Definition: Who [is there] among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he [is] the God,) which [is] in Jerusalem.
Explanation: Okay, letโs break down this verse from Ezra 1:3. It's a really important passage about rebuilding a temple in ancient Jerusalem! Hereโs what it means in simpler terms: The Basic Idea: This verse is essentially saying, โFind someone in the whole community of Israel who is willing and able to rebuild the Temple God dedicated in Jerusalem.โ Itโs a call to action for a specific group of people. Let's unpack it piece by piece: โWho among you of all his people?โ โ This means everyone within the Jewish community, from every corner of Israel. Itโs about everyone who is part of the group God has designated. โHis God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah.โ โ This is the key part. โJudahโ refers to the region of Judah, which is what we now know as modern-day Israel. God is saying that this person needs to go to Jerusalem (the Temple) and rebuild it. The phrase "His God be with him" means He's blessing this person and giving them strength and guidance. โand build the house of the LORD God of Israel, which is in Jerusalem.โ โ This is exactly what the verse says they need to do: build a temple (a special place for worship) dedicated to God, located in Jerusalem. This temple was considered the most important place in the Jewish faith. In short, this verse is a plea for repentance and action. Itโs inviting everyone in Israel to take responsibility for rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem as God instructed. Why is this important? The story of Ezra and Nehemiah (the people who wrote this passage) is a significant part of Jewish history. It's considered one of the earliest examples of a community responding to a divine command โ a call to rebuild a sacred place. It shows how faith, community, and obedience can lead to a remarkable event in ancient Israel. --- Do you want me to: Explain any of these parts in more detail? Connect this verse to other biblical stories or themes?