Ezra4

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.

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Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,

they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”

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

They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Administrative Opposition Through Letters

At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.

Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:

From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,

and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.

The Accusation Letter to Artaxerxes

(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:

Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations.

Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.

Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king

that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.

We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.

Artaxerxes Halts the Work

Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.

The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.

I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.

And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.

Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.

See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?

When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.

Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Study Notes for Ezra 4

Verse 1

The 'adversaries' refers primarily to the people who had settled in Samaria after the Assyrian deportations. They feared the re-establishment of a strong, independent Jewish state.

Verse 2

The offer to help build was rejected because their worship (claiming to seek 'your God') was syncretistic, mixing true Yahwism with pagan practices, which would compromise the purity of the rebuilding effort (cf. 2 Kings 17:33).

Verse 3

Zerubbabel and Jeshua maintained theological integrity by insisting that the temple must be built solely by the covenanted people, according to the specific commands of God and King Cyrus.

Verse 4

When political co-option failed, the adversaries resorted to active sabotage, using intimidation and psychological tactics to discourage the returning exiles from continuing the work.

Verse 5

This verse highlights the extreme longevity of the opposition, which successfully frustrated the work for approximately 16 years, spanning the entire remainder of Cyrus’s reign and the reign of Cambyses, until the second year of Darius I.

Verse 6

Verses 6–23 constitute a chronological insertion to show the continuous nature of opposition against Jerusalem across different Persian kings (Ahasuerus/Xerxes and Artaxerxes), even though the temple was finished under Darius (v. 24).

Verse 7

The focus here shifts from the temple to the rebuilding of the city walls, which occurred later. The letter was written in Aramaic (described as 'Syrian tongue'), the official administrative language of the western Persian Empire.

Verse 8

Rehum and Shimshai held high provincial authority (chancellor and scribe, respectively), indicating that the opposition was official, bureaucratic, and highly organized.

Verse 9

This extensive list names the various ethnic groups settled in Samaria by Assyrian kings, forming a multi-national coalition that opposed the restoration of Jewish identity and power.

Verse 10

Asnappar is generally identified with the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. This detail emphasizes that the 'people of the land' were foreign transplants whose loyalty was tied to the imperial power, not to the local traditions.

Verse 12

The adversaries strategically use inflammatory language, labeling Jerusalem a 'rebellious and bad city.' They focus on the rebuilding of the walls, which was interpreted as an act of political self-determination and rebellion against Persia.

Verse 13

This accusation employs a powerful economic argument: a fortified Jerusalem would inevitably withhold imperial taxes (toll, tribute, custom), thereby damaging the king’s financial interests.

Verse 14

The phrase 'we have maintenance from the king’s palace' (literally, 'we eat the salt of the palace') signifies their obligation as officials to protect the king’s honor and revenue, lending authority to their claims.

Verse 15

The request to search the royal records (the 'book of the records of thy fathers') demonstrates their knowledge of Jerusalem's history of rebellion against previous empires, appealing to established legal precedent.

Verse 16

The final threat elevates the political stakes, suggesting that if Jerusalem is rebuilt, the Persian king will lose all control over the entire Trans-Euphrates province ('this side the river').

Verse 19

The king's official investigation confirmed that Jerusalem had historically been a center of insurrection. This historical finding provided the legal justification necessary for him to issue a decree against the rebuilding.

Verse 20

The records also showed that powerful Jewish kings had once ruled the entire province, validating the fear that a rebuilt, fortified Jerusalem would seek regional dominance.

Verse 21

Artaxerxes did not issue a permanent edict, but a temporary suspension ('until another commandment shall be given from me'), indicating caution rather than outright hostility toward the Jews.

Verse 23

The officials immediately enforced the king’s decree, using official 'force and power' to halt the rebuilding of the city walls (the action addressed in the correspondence).

Verse 24

This verse returns to the main chronological narrative begun in verse 5, concluding that the original *temple* work was stopped until 520 BC, when the prophet Haggai and Zechariah encouraged its resumption.

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Ezra4

Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple

Administrative Opposition Through Letters

The Accusation Letter to Artaxerxes

Artaxerxes Halts the Work

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