Ezra 4:4

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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

Complete Jewish Bible:

Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Y'hudah, in order to make them afraid to build.

Berean Standard Bible:

Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.

American Standard Version:

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

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Then the people^{H5971} of the land^{H776} weakened^{H7503} the hands^{H3027} of the people^{H5971} of Judah^{H3063}, and troubled^{{H926}{H1089}} them in building^{H1129},

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Commentary for Ezra 4:4

Ezra 4:4 is a verse set within the historical context of the post-exilic period, after the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. The verse specifically addresses the challenges faced by the returning Jewish exiles who were attempting to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians. The "people of the land" refers to the inhabitants of Judah who were not taken into exile, and included a mix of various peoples who had been resettled there by the Assyrians and Babylonians.

The themes present in this verse include the opposition and resistance that the Jewish returnees encountered from their neighbors. The phrase "weakened the hands" is a Hebrew idiom that suggests the local population sought to discourage and disrupt the efforts of the people of Judah. This was done in an attempt to prevent the reconstruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, which were central to the Jewish identity and religious practice. The verse reflects the broader challenges of reestablishing a community and its religious center in the face of external pressures and hostility.

This opposition took various forms, including political maneuvering and possibly physical interference, as described later in the chapter. The tension between the returnees and the local inhabitants is indicative of the ethnic, cultural, and religious conflicts that arose as the exiles sought to reintegrate into the land of their forebears. Ezra 4:4 thus captures a moment of significant challenge and resistance in the history of the Jewish people as they struggled to restore their sacred spaces and national identity in a changed and often hostile environment.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5971
   There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עַם
   Transliteration: ʻam
   Pronunciation: am
   Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people.
   
2. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
   
3. Strong's Number: H7503
   There are 45 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָפָה
   Transliteration: râphâh
   Pronunciation: raw-faw'
   Description: a primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative); abate, cease, consume, draw (toward evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak(-en). See רָפָא.
   
4. Strong's Number: H3027
   There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָד
   Transliteration: yâd
   Pronunciation: yawd
   Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
   
5. 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.
   
6. Strong's Number: H926
   There are 39 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּהַל
   Transliteration: bâhal
   Pronunciation: baw-hal'
   Description: a primitive root; to tremble inwardly (or palpitate), i.e. (figuratively) be (causative, make) (suddenly) alarmed or agitated; by implication to hasten anxiously; be (make) affrighted (afraid, amazed, dismayed, rash), (be, get, make) haste(-n, -y, -ily), (give) speedy(-ily), thrust out, trouble, vex.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1089
   There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּלַהּ
   Transliteration: bâlahh
   Pronunciation: baw-lah'
   Description: a primitive root (rather by transposition for בָּהַל); to palpitate; hence, (causatively) to terrify; trouble.
   
8. 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.