Hostile Letters and the Suspension of Rebuilding
Ezra 4:6-24
Ezr.4.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובמלכות: CONJ+PREP,NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אחשורוש: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בתחלת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- מלכותו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3ms
- כתבו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- שטנה: NOUN,f,sg,prop
- על: PREP
- ישבי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- וירושלם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 4:7-16 (structural): Direct continuation of the same episode: adversaries send a letter of accusation to King Ahasuerus about the Jews and their rebuilding, expanding on 4:6's claim.
- Esther 3:8-9 (verbal): Haman brings a written accusation to King Ahasuerus about a people (the Jews) with different laws and urges their destruction — a parallel tactic of slanderous petitioning of the Persian king.
- Nehemiah 6:6-7 (verbal): Sanballat and conspirators send a letter to the Persian king accusing Nehemiah of rebellion and plotting — similar use of false written charges to stop Jerusalem's rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 4:7-8 (thematic): Enemies of Judah hear of the rebuilding and conspire to fight and frustrate the work — thematically parallel opposition to Jerusalem's restoration.
- Ezra 5:6-17 (structural): Later adversaries again write to Persian officials (this time to the satraps and King Darius), prompting an official inquiry and archive search — repeats the pattern of hostile correspondence and royal investigation.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
- And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezr.4.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובימי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- ארתחששתא: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- כתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בשלם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מתרדת: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טבאל: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כנותיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- ארתחששת: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- פרס: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- וכתב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הנשתון: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כתוב: ADJ,ptcp,pass,m,sg
- ארמית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומתרגם: CONJ+VERB,ptcp,act,m,sg
- ארמית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 4:8-16 (structural): Direct continuation/quotation of the same correspondence: the letter sent to Artaxerxes is recorded there and is presented in Aramaic, continuing the narrative begun in 4:7.
- Ezra 4:17-23 (structural): Immediate sequel showing the effect of the letters (the suspension of the building); completes the sequence of petitions and royal responses introduced in 4:7.
- Ezra 5:6-17 (thematic): A later set of accusations to the Persian court (to Darius) preserved in Aramaic; demonstrates the recurring pattern of local officials writing to Persian kings to obstruct Jerusalem’s rebuilding.
- Daniel 2:4–7:28 (verbal): Large Aramaic section of the Hebrew Bible reflecting the use of imperial/official Aramaic for court narratives and correspondence—parallels Ezra 4:7’s explicit note that the letter was in Aramaic.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions to King Artaxerxes of Persia; and the copy of the letter was written in the Aramaic language and translated.
- In the days of Artaxerxes also, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of their colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the communication was written in the Aramaic script and translated into Aramaic.
Ezr.4.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רחום: ADJ,m,sg
- בעל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ושמשי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,prop,abs
- ספרא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כתבו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- אגרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חדה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לארתחששתא: PREP+PROPN,m,sg,prop
- מלכא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כנמא: PART
Parallels
- Ezra 4:11-16 (quotation): Contains the full accusatory letter sent to Artaxerxes; Ezra 4:8 functions as the introduction to this sharp/hostile epistle.
- Nehemiah 6:5-7 (thematic): Opponents send deceptive letters to discredit and entrap the leader (Nehemiah); parallels the tactic of hostile correspondence used against Jerusalem in Ezra 4:8.
- Ezra 5:6-17 (structural): Later Persian administrative correspondence (Tattenai's inquiry to Darius) concerning authorization to rebuild—another instance where official letters determine the fate of the Jerusalem building project.
- Ezra 4:23-24 (structural): Records the immediate consequence of the hostile letters introduced in 4:8: the work on the house of God ceases until the reign of Darius, showing the practical impact of the accusation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and their companions wrote a sharp letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this manner.
- Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, wrote a sharp letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes and to the towns of Judah, and this is the tenor of their letter.
Ezr.4.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אדין: ADV
- רחום: ADJ,m,sg
- בעל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ושמשי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ספרא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כנותהון: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- דיניא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואפרסתכיא: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+3mp
- טרפליא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אפרסיא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארכויא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בבליא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שושנכיא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דהיא: DEM,f,sg
- עלמיא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 4:6-7 (verbal): Immediate context and closely related list of opponents (Rehum, Shimshai, and others) and their letter-writing to the king; 4:9 is part of this same roster and epistolary move.
