All construction costs are to be paid to these men from the royal bank out of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates. And pay them on time, without delays. 2. Whatever is required for their worship—young bulls, rams, and lambs for Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the God-of-Heaven; and whatever wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request—is to be given to them daily without delay so that they may make sacrifices to the God-of-Heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. I've issued an official decree that anyone who violates this order is to be impaled on a timber torn out of his own house, and the house itself made a manure pit. And may the God who put his Name on that place wipe out any king or people who dares to defy this decree and destroy The Temple of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued an official decree. Carry it out precisely and promptly. Tattenai governor of the land across the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates did it: They carried out the decree of Darius precisely and promptly. So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. And then the Israelites celebrated—priests, Levites, every last exile, exuberantly celebrated the dedication of The Temple of God. At the dedication of this Temple of God they sacrificed a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs—and, as an Absolution-Offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They placed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their places for the service of God at Jerusalem—all as written out in the Book of Moses. On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. All the priests and Levites had purified themselves—all, no exceptions. They were all ritually clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for the exiles, their brother priests, and themselves. Then the Israelites who had returned from exile, along with everyone who had removed themselves from the defilements of the nations to join them and seek God , the God of Israel, ate the Passover. With great joy they celebrated the Feast of Unraised Bread for seven days. God had plunged them into a sea of joy; he had changed the mind of the king of Assyria to back them in rebuilding The Temple of God, the God of Israel.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury.

Contextual Overview

1 So King Darius gave an order to search the records kept in the treasury in Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in Ecbatana, the capital city of Media. This is what was written on it: Note: 3 King Cyrus gave an order about the Temple of God in Jerusalem in the first year he was king. This was the order: "Let the Temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices. Let its foundations be laid; it should be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide. 4 It must have three layers of large stones and then one layer of timbers. The costs should be paid from the king's treasury. 5 The gold and silver utensils from the Temple of God should be put back in their places. Nebuchadnezzar took them from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon, but they are to be put back in the Temple of God in Jerusalem." 6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and all the officers of that area, stay away from there. 7 Do not bother the work on that Temple of God. Let the governor of the Jewish people and the Jewish elders rebuild this Temple where it was before. 8 Also, I order you to do this for those elders of the Jewish people who are building this Temple: The cost of the building is to be fully paid from the royal treasury, from taxes collected from Trans-Euphrates. Do this so the work will not stop. 9 Give those people anything they need—young bulls, male sheep, or lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, or olive oil. Give the priests in Jerusalem anything they ask for every day without fail. 10 Then they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven, and they may pray for the life of the king and his sons.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

three rows: 1 Kings 6:36

the expenses: Ezra 7:20-23, Psalms 68:29, Psalms 72:10, Isaiah 49:23, Isaiah 60:6-10, Revelation 12:16

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 6:2 - threescore Ezra 6:8 - the king's Ezra 7:15 - the silver Haggai 1:8 - to

Cross-References

Genesis 6:15
This is how big I want you to build the boat: four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high.
Genesis 6:20
Two of every kind of bird, animal, and crawling thing will come to you to be kept alive.
Genesis 6:21
Also gather some of every kind of food and store it on the boat as food for you and the animals."
Genesis 6:22
Noah did everything that God commanded him.
Genesis 11:4
Then they said to each other, "Let's build a city and a tower for ourselves, whose top will reach high into the sky. We will become famous. Then we will not be scattered over all the earth."
Numbers 13:33
We saw the Nephilim people there. (The Anakites come from the Nephilim people.) We felt like grasshoppers, and we looked like grasshoppers to them."
Numbers 16:2
These men gathered two hundred fifty other Israelite men, well-known leaders chosen by the community, and challenged Moses.
Deuteronomy 3:11
(Only Og king of Bashan was left of the few Rephaites. His bed was made of iron, and it was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide! It is still in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)
1 Samuel 17:4
The Philistines had a champion fighter from Gath named Goliath. He was about nine feet, four inches tall. He came out of the Philistine camp

Gill's Notes on the Bible

With three rows of great stones,.... Which Jarchi interprets of the walls of it, and these stones of marble; and so Ben Melech:

and a row of new timber; of cedar wood upon the rows of stone, see 1 Kings 6:36 or for the lining and wainscoting the walls:

and let the expenses be given out of the king's house; treasury, or exchequer; but it does not appear that this part of the decree was observed, at least hitherto; but the Jews built at their own expense, and perhaps did not exactly observe the directions given as to the dimensions of the house.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The word translated “row” occurs only in this passage. Some regard it as a “course,” and suppose that after every three courses of stone there followed a course of timber. Others understand three “storeys” of stone, with a fourth “storey” of woodwork on the summit (compare 1 Kings 6:5-6). Others consider that Cyrus intended to limit the thickness of the walls, which were not to exceed a breadth of three rows of stone, with an inner wooden wainscotting.

Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house - i. e., “out of the Persian revenue,” a portion of the decree which was probably not observed during the later years of Cyrus and during the reign of Cambyses, and hence the burthen fell upon the Jews themselves Ezra 2:68-69.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezra 6:4. Three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber — We have noticed this kind of building before, three courses of stones, and then a course of strong balk; and this continued to the square of the building.

And let the expenses be given — Cyrus had ordered wood to be cut at Libanus, and conveyed to Joppa at his expense; but it does not appear that he furnished the other expenses of the building, for we have already seen that the Jews contributed for the defraying of all others. But it appears that he provided at his own expense the sacrifices and offerings for the temple. See Ezra 6:9.


 
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