Ezra 4:17 kjv
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.
Ezra 4:17 nkjv
The king sent an answer: To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the remainder beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.
Ezra 4:17 niv
The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings.
Ezra 4:17 esv
The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now
Ezra 4:17 nlt
Then King Artaxerxes sent this reply: "To Rehum the governor, Shimshai the court secretary, and their colleagues living in Samaria and throughout the province west of the Euphrates River. Greetings.
Ezra 4 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition to God's Work | ||
| Neh 2:19 | When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant... heard of it, they laughed... and despised us... | Adversaries mock rebuilding efforts. |
| Neh 4:1 | When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry... | Human anger at God's people's work. |
| Neh 4:7-8 | But when Sanballat, and Tobiah... heard that the walls... were made up... they were very wroth, and conspired... | Opposition escalates to conspiracy. |
| Hag 1:2-4 | "This people say, The time is not come... building the Lord's house." Is it time... for you, to dwell in your ceiled houses? | Discouragement leads to cessation. |
| Zech 3:1 | And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. | Spiritual opposition to leadership. |
| Luke 11:21-22 | When a strong man armed keepeth his palace... but when a stronger than he shall come upon him... | Spiritual power resisting God's work. |
| Acts 4:18 | And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. | Religious authorities forbid God's message. |
| Acts 13:50 | But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution... | External stirring up of opposition. |
| 2 Tim 3:12 | Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. | Expectation of persecution for godliness. |
| Sovereignty over Rulers & Decrees | ||
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. | God controls even royal decisions. |
| Dan 2:21 | And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings... | God's sovereignty over earthly rulers. |
| Dan 4:35 | And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth... | God's absolute dominion over all. |
| Isa 44:28 | That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. | God uses kings for His purposes. |
| Esth 8:8 | Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name... for the writing which is written in the king's name... may no man reverse. | Irrevocable nature of Persian decrees. |
| Esth 1:19 | ...let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered. | Emphasizes the unchangeable nature of royal edicts. |
| Ezra 6:1 | Then King Darius made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up... | God inspires new decree to correct previous error. |
| Perseverance & God's Faithfulness | ||
| Phil 1:6 | Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: | God completes His work. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God... | Even setbacks serve God's purpose. |
| Heb 12:1 | Let us run with patience the race that is set before us... | Endurance in the face of difficulties. |
| 1 Cor 15:58 | Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord... | Steadfastness in ministry. |
| Matt 16:18 | ...I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. | Assurance of God's ultimate victory. |
| God's Response to Prayer/Seeking | ||
| Ezra 5:1-2 | Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah... and the work of the house of God... began again. | Prophetic encouragement reignites work. |
Ezra 4 verses
Ezra 4 17 Meaning
Ezra 4:17 states King Artaxerxes' formal dispatch of a response to the officials who had accused the Jews in Jerusalem. The verse outlines the recipients of this royal decree: Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, their associates dwelling in Samaria, and all other officials in the province "beyond the River" (Trans-Euphrates). The phrase "Peace, and so forth" serves as a customary royal salutation, indicating the start of the official communication which then details the king's unfavorable judgment in subsequent verses, leading to the temporary cessation of the temple and wall reconstruction in Jerusalem.
Ezra 4 17 Context
Ezra chapter 4 describes the significant opposition faced by the Jewish people in Jerusalem as they attempted to rebuild the temple after returning from Babylonian exile. Following King Cyrus's decree allowing their return and the temple's reconstruction (Ezra 1:1-4), work commenced. However, adversaries—people from the land who had settled in Samaria after the Assyrian deportations—sought to hinder them. These opponents first tried to join the building efforts deceitfully, and when rejected, they actively discouraged the Jews and hired counselors to frustrate their purpose.
Eventually, under King Artaxerxes, these adversaries wrote a letter filled with accusations against Jerusalem, claiming the Jews were rebellious and would withhold tribute if the city and walls were rebuilt (Ezra 4:11-16). This letter presented a skewed view of history, focusing on Jerusalem's past rebellions against previous kings rather than the current intent to restore religious life. Ezra 4:17 marks the crucial point where the Persian king sends his official reply. This response, while beginning with a common salutation, would unfortunately confirm the adversaries' claims (as revealed in Ezra 4:18-22) and result in a royal decree to stop the construction work immediately (Ezra 4:23). This forced cessation lasted until the second year of King Darius's reign (Ezra 4:24), a period of about 15-16 years. The Aramaic language used in Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 (which includes verse 17) highlights the official, governmental nature of this correspondence within the Persian administration.
