New International Version
Ezra 4:12
12The 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls.
Context of Ezra 4:12
10and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates. 11(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants in Trans-Euphrates: 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. 13Furthermore, 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. 14Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king,
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 4:15so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.
- 2 Kings 18:20You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?
- 2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled.
- 2 Chronicles 36:13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.
- Jeremiah 52:3It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
- Ezekiel 17:12“Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon.
- Luke 23:2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
- Acts 24:5“We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22reject every kind of evil.
- 1 Peter 2:13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,
- Psalms 48:1Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
- Isaiah 1:21See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers!
- Luke 13:34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
- Nehemiah 1:3They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
- Daniel 9:25“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
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
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