Bible Study Ezra 4
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Ezra 4 · WEB

Opposition to the Rebuilding

Listen — WEB narration 0:00 / 0:00 Narration: World English Bible (David Williams), public domain — AudioTreasure.

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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,
2then they came 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. We have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."
3But 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."
4Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
5and 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.
6In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7In 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 the Aramaic character, and set forth in the Aramaic language.
8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
9then Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
10and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asenappar brought over and set in the city of Samaria and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.
11This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: "Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.
12Be 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.
13Be it known 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 harm the kings.
14Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,
15that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. So you will 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 it of old time. For this cause was this city laid waste.
16We inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, by this means you will have no portion beyond the River."
17Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander, 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.
18The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
19I 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 in it.
20There 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.
21Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.
22Take heed that you not be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?"
23Then 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 cease by force and power.
24Then the work of God's house which is at Jerusalem ceased; and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
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Summary

Local peoples — the mixed populations settled in Samaria by Assyria — offer to help build the temple, claiming they worship the same God. Zerubbabel and the leaders firmly refuse. Rebuffed, the adversaries spend years hiring political consultants to frustrate the work and writing letters to successive Persian kings (Cyrus, Ahasuerus, and Artaxerxes) accusing Jerusalem of being historically rebellious. Artaxerxes orders the work stopped. The enemies arrive with force and halt construction — and work on the temple ceases for years until the reign of Darius.

Themes

  • Discerning genuine partnership from compromise
  • Persistent opposition through political and legal means
  • Setbacks in God's work do not mean God's purposes have failed

Key verses

  • Ezra 4:24 — “The work of God's house which is at Jerusalem ceased; and it was discontinued.”
  • Ezra 4:3 — “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh.”
  • Ezra 4:4-5 — “The people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah... and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose.”

Context & background

The adversaries in Samaria (modern northern West Bank/Israel) were the mixed population of peoples resettled there by Assyria after the northern kingdom's deportation in 722 BC (see 2 Kings 17:24-41). Their offer to "build with" the Jews likely represented a desire for political influence over the project and the holy site. The chronological note in this chapter is complex: it jumps forward to the reigns of Ahasuerus (Xerxes, 486–465 BC) and Artaxerxes (465–424 BC) before returning to the reign of Darius (522–486 BC) in chapters 5-6 — a literary device grouping all opposition together. This explains the years-long gap between the foundation-laying (ch. 3) and the temple completion (ch. 6).

Cross-references

  • 2 Kings 17:24-41 — The Assyrian resettlement of Samaria; who these adversaries are
  • Acts 4:18-20 — Apostles refusing to obey orders that contradict God's commands; the same principle as Zerubbabel's refusal
  • Haggai 1:2-4 — God's rebuke when the people stopped building; the spiritual dimension of the stoppage
  • Nehemiah 4:7-8 — Similar coalitions opposing Nehemiah's wall; same players, same tactics
  • Romans 8:31 — "If God is for us, who can be against us?" — the delays don't change the outcome

Check your reading

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  1. Observe

    How did Zerubbabel and Jeshua respond to the adversaries' offer to help build the temple?

  2. Observe

    What tactics did the adversaries use after their initial offer was refused?

  3. Interpret

    Why was it right for Zerubbabel to refuse the adversaries' offer of help?

  4. Interpret

    What does the years-long stoppage of the building teach about setbacks in God's work?

  5. Apply

    How should we maintain trust in God's purposes during a long pause in something we believed God called us to do?

  6. Apply

    When should we set boundaries around sacred work and limit who participates?

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