niph.qa denotes the expense or outlay assigned from royal resources for the building work.

The two attested clauses use the determined feminine singular noun for the expense to be supplied from the king’s house or royal possessions in connection with building the house of God.

1. Expense provided for building work · dominant

   In Ezra 6:4, the determined feminine singular form occurs in the provision that the expense be given from the king’s house after the listed building materials. In Ezra 6:8, the same form occurs in instructions that the expense be paid from royal possessions so that the work is not stopped; the APB renders the relevant clauses with “the expense.”

   Ezra 6:4Ezra 6:8

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across Ezra 6:4 and Ezra 6:8, the APB presents the noun as “the expense,” describing funds given or paid from royal sources. The verse is read as a whole, but both clauses place that expense within provision for the building work.