Ezra 4:4

4 Then the people around them tried to discourage the people of Judah by making them afraid to build.

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 came to Zerubbabel and the leaders of the families. The enemies said, "Let us help you build, because we are like you and want to worship your God. We have been offering sacrifices to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."

3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the leaders of Israel answered, "You will not help us build a Temple to our God. We will build it ourselves for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us to do."

4 Then the people around them tried to discourage the people of Judah by making them afraid to build.

5 Their enemies hired others to delay the building plans during the time Cyrus was king of Persia. And it continued to the time Darius was king of Persia.

6 When Xerxes first became king, those enemies wrote a letter against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.