Ezra 4

Ezra 4 is the chapter in which opposition begins in the account of the rebuilding of the temple that occupies the first half (chapters 1–6) of the book of Ezra. In the preceding chapter, Ezra 3, the returned exiles built the altar and laid the foundation of the temple. In this chapter, opposition from the surrounding inhabitants brings that work to a halt.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin ask to join in the building. Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the chief of the fathers decline the offer, citing the command of Cyrus, king of Persia.
• Verses 4–5 The people of the land weaken the hands of the people of Judah. They bribe counselors (officials) to frustrate the work from the time of Cyrus until the reign of Darius.
• Verses 6–16 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, an accusation against Judah is written. In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and others, together with Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe, send a letter written in Aramaic. The letter charges that Jerusalem has been a rebellious city from of old and that, once its walls are completed, it will no longer pay tribute.
• Verses 17–23 After having the ancient records searched, Artaxerxes issues a decree that the work be stopped. Rehum and Shimshai go to Jerusalem and halt the work by force.
• Verse 24 The work on the house of God ceases until the second year of Darius, king of Persia.

Key Verses

• Ezra 4:3 "Ye have nothing to do with us" — the returned community refuses cooperation, and the conflict that follows begins with this refusal.
• Ezra 4:4 "Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah" — shows that the opposition took the form of discouragement.
• Ezra 4:24 "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" — states how long the work was halted and leads into its resumption in the next chapter.

People and Places

• Zerubbabel: the leader of the returned exiles.
• Jeshua: the high priest at the time of the return.
• Cyrus: the Persian king who permitted the return and the building of the temple.
• Darius: a Persian king; the work stops until his second year.
• Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes: Persian kings who received letters of accusation.
• Esarhaddon and Asnappar: Assyrian kings mentioned as having brought the adversaries into the land. Asnappar is commonly identified as Ashurbanipal.
• Rehum and Shimshai: the chancellor and the scribe who sent the letter of accusation.
• Jerusalem, Samaria, and Persia: the settings of this chapter. "Beyond the river" refers to the Persian territory west of the Euphrates.

Points to Consider

• Chronological arrangement: Verses 6–23 concern events in the reigns of kings later than Darius and deal with the building of the city and its walls rather than the temple. Many commentators therefore regard this section as a thematic collection illustrating the history of opposition and read verse 24 as returning to the narrative thread of verse 5. Some older interpreters sought to read the passage chronologically by identifying the two kings with other Persian kings who reigned before Darius.
• Aramaic section: Ezra 4:8 through 6:18 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew (see Languages of the Bible).
• Meaning of the refusal: Some read the refusal as a decision to preserve the purity of the faith; others see it as a root of the later conflict between Jews and Samaritans. Because the text does not call the adversaries "Samaritans," identifying them directly with the later Samaritans is a matter of interpretation. The Assyrian resettlement policy mentioned in verse 2 is read in conjunction with 2 Kings 17.
• Connection to the New Testament: This chapter is frequently cited as background for understanding the hostility between Jews and Samaritans in John 4 (John 4:9).
• The continuing story: In Ezra 5, the work resumes at the urging of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (see Haggai and Zechariah).