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.

Listen to this chapter

Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple

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

Then 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.

But 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.

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

And 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.

Administrative Opposition Through Letters

¶ 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.

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.

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

Then 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,

And 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.

The Accusation Letter to Artaxerxes

This 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.

Be 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.

Be 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.

Now 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;

That 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.

We 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.

Artaxerxes Halts the Work

¶ 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.

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

And 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.

There 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.

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

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

Now 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.

Then 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.

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.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Ezra4

Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple

Administrative Opposition Through Letters

The Accusation Letter to Artaxerxes

Artaxerxes Halts the Work

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options