Definition: Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from Ezra 5:8. It’s a really interesting passage about rebuilding a temple! Here's what it means in simpler terms: The Basic Story: This verse is describing the rebuilding of a temple – a very important place for worship – after a period of time where it was damaged or lost. The people in Judea (a region near Jerusalem) were working hard to restore it to its former glory, and this verse describes their progress. Let’s unpack each part: “Ezra 5:8” : This is the name of the verse itself. It's a specific passage from the book of Ezra. "Be it known unto the king…” : This means that the King (the leader of Judea) was being informed about this important event. It’s a formal announcement. “…that we went into the province of Judea…” : This tells us where they were working – in the region of Judea, which is now part of Israel. “to the house of the great God…” : This is a very important phrase. It refers to the Temple itself - a place dedicated to God and where people prayed. "Great God" means God! “…which is builded with great stones, timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.” : This is the most important part. It describes exactly what they were doing: “great stones, timber is laid in the walls” : They were building the temple walls with large blocks of stone, and they were carefully placing timber – wooden beams – inside to create a strong structure. “this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.” : This means that very quickly , they were making progress. "Prospereth" means to flourish or succeed - so it's describing the work being successful and progressing well. Overall Meaning: Essentially, this verse is saying that a group of people (likely priests and officials) were diligently working to rebuild the Temple in Judea. They were putting in a lot of effort and making good progress. It’s a story about faith, dedication, and the importance of restoring something sacred. In short, it's a celebration of a significant rebuilding project that was underway with great care and purpose. --- Do you want me to: Explain another part of this verse? Give you a historical context for this event? Explore the significance of the Temple in biblical times?