Ezra 4: Opposition Stops the Work
Adversaries offer false help, then frustrate, accuse, and finally force the rebuilding to a halt by appeal to the king.
Ezra 4 (WEB)
1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel;
2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 In the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian, and delivered in the Syrian language.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
9 then Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.
12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.
13 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
16 We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.
17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.
18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.
21 Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.
22 Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
23 Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
24 Then ceased the work of God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4 (KJV)
1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;
2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar–haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.
12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
14 Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
17 Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.
18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.
21 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.
22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
23 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 power.
24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4 (ASV)
1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple unto Jehovah, the God of Israel;
2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ houses, and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
5 and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian character, and set forth in the Syrian tongue.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
9 then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.
12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews that came up from thee are come to us unto Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.
13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful unto the kings.
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion beyond the River.
17 Thensent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.
18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
19 And I decreed, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.
21 Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by me.
22 And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
23 Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Summary
When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the exiles are rebuilding the temple, they approach Zerubbabel and the leaders offering to help, claiming they too seek the same God. But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of families refuse, insisting that they alone will build to the Lord as Cyrus had commanded. Rebuffed, the people of the land set out to discourage and frighten the builders, weakening their hands and hiring counselors to frustrate the work through the reigns of Cyrus and into the reign of Darius. The chapter then surveys a longer pattern of accusation, recounting hostile letters written under later kings. Officials write to Artaxerxes charging that the Jews are rebuilding a rebellious city and will withhold tribute and threaten royal revenue. The king's investigation confirms the city's history of insurrection, and he orders the work stopped by force. When his letter is read, the opponents go quickly to Jerusalem and compel the Jews to cease. So the work on God's house stops until the second year of Darius, king of Persia.
Main Characters
- Zerubbabel and Jeshua — The leaders who reject the adversaries' offer of compromised help and insist on building for the Lord alone as commanded.
- The adversaries of Judah — The surrounding peoples who first offer to help, then discourage, frighten, and hire counselors to frustrate the rebuilding.
- Rehum and Shimshai — The chancellor and scribe who write an accusing letter to Artaxerxes to halt the work in Jerusalem.
- Artaxerxes, king of Persia — The king whose decree, prompted by the accusers, orders the building stopped until he should command otherwise.
Key Verse
Ezra 4:4 (WEB)
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
Lessons Learned
- Opposition to God's work sometimes comes disguised as friendly offers of partnership.
- Faithfulness may require refusing help that would compromise true worship.
- Discouragement and fear are real weapons used to weaken God's people.
- Earthly authorities can delay God's work, but they cannot finally defeat it.
- Discernment guards God's work. The leaders refused those who said, "Let us build with you" (Ezra 4:2, WEB), seeing that compromised help would corrupt true worship. Not every offered alliance is from God.
- Opposition aims at the hands and the heart. The people of the land "weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them" (Ezra 4:4, WEB). The enemy works to discourage as much as to obstruct.
- Accusation is a common tactic. Officials wrote "an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem" (Ezra 4:6, WEB) to halt the work. God's people are often opposed by words and slander.
- Delay is not defeat. The work "ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius" (Ezra 4:24, WEB)—paused, but not abandoned. What God begins, he will complete.
- Why do the leaders refuse the offer of the surrounding peoples to help build the temple?
- What methods do the adversaries use to stop the work, and how do those methods still appear today?
- How does discouragement function as a weapon against God's people?
- The chapter ends with the work stopped for years. How should God's people respond when their efforts are forced to a halt?
- Where are you tempted to give up because of opposition or discouragement, and how might this chapter strengthen you?
- The offer came from peoples whose worship mixed the Lord with idols (4:1-3); accepting it would have compromised the purity of the temple and its worship. Faithfulness sometimes means a hard no, even to apparent help. Help the group weigh when partnership serves God's purposes and when it dilutes them.
- The enemies discourage, frighten, hire counselors, and write accusing letters to the king (4:4-16). The tactics of fear, slander, and legal pressure are timeless. Recognizing them helps God's people stand firm rather than be caught off guard.
- By weakening hands and troubling the builders (4:4), the opponents attack morale, not just the structure. Discouragement can stop a work as effectively as force. Invite the group to name how discouragement has hindered them and how to resist it.
- Though the work stopped for years (4:24), God's purpose did not fail; the next chapters show it resumed and finished. When forced to wait, God's people can hold their hope, trusting that delay is in his hands. Encourage patient faith rather than despair.
- This is a personal-application question. Opposition tempted the exiles to abandon the work, yet God was not finished. As leader, invite members to name a discouragement they face and to remember that a pause is not the end of God's story for them.