Ezra 4:8

Ezra 4:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
• New International Version (NIV)Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
• English Standard Version (ESV)Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
• New King James Version (NKJV)Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:

Context of Ezra 4:8

6When Xerxes began to rule, the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem wrote a letter in which they made an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote to him when Artaxerxes was king of Persia. The letter was written with the Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote another letter against ⌞the people of⌟ Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes. 9At that time, Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe were with the others of their group—the people from Denya, Partakka, Tarpel, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa, (that is, those of Elam), 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.)

Ezra 4:8 word by word

רְח֣וּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵ֗ם וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ סָֽפְרָ֔א כְּתַ֛בוּ אִגְּרָ֥ה חֲדָ֖ה עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּא מַלְכָּ֖א כְּנֵֽמָא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Rehumרְחוּםrechûm · RehumH7348
• the chancellorטְעֵםţe‛êm · commandH2942
• the chancellorבְּעֵלbe‛êl · ownerH1169
• and Shimshaiשִׁמְשַׁיshimshay · ShimshaiH8124
• the scribeסָפִרsâphêr · scribeH5613
• wroteכְּתַבkethab · to writeH3790
• aחַדchad · oneH2298
• letterאִגְּרָא'iggerâ' · letterH104
• againstעַל‛al · uponH5922
• Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlêm · JerusalemH3390
• to Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׂתְּא'artachshashtâ' 'artachshasht' · ArtaxerxesH783
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4430
• in this sortכְּנֵ֫מָאkenêmâ' · thusH3660

Cross-references for Ezra 4:8

• Ezra 4:9At that time, Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe were with the others of their group—the people from Denya, Partakka, Tarpel, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa, (that is, those of Elam),
• 2 Samuel 8:17Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal scribe.
• 2 Samuel 20:25Sheva was the royal scribe. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
• 2 Kings 18:18When they called for King Hezekiah, Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace and was the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah, who was the royal historian and the son of Asaph, went out to the field commander.

Commentaries on Ezra 4:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Rehum the chancellor - With this verse the Chaldee part of the chapter begins; and the same language continues to the end of Ezra 6:18. These men wrote to Darius in their own language; and the king in the same dialect returns an answer, chap. 5. This circumstance adds authenticity to what is written: so scrupulous was the inspired penman, that he not only gave the words which each spoke and wrote, but he gave them also in the very language in which they…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The chancellor - literally, “Lord of judgment;” the title, apparently, of the Persian governor of the Samaritan province. Every Persian governor was accompanied to his province by a “royal scribe” or “secretary,” who had a separate and independent authority.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. 6-23These verses discuss later opposition to Jewish rebuilding efforts. They actually relate to events during the reign of: Xerxes in 486 to 465 BC Artaxerxes I in 465 to 424 BC However, they are included here because they match the theme of opposition. Chronologically, Ezra 4:6 fits between chapters 6 and 7, while 4:7–23 fits before Nehemiah 1.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-247. in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, &c.--The three officers named are supposed to have been deputy governors appointed by the king of Persia over all the provinces subject to his empire west of the Euphrates. the Syrian tongue--or Aramæan language, called sometimes in our version, Chaldee. This was made use of by the Persians in their decrees and communications relative to the Jews (compare 2Ki 18:26; Is 36:11). The object of their letter was to…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezra 4:8

• Accusation, False
• Artaxerxes
• Bishlam
• Chancellor
• Government
• Persia
• Rehum
• Shimshai

In the dictionaries

• Artaxerxes
• Jerusalem
• Certify
• Chaldee language
• Chancellor
• Endamage
• Grow
• Hurt
• Insurrection
• Rehum

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