Ezra 4 16

Ezra 4:16 kjv

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.

Ezra 4:16 nkjv

We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the result will be that you will have no dominion beyond the River.

Ezra 4:16 niv

We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

Ezra 4:16 esv

We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River."

Ezra 4:16 nlt

We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you."

Ezra 4 verses

Ezra 4 16 Meaning

Ezra 4:16 conveys a strategic and deceptive warning from the adversaries to King Artaxerxes. They claim that if the city of Jerusalem is rebuilt and its walls are fully fortified, it will lead to the Jewish people ceasing to pay tribute, custom, and toll, thus resulting in the king losing direct control and revenue from the vital province west of the Euphrates River (Trans-Euphrates). This was an appeal to the king's financial and imperial interests to halt the reconstruction.

Ezra 4 16 Context

Ezra 4 forms a critical segment in the post-exilic history of Israel, detailing the escalating opposition faced by the returned exiles in their efforts to rebuild the Temple and, subsequently, the city of Jerusalem. After the initial enthusiasm fostered by Cyrus's decree allowing their return and the reconstruction of the Temple, adversaries in the land began to undermine the work. This chapter records various attempts to thwart God's people during the reigns of Cyrus, Xerxes (Ahasuerus), and specifically in verses 7-22, during the reign of Artaxerxes I.

The immediate context of Ezra 4:16 is a formal letter penned in Aramaic by Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, addressed to King Artaxerxes. Their goal was to discredit the Jews and stop all rebuilding efforts. They skillfully construct an argument rooted in historical precedent and immediate imperial concerns. They paint the Jews as a historically rebellious people (vv. 12-15) and, most critically in verse 16, propose that rebuilding Jerusalem and its formidable walls would result in a significant economic and territorial loss for the Persian Empire. This appeal to Artaxerxes's perceived loss of taxes, tribute, and direct control over the prosperous "Trans-Euphrates" province ultimately led the king to issue a decree halting the work, fulfilling the adversaries' malicious intent for a time. This episode highlights how God's work is often challenged not only by open hostility but also by political maneuvering and economic concerns leveraged by opponents.

Ezra 4 16 Word analysis

• We notify (Aramaic: יְדַע קָדָם, yedāʿ qadām): Lit. "it is made known before" or "let it be known to." This phrase indicates a formal communication, an official report delivered directly to the king's attention, implying serious content demanding royal consideration.
• the king (Aramaic: מַלְכָּא, malkā’): Refers specifically to Artaxerxes I Longimanus, the current monarch of the Persian Empire at the time of this correspondence. Highlighting his title underscores the weight of the communication and the expectation of imperial action.
• that if this city (Aramaic: אֵין־כְּעַן קִרְיְתָא־דָּא, ’ên kə‘an qiryəṯā’-dā’): Lit. "indeed now this city." The adverb kə‘an emphasizes urgency, drawing immediate attention to "this city," referring unequivocally to Jerusalem. The adversaries imply that Jerusalem is uniquely problematic and potentially rebellious, tapping into historical memory.
• is rebuilt (Aramaic: תִּבְתְּנֵא, tīḇtənê): From the verb bana, "to build." It implies a complete restoration and reconstruction of the urban center, not just the Temple. The adversaries focus on the city because a fully functioning city, especially with walls, implies autonomy.
• and its walls (Aramaic: וְשׁוּרַיָּה, vəshūrayyāh): From shur, "wall." City walls were paramount for defense, symbolizing a city's sovereignty, security, and independent status in the ancient Near East. Their completion suggested self-sufficiency and the ability to withstand imperial oversight or invasion.
• are finished (Aramaic: יִשְׁתַּכְלְלֻוּ, yishtaklelū): From shkalel, meaning "to complete, to bring to perfection." This indicates that the walls would not just be partially constructed but fully fortified and functional, thereby rendering Jerusalem a strong, defensible stronghold.
• then you will have no possession (Aramaic: מַנְדָּה וּבְלוֹ וָהֲלָךְ לָא יִהְבְּלֻהֵן, mandâ ublô vāhălāk’ lā yihbəlehēn): This is a crucial phrase. It literally translates to "tribute and custom and toll, they will not give them to you." The modern English translation "no possession west of the River" captures the effect of losing these revenues.
  • Mandâ: "Tribute," a fixed tax.
  • Blô: "Custom," tax on goods, or custom duty.
  • Hălāk’: "Toll" or "road tax," possibly related to a levy on travelers or trade caravans.This trio of terms emphasizes that the entire range of royal revenues would be withheld.
• west of the River (Aramaic: בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָא, ba‘ăvar nahărā’): Lit. "across the river." This refers to the Persian satrapy (province) of Trans-Euphrates or Abar-Nahara, which encompassed the territories west of the Euphrates, including Judah, Syria, and Phoenicia. This was a strategically important and wealthy region. The adversaries argue that the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls would threaten the king's entire dominion over this valuable province, not just a small Jewish enclave.
• Word-Group Analysis:
  • "if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished": This clause sets the condition. It directly links the physical reconstruction and fortification of Jerusalem to an imminent threat. The emphasis on "walls being finished" reveals their understanding that a fully fortified city implies a shift in power and control.
  • "then you will have no possession west of the River": This is the consequence, framed as a dire warning to the king. The specific mention of "tribute, custom, and toll" directly appeals to the primary interest of an imperial power: revenue and stability. The geographical scope ("west of the River") escalates the perceived threat from a local nuisance to a province-wide rebellion and economic loss. The adversaries craft a message that sounds plausible and urgent to a distant monarch focused on imperial stability and income.

