Ezra 4:4

4 Then the people of that region discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to continue building.

Ezra 4:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 4:4

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of
Judah, and troubled them in building.
] By threatening them, or by dissuading the workmen from going on, by endeavouring to hinder their having materials from the Tyrians and Zidonians, or money out of the king's revenues to bear the expenses as ordered; see ( Ezra 6:4 ) .

Ezra 4:4 In-Context

2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families. They told them, "We want to help you build because we worship the same God you worship. We have been sacrificing to him since the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here."

3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of Israel's families told them, "It isn't right for your people and our people to build a temple for our God together. We must build it alone for the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia ordered us to do."

4 Then the people of that region discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to continue building.

5 They bribed officials to keep the people of Judah from carrying out their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

6 When Xerxes began to rule, the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem wrote a letter in which they made an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.