Ezra 4:13

Ezra 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
• New International Version (NIV)Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay tax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished.
• New Living Translation (NLT)And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you.

Context of Ezra 4:13

11(This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) "To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now 12be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. 14Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, 15in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.

Ezra 4:13 word by word

כְּעַ֗ן יְדִ֙יעַ֙ לֶהֱוֵ֣א לְמַלְכָּ֔א דִּ֠י הֵ֣ן קִרְיְתָ֥א דָךְ֙ תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖ה יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְל֑וּן מִנְדָּֽה־בְל֤וֹ וַהֲלָךְ֙ לָ֣א יִנְתְּנ֔וּן וְאַפְּתֹ֥ם מַלְכִ֖ים תְּהַנְזִֽק׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Be it knownהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
• Be it knownיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
• nowכְּעַןke‛an · nowH3705
• unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• that, ifהֵןhên · ifH2006
• thisדֵּךְdêk dâk · thisH1791
• cityקִרְיָהqiryâ' qiryâh · townH7149
• be buildedבְּנָהbenâ' benâh · to buildH1124
• and the wallsשׁוּרshûr · wallH7792
• set upכְּלַלkelal · to completeH3635
• will they notלָאlâ' lâh · notH3809
• payנְתַןnethan · to give: payH5415
• tollמִנְדָּהmiddâh mindâh · tributeH4061
• tributeבְּלוֹbelô · tributeH1093
• and customהֲלָךְhălâk · tollH1983
• thou shalt endamageנְזַקnezaq · to suffer injuryH5142
• the revenueאַפְּתֹם'appethôm · revenueH674

Cross-references for Ezra 4:13

• Nehemiah 5:4And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
• Psalms 52:2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
• Psalms 119:69The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
• Ezra 7:24We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
• Matthew 9:9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
• Matthew 17:25He said, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?"
• Romans 13:6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

Commentaries on Ezra 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Toll, tribute, and custom - The first term is supposed to imply the capitation tax; the second, an excise on commodities and merchandise; the third, a sort of land tax. Others suppose the first means a property tax; the second, a poll tax; and the third, what was paid on imports and exports. In a word, if you permit these people to rebuild and fortify their city, they will soon set you at naught, and pay you no kind of tribute.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Toll, tribute, and custom - Rather, “tribute, provision, and toll” (so Ezra 4:20). The “tribute” is the money-tax imposed on each province, and apportioned to the inhabitants by the local authorities; the “provision” is the payment in kind, which was an integral part of the Persian system; the “tolI” is probably a payment required from those who used the Persian highways. The revenue - The word thus translated is not found elsewhere, and can only be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-24Verses 6-24 It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences. All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they should encourage the adversaries…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13A tribute was a yearly set tax. Customs were likely sales taxes, and tolls were probably fees for using roads. Earlier rulers had gathered significant revenue from the region (Ezra 4:20; compare 1 Kings 10:14–15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. toll, tribute, and custom--The first was a poll tax; the second was a property tax; the third the excise dues on articles of trade and merchandise. Their letter, and the edict that followed, commanding an immediate cessation of the work at the city walls, form the exclusive subject of narrative at Ezr 4:7-23. And now from this digression [the historian] returns at Ezr 4:24 to resume the thread of his narrative concerning the building of the temple.Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 4:13

• Accusation, False
• Artaxerxes
• Bishlam
• Persia

In the dictionaries

• Certify
• Chaldee language
• Chancellor
• Endamage
• Grow
• Hurt
• Insurrection
• Rehum
• Toll
• Aramaic; Aramaic Language

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