- Ezra 4:11-16 (quotation): The actual text of the letter sent to Artaxerxes that the named officials composed; these verses give the content and accusations behind the names listed in 4:9.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (thematic): Parallel theme of local adversaries (mockery, opposition) to Jerusalem's rebuilding—Sanballat and Tobiah opposing the work, echoing the hostile groups named in Ezra 4:9.
- Ezra 5:3-17 (structural): Follow-up investigation by Tattenai and the Persian inquiry/report to the king; continues the exchange begun by the opponents' letter and contains related official correspondence and responses.
Alternative generated candidates
- (And the rest of their companions were the judges, the officials, the elders, and the guardians, and those who lived in the province Beyond the River,) and they wrote in plain terms against Jerusalem.
- Of Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions — the judges and officials who were in the province beyond the River — these took counsel together and framed this charge to send to King Artaxerxes.
Ezr.4.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמיא: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הגלי: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אסנפר: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- רבא: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ויקירא: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- והותב: VERB,qal,ptcp,pl,m
- המו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- בקריה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמרין: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נהרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וכענת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 29:5 (verbal): Uses the same language and idea—exiles are told to 'build houses and dwell in them,' paralleling Ezra's statement that the carried‑away people settled and built homes in the land of their exile.
- 2 Kings 25:11 (verbal): Mentions Nebuzar‑adan and the deportation of Judah's people to Babylon, directly parallel to Ezra's reference to those carried away by Nebuchadnezzar/Nebuzar‑adan.
- 2 Chronicles 36:20‑21 (thematic): Summarizes Judah's exile to Babylon and the people serving there until the Persian overthrow—provides the broader historical/theological context for Ezra's note that the remnant lived and built in the cities of the Chaldeans.
- Psalm 137:1‑4 (thematic): Expresses the emotional and communal reality of the Babylonian exile ('By the rivers of Babylon') and the experience of displaced Israelites dwelling in foreign lands, thematically matching Ezra's depiction of settled exiles.
Alternative generated candidates
- The men who were of the other peoples—so the letter records—whose fathers had been settled in the province Beyond the River, and who were appointed by the great and honorable Ashpenaz to serve in the palace, and the rest of the nations who lived in the province Beyond the River.
- They wrote thus: "To King Artaxerxes. Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem and are building that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the foundations and repairing the walls, and restoring the ruins.
Ezr.4.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דנה: DEM,f,sg
- פרשגן: NOUN,m,sg,cstr
- אגרתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלחו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- עלוהי: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- ארתחששתא: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- מלכא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבדיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs,2ms
- אנש: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נהרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וכענת: CONJ+ADV
Parallels
- Ezra 4:7 (verbal): An earlier letter (same group of opponents) sent to the Persian court; language and charges about the people beyond the river parallel the formulation in 4:11.
- Ezra 4:12 (verbal): Continues the same formal accusation against Jerusalem and its inhabitants; repeats key phrasing about the city being rebellious and troublesome, forming part of the same letter-context as 4:11.
- Ezra 4:16 (structural): The king's administrative response to the complaint described in 4:11–15; shows the procedural/resulting action taken after the accusatory letter reached Artaxerxes.
- Ezra 5:3–17 (thematic): Later rounds of written accusations to the Persian king (this time Darius) by the same opponents; parallels the tactic of using official letters to halt the rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 6:6–7 (thematic): Enemies sent forged/accusatory letters to Persian authorities alleging rebellion to undermine Nehemiah's work; thematically parallel to the use of petitions/letters in Ezra 4:11 to stop the rebuilding.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the copy of the letter that they sent was plainly read before the king; and his servants who were near him wrote down the case.
- Now if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no portion beyond the River.
Ezr.4.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ידיע: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- להוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- למלכא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהודיא: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סלקו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מן: PREP
- לותך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עלינא: PRON,1,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- לירושלם: PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
- קריתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מרדתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובישתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בנין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושוריא: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שכלילו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ואשיא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- יחיטו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezra 4:13-16 (quotation): Continues the same official letter to the king accusing the Jews of rebuilding Jerusalem as a rebellious, fortified city; these verses record the petition asking the king to stop the work.
