Ezra 4:5

Ezra 4:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• New Living Translation (NLT)They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

Context of Ezra 4:5

3But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.” 4Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 7And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.

Ezra 4:5 word by word

וְסֹכְרִ֧ים עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹעֲצִ֖ים לְהָפֵ֣ר עֲצָתָ֑ם כָּל־יְמֵ֗י כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס וְעַד־מַלְכ֖וּת דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And hiredסָכַרώâkar sâkar · to hireH7936
• counsellorsיָעַץyâ‛ats · to adviseH3289
• against them, to frustrateפָּרַרpârar · to breakH6565
• their purposeעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• all the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of Cyrusכּ֫וֹרֶשׁkôresh kôresh · CyrusH3566
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Persiaפָּרַסpâras · PersiaH6539
• even until the reignמַלְכוּתmalkûth malkûth malkûyâh · royaltyH4438
• of Dariusדָּֽרְיָ֫וֶשׁdâreyâvêsh · DariusH1867

Cross-references for Ezra 4:5

• Psalms 2:1Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
• Nahum 1:11From you, Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the Lord and devises wicked plans.
• Acts 24:1Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor.
• Ezra 4:24Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• Ezra 5:5But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
• Ezra 6:1King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon.

Commentaries on Ezra 4:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Hired counsellors - They found means to corrupt some of the principal officers of the Persian court, so that the orders of Cyrus were not executed; or at least so slowly as to make them nearly ineffectual. Until the reign of Darius - This was probably Darius the son of Hystaspes.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Hired counselors - Rather, “bribed” officials at the Persian court to interpose delays and create difficulties, in order to hinder the work. Darius - i. e., Darius, the son of HystaspesRead the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The people faced severe consequences for their strict dedication to holiness. King Cyrus ruled until 530 BC. Darius (Darius I) became the king of Persia in 521 BC. Construction on the temple restarted in 520 BC and concluded in 515 BC (see Ezra 6:15).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 4:5

• Joshua
• Lobbying

In the dictionaries

• Cyrus
• Darius
• Persia
• Certify
• Chancellor
• Endamage
• Grow
• Hurt
• Insurrection
• Temple, the Second

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