King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;
Complete Jewish Bible:
When the enemies of Y'hudah and Binyamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to ADONAI the God of Isra'el,
Berean Standard Bible:
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
American Standard Version:
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple unto Jehovah, the God of Israel;
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Now when the adversaries{H6862} of Judah{H3063} and Benjamin{H1144} heard{H8085} that the children{H1121} of the captivity{H1473} builded{H1129} the temple{H1964} unto the LORD{H3068} God{H430} of Israel{H3478};
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezra 1:11
- All the vessels of gold and of silver [were] five thousand and four hundred. All [these] did Sheshbazzar bring up with [them of] the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
1 Kings 5:4
- But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, [so that there is] neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
1 Kings 5:5
- And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.
Daniel 9:25
- Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Ezra 10:16
- And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, [with] certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by [their] names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
Ezra 7:9
- For upon the first [day] of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first [day] of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
Ezra 4:7
- And 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.
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Commentary for Ezra 4:1
Ezra 4:1 sets the stage for a significant conflict in the post-exilic period of Jewish history. The verse specifically mentions "the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin," which refers to various peoples living in the region of Judah after the Babylonian exile. These groups were opposed to the Jewish returnees who had been granted permission by King Cyrus of Persia to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The "children of the captivity" are the Jewish exiles who had returned from Babylon with the intent to restore the religious and cultural center of their faith.
The historical context of this verse is rooted in the broader narrative of the Jewish people's return from exile, as recounted in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. After decades of captivity in Babylon, the Persian Empire, which had conquered Babylon, allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
The themes present in this verse include the challenges of restoration and the resistance faced by those attempting to reestablish their identity and worship after a period of displacement. It highlights the tension between the returning exiles and the local inhabitants, who may have been descendants of those left behind during the exile or other groups settled in the region by the Assyrians and Babylonians. This tension would lead to political maneuvering, attempts to undermine the reconstruction, and outright opposition, which are detailed in the subsequent chapters of Ezra. The verse also touches on the broader theme of divine providence versus human opposition, as the Jewish people strive to fulfill what they see as God's command to rebuild, despite the obstacles they encounter.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6862
There are 102 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צַר
Transliteration: tsar
Pronunciation: tsar
Description: or צָר; from צָרַר; compare as in צֹר; narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pebble ; (transitive) an opponent (as crowding); adversary, afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble. - Strong's Number: H3063
There are 754 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdâh
Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-daw'
Description: from יָדָה; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory; Judah. - Strong's Number: H1144
There are 156 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בִּנְיָמִין
Transliteration: Binyâmîyn
Pronunciation: bin-yaw-mene'
Description: from בֵּן and יָמִין; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin, youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Benjamin. - Strong's Number: H8085
There are 1072 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַע
Transliteration: shâmaʻ
Pronunciation: shaw-mah'
Description: a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.); [idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, [idiom] surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H1473
There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גּוֹלָה
Transliteration: gôwlâh
Pronunciation: go-law'
Description: or (shortened) גֹּלָה; active participle feminine of גָּלָה; exile; concretely and collectively exiles; (carried away), captive(-ity), removing. - Strong's Number: H1129
There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּנָה
Transliteration: bânâh
Pronunciation: baw-naw'
Description: a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely. - Strong's Number: H1964
There are 76 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הֵיכָל
Transliteration: hêykâl
Pronunciation: hay-kawl'
Description: probably from יָכֹל (in the sense of capacity); a large public building, such as a palace or temple; palace, temple. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.