Ezra 4 16 Bonus section

The Aramaic phrasing in Ezra 4:16, especially the triplet of taxes (mandâ, blô, hălāk’), offers insight into the specific fiscal mechanisms by which the Persian Empire exerted control and extracted wealth from its provinces. This level of detail underscores the adversaries' precise understanding of imperial bureaucracy and financial policy, allowing them to craft a highly credible and impactful threat. Their argument was not abstract but directly tied to the King's balance sheet, making it a powerful tool for persuasion.

Historically, Jerusalem had indeed rebelled against previous empires (Assyria, Babylon), providing the adversaries with a historical pretext for their claim of future insurrection. However, the returning exiles under Zerubbabel and later Ezra were largely loyal to the Persian crown, having received favor through Cyrus's and Darius's decrees. The adversaries cleverly distorted this historical truth and applied it to a completely different context and intention, showing how past grievances can be weaponized in political disputes. This highlights the vulnerability of the faithful to misrepresentation when their actions are judged through a purely secular, politically motivated lens.

Ezra 4 16 Commentary

Ezra 4:16 encapsulates the shrewdness and deceptive tactics employed by the adversaries against God's people. Their argument to King Artaxerxes is a masterclass in political manipulation, leveraging the strategic concerns of a superpower to hinder a divinely ordained work. They present the rebuilding of Jerusalem, especially its defensive walls, not as an act of faith or devotion permitted by prior royal decrees (Cyrus), but as an immediate and direct threat to imperial power and economic stability. By focusing on the potential loss of "tribute, custom, and toll" from the lucrative Trans-Euphrates province, they tap directly into the Persian Empire's primary interest: control and revenue. This accusation, though presented with historical "evidence" of Jewish rebellion, was fundamentally a misrepresentation of the exiles' intent, which was to worship God and reestablish their community according to His will. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that God's work often faces opposition disguised in legitimate-sounding concerns, designed to provoke fear in those who hold earthly authority. It demonstrates how worldly powers can be swayed by perceived threats to their financial or political interests, often at the expense of justice or divine mandate. Despite the temporary success of these accusations in halting the work, the ultimate fulfillment of God's plans would prevail, albeit later through different means and divine interventions.