The Meaning of Ezra 4:23 Explained

Ezra 4:23

KJV: 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.

YLT: Then from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;

Darby: As soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power.

ASV: 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.

Discover Ezra 4:23

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Ezra 4:23?

MEANING: What does Ezra 4:23 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Ezra 4:23 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Ezra 4:23?

What is the context of Ezra 4:23?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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.

What does Ezra 4:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 4:11-24 - The Enemy's Short-Lived Triumph

The promoters of this letter were descendants of the heathen colonists who had been sent into the land by the Assyrians, Haggai 1:2-9. It was written to the then reigning monarch, Artaxerxes, which Ezra seems to have copied from the records of Persia, because it stands in the original in the Chaldee language. Notice that now the Israelites are first called Jews, i.e., Judahites, Ezra 4:12. They urge that the Temple-building should be stayed for the king's own sake. Secret enmity to God's kingdom is often hidden under pretended devotion to Caesar, John 19:12. We, too, have our maintenance from the God of heaven, we have eaten the salt of the palace, Ezra 4:14; and we should never allow His name to be dishonored without doing our best to prevent it. The king was imposed upon by their representations, and ordered the work to cease. But it is probable that something was due to the supineness of the Jews, who were already half-hearted in their endeavors, 2 Kings 17:24. The rebuilding of the Temple stopped during the reigns of Cambyses and the Magia Smerdis; but in the second year of Darius Hystaspes it was recommenced, and was then finished in four years, or nineteen years after its commencement, Zechariah 8:9; Haggai 2:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 4

¹ The adversaries, being not accepted in the building of the temple with the Jews,
⁴ endeavor to hinder it
⁷ Their letter to Artaxerxes
¹⁷ The answer and decree of Artaxerxes
²³ The building is hindered

What do the individual words in Ezra 4:23 mean?

then from when the copy of letter which Artaxerxes Artaxerxes King [was] read before Rehum and Shimshai scribe the and their companions they went up in haste to Jerusalem against Jews and made cease them by force and arms -

אֱדַ֗יִן מִן־ דִּ֞י פַּרְשֶׁ֤גֶן נִשְׁתְּוָנָא֙ דִּ֚י [ארתחששתא] (אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣שְׂתְּ) מַלְכָּ֔א קֱרִ֧י קֳדָם־ רְח֛וּם וְשִׁמְשַׁ֥י סָפְרָ֖א וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן אֲזַ֨לוּ בִבְהִיל֤וּ לִירֽוּשְׁלֶם֙ עַל־ יְה֣וּדָיֵ֔א וּבַטִּ֥לוּ הִמּ֖וֹ בְּאֶדְרָ֥ע וְחָֽיִל ס

פַּרְשֶׁ֤גֶן	the copy
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: פַּרְשֶׁגֶן Sense: copy.
נִשְׁתְּוָנָא֙	of letter
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: נִשְׁתְּוָן Sense: letter.
[ארתחששתא]	Artaxerxes
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
(אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣שְׂתְּ)	Artaxerxes
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא Sense: son and successor of Xerxes as emperor of Persia, 465–424 BC.
מַלְכָּ֔א	King
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.
קֱרִ֧י	[was] read
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: קְרָא Sense: to call, read aloud, read out, shout.
קֳדָם־	before
Parse: Preposition Root: קֳדָם Sense: before, in front of.
רְח֛וּם	Rehum
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: רְחוּם Sense: an man who returned from exile with Zerubbabel.
וְשִׁמְשַׁ֥י	and Shimshai
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: שִׁמְשַׁי Sense: the scribe for Rehum, the satrap of Judea for the Persian government.
סָפְרָ֖א	scribe the
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate Root: סָפַר Sense: scribe, secretary.
וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן	and their companions
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural Root: כְּנָת Sense: companion, associate.
אֲזַ֨לוּ	they went up
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine plural Root: אֲזַל Sense: to go, to go off.
בִבְהִיל֤וּ	in haste
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular Root: בְּהִילוּ Sense: haste, hastily.
לִירֽוּשְׁלֶם֙	to Jerusalem
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular Root: יְרוּשְׁלֶם Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
עַל־	against
Parse: Preposition Root: עַל Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.
יְה֣וּדָיֵ֔א	Jews
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יְהוּדָי Sense: Jew.
וּבַטִּ֥לוּ	and made cease
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine plural Root: בְּטַל Sense: (P’al) to cease.
בְּאֶדְרָ֥ע	by force
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular Root: אֶדְרָע Sense: strong, force, arm, power.
וְחָֽיִל	and arms
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular Root: חַיִל Sense: strength, army, power.
ס	-
Parse: Punctuation

What are the major concepts related to Ezra 4:23?

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Similar Scriptures for Ezra 4:23

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