Ezra 4:9

9 Rehum, B?el T?em, and Shimshai, the scribe, and [the] other counsellors of them (From Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their counsellors, or their officials), (the) Dinaites, Apharsathchites, and Tarpelites, Apharistes, Archevites, men of Babylon, Susanchites, Dehavites, (and) men of Elam,

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 and in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam wrote, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and others, that were in the counsel of them, to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the epistle of accusing was written in the language of Syria, and it was read in the word of Syria. (yea, in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and their counsellors, or their officials, wrote to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. And their letter of accusation was written in the Aramaic language, and it was read aloud in Aramaic.)
8 Rehum, B?el T?em, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote such an epistle from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, [on this manner]; (And Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, also wrote a letter from Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, in this manner;)
9 Rehum, B?el T?em, and Shimshai, the scribe, and [the] other counsellors of them (From Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their counsellors, or their officials), (the) Dinaites, Apharsathchites, and Tarpelites, Apharistes, Archevites, men of Babylon, Susanchites, Dehavites, (and) men of Elam,
10 and others of heathen men, which the great and glorious Asnapper translated, and made them to dwell in the cities of Samaria, and in other countries beyond the flood, in peace. (and others of the heathen, whom the great and glorious Asnapper carried off captive, and made them live in the cities of Samaria, and in other places in the province west of the Euphrates River, peace to you.)
11 This is the exemplar of the epistle, that they sent to the king. To Artaxerxes, king, thy servants, men beyond the flood, say health to thee. (This is the text of the letter that they sent to the king. To King Artaxeres, from thy servants, we men here in the province west of the Euphrates River, who desire good health and prosperity for thee.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.