Ezra 4

King James Version

Full text for Ezra Chapter 4

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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,

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

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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.

17¶ [Then] 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezra chapter 4 details the opposition faced by the returned Jewish exiles as they began rebuilding the temple. Local adversaries initially offered to help but were rejected by Zerubbabel and the leaders. Consequently, these adversaries actively hindered the work and later wrote accusations to Persian kings, alleging that Jerusalem was a rebellious city. King Artaxerxes, after consulting historical records, confirmed Jerusalem's history of sedition and issued a decree to stop the building. This royal command was then forcibly enforced, halting the temple construction until the second year of Darius's reign.

Medium Summary

Upon hearing that the returned exiles were rebuilding the temple, the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin approached Zerubbabel and the chief fathers, offering to assist, claiming they also sought the God of Israel. However, their offer was firmly rejected, as the Jewish leaders asserted their exclusive right to build the house of God as commanded by King Cyrus. Following this rejection, these adversaries actively sought to frustrate the building efforts, weakening the hands of the Jewish people and hiring counsellors throughout the reigns of Cyrus and Darius. The chapter then details a specific accusation made to King Artaxerxes by Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe, who alleged that Jerusalem was a rebellious city, warning that its reconstruction would lead to a loss of royal revenue and authority. King Artaxerxes, after consulting historical records, confirmed Jerusalem's rebellious past and issued a decree commanding the immediate cessation of all building work. This royal order was swiftly enforced by force, bringing the construction of the temple to a halt until the second year of King Darius's reign.

Long Summary

Ezra chapter 4 chronicles the significant opposition encountered by the returned Jewish exiles as they commenced the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The narrative begins with the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin, identified as various foreign peoples settled in Samaria, approaching Zerubbabel and the chief fathers of Israel. They proposed to join in the construction, asserting their own worship of the God of Israel. However, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other Jewish leaders unequivocally rejected this offer, emphasizing that only they were commanded by King Cyrus to build the house unto the LORD God of Israel. Following this rebuff, these local inhabitants actively sought to hinder the work, weakening the resolve of the Jewish people and hiring counsellors to frustrate their purpose, a campaign that spanned the reigns of Cyrus and extended into the reign of Darius. The chapter then shifts focus to later accusations made against the Jews. During the reign of Ahasuerus, an accusation was written against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. More prominently, in the days of Artaxerxes, Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, representing various nations settled in Samaria, composed a formal letter to the king. This letter, written and interpreted in the Syrian tongue, accused the Jews of rebuilding a "rebellious and bad city" and setting up its walls. They warned that if completed, Jerusalem would cease paying royal taxes, thereby diminishing the king's revenue and authority, and urged the king to consult historical records to confirm Jerusalem's long-standing reputation for sedition. King Artaxerxes responded to this letter after a thorough search of his royal records, confirming that Jerusalem indeed had a history of insurrection and rebellion against kings, and that mighty kings had once ruled from there, collecting tribute. Consequently, the king issued a decree commanding Rehum and Shimshai to immediately stop the building work in Jerusalem until a new commandment was given from him, emphasizing the potential damage to royal interests. Upon receiving this royal order, Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions swiftly proceeded to Jerusalem and, with force and power, compelled the Jews to cease their construction. Thus, the work on the house of God in Jerusalem was forcibly halted, remaining so until the second year of the reign of Darius King of Persia.

Core Concepts

  • Adversarial OppositionThe chapter details the consistent resistance faced by the returned exiles from the local inhabitants, who initially offered deceptive help and then actively sought to hinder the temple's reconstruction through various means.
  • Exclusivity of WorshipZerubbabel and the Jewish leaders firmly rejected the Samaritans' offer to assist in building the temple, asserting that the command to build was given exclusively to them by King Cyrus for their God.
  • Political AccusationsThe adversaries employed a strategy of writing formal letters of accusation to Persian kings, alleging that Jerusalem was a rebellious city that would harm the empire's revenue and authority if rebuilt.
  • Historical PrecedentKing Artaxerxes' decision to halt the building work was based on a search of royal records, which confirmed Jerusalem's historical reputation as a city prone to rebellion and sedition against kings.
  • Royal Decree and EnforcementThe power of the Persian king's command is evident as Artaxerxes' decree to cease building was swiftly and forcibly implemented by his officials, bringing the construction to a complete halt.
  • Cessation of WorkThe ultimate outcome of the opposition and royal decree was the forcible halting of the work on the house of God in Jerusalem, which remained stopped until the second year of Darius's reign.