- Ezra 4:5 (structural): Earlier in the same narrative describes how adversaries made disturbances and hired counselors to frustrate the rebuilding—sets the pattern of opposition that culminates in the formal accusation in 4:12.
- Nehemiah 2:19-20 (thematic): Local officials accuse Nehemiah’s project of being a political/rebellious act against the king; Nehemiah’s reply and the charge echo the same concern about building Jerusalem as a potential act of defiance.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (verbal): Opponents mock and allege that rebuilding the city/walls will make the Jews a threat (even a kingdom), directly paralleling the claim that the Jews have built a 'rebellious and evil city' and fortified it.
Alternative generated candidates
- They reported to the king: “The Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem; they are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city; they have finished its walls and are restoring the foundations.
- Moreover the king should know that the cities which from ancient times have been fortified and inhabited with strong kings and governors have been a charge and tax upon all the provinces beyond the River, and that they have always exacted tribute, customs, and tolls.
Ezr.4.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כען: ADV
- ידיע: VERB,hif,impv,2,ms
- להוא: PREP+PRON,3,ms
- למלכא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הן: PART
- קריתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דך: ADJ,m,sg
- תתבנא: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ושוריה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg+PRON,3,ms
- ישתכללון: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- מנדה: PREP+DEM
- בלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- והלך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- ינתנון: VERB,nip,impf,3,m,pl
- ואפתם: CONJ+PRON,3,m,pl
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תהנזק: VERB,nip,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezra 4:12 (verbal): Same accusatory letter: uses nearly identical language about the city being rebuilt and the walls being joined, forming the immediate verbal parallel within the same correspondence.
- Ezra 4:20-21 (verbal): Continuation of the opponents' petition to the king arguing economic and security dangers (tax/custom loss); repeats reasons given to urge cessation of the rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (thematic): Depicts hostile reaction and mockery toward rebuilding Jerusalem's walls—similar theme of external opposition aimed at stopping the work.
- Nehemiah 6:1-9 (structural): Records conspiracies and deceptive tactics used to halt the wall-building project, paralleling the use of letters and intrigue in Ezra to obstruct reconstruction.
- Ezra 4:24 (structural): Describes the result of the opposition—the work on the house of God ceases—showing the practical effect of the accusations and petitions exemplified in 4:13.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now be it known to the king that, if this city be rebuilt and the walls completed, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and the king’s revenue will be diminished in that part; and the city will be a place of rebellion and trouble to kings.
- Therefore make diligent inquiry in the royal archives — you will find written in the records of your fathers — that this city is a rebellious city and a cause of kings' loss and revolt.
Ezr.4.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כען: ADV
- כל: DET
- קבל: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היכלא: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מלחנא: NOUN,m,sg,poss1,pl
- וערות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מלכא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- א: PRT
- ריך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לנא: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- למחזא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg
- על: PREP
- דנה: DEM,ms,sg
- שלחנא: VERB,qal,perf,1,pl
- והודענא: CONJ+VERB,hiph,perf,1,pl
- למלכא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Ezra 4:11-16 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same correspondence: accusation to the king that the Jews are rebuilding Jerusalem and an explicit request that the king stop the work (same charge and appeal as v.14).
- Ezra 4:23 (structural): Shows the outcome of the hostile letters described in vv.11–16 (and 14): the building was halted by royal command as a direct consequence of the reports sent to the king.
- Nehemiah 6:6-7 (thematic): A hostile letter sent to accuse and intimidate the builder (Nehemiah) with charges of rebellion—parallel tactic of using letters/accusations to the authorities to stop Jerusalem’s reconstruction.
- Nehemiah 4:7-8 (thematic): Description of surrounding peoples conspiring and hiring counselors to hinder the rebuilding of Jerusalem—parallels the organized opposition and attempts to prevent the work described in Ezra 4:14.
