Ezra 4:9

9 [From] Rehum^[a] the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues-the judges and magistrates^[b] from Tripolis, Persia, Erech,^[c] Babylon, Susa^[d] (that is, the people of Elam^[e]),^[f]

Ezra 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 4:9

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and
the rest of their companions
who all signed the letter; namely, the governors of the following nations;

the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the
Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the
Elamites;
which were colonies from several parts of Chaldea, Media, and Persia, and were settled in the several cities of Samaria, as several of their names plainly show, as from Persia, Erech, Babylon, Shushan, and Elimais; some account for them all, but with uncertainty; according to R. Jose ^F11 these were the Samaritans who first were sent out of five nations, to whom the king of Assyria added four more, which together make the nine here mentioned, see ( 2 Kings 17:24 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F11 Pirke Eliezer, c. 38.

Ezra 4:9 In-Context

7 During the time of [King] Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.

8 Rehum the chief deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem as follows:

9 [From] Rehum the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues-the judges and magistrates from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa (that is, the people of Elam),

10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.

11 This is the text of the letter they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men from the region west of the Euphrates River:

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit Then Rehum
• [b]. Or ambassadors
• [c]. Gn 10:10
• [d]. Neh 1:1; Est 1:2
• [e]. Gn 10:22; Dn 8:2
• [f]. Aram obscure in this v.