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.
So now, if it pleases the king, let someone search through the king's record house in Babylon to see if it's true that King Cyrus gave a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us word about what he decides regarding this matter.
The Jewish leaders are respectfully asking King Darius to check the official records to verify that they have legitimate permission to rebuild God's temple.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Ezra, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon and were working to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem under the rule of the Persian Empire. When local officials challenged their efforts, the Jews referenced a decree from King Cyrus that authorized the reconstruction, leading to this request for verification from King Darius. This reflects the bureaucratic processes of the Persian administration, where official records were consulted to resolve disputes.
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