# Ezra 04 đź“–: Opposition to the Rebuilding
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
## Opposition to the Building Efforts
[[#Verse 01.]] When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the former exiles were building a temple for the Lord God of Israel,Â
[[#Verse 02.]] they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders and said to them, “Let us help you build, for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him from the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
[[#Verse 03.]] But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, “You have no right to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”Â
[[#Verse 04.]] Then the local people began to discourage the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.Â
[[#Verse 05.]] They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
## Official Complaints Are Lodged Against the Jews
[[#Verse 06.]]  At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.Â
7 And during the reign of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first written in Aramaic but then translated.
[[#Verse 07.]] And during the reign of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first written in Aramaic but then translated.[What follows is in Aramaic.]
(What follows is in Aramaic)
[[#Verse 08.]] Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:Â
[[#Verse 09.]] From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites),Â
[[#Verse 10.]] and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] (This is a copy of the letter they sent to him.) “To King Artaxerxes, from your servants in Trans-Euphrates:Â
[[#Verse 12.]] Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.
[[#Verse 13.]] Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer loss.Â
[[#Verse 14.]] In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, we are sending the king this informationÂ
[[#Verse 15.]] so that he may initiate a search of the records of his predecessors and discover in those records that this city is rebellious and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts from long ago. It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”
[[#Verse 17.]] The king sent the following response: “To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and other parts of Trans-Euphrates: Greetings!Â
[[#Verse 18.]]Â The letter you sent to us has been translated and read in my presence.
[[#Verse 19.]] So I gave orders, and it was determined that this city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It has continually engaged in rebellion and revolt.
[[#Verse 20.]] Powerful kings have been over Jerusalem who ruled throughout the entire Trans-Euphrates and who were the beneficiaries of tribute, custom, and toll.Â
[[#Verse 21.]]Â Now give orders that these men cease their work and that this city not be rebuilt until such time as I so instruct.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] Exercise appropriate caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger increase to the point that the king sustains damage?”
[[#Verse 23.]] Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped them with threat of armed force.
[[#Verse 24.]]Â So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
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###### Verse 07.
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###### Verse 24.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Ezra 4:8 through 6:18 and 7:12-26 are written in Aramaic, the diplomatic language of the Persian Empire, rather than Hebrew.
2. The section in 4:6-23 jumps ahead to opposition under Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and Artaxerxes, grouping later examples by topic before returning to Darius in 4:24.
3. The adversaries said they had worshiped God since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought them there (4:2), describing peoples resettled in the region after Samaria fell (2 Kings 17:24).
4. 2 Kings 17:33 says those resettled peoples feared the Lord but also served their own gods.
5. Ahasuerus (4:6) is the Hebrew form of the name of Xerxes, the same king in the book of Esther.
6. The adversaries hired counselors to frustrate the work from the days of Cyrus until the reign of Darius (4:5), roughly 536 to 520 BC.
7. The letter warned that a rebuilt Jerusalem would stop paying tribute, custom, and toll (4:13), appealing to the king's finances.
8. The officials said they "eat the salt of the palace" (4:14), an expression for being loyal servants supported by the king.
9. "Beyond the River" (4:10) refers to the Persian province west of the Euphrates, which included Judah.
10. The second year of Darius (4:24) was 520 BC, when Haggai and Zechariah began to prophesy (Haggai 1:1).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the builder whose work cannot be stopped. Enemies halted the temple for a time (4:24), but Jesus promised to build His church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it (Matthew 16:18).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Zerubbabel refused help from people who claimed to worship the same God (4:1-3). When is it wise to decline help in God's work?
2. The opposition worked through discouragement and fear (4:4-5). How does the enemy use discouragement against God's people today?
3. The work stopped for years (4:24). What do you do when a God-given project seems stalled?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 3: Zerubbabel and Jeshua refuse to let the adversaries help build.
- đź“– verse 4: The people of the land discourage and frighten the people of Judah.
- đź“– verse 24: Work on the temple stops until the second year of Darius.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[2 Kings 17#Verse 24.|2 Kings 17:24-33]] - Foreign peoples are settled in Samaria.
- đź”— [[Haggai 01#Verse 02.|Haggai 1:2-4]] - The people live in paneled houses while the Lord's house lies in ruins.
- đź”— [[Nehemiah 04#Verse 07.|Nehemiah 4:7-9]] - Enemies oppose the rebuilding again, and God's people pray.
- đź”— [[Matthew 16#Verse 18.|Matthew 16:18]] - Jesus will build His church.
- đź”— [[Galatians 06#Verse 09.|Galatians 6:9]] - Do not grow weary in doing good.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Ezra 04 - SOAP|When God Seems To Have Forgotten]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes