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.
• 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 rest of the prominent patriarchs of Israel said to them, “It is not for you and us to build a House for our God—but we alone will build it for Adonai the God of Israel, just as Cyrus—king of Persia—has commanded us.” 4Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Judah and making them afraid to build. They bribed advisors in order to thwart their plans all the days of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6During the reign of Ahasuerus at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7Also during the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.

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 are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples mutter vanity?
• Nahum 1:11Out of you has come a schemer of evil against Adonai, a counselor of Belial.
• Acts 24:1After five days, the kohen gadol Ananias came down with some of the elders and an attorney named Tertullus. They brought formal charges against Paul before the governor.
• Ezra 4:24Thus the work on the House of God in Jerusalem ceased. It remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• Ezra 5:5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and a written reply about it be returned.
• Ezra 6:1King Darius then issued an order and a search was made 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