qir.yah denotes a town or city, chiefly the place being rebuilt, accused of rebellion, or placed under royal order in Ezra 4.

The term denotes a town or city, most often the identified place whose rebuilding, walls, and political standing are discussed; it can also refer to cities where peoples were settled.

1. The city under dispute and decree · dominant

   In Ezra 4:12, Ezra 4:13, Ezra 4:15, Ezra 4:16, Ezra 4:19, and Ezra 4:21, the determined singular form identifies the city being built, investigated in records, accused of rebellion, and ordered not to be built. In Ezra 4:15 the APB renders the clause "the city is a rebellious city," while Ezra 4:21 renders the order that "that city not be built."

   Ezra 4:12Ezra 4:13Ezra 4:15Ezra 4:16Ezra 4:19Ezra 4:21
2. Cities of settlement · rare

   In Ezra 4:10, the plural absolute form occurs in the statement that displaced peoples were settled in the cities of Samaria. The APB renders the clause "settled in the cities of Samaria."

   Ezra 4:10

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the supplied verses, the APB presents the term as "city" or "cities," including the city being built and the cities of Samaria. These renderings confirm the verse context rather than isolate every individual token.