Ezra 4

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had returned from exile were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel.

1Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

NoteJudah and Benjamin were the two tribes of the southern kingdom, whose leading families had been deported to Babylon about seventy years earlier. "The people who had returned from exile" are those who came back under Persian rule; throughout Ezra they are treated as a distinct group from those who had stayed in the land.

2So they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us build with you. We look to your God just as you do, and we have been offering sacrifices to him ever since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."

2Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

NoteAssyria's kings regularly broke up conquered nations by deporting them and resettling them far from home, so that no population could easily rebel. Esarhaddon ruled Assyria roughly 681–669 BC. The speakers are descendants of peoples moved into the territory of the old northern kingdom of Israel after Assyria destroyed it, and their claim is that they have worshiped Israel's God since being settled there.

3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered them, "You have no part with us in building a house for our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us."

3But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

NoteZerubbabel was the Persian-appointed governor of Judah and a descendant of its former kings; Jeshua was the high priest. Cyrus, who conquered Babylon in 539 BC, had issued a decree allowing the exiles to return and rebuild the temple, the order referred to here.

4Then the people already living in the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and to make them afraid to keep building.

4Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

Note"The people already living in the land" translates a fixed phrase, "the people of the land," which in Ezra means the mixed population that had remained in or been settled in the region during the exile, as opposed to the returning exiles.

5They also paid advisers to work against them and block their plans. This went on through the whole reign of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia.

5And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NotePaying advisers means retaining officials at the Persian court to argue against the project, bribery of well-placed insiders, not hiring consultants. Cyrus died in 530 BC; Darius I came to the throne in 522 BC.

6At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, they wrote to him and made a formal charge against the people living in Judah and Jerusalem.

6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

NoteAhasuerus is the Hebrew form of the name of the Persian king known in Greek sources as Xerxes I, who reigned 486–465 BC. He is the same king who appears in the book of Esther.

7And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic script and translated into Aramaic.

7And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

NoteArtaxerxes I reigned 465–424 BC. Aramaic was the everyday administrative language of the Persian Empire, so official correspondence was written in it. From the next verse to chapter 6 the book of Ezra itself switches out of Hebrew and into Aramaic, apparently quoting official documents in the language they were filed in.

8Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes. It read as follows:

8Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

9From Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their group: the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

9Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

NoteThis list of peoples is obscure even to specialists: several of the names are found nowhere else, and translators disagree about whether some of them are ethnic groups, place names, or titles of Persian officials. They are the resettled populations of the province, listed as co-signers of the letter.

10and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honored Asnappar moved from their homes and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest of those in the land west of the Euphrates River. And now:

10And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

NoteAsnappar is generally taken to be the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (reigned 669–627 BC). Samaria was the capital of the former northern kingdom and by this time the name of the surrounding Persian district. "The land west of the Euphrates" (literally "Beyond the River") was the official name of the Persian province covering Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine, the view is from the imperial capital in the east. "And now" is a standard formula in Aramaic letters marking the end of the address and the start of the message.

11This is a copy of the letter they sent to him, to King Artaxerxes: "From your servants, the men of the land west of the Euphrates. And now:

11This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

12The king should know that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They have put up its walls and repaired its foundations.

12Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

NoteCity walls were the point at issue: an unwalled town could not hold out against imperial troops, so permission to fortify a city was a political decision, not a building matter.

13The king should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, these people will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will lose money.

13Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

NoteTribute, duty and toll are three distinct Persian taxes, roughly a fixed levy on the province, a tax on produce or property, and charges on goods in transit.

14Now, since we are paid out of the king's palace, and since it is not right for us to stand by and watch the king be dishonored, we have sent this message to inform the king.

14Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

NoteThe Aramaic idiom is "we eat the salt of the palace." Sharing salt stood for a binding obligation between a master and his dependants, so the phrase means both that they are on the royal payroll and that they owe the king loyalty.

15We ask that a search be made in the record books of the kings before you. In those records you will find and learn that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that people there have stirred up revolt from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.

15That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: 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: for which cause was this city destroyed.

NotePersian kings kept extensive written archives of decrees and reports, and appeals to "search the records" occur elsewhere in the book. The destruction referred to is the sack of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

16We warn the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will be left with no control over the land west of the Euphrates."

16We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

17Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commanding officer, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their group living in Samaria, and to the others in the land west of the Euphrates: "Greetings. And now:

17Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.

Note"Greetings" renders the standard opening of an Aramaic official letter, literally "peace," followed by the same "and now" formula that introduces the body of the message.

18The letter you sent us has been translated and read out loud in front of me.

18The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

NoteThe Aramaic word can mean either that the letter was read aloud clearly or that it was translated as it was read; both senses are possible here, and ancient documents were normally read aloud in any case.

19I gave an order, and a search was made. It was found that this city has risen up against kings from ancient times, and that rebellion and revolt have taken place in it.

19And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

20Powerful kings have also ruled over Jerusalem and governed the whole land west of the Euphrates, and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.

20There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

NoteA reference to the reigns of David and Solomon, when kings in Jerusalem controlled territory stretching well to the north and east, the same region the Persians now administered as the province Beyond the River.

21So give the order for these men to stop. This city is not to be rebuilt until I give another order.

21Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.

22Be careful not to fail in this. Why let the damage grow and the king's interests be harmed?"

22Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23As soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their group, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and forced them to stop.

23Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

NoteThe letter and reply in verses 6–23 concern the rebuilding of the city and its walls under later kings, decades after the events of verses 1–5. The chapter groups its material by subject, opposition to rebuilding, rather than in strict order of date.

24So the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stayed stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

24Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NoteVerse 24 picks up the thread from verse 5. The second year of Darius I is about 520 BC, roughly sixteen years after the returned exiles first laid the temple foundation.