The letter which ye sent unto us,.... The plural number is used, being now become courtly for kings thus to speak of themselves:
hath been plainly before me; by such that understood both the Syrian and Persian languages; the letter was written in the Syrian language, and the king being a Persian, it was necessary it should be interpreted and explained to him.
HATH BEEN ... READ - It is doubtful if the Persian monarchs could ordinarily read. At any rate, it was their habit to have documents read to them (compare Esther 6:1). This is still the ordinary pract...
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...
_The letter_ On the word used here see note on Ezra 4:8. hath been _plainly read before me_ So the R.V. The margin of the R.V. gives -translated" as the alternative rendering for -plainly", and this...
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....
3. Artaxerxes replies and orders the work stopped. TEXT, EZRA 4:17-22 17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in...
_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...
נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֕א דִּ֥י שְׁלַחְתּ֖וּן עֲלֶ֑ינָא מְפָרַ֥שׁ קֱרִ֖י...
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...
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...
The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. Ver. 18. _Hath been plainly read before us_] This in the general was commendable; but he should have reserved (as Alexander used to...
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...
The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me....
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...
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 4:18 letter H5407 sent H7972 (H8754) us H5922 clearly H6568 (H8744) read H7123 (H8752) before...
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.)....
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 4:17 The king allowed the work of rebuilding to be stopped by force. This may explain why it was later reported that the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins (Nehemiah 1:3)....
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...
Leviticus 24:12; Nehemiah 8:8; Numbers 15:34...