Ezra 4:4

Ezra 4:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
• New International Version (NIV)Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,

Context of Ezra 4:4

2they came to Zerubbabel [who was now governor] and to the heads of the fathers’ households and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God [and worship] just as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon 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 in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.” Then [the Samaritans and others of] the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them [to deter them] from building, 5and hired advisers [to work] against them to frustrate their plans during the entire time that Cyrus king of Persia reigned, [and this lasted] even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6Now in the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), in the beginning of his reign, the Samaritans wrote [to him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [who had returned from exile].

Ezra 4:4 word by word

וַיְהִי֙ עַם־הָאָ֔רֶץ מְרַפִּ֖ים יְדֵ֣י עַם־יְהוּדָ֑ה וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים אוֹתָ֖ם לִבְנֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• weakenedרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
• the handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• and troubledבָּלַהּbâlah · to troubleH1089
• and troubledבָּהַלbâhal · to dismayH926
• them in buildingבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129

Cross-references for Ezra 4:4

• Ezra 3:3So they set up the altar on its [old] foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, morning and evening.
• Nehemiah 6:9For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, [O God,] strengthen my hands.
• Isaiah 35:3Encourage the exhausted, and make staggering knees firm.
• Jeremiah 38:4Therefore the princes (court officials) said to the king, “Please [we implore you] let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [speaking] in this way he discourages and weakens [the will of] the soldiers who remain in this city and he discourages and weakens [the will of] all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but rather their harm.”
• Nehemiah 4:7But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches were being closed, they were very angry.

Commentaries on Ezra 4:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Weakened the hands - Discouraged and opposed them by every possible means.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Realizing they could not influence the established Jewish community (Ezra 4:1–3), the foreigners took hostile actions to weaken the Israelites' growing political power.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, &c.--Exasperated by this repulse, the Samaritans endeavored by every means to molest the workmen as well as obstruct the progress of the building; and, though they could not alter the decree which Cyrus had issued regarding it, yet by bribes and clandestine arts indefatigably plied at court, they labored to frustrate the effects of the edict. Their success in those underhand…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 4:4

• Joshua
• Lobbying

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Certify
• Chancellor
• Endamage
• Grow
• Hurt
• Insurrection
• Eschatology of the New Testament

Commentaries on Ezra 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings