New Living Translation
Ezra 4:5
5They 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.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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.
Context of Ezra 4:5
3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.” 4Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. 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. 6Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 7Even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king.
Read all of Ezra 4Ezra 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 are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
- Nahum 1:11Who is this wicked counselor of yours who plots evil against the Lord?
- Acts 24:1Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor.
- Ezra 4:24So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
- Ezra 5:5But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision.
- Ezra 6:1So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasury.
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
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries