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Ezra Chapter Four

 

Ezra 4 Outlines

1.Resistance to Rebuilding the Temple (v.1~5)

2.Rebuilding of Jerusalem Opposed (v.6~24)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

Ezra 4:1  Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel

   YLT And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to Jehovah God of Israel

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin
The Samaritans as appears from ( Ezra 4:2 Ezra 4:10 )

heard that the children of the captivity;
the Jews who had been in captivity seventy years and were just come out of it and still were not quite free but under the jurisdiction and control of the king of Persia:

builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;
that they were going about it and had laid the foundation of it which might soon come to their ears the distance not being very great. Josephus F3 says they heard the sound of the trumpets and came to know the meaning of it.

FOOTNOTES:
F3 Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4. sect. 3.

 

Ezra 4:2   they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses and said to them “Let us build with you for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.”

   YLT and they draw nigh unto Zerubbabel and unto heads of the fathers and say to them `Let us build with you; for like you we seek to your God and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur who brought us up hither.'

Then they came to Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers
These they addressed as knowing that if they could not prevail with them they could never succeed in their design; and these were no doubt the principal of the Samaritans that applied:

and said unto them let us build with you;
that is the temple they proposed to join with them and assist them in it; which proposal at first sight might seem very agreeable and welcome and would have been so had they been sincere but they were not; they hoped by getting among them to have sown discord among them and disunited them; and so by these or other means to have retarded the building; or if it went forward that they might have a claim to it as theirs at least as to set up their own idols in a part of it; the reasons they gave follow:

for we seek your God as ye do;
which was false for they did not worship him alone but with idols nor in the same manner as the Jews did:

and we do sacrifice unto him;
but even that could not recommend them to the Jews since they ought not to sacrifice even to the Lord himself but at Jerusalem: there is a various reading here; the textual reading is "we do not sacrifice"; that is to idols; the marginal reading is "we sacrifice to him" which we follow; Aben Ezra takes in both perhaps most rightly; "we do not sacrifice to any other but to him"; which was also false:

since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur who brought us up hither;
to Samaria from Babylon and other places; see ( 2 Kings 17:24 ) .

 

Ezra 4:3   But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

   YLT And Zerubbabel saith to them also Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel `Not for you and for us to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together do build to Jehovah God of Israel as the king Cyrus king of Persia commanded us.'

But Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers said unto them
The prince and high priest and chief of the people:

you have nothing to do with us to build an house to our God;
being neither of the same nation nor of the same religion:

but we ourselves together will build to the Lord God of Israel;
we and we only who are together as one man united in one body of people and in the same religious sentiments being Israelites; we separately without admitting strangers among us will build a temple to the God of Israel:

as King Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us;
thereby letting them know that they acted by his authority and the commission they had from him only concerned themselves and not others.

 

Ezra 4:4   Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building

   YLT And it cometh to pass the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble and troubling them in building

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building.
By threatening them or by dissuading the workmen from going on by endeavouring to hinder their having materials from the Tyrians and Zidonians or money out of the king's revenues to bear the expenses as ordered; see ( Ezra 6:4 ) .

 

Ezra 4:5   and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

   YLT and are hiring against them counsellors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia even till the reign of Darius king of Persia.

And hired counsellors against them to frustrate their purpose
Either to advise and persuade the king of Persia's officers in those parts not to supply them with money or to influence the great men at his court to get the edict revoked: and this they did

all the days of Cyrus king of Persia;
who though the hearty friend and patron of the Jews yet being engaged in wars abroad with the Lydians and Scythians and leaving his son as viceroy in his absence who was no friend unto them the work went on but slowly attended with interruptions and discouragements:

even until the reign of Darius king of Persia;
who was Darius Hystaspis between whom and Cyrus were Cambyses the son of Cyrus and Smerdis the impostor who pretended to be Smerdis the brother of Cambyses; a space of about fifteen years.

 

Ezra 4:6  In the reign of Ahasuerus in the beginning of his reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

   YLT And in the reign of Ahasuerus in the commencement of his reign they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;

And in the reign of Ahasuerus in the beginning of his reign
According to Jarchi this was Ahasuerus the husband of Esther; but as most think F4 was Cambyses the son and successor of Cyrus; so Josephus F5; who was an enemy to the Egyptians; and fearing the Jews might take part with them was no friend to them; their enemies therefore took the advantage of the death of Cyrus and the first opportunity after Cambyses reigned in his own right:

and wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;
full of hatred and enmity spite and malice charging them as a turbulent disobedient and rebellious people.

FOOTNOTES:
F4 Spanhem. Introduct. Chron. ad Hist. Eccl. p. 54. & Universal History Vol. 5. p. 203. Prideaux p. 175.
F5 Ut supra (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4.) sect. 4 6. Vid. R. David Ganz. Tzemach David par. 2. fol. 8. 2. So Dr. Lightfoot Works vol. 1. p. 139.

 

Ezra 4:7  In the days of Artaxerxes also Bishlam Mithredath Tabel and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.

   YLT and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam Mithredath Tabeel and the rest of his companions written unto Artaxerxes king of Persia and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaean and interpreted in Aramaean.

And in the days of Artaxerxes
The same with Ahasuerus in the preceding verse; and who also is Cambyses which is his name in Heathen authors Artaxerxes being a common name to the kings of Persia; though some F6 think this was Smerdis the magician and impostor who was between Cambyses and Darius; but as he reigned but seven months it is not very likely that he should be wrote unto and an answer received from him; besides he sent to every nation he ruled over F7 and so to the Jews and proclaimed to them freedom from tribute and the militia for three years to ingratiate himself to them:

wrote Bishlam Mithredath Tabeel and the rest of their companions;
or his company; for Jarchi thinks only one person is meant; that Mithredath Tabeel is the name of one of the adversaries of Judah; and that Bishlam is an appellative and signifies that he wrote in peace or in a way of salutation and greeting; but they seem to be the names of governors in the cities of Samaria under the king of Persia: these wrote

to Artaxerxes king of Persia;
instigated by the Samaritans:

and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue and interpreted in the Syrian tongue;
or Chaldee of which Ezra gives a copy in the Chaldee language; the meaning either is that it was written both in Syriac letters and in the Syriac language; for sometimes words are written in one language and in the character of another as the Syriac is sometimes written in Hebrew characters and the Hebrew in Roman; or else there was a postscript added to this letter explaining some things in it which also was written in the same language: some take F8 the word "nishtevan" rendered "written" to be the name of a province on the borders of the country beyond Euphrates whose figure and characters were in high esteem and fit to write in to kings; but the words and language were Syrian and needed interpretation.

FOOTNOTES:
F6 Prideaux's Connect. par. 1. p. 175. Authors of the Universal History vol. 5. p. 199 203. So Vitringa Hypotypos. Hist. Sacr. p. 108.
F7 Herodot. Thalia sive l. 3. c. 67. Justin. l. 1. c. 9.
F8 Praefat. Arugas Habbosem apud Buxtorf. de liter. Heb. add.

 

Ezra 4:8  Rehum[a] the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:

   YLT Rehum counsellor and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king thus:

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort.
This means the same letter as before; which according to Jarchi was sent in the name of Mithredath Tabeel and his company was endited by Rehum master of words or sense and written by Shimshai the scribe whom he makes to be a son of Haman F9; but it was written rather in all their names.

FOOTNOTES:
F9 So Midrash Esther fol. 85. 3.

 

Ezra 4:9  From[b] Rehum the commander Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions—representatives of the Dinaites the Apharsathchites the Tarpelites the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and Shushan [c] the Dehavites the Elamites

   YLT Then Rehum counsellor and Shimshai scribe and the rest of their companions Dinaites and Apharsathchites Tarpelites Apharsites Archevites Babylonians Susanchites (who are Elamites)

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions
who all signed the letter; namely the governors of the following nations;

the Dinaites the Apharsathchites the Tarpelites the Apharsites the Archevites the Babylonians the Susanchites the Dehavites and the Elamites;
which were colonies from several parts of Chaldea Media and Persia and were settled in the several cities of Samaria as several of their names plainly show as from Persia Erech Babylon Shushan and Elimais; some account for them all but with uncertainty; according to R. Jose F11 these were the Samaritans who first were sent out of five nations to whom the king of Assyria added four more which together make the nine here mentioned see ( 2 Kings 17:24 ) .

FOOTNOTES:
F11 Pirke Eliezer c. 38.

 

Ezra 4:10  and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond the River[d] —and so forth.[e]

   YLT and the rest of the nations that the great and honourable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria and the rest beyond the river and at such a time:

And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over
The river Euphrates:

and set in the cities of Samaria;
placed there in the room of the Israelites carried captive; this Asnappar was according to Jarchi and others F12 Sennacherib; but with Grotius Shalmaneser; rather he was Esarhaddon the son of the former and grandson of the latter; so Dr. Prideaux F13; though he might be only some commander of the Assyrian monarch who carried them over by his orders:

and the rest that are on this side the river;
the river Euphrates:

and at such a time;
which may respect the date of the letter which no doubt was expressed though not here given; or this as some think was the same with our &c. something following unto King Artaxerxes greeting or something like that; though David de Pomis F14 takes it to be the general name of the people beyond the river.

FOOTNOTES:
F12 Kimchi Sepher Shorash. fol. 166. 2. & Vajikra Rabba in ib. T. Bab. Sanhedrin fol. 94. 1.
F13 Connexion vol. 1. p. 30.
F14 Tzemach David fol. 63. 3.

 

Ezra 4:11  (This is a copy of the letter that they sent him) To King Artaxerxes from your servants the men of the region beyond the River and so forth:[f]

   YLT This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent unto him unto Artaxerxes the king: `Thy servants men beyond the river and at such a time;

This is the copy of the letter they sent unto him even unto Artaxerxes the king
Which Ezra brought with him from Babylon and is contained in the five following verses:

thy servants the men on this side the river and at such a time;
this was the inscription of the letter or the beginning of it.

 

Ezra 4:12  Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem and are building the rebellious and evil city and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.

   YLT Be it known to the king that the Jews who have come up from thee unto us have come in to Jerusalem the rebellious and base city they are building and the walls they have finished and the foundations they join.

Be it known unto the king
The intent of this letter was that it might be known to the king what follows:

that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem;
this they observe partly out of contempt of the Jews having been lately captive in Babylon and partly to insinuate what ingratitude they were guilty of; that having got their liberty and come to Jerusalem they made use of it to the king's detriment:

building the rebellious and the bad city;
as they suggest it had been to kings even his predecessors in former times ( Ezra 4:15 )

and have set up the walls thereof and joined the foundations;
which was a falsehood; for the most they had done was setting up the walls of their houses in Jerusalem and laying the foundation of the temple; as for the walls of the city they had not as yet done anything unto them.

 

Ezra 4:13  Let it now be known to the king that if this city is built and the walls completed they will not pay tax tribute or custom and the king’s treasury will be diminished.

   YLT `Now be it known to the king that if this city be builded and the walls finished toll tribute and custom they do not give; and at length [to] the kings it doth cause loss.

Be it known now unto the king
And let it be seriously and thoroughly considered by him and his counsellors:

that if this city be builded and its walls set up again then will they not pay toll tribute and custom;
being able to defend themselves against the king's forces sent to reduce them to their obedience; these three words take in all sorts of taxes and levies on persons goods and merchandise:

and so thou shall endamage the revenue of the kings;
not only his own but his successors'; this they thought would be a very striking and powerful argument with him.

 

Ezra 4:14  Now because we receive support from the palace it was not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king

   YLT Now because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt and the nakedness of the king we have no patience to see therefore we have sent and made known to the king;

Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace
Have posts under the king to which salaries were annexed by which they were supported and which they had from the king's exchequer; or "salt" F15 as in the original some places of honour and trust formerly being paid in salt; hence as Pliny F16 observes such honours and rewards were called "salaries":

and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour;
to see any thing done injurious to his crown and dignity to his honour and revenues when we are supported by him; this would be ungrateful as well as unjust:

therefore have we sent and certified the king;
of the truth of what is before related; and for the further confirmation of it refer him to the ancient records of the kingdom as follows.

FOOTNOTES:
F15 (xlm) "salem vel sale" Montanus Vatablus Michaelis.
F16 Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 7.

 

Ezra 4:15  that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city harmful to kings and provinces and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times for which cause this city was destroyed.

   YLT so that he doth seek in the book of the records of thy fathers and thou dost find in the book of the records and dost know that this city [is] a rebellious city and causing loss [to] kings and provinces and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old therefore hath this city been wasted.

That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers
That is his predecessors in the Babylonian monarchy; though as the Medes and Persians were included in that and joined the Babylonians in their wars with others and particularly with the Jews the records of the Medes and Persians might also be applied to:

so shalt thou find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city and hurtful unto kings and provinces and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time;
against the king of Babylon particularly in the times of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah:

for which cause was this city destroyed;
as it was by Nebuchadnezzar; see ( 2 Kings 24:1 2 Kings 24:20 ) ( 2 Kings 25:1 2 Kings 25:9 ) .

 

Ezra 4:16  We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed the result will be that you will have no dominion beyond the River.

   YLT We are making known to the king that if this city be builded and the walls finished by this means a portion beyond the river thou hast none.'

We certify the king that if this city be builded again and the walls thereof set up
As it formerly was and now attempted as they suggest:

by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river;
the river Euphrates; intimating that the Jews would not only shake off his yoke and refuse to pay tribute themselves but would seize on all his dominions on that side the river and annex them to their own.

 

Ezra 4:17  The king sent an answer: To Rehum the commander to Shimshai the scribe to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria and to the remainder beyond the River: Peace and so forth.[g]

   YLT An answer hath the king sent unto Rehum counsellor and Shimshai scribe and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria and the rest beyond the river `Peace and at such a time:

Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor and to Shimshai the scribe
This affair upon examination being found to be of importance the king of Persia thought fit to send an answer to the above letter which was doing them an honour and gave them the power and authority they wished to have:

and to the rest of their companions that dwelt in Samaria;
in the kingdom province and cities of Samaria:

and unto the rest beyond the river;
the river Euphrates the rest of the nations before mentioned ( Ezra 4:9 Ezra 4:10 ) .

Peace and at such a time:
that is all health and prosperity

 

Ezra 4:18  The letter which you sent to us has been clearly read before me.

   YLT The letter that ye sent unto us explained hath been read before me

The letter which ye sent unto us
The plural number is used being now become courtly for kings thus to speak of themselves:

hath been plainly before me;
by such that understood both the Syrian and Persian languages; the letter was written in the Syrian language and the king being a Persian it was necessary it should be interpreted and explained to him.

 

Ezra 4:19  And I gave the command and a search has been made and it was found that this city in former times has revolted against kings and rebellion and sedition have been fostered in it.

   YLT and by me a decree hath been made and they sought and have found that this city from the days of old against kings is lifting up itself and rebellion and sedition is made in it

And I commanded and search hath been made
In the records of his predecessors whether Chaldeans or Persians:

and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein:
and yet this could not be carried higher than to the times of Zedekiah and Jehoiakim as before observed which was not one hundred years ago unless the rebellion of Hezekiah against the king of Assyria could be thought to be in these records ( 2 Kings 18:7 ) and yet from hence it is concluded as if in ages past they had been guilty of rebellion and sedition and even always.

 

Ezra 4:20  There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the region beyond the River; and tax tribute and custom were paid to them.

   YLT and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem even rulers over all beyond the river and toll tribute and custom is given to them.

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem which have ruled over all countries beyond the river
As David and Solomon; and the account of these they had in their records see ( 2 Samuel 8:1 ) ( 1 Kings 4:21 1 Kings 4:24 )

and toll tribute and custom was paid unto them;
as appears from the places referred to; and this served to strengthen the insinuation made to the king that if these people were suffered to go on building he would lose his tribute and taxes in those parts.

 

Ezra 4:21  Now give the command to make these men cease that this city may not be built until the command is given by me.

   YLT `Now make ye a decree to cause these men to cease and this city is not builded till by me a decree is made.

Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease
From building:

and that this city be not builded until another commandment shall be given from me;
he might suspect that this case in all its circumstances was not truly stated and that hereafter he might see reason to recede from the present orders he gave; and the rather as by searching and perhaps on his own knowledge must have observed that his father Cyrus had shown favour to the Jews and had not only set them at liberty but had encouraged them to rebuild their temple; which might be what they were about and was the case and nothing else except their houses to dwell in.

 

Ezra 4:22  Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the hurt of the kings?

   YLT And beware ye of negligence in doing this; why doth the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?'

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this
To put his orders into execution and at once without any loss of time oblige the Jews to desist from rebuilding the walls of their city which he was told they were doing though a great falsehood:

why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
of him and his successors to be deprived of their toll tribute and customs and to have insurrections mutinies and rebellions in the dominions belonging to them.

 

Ezra 4:23  Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum Shimshai the scribe and their companions they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews and by force of arms made them cease.

   YLT Then from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their companions they have gone in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews and caused them to cease by force and strength;

Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their companions
By him or them to whom it was particularly directed:

they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews;
not only in obedience to the king's command but from an eagerness of spirit to put a stop to the proceedings of the Jews to whom they had an aversion instigated by the Samaritans:

and made them to cease by force and power;
from going on with the building of the temple which they reckoned a part of the city and within their commission; this they did by showing the power and authority they had under the king's hand and by the forces they brought with them to compel them to it should they refuse to obey; or however they threatened them highly what they would do if they did not desist.

 

Ezra 4:24  Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

   YLT then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem and it ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem
How far they had proceeded is not said whether any further than laying the foundation of it; though probably by this time it might be carried to some little height; however upon this it was discontinued:

so it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia;
not Darius Nothun as some think for from the first of Cyrus to the sixth of his reign when the temple was finished was upwards of one hundred years; yea according to some about one hundred and forty; which would carry the age of Zerubbabel who both laid the foundation of the temple and finished it and the age of those who saw the first temple to a length that is not probable; but this was Darius Hystaspis who succeeded Cambyses the son of Cyrus there being only between the short usurpation of Smerdis for seven months.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

NKJV Footnotes:

a.    Ezra 4:8 The original language of Ezra 4:8 through 6:18 is Aramaic.

b.    Ezra 4:9 Literally Then

c.Ezra 4:9 Or Susa

d.    Ezra 4:10 That is the Euphrates

e.    Ezra 4:10 Literally and now

f.   Ezra 4:11 Literally and now

g.    Ezra 4:17 Literally and now