God’s Word Translation
Ezra 4:12
12Your Majesty, you should know that the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing the walls. The foundations are already in place.
Ezra 4:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
- New International Version (NIV)The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
- English Standard Version (ESV)be 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.
Context of Ezra 4:12
10and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Assurbanipal deported. (Assurbanipal settled them in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the lands west of the Euphrates River.) 11This is the copy of the letter they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the people west of the Euphrates: Your Majesty, you should know that the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing the walls. The foundations are already in place. 13You should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, fees, and tolls. Ultimately, this will hurt the king’s income. 14Now, because we are paid by your palace, it isn’t right for us to watch something happen that will dishonor the king. So we are sending this letter to inform you
Read all of Ezra 4Ezra 4:12 word by word
יְדִ֙יעַ֙ לֶהֱוֵ֣א לְמַלְכָּ֔א דִּ֣י יְהוּדָיֵ֗א דִּ֤י סְלִ֙קוּ֙ מִן־לְוָתָ֔ךְ עֲלֶ֥ינָא אֲת֖וֹ לִירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם קִרְיְתָ֨א מָֽרָדְתָּ֤א וּבִֽישְׁתָּא֙ בָּנַ֔יִן וְשׁוּרַיָּ֣א שַׁכְלִ֔ילוּ וְאֻשַּׁיָּ֖א יַחִֽיטוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Be itהֲוָאhâvâ' hâvâh · to beH1934
- knownיְדַעyeda‛ · to knowH3046
- unto the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
- that the Jewsיְהוּדַיyehûdâ'îy · JewH3062
- whichדִּיdîy · thatH1768
- came upסְלֵקseliq · to ascendH5559
- fromמִן־min · fromH4481
- theeלְוָתlevâth · withH3890
- to usעַל‛al · uponH5922
- are comeאֲתָה'âthâh 'âthâ' · to comeH858
- unto Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlêm · JerusalemH3390
- buildingבְּנָהbenâ' benâh · to buildH1124
- the rebelliousמָרָדmârâd · rebelliousH4779
- and the badבִּאישׁbi'ûsh · badH873
- cityקִרְיָהqiryâ' qiryâh · townH7149
- and have set upכְּלַלkelal · to completeH3635
- the wallsשׁוּרshûr · wallH7792
- and joinedחוּטchûţ · to repairH2338
- the foundationsאֹשׁ'ôsh · foundationH787
Cross-references for Ezra 4:12
- Ezra 4:15that you should search the official records of your predecessors. You will find in those official records that this city has been rebellious and has been a threat to kings and provinces. This city has a history of rebelliousness. That’s why this city was destroyed.
- 2 Kings 18:20You give useless advice about getting ready for war. Whom, then, do you trust for support in your rebellion against me?
- 2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked ⌞Judah⌟, and Jehoiakim became subject to him for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned against him and rebelled.
- 2 Chronicles 36:13Zedekiah also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had made Zedekiah swear an oath of allegiance to him in God’s name. But Zedekiah became so stubborn and so impossible to deal with that he refused to turn back to the Lord God of Israel.
- Jeremiah 52:3The Lord became angry with Jerusalem and Judah and threw the people out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
- Ezekiel 17:12“Ask these rebellious people, ‘Don’t you know what this means?’ Tell them, ‘The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and captured its king and its leaders. He brought them home with him to Babylon.
- Luke 23:2They began to accuse Jesus by saying, “We found that he stirs up trouble among our people: He keeps them from paying taxes to the emperor, and he says that he is Christ, a king.”
- Acts 24:5We have found this man to be a troublemaker. He starts quarrels among all Jews throughout the world. He’s a ringleader of the Nazarene sect.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22Keep away from every kind of evil.
- 1 Peter 2:13Place yourselves under the authority of human governments to please the Lord. Obey the emperor. He holds the highest position of authority.
- Psalms 48:1The Lord is great. He should be highly praised. His holy mountain is in the city of our God.
- Isaiah 1:21How the faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice, and righteousness lived in her. But now murderers live there!
- Luke 13:34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing!
- Nehemiah 1:3They told me, “Those who survived captivity are in the province. They are enduring serious troubles and being insulted. The wall of Jerusalem has been broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”
- Daniel 9:25Learn, then, and understand that from the time the command is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed prince comes, seven sets of seven time periods and sixty-two sets of seven time periods will pass. Jerusalem will be restored and rebuilt with a city square and a moat during the troubles of those times.
Commentaries on Ezra 4:12
- 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. 11-22Ezra contains a copy in Aramaic of the letter sent to Artaxerxes and his response.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. the Jews which came up from thee to us--The name "Jews" was generally used after the return from the captivity, because the returning exiles belonged chiefly to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Although the edict of Cyrus permitted all who chose to return, a permission of which some of the Israelites availed themselves, the great body who went to settle in Judea were the men of Judah.Read the comment
Topics related to Ezra 4:12
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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