Study it in the app“And thus they returned an answer to us, saying: ‘We are the servants of the Elah of the heavens and the earth, and we are building the house that was built many years before this; and a great king of Israel built it and finished it.”
And thusוּכְנֵמָאthey returnedהֲתִיבוּan answerפִתְגָמָאto us,נָאsaying:לְמֵמַר‘Weאֲנַחְנָאareהִמּוֹthe servantsעַבְדוֹהִיofדִיthe Elahאֱלָהּof the heavensשְׁמַיָּאand the earth,וְאַרְעָאand we are buildingוּבָנַיִןthe houseבַּיְתָאthatדִּיwasהֲוָאbuiltבְנֵהmanyשַׂגִּיאָןyearsשְׁנִיןbeforeמִקַּדְמַתthis;דְּנָהand a greatוּ רַבkingמֶלֶךְof Israelלְיִשְׂרָאֵלbuilt itבְּנָהִיand finished it.וְשַׁכְלְלֵהּ
thus, so
Thus, in this way (Aramaic).
Where else “chenema” appearsanswer
To give an answer, or give back something received.
Where else “hativu” appearsword, answer, decree
Word, answer, decree (Aramaic, a word of Persian origin).
Where else “fitgama” appearssay
To speak to someone with words, answer him or set out what one thinks (Aramaic).
Where else “memar” appearswe
We (Aramaic).
Where else “anachna” appearsthey, them
They, them (Aramaic).
Where else “himo” appearsservant
Servant (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "eved".
Where else “avdo” appearsElah, God, god
Elah: the Aramaic word for God, related to the Hebrew "Eloah" and "Elohim". In the parts of the Bible written in Aramaic (Ezra and Daniel) it is the God of Israel, the same one who in Hebrew is called Elohim; the text only changes language. The same word, also in the plural, is used for the gods of other peoples ("god", "gods"), and the passage itself shows who is meant.
Where else “elah” appearsheavens
Heavens (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shamayim". "The Elah of the heavens" is the God of Israel.
Where else “shemaya” appearsearth
The ground and the inhabited world, above all as the place where kingdoms rule.
Where else “ara” appearsbuild
To build (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "bana".
Where else “vanayin” appearstemple
God's temple in Jerusalem.
Where else “bayta” appearsbe, become
To be, to become, to happen (Aramaic). Related to the Hebrew "haya".
Where else “hava” appearsmuch, great, many
Much, great, many (Aramaic).
Where else “sagian” appearsyear
Year (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "shana".
Where else “shenin” appearsformer time
Former time: "before this" (Aramaic).
Where else “kadmat” appearsgreat
Of great size, power or importance (Aramaic).
Where else “rav” appearsking
King (Aramaic). The same word as the Hebrew "melech".
Where else “melech” appearsIsrael
Israel (the Aramaic form of the name).
Where else “yisrael” appearsfinish, complete
To finish, to complete (Aramaic).
Where else “shachlle” appears10And we asked them also their names, to inform you, so that we might write the name of the men who are at their head.
11 · This verse (above)
12But because our fathers angered the Elah of the heavens, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean; and this house he destroyed, and the people he carried into exile to Babylon.
