This verse is part of a letter sent to King Darius by Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-boznai, a Persian official, and their colleagues. The letter is inquiring about the Jews rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Let's break down the verse:
"To king Darius, greeting:" This is the standard salutation in a letter to the king, acknowledging his authority and showing respect.
"Let all things be known to our lord the king..." This is a polite way of informing the king that they have information they want to share with him. They are setting the stage for presenting their findings.
"...that being come into the country of Judea, and entered into the city of Jerusalem..." This is setting the context of their report. They are telling Darius that they have physically been to Judea and Jerusalem. This establishes the validity of their observations.
"...we found in the city of Jerusalem the elders of the Jews that were of the captivity." This is the core of their initial observation. They found Jewish elders in Jerusalem, specifically elders who had been part of the Babylonian captivity. The mention of "elders" suggests they are leaders and respected figures in the Jewish community, and "of the captivity" implies a specific historical context - they are descendants of those who were exiled from Judea by the Babylonians.
In summary, this verse conveys that:
The writers of the letter, having traveled to Jerusalem, want to inform King Darius that they encountered Jewish elders who were descendants of those who had been exiled to Babylon. This sets up the context for the rest of the letter, which further investigates the rebuilding project and its alleged authorization by a previous king (Cyrus). The tone is somewhat cautious and investigative, suggesting that they are unsure of the legitimacy of the Jews' activities and are seeking clarification from the king. They found Jewish Elders who were previously of the Captivity.
This verse is part of a letter sent to King Darius by Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-boznai, a Persian official, and their colleagues. The letter is inquiring about the Jews rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Let's break down the verse:
"To king Darius, greeting:" This is the standard salutation in a letter to the king, acknowledging his authority and showing respect.
"Let all things be known to our lord the king..." This is a polite way of informing the king that they have information they want to share with him. They are setting the stage for presenting their findings.
"...that being come into the country of Judea, and entered into the city of Jerusalem..." This is setting the context of their report. They are telling Darius that they have physically been to Judea and Jerusalem. This establishes the validity of their observations.
"...we found in the city of Jerusalem the elders of the Jews that were of the captivity." This is the core of their initial observation. They found Jewish elders in Jerusalem, specifically elders who had been part of the Babylonian captivity. The mention of "elders" suggests they are leaders and respected figures in the Jewish community, and "of the captivity" implies a specific historical context - they are descendants of those who were exiled from Judea by the Babylonians.
In summary, this verse conveys that:
The writers of the letter, having traveled to Jerusalem, want to inform King Darius that they encountered Jewish elders who were descendants of those who had been exiled to Babylon. This sets up the context for the rest of the letter, which further investigates the rebuilding project and its alleged authorization by a previous king (Cyrus). The tone is somewhat cautious and investigative, suggesting that they are unsure of the legitimacy of the Jews' activities and are seeking clarification from the king. They found Jewish Elders who were previously of the Captivity.