- Ezra 5:6-17 (structural): Records the royal inquiry into earlier letters and the archives (the documents sent against the Jews) and the legal/administrative process that responds to those accusations—directly connected to the letters whose dispatch is described in Ezra 4.14.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now because we have maintenance of the king’s palace and it is not fitting for us to bear this burden, we have sent and informed the king.
- We inform the king that this city, if it is rebuilt and the walls finished, will be a base for rebellion and harm to the kings; therefore let the king give no thought to supporting such a thing.
Ezr.4.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יבקר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בספר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דכרניא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אבהתך: NOUN,m,sg,cstr+2ms
- ותהשכח: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בספר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דכרניא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותנדע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קריתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דך: ADJ,m,sg
- קריא: VERB,qal,ptcp,m,sg
- מרדא: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- ומהנזקת: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלכין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ומדנן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואשתדור: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עבדין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בגוה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מן: PREP
- יומת: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- עלמא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- דנה: DEM,f,sg
- קריתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דך: ADJ,m,sg
- החרבת: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Ezra 4:23 (quotation): Direct continuation/part of the same correspondence—the petition and the royal reply refer to searching the public records/chronicles to show Jerusalem's alleged rebellious history.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (thematic): Local opponents mock and oppose the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls—parallels the hostile resistance and charges brought against the builders in Ezra 4.
- Ezra 1:1 (structural): Cyrus’s decree authorizing the return and rebuilding provides a counterpoint to the petition in Ezra 4 seeking to halt construction; shows competing royal policies and sources of authority.
- Esther 3:8-9 (thematic): An official (Haman) persuades the king to issue a writ against the Jews by means of a royal decree/letter—parallel in method (use of royal correspondence to harm Jewish interests) though with different intent and outcome.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let it now be searched in the chronicles of your fathers: you will find in the chronicles and know that this city is a rebellious city and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that from ancient times trouble has issued from it; therefore was this city laid waste.
- Search the books of the records and you will find written there how that this city from of old has been a cause of revolt and a ruin to kings and lands; and it was destroyed for this reason.
Ezr.4.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מהודעין: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,pl
- אנחנה: PRON,1,pl
- למלכא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הן: PART
- קריתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דך: ADJ,m,sg
- תתבנא: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ושוריה: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ישתכללון: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לקבל: VERB,qal,inf
- דנה: DEM,f,sg
- חלק: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- בעבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נהרא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- איתי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezra 5:6-17 (structural): A related sequence of official letters and inquiries about Jerusalem’s rebuilding: Tatnai and the Persian officials write to King Darius to ask about the work, mirroring the administrative complaint reported in Ezra 4:16 and showing the same pattern of bureaucratic correspondence over the walls.
- Ezra 6:6-12 (quotation): Darius’ royal decree ordering that the Jews be permitted to finish the temple (and that expenses be paid) functions as the direct imperial counterpoint to the accusations in chapter 4—an authoritative reply that resolves the earlier charges against the rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 2:3-8 (thematic): Nehemiah’s petition to Artaxerxes for permission, letters of safe conduct, and timber for rebuilding Jerusalem parallels the theme of seeking and appealing to Persian royal authority concerning the city’s reconstruction (political/legal dealings over rebuilding and walls).
- Ezra 1:1 (verbal): Cyrus’ proclamation (the king’s command to allow exiles to return and rebuild) is the earlier imperial authorization that contrasts with the hostile report in Ezra 4:16; both passages pivot on the language of a king’s decision about rebuilding Jerusalem.
Alternative generated candidates
- We inform the king that, if this city is built and the walls set up again, it will be to the hurt of the realm and will not be for the king’s profit.
- We have therefore notified the king that they are rebuilding this rebellious city and repairing its walls to reestablish it; and for this reason let the king put a stop to this work at once.
Ezr.4.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- פתגמא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלכא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- רחום: ADJ,m,sg
- בעל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ושמשי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ספרא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כנותהון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יתבין: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- בשמרין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נהרה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- וכעת: ADV
Parallels
- Ezra 4:8 (structural): Immediate context — introduces the accusatory letter sent to the king (names the senders) that this verse describes as written in the Aramaic tongue.
- Ezra 4:18 (verbal): Closely related wording — continues the report about the language and interpretation of the letter to the king (the same document-series and administrative procedure).
