Ezra 4:4

Then the people of the land i.e. the Samaritans, as opposed to -the people of Judah". It is noteworthy that this expression -the people of the land" ("am haâreç) became a synonym for -the ignorant" or -the vulgar" in contrast to -the wise", with special reference to a knowledge of -the law". Cf. John 7:49 -This people who knoweth not the law are cursed". Buxtorf gives illustrations by the Jewish proverbs -Better is the bastard who is the disciple of the wise than the high-priest of the people of the land" (i.e. who is -vulgar") -The people of the land (i.e. the -vulgar") have degrees of morals but none of intelligence".

weakened the hands The Hebrew construction gives the idea of a continuous policy of weakening, terrifying, and bribing. For the phrase itself compare Jeremiah 38:4.

the people of Judah -The children of the captivity" are here given the name of the old southern kingdom. Cf. Ezra 4:12.

troubled so R.V.: marg. Or - terrified". There are two readings. The reading of the Hebrew text or K'thib gives a word that does not occur elsewhere in the O.T. but is connected with a substantive rendered -terror" (R.V. Isaiah 17:14). The reading of the Hebrew tradition or K'ri, preserved with the text, gives an otherwise unused form of a common word meaning -to trouble". In all probability the letters of the unused root were transposed by a scribe so as to give the familiar root; preference should be given to the harder rendering, -terrified them from building".