Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
The verse records an official investigation of the rebuilding of the temple, in which provincial officers demanded to know the names of the men carrying out the building work. That inquiry came from men in authority and had the power to stop the work altogether, yet God kept watch over the Jewish elders through the danger. The elders gave a wise answer, and instead of halting the enterprise the officials sent the matter up to Darius for decision.
The verse records an official investigation of the rebuilding of the temple, in which provincial officers demanded to know the names of the men carrying out the building work. That inquiry came from men in authority and had the power to stop the work altogether, yet God kept watch over the Jewish elders through the danger. The elders gave a wise answer, and instead of halting the enterprise the officials sent the matter up to Darius for decision.