Atlas Biblica

    Ezra · 24 verses

    Ezra 4

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    The chapter

    What happens here

    Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

    A translated letter is read in the king’s presence; once it reaches Jerusalem, the building stops by force.

    An offer declinedvv. 1–5

    The enemies of Judah and Benjamin approach the builders with a plausible offer: they seek Israel’s God and have been sacrificing to Him since Esar-haddon brought them there. Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the family heads refuse them a share, insisting that they alone must build the house for the LORD, as Cyrus commanded. The disappointed people of the land then turn to discouragement, fear, and hired counsellors—a remarkably full programme of obstruction before a single wall has properly got going.

    The letter against Jerusalemvv. 6–16

    The opposition acquires a changeable calendar: Cyrus, then Darius, then Xerxes, and then Artaxerxes. In Artaxerxes’ days, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, Rehum, Shimshai, and their associates send a letter, written in Aramaic and translated, warning that Jerusalem is rebellious, fiscally dangerous, and liable to deprive the king of his dominion west of the Euphrates. The roll call of officials and deported peoples is formidable; the accusation itself is dressed in the sober clothing of palace service.

    A royal order, promptly obeyedvv. 17–24

    Artaxerxes has the letter translated and read before him, orders a search of the records, and accepts the conclusion that Jerusalem has a long history of revolt. His command is brisk: stop the men and do not allow the city to be rebuilt until further notice. Rehum, Shimshai, and their associates go immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stop the work. The house of God therefore stands still—not indefinitely, but until the second year of Darius, whose reign had already appeared earlier in the tale.

    The text

    Read it

    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. Ezra 4:1When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,

    2. Ezra 4:2they 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.”

    3. Ezra 4:3But 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.”

    4. Ezra 4:4Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.

    5. Ezra 4:5They 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.

    6. Ezra 4:6At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

    7. Ezra 4:7And 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.

    8. Ezra 4:8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:

    9. Ezra 4:9From 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,

    10. Ezra 4:10and 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.

    11. Ezra 4:11(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:

    12. Ezra 4:12Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring its walls and repairing its foundations.

    13. Ezra 4:13Let 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.

    14. Ezra 4:14Now 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

    15. Ezra 4:15that 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.

    16. Ezra 4:16We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.

    17. Ezra 4:17Then 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.

    18. Ezra 4:18The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.

    19. Ezra 4:19I 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.

    20. Ezra 4:20And 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.

    21. Ezra 4:21Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.

    22. Ezra 4:22See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?

    23. Ezra 4:23When 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.

    24. Ezra 4:24Thus 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.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 174 passages were voted onto 22 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 4Ezra 3:3They set up the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD—both the morning and evening burnt offerings—even though they feared the people of the land.
    • 72 Kings 18:26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
    • 3Nehemiah 2:20So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
    • 4Jeremiah 38:4Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
    • 7Daniel 2:4Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
    • 9Ezra 5:6This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.
    • 9Ezra 6:6Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!
    • 22 Kings 19:37One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
    • 22 Kings 17:24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.
    • 4Nehemiah 4:11And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”
    • 4Isaiah 35:3–4Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
    • 4Nehemiah 6:9For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
    • 10Ezra 4:17Then 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.
    • 13Ezra 7:24And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
    • 201 Kings 4:21And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
    • 20Genesis 15:18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

    Onward

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