- Daniel 2:4 (thematic): Marks a switch into Aramaic for royal/court material; shows Aramaic (Syrian/Chaldean) as the lingua franca for official correspondence in the imperial context, paralleling the language note in Ezra 4:17.
- Ezra 6:6-7 (thematic): A Persian royal response to complaints and prior letters about Jerusalem’s rebuilding; parallels the administrative process whereby petitions/letters to the king produced official decrees and investigations.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the king sent a command to Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions who lived in Samaria and beyond the River: “You shall cease, and this work shall not proceed; further inquiry shall be made, and it shall be stayed until I give further orders.”
- The king sent a command, and a letter was directed to Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria and beyond the River, that they should cease and desist in that business.
Ezr.4.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נשתונא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלחתון: VERB,qal,perf,2,pl
- עלינא: PREP,1,pl
- מפרש: ADJ,m,sg
- קרי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קדמי: PREP,1,sg
Parallels
- Ezra 4:8-16 (quotation): The letter (sent to the king) whose contents are quoted earlier in the chapter; 4:18 refers back to that very correspondence being read before the king.
- Ezra 6:1-2 (structural): Officials search the royal archives ('house of the rolls' at Achmetha) and find a prior decree concerning the temple—another instance of Persian records/letters being inspected to decide policy.
- 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 (thematic): Cyrus’s decree permitting the temple’s restoration is an earlier royal edict on the same subject; both passages center on imperial orders affecting Jerusalem’s rebuilding.
- Esther 8:10-11 (structural): Example of Persian imperial correspondence: a legal decree written in the king’s name, sealed and dispatched to provinces. Parallels the mechanism and authority of letters that alter subjects’ status and actions.
Alternative generated candidates
- The copy of the letter which they sent unto us was read before them.
- And the copy of the letter which you sent was read openly before them.
Ezr.4.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ומני: PREP+SUFF,1,sg
- שים: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- טעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ובקרו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- והשכחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קריתא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דך: ADJ,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- יומת: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- עלמא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- מלכין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מתנשאה: VERB,hitpael,pres,3,f,sg
- ומרד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ואשתדור: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- מתעבד: VERB,hitpael,pres,3,m,sg
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Ezra 4:11-16 (verbal): Earlier letter in the same chapter accusing the Jews of rebuilding Jerusalem 'in rebellion' and asking the king to stop the work—same charge and bureaucratic petitioning that 4:19 continues.
- Ezra 5:16-17 (verbal): The Jews appeal to the Persian authorities and request an inquiry into former decrees—language of 'searching the records' echoes 4:19's call for investigation of whether the city was rebuilt in rebellion.
- Ezra 6:1-12 (structural): Narrative resolution to the enquiry called for in 4:19: Darius searches the royal archives, finds Cyrus' decree permitting the temple work, and issues a supportive royal order—shows outcome of the investigation motif.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (thematic): Opponents of Jerusalem's rebuilding (Sanballat, Tobiah) charge the builders with intent to rebel and make themselves a king—parallels the hostile accusation and political concern behind the inquiry in Ezra 4:19.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and their companions came in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force and by power.
- When they heard it in the morning, they encouraged one another and remembered that the cities of long ago had been fortified and ruled by strong kings and governors, and that they had been under royal control beyond the River.
Ezr.4.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ומלכין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תקיפין: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- הוו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- על: PREP
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושליטין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נהרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומדה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- והלך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מתיהב: VERB,qal,perf,3,sg
- להון: PREP,3,pl
Parallels
- Esther 1:1 (thematic): Describes a Persian king ruling over vast provinces (from India to Ethiopia); parallels the theme of imperial control over many provinces and rulers exercising authority across the realm.
- Ezra 1:1-4 (structural): Cyrus’s decree and proclamation throughout his kingdom illustrate a king’s power and administrative reach across provinces and his return of temple vessels—paralleling royal authority and the granting of resources mentioned in Ezra 4:20.
- Nehemiah 2:7-8 (verbal): Nehemiah’s request for letters to the governors ‘beyond the river’ and to the keeper of the king’s forest echoes the geographic phraseology (’beyond the river’) and the practice of royal officials and provincial rulers acting under the king’s authority.
