Ezra 6:11-12

6:11 “I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled ¹  on it, and his house is to be reduced ²  to a rubbish heap ³  for this indiscretion. ⁴  6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow any king or nation ⁵  who reaches out ⁶  to cause such change so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them be carried out with precision!”

[6:11]  ¹ sn The practice referred to in v. 11 has been understood in various ways: hanging (cf. 1 Esd 6:32 and KJV); flogging (cf. NEB, NLT); impalement (BDB 1091 s.v. זְקַף; HALOT 1914 s.v. מחא hitpe; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The latter seems the most likely.

[6:11]  ² tn Aram “made.”

[6:11]  ³ tn Aram “a dunghill.”

[6:11]  ⁴ tn Aram “for this.”

[6:12]  ⁵ tn Aram “people.”

[6:12]  ⁶ tn Aram “who sends forth his hand.”