Verse 23. Made them to cease by force and power.] Commanded them on pain of the king's displeasure not to proceed, obliging all to remit their labours, and probably bringing an armed force to prevent them from going forward.
CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The offer of the Samaritans refused (Ezra 4:1)_ 2. The letter to King Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7) 3. The king's reply (Ezra 4:17) 4. The work is stopped ...
EZRA 4:8 TO EZRA 6:18. EXTRACT FROM AN ARAMAIC DOCUMENT. Ezra 4:8 contains a letter, together with the king's reply to it, written by adversaries of the Jews to Artaxerxes for the purpose of frustrat...
BY FORCE. Chaldee by arm; "arm" being put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for the force put forth by it....
Note on Ezra 4:7-23 The names of the Persian kings which occur in this chapter occasion special difficulty. Upon their right identification necessarily depends our understanding of the whole passage....
_Now_ R.V. THEN, i.e. Thereupon. _read before_ cf. 18. _they went up in haste_ R.V. THEY WENT IN HASTE. Far from being slack in executing the king's decree: gratified malice made them prompt as well...
_THE LETTER WHICH YE SENT UNTO US HATH BEEN PLAINLY READ BEFORE ME._ No JFB commentary on these verses....
FEUD BETWEEN THE JEWS AND SAMARITANS This chapter describes the desire of the Samaritans to take part in the rebuilding of the Temple, and their successful opposition to the Jews on their request bei...
THE *JEWS RETURN TO JERUSALEM EZRA _ROBERT BRYCE_ CHAPTER 4 V1 The enemies of the *descendants of Judah and Benjamin heard that they had returned from the *exile. Their enemies heard that they we...
אֱדַ֗יִן מִן ־דִּ֞י פַּרְשֶׁ֤גֶן נִשְׁתְּוָנָא֙ דִּ֚י _אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣שְׂתְּ_
THE COST OF AN IDEALIST'S SUCCESS Ezra 4:6 THE fourth chapter of the Book of Ezra contains an account of a correspondence between the Samaritan colonists and two kings of Persia, which follows sharpl...
THE ENEMY'S SHORT-LIVED TRIUMPH Ezra 4:11 The promoters of this letter were descendants of the heathen colonists who had been sent into the land by the Assyrians, 2 Kings 17:24. It was written to the...
In this chapter we have the story of the opposition of the Samaritans, and the consequent cessation of work on the Temple for a time. The historic chronology presents difficulties. The subject is not...
_Beelteem, is not in Chaldean. --- Arm, or "force." (Protestants) (Haydock)_...
The accomplishment of their wicked purpose may serve to show us how the Lord is pleased sometimes, for the exercise of faith in his people, to let the enemy triumph. And when the short-lived victories...
But, in such a case, difficulties do not arise only from the weakness of the remnant; they proceed, also, from elements with which the remnant are outwardly connected, and which, at the same time, are...
NOW WHEN THE COPY OF KING ARTAXERXES LETTER WAS READ BEFORE REHUM, AND SHIMSHAI THE SCRIBE, AND THEIR COMPANIONS,.... By him or them to whom it was particularly directed: THEY WENT UP IN HASTE TO JER...
Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter [was] read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force a...
_And made them to cease by force and power_ As they abused the king by their misinformations, in the obtaining of this order, so they abused him in the execution of it; for the order was only to preve...
1 The aduersaries, being not accepted in the building of the Temple with the Iewes, endeauour to hinder it. 7 Their Letter to Artaxerxes. 17 The decree of Artaxerxes. 23 The building is hindred. 1...
Now, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai, the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews and made them to cease by force and...
THE LETTER TO ARTAXERXES...
PRETENDED FRIENDSHIP AND OPPOSITION (vv. 1-5) Satan is subtle in the way he attacks a work of God. He appears to be friendly, as is seen in the way the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin came to Zeru...
BY FORCE AND POWER: Chald. by arm and power...
6-24 It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But wher...
No text from Poole on this verse....
Ezra 4:23 Now H116 when H4481 H1768 copy H6573 King H4430 Artaxerxes H783 letter H5407 read H7123 ...
THE SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE ENMITY REVEALED AGAINST THE RETURNEES UP TO THE TIME OF NEHEMIAH (EZRA 4:6). What follows up to Ezra 4:23 goes beyond the question of building the Temple. The writer now...
CONTENTS: Work hindered by adversaries. CHARACTERS: Zerubbabel, Ahasuerus, Jeshua, Artazerxes, Rehum, Shimshai. CONCLUSION: God's work cannot be advanced but Satan will rage and the gates of hell wi...
Ezra 4:1. _The adversaries of Judah._ These were the Samaritans; that is, Jews of the ten tribes, apostate from the religion of their fathers, now intermarried with the heathen, who were worshippers o...
_Them sent the king an answer._ THE TEMPORARY TRIUMPH OF THE WICKED I. Examine the letter of the king. This letter suggests-- 1. That the subtlety of the wicked frequently obtains a temporary trium...
_Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah._ THE HOSTILITY OF THE SAMARITANS TO THE JEWS I. The tactics of the wicked. If they cannot bend the good to their wishes and ai...
EZRA 4:1 Enemies Stall the Project by Conspiring against It. The rebuilding project encounters opposition from other groups in the region, and the work ceases. ⇐...
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 4:6 This section interrupts the historical narrative (Ezra 1:1), which resumes at Ezra 4:24....
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 4:7 The author jumps forward again to another hostile episode, when leaders in the province sent a formal letter of complaint to King Artaxerxes I (reigned 464–423 B.C.)....
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.] In this chapter we have—(i.) The proposal of the Samaritans to unite with the Jews in building the Temple, and its rejection (Ezra 4:1). (ii.) The opposition of the Sa...
EXPOSITION EZRA 4:17 THEN SENT THE KING AN ANSWER. The complaint made was of such importance that an answer was returned without delay. It was addressed both to Rehum and Shimshai, since they were in...
And when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity [had built the towers,] started to build the temple of the Lord unto the LORD God of Israel; they came to Zerubb...
Ezra 4:17; Ezra 4:8; Ezra 4:9; Micah 2:1; Proverbs 4:16;...
To cease. &c. — As they abused the king by their misinformations, in the obtaining of this order, so they abused him in the execution of it; for the order was only to prevent the walling of the city....
How could foreign influence have caused the work to cease when Haggai 1:2 blames it on the indifference of the leaders? PROBLEM: Ezra 4:7-23 records that after the great beginning made by the people i...