Ezra 4:6

6 And in the reign of Achashverosh [Xerxes I 486-465 B.C.E., the husband of Queen Esther], in the beginning of his reign, they wrote unto him a sitnah (accusation, related to the word Satan, Accuser) against the inhabitants of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.

Ezra 4:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 4:6

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign,
&c.] According to Jarchi, this was Ahasuerus the husband of Esther; but, as most think ^F4, was Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus; so Josephus ^F5; who was an enemy to the Egyptians; and, fearing the Jews might take part with them, was no friend to them; their enemies therefore took the advantage of the death of Cyrus, and the first opportunity after Cambyses reigned in his own right:

and wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah
and Jerusalem;
full of hatred and enmity, spite and malice, charging them as a turbulent, disobedient, and rebellious people.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Spanhem. Introduct. Chron. ad Hist. Eccl. p. 54. & Universal History, Vol. 5. p. 203. Prideaux, p. 175.
F5 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4.) sect. 4, 6. Vid. R. David Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 8. 2. So Dr. Lightfoot, Works, vol. 1. p. 139.

Ezra 4:6 In-Context

4 Then the Am HaAretz weakened the hands of the Am Yehudah, and troubled them from building,

5 And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their etza (plan), all the days of Koresh (Cyrus) Melech Paras (Persia), even until the reign of Daryavesh (Darius) Melech Paras (Persia).

6 And in the reign of Achashverosh [Xerxes I 486-465 B.C.E., the husband of Queen Esther], in the beginning of his reign, they wrote unto him a sitnah (accusation, related to the word Satan, Accuser) against the inhabitants of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.

7 Then, in the days of Artachshasta [Artaxerxes I 465-424 B.C.E.], it was Bishlam, Mitredat, Tavel, and the rest of their companions, who wrote unto Artachshasta Melech Paras (Persia); and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic script, and set forth in Aramaic.

8 Rechum the high commissioner and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Melech Artachshasta as follows;