- Ezra 7:21-23 (thematic): Artaxerxes’ letters permitting Ezra to take silver, goods, and to appoint magistrates show royal authorization and the provision of resources (gifts/allowances) to officials and religious leaders, paralleling the idea of rulers receiving support or largess.
Alternative generated candidates
- By intimidation and by threats they troubled the work upon Jerusalem and compelled them to cease; and the activity of the laborers was restrained.
- Now therefore be vigilant and do not allow anything to be done that would injure the kings.
Ezr.4.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כען: CONJ
- שימו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- טעם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לבטלא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גבריא: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אלך: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- וקריתא: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דך: ADJ,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- תתבנא: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- עד: PREP
- מני: PREP+PRON,1,_,sg
- טעמא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יתשם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezra 4:23 (quotation): Continues the same Aramaic letter to the king with the identical injunction to investigate and to stop the city’s rebuilding—essentially the same royal command repeated.
- Ezra 4:24 (structural): Reports the immediate consequence of the royal order in 4:21–23: the work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, linking cause and effect.
- Ezra 5:3-5 (thematic): Haggai and Zechariah exhort the people to resume building despite opposition and official orders; thematically opposes the stoppage ordered in 4:21 and shows prophetic encouragement to continue.
- Nehemiah 2:7-8 (allusion): Nehemiah obtains royal letters authorizing materials and safety to rebuild Jerusalem—an instructive contrast to the earlier royal prohibition in Ezra 4:21.
- Nehemiah 4:6-9 (thematic): Describes rebuilding the wall amid hostile opposition and administrative challenges; parallels the broader theme of construction under external resistance present in Ezra 4:21.
Alternative generated candidates
- So the work of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
- Send this present letter to make the work cease; let that city not be rebuilt until the pleasure of the king has been clearly known.
Ezr.4.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וזהירין: PRON,dem,m,pl
- הוו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שלו: PRON,3,m,sg
- למעבד: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- על: PREP
- דנה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- למה: ADV
- ישגא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- חבלא: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- להנזקת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מלכין: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 4:12-16 (structural): Part of the same episode: opponents send an official letter to the Persian king accusing the Jews and urging that the rebuilding of Jerusalem be stopped; provides the fuller text and motive behind the obstruction noted in 4:22.
- Ezra 5:3-17 (structural): Immediate continuation of the narrative: officials demand proof of authority for the work, the Jews produce earlier royal orders, and the conflict over the legitimacy of the rebuilding is pursued in the royal administration.
- Ezra 6:1-12 (quotation): Shows the resolution of the royal inquiry begun by the opponents' letter: Darius searches the archives, finds Cyrus’s decree permitting rebuilding, and issues a counter‑order that protects the work — the direct outcome of the correspondence in ch. 4.
- Nehemiah 4:7-9 (thematic): Parallel theme of local enemies conspiring to 'make them afraid' and hinder the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls; similar communal opposition and intimidation tactics.
- Nehemiah 6:6-7 (verbal): An instance where adversaries use forged/hostile letters to manipulate authority and entrap the leader (Nehemiah); closely parallels the tactic of sending letters to Persian kings to obstruct the project in Ezra 4.
Alternative generated candidates
- (But the record of these matters and the letters written against the inhabitants of Judah were preserved in the archives.)
- Be careful, therefore, to carry this out, that nothing may be done to the damage of the royal revenues.
Ezr.4.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אדין: ADV
- מן: PREP
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרשגן: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- נשתונא: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארתחששת: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- מלכא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קרי: VERB,qal,ptcp,3,m,sg
- קדם: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- רחום: ADJ,m,sg
- ושמשי: CONJ+NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ספרא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכנותהון: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,pl
- אזלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- בבהילו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לירושלם: PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
- על: PREP
- יהודיא: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובטלו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- המו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- באדרע: PREP+NOUN,sg,abs
- וחיל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezra 4:24 (structural): Direct continuation: states that the work on the house of God ceased until the second year of Darius—immediate consequence of the letters and complaints described in 4:6–23.
