Ezra 4:17-24

The King Replies and Work Stops

17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander *, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the River: "Peace. And now

18 the document which you sent to us has been ¹translated and read before me.

19 "A decree has been issued by me, and a search has been made and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it,

20 ²that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces ³beyond the River, and that ⁴tribute, custom and toll were paid to them.

21 "So, now issue a decree to make these men stop work, that this city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me.

22 "Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?"

23 Then as soon * as the copy of King Artaxerxes' document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms.

24 Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 4:17-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 4

The contents of this chapter are the offer the Samaritans made to the Jews, to assist them in building the temple, which having refused, they gave them all the trouble they could, Ezr 4:1-6 and a letter of theirs to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, full of accusations of them, Ezr 4:7-16 and the answer of Artaxerxes to it, giving orders to command the Jews to cease building the temple, Ezr 4:17-22 which orders were accordingly executed, and the work ceased till the second year of Darius, Ezr 4:23,24.

Cross References

• 1. Nehemiah 8:8
• 2. 1 Kings 4:21; 1 Chronicles 18:3
• 3. Genesis 15:18; Joshua 1:4
• 4. Ezra 4:13; Ezra 7:24

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "plainly read before"
• [b]. Lit "put" forth
• [c]. Lit "been"