Ezra 4 17 Word analysis
- Then: Indicates a temporal and logical progression. After receiving the adversaries' letter and conducting an investigation, this word signals the immediate next action.
- sent: (Aramaic:
shelaḥ, שְׁלַח) - Means to send forth or dispatch. It implies a formal, authoritative action of dispatching an official communication from the king. - the king: Refers to Artaxerxes I, the long-reigning monarch of the Persian Empire (c. 465–424 BC). His word was law throughout the vast empire.
- an answer: (Aramaic:
pēthaḡam, פִּתְגָם) - This term signifies a "word," "decree," "royal edict," or "rescript." It is more than just a simple reply; it carries the full weight and authority of the royal court and is legally binding. - unto Rehum the chancellor: (Aramaic:
Rechum te'em, רְחוּם טְעֵם) - Rehum was a chief administrative official, possibly a commissioner or "commandant" of the Trans-Euphrates province. He was the primary instigator and signatory of the accusatory letter. - and to Shimshai the scribe: (Aramaic:
Shimshay saphra, שִׁמְשַׁי סָפְרָא) - Shimshai was the royal secretary. He likely drafted the letter of accusation, and as such, he was a key recipient of the king's official reply, highlighting the bureaucratic process. - and to the rest of their companions: Refers to other officials, co-conspirators, and subordinates allied with Rehum and Shimshai in their opposition to the Jews.
- that dwell in Samaria: Specifies the geographical location and administrative hub of some of the recipients, indicating their direct involvement and presence in the disputed region.
- and unto the rest beyond the river: (Aramaic:
ʿaḇar nāhārâ, עֲבַר נַהֲרָה) - This phrase denotes the entire satrapy (Persian province) of Trans-Euphrates, which encompassed Syria, Phoenicia, and Judah. This signifies that the king's decree had wide administrative reach and applied to all officials in the broader region responsible for enforcing it. - Peace: (Aramaic:
Shlam, שְׁלָם) - A standard salutation, akin to "Greetings" or "Health and prosperity." It is a polite, formal opening to royal correspondence, typical for official documents. - and so forth: (Aramaic:
upholanya', וְכָעֵן or simply implied by the immediate continuation of the royal message in subsequent verses) - This common ancient Near Eastern epistolary convention signifies "and the like" or "and what follows." It indicates that the verse presents merely the formal beginning of the king's full response, with the substance of his decree detailed immediately afterward. It is a transitional phrase indicating the rest of the message will unfold.
Ezra 4 17 Bonus section
The seemingly polite opening "Peace, and so forth" is an ironic precursor to the extremely hostile content of the king's full response in Ezra 4:18-22. This demonstrates how human actions can be masked by official pleasantries, even when delivering a crushing blow to God's people and His work. The king's decision was likely based on standard administrative procedure and his concern for maintaining imperial order and revenue, not necessarily from personal malice, yet it had severe consequences. The very unchangeable nature of Persian law (as seen in the book of Esther) explains why this decree caused the building to stop completely, and why a later king's decree (Darius, in Ezra 6) was required to reverse the situation. This episode highlights that opposition often comes from perceived administrative threats or economic concerns, cloaked in seemingly legitimate governance.
Ezra 4 17 Commentary
Ezra 4:17 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of the temple's rebuilding: the royal intervention instigated by human adversaries. This verse serves as the introduction to King Artaxerxes' decree, a reply born out of misrepresentation and calculated political accusations. The precise naming of key Persian officials and the administrative divisions ("Samaria" and "beyond the river") underscores the bureaucratic rigor of the Persian Empire, where royal edicts were meticulously crafted and disseminated.
The king's "answer" (or pēthaḡam), despite its polite opening "Peace," was a solemn pronouncement of imperial authority that directly hindered God's work. It reflects the truth that the rulers of this world, though holding great power, often make decisions based on incomplete or skewed information, sometimes inadvertently, and sometimes actively opposing divine purposes. For the returned exiles, this decree was a profound test of faith and perseverance, a moment when human authority seemed to override divine promise. However, it also sets the stage for a later display of God's sovereignty, demonstrating that even a powerful royal decree could not permanently thwart His ultimate plan for His people. This period of delay served a purpose, highlighting the spiritual struggle involved in every endeavor for God's kingdom and reinforcing the lesson that divine plans unfold on God's timetable and by His power.