- Ezra 4:6 (verbal): Earlier letter to the Persian court during the reign of Artaxerxes reporting the Jews' activities; part of the same series of petitions that led to the suspension of the rebuilding.
- Nehemiah 4:1-3 (thematic): Opposition to Jerusalem’s rebuilding by surrounding peoples—mockery and resistance to the work, paralleling the adversaries who sought to impede the Jews in Ezra 4.
- Nehemiah 6:6-9 (thematic): Enemies use deceptive letters and plots to draw leaders away and halt construction—similar tactic of correspondence and subterfuge aimed at stopping building projects.
- Ezra 6:6-12 (structural): Royal decree reversing the halt and ordering the rebuilding to proceed with support—literary and historical counterpart showing the opposite outcome of royal intervention.
Alternative generated candidates
- When the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai and their companions, they hurried to Jerusalem against the Jews and put a stop to the building there by force and confiscation.
- So the copy of the king's letter which they had sent was read before Rehum and Shimshai and their companions; and they hastened to Jerusalem to the Jews, and by force and power they made them cease and halted the work there.
Ezr.4.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- באדין: ADV
- בטלת: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- עבידת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלהא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- די: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והות: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בטלא: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- שנת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- תרתין: NUM,card,sg
- למלכות: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- דריוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- פרס: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezra 5:1-2 (structural): Direct literary continuation — work on the temple resumes in the second year of Darius after having ceased (connects the cessation in 4:24 with the restart under Haggai and Zechariah).
- Haggai 1:1 (verbal): Dated to the second year of Darius; Haggai exhorts the people to resume rebuilding the temple, directly relating to the cessation and its resumption in Ezra 4:24/5:1.
- Zechariah 1:1 (verbal): Also dated to the second year of Darius; Zechariah’s prophetic ministry accompanies Haggai’s call to renew temple work, linking the date given in Ezra 4:24 to the prophetic revival.
- 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 (allusion): Declares Cyrus’s decree permitting the return and reconstruction of the temple — background for the initial rebuilding attempt that was later halted (explains the earlier authorization before the cessation described in Ezra 4:24).
- Ezra 6:14-15 (thematic): Reports the eventual completion of the temple during the reign of Darius, tying the period of cessation noted in 4:24 to the final successful restoration under Persian rule.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus the work on the house of God at Jerusalem came to a standstill and remained stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
- Thus the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem ceased; and it ceased until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
In the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his rule, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes of Persia; the matter was written in Aramaic and translated.
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a harsh letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows. And the rest of their companions—officials and nobles, Persians, Medes, Elamites, the inhabitants of Babylonia and Shushan, and all who dwelt in the province beyond the River—were with them.
Also the other peoples, great and notable men who dwelt in the fortified towns beyond the River and in the province, were present. And the letter which they sent to him said thus: To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men who dwell beyond the River, and the rest of the provinces, send greeting.
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and troublesome city; they are finishing the walls and restoring the foundations. Now let it be known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and the walls restored, you will have no portion on that side of the River.
For the king’s revenues will be diminished, for the customs, tolls, and tribute from that side of the River will no longer be paid; and the kings who have been before you suffered loss there. Now because we could find no written record showing that this city was a stronghold for the kings, we reported it to the king;
and the king commanded that a search be made in the records in Babylon. And there was found in the chronicles of the kings of Babylon: 'That this city is a rebellious city and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition has arisen there from ancient times; therefore it was laid waste.'
The king then issued a command concerning Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions who were living in Samaria and in the province beyond the River; they were to act promptly against Jerusalem.
A copy of the letter that you sent us was read before the king. And the king gave command: 'Take diligent heed to this matter; do not allow these men to build this city, lest, if it be rebuilt, the kings beyond the River suffer loss.' So the king’s servants who dwelt beyond the River went with haste to Jerusalem against the Jews.
They checked the building work and stopped it; and the work on the house of God at Jerusalem ceased. Thus the work was suspended and remained so until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Therefore the building of the house of God in Jerusalem was discontinued and stood unfinished for many years, halted by royal decree and opposition. So the work on the house of God at Jerusalem was suspended until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.