エズラ記 4:7 JCB

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezra 4:7

Artaxerxes - Gomates, the Pseudo-Smerdis. He succeeded Cambyses (521 B.C.), and reigned for seven months, when he was deposed and executed by Darius Hystaspis.Written in the Syrian tongue ... - Or, “written in Syriac characters and translated into Syriac.” On the use of this tongue as a medium of communication between the Jews and their Eastern neighbors, see 2 Kings 18:26 note. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezra 4:7

Ezra 4:7 . In the days of Artaxerxes, &c. The sacred writer, having in the foregoing verse mentioned a stop being put to the building of the temple, till the reign of Darius, now proceeds to relate particularly how it was effected. By Artaxerxes here is probably meant the son of Cyrus, called Cambyses by heathen writers. Written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue That is, it was written both in the Syrian character, and the Syrian language: for sometimes the ... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:1-24

Opposition stops the work (4:1-24)As a result of Assyria’s resettlement program of two centuries earlier, a race of people grew up in the area around Samaria and Jerusalem who were of mixed blood and mixed religion. They were known as Samaritans (see notes on 2 Kings 17:24-33). The Jewish leaders refused their offered help in building the temple of God, no doubt to prevent wrong ideas from corrupting Israel’s religion. The Samaritan group reacted bitterly. They opposed the Jewish builders so... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezra 4:7

Artaxerxes = the great king. Used here of the Cyrus of Ezra 4:3 . See App-57 , and p. 618. Ezra 4:7-23 may also be retrospective of Nehemiah 2:20 Nehemiah 6:5 , companions = colleagues or associates. the Syrian tongue: i.e. in Aramaic characters as well as in the Aramaic language. Compare Esther 1:22 ; Esther 8:9 , where "writing" (Hebrew. kathab, to grave) is the same word as in this book. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezra 4:7

7. 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 2 Kings 18:26 Isaiah 36:11). The object of their letter was to press upon the royal notice the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Ezra 4:7-23

Opposition during Artaxerxes’ reign 4:7-23Artaxerxes was the successor of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), who ruled the Persian Empire from 464 to 424 B.C. [Note: See William H. Shea, "Who Succeeded Xerxes on the Throne of Persia?" Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 12:1 (Spring 2001):83-88, who argued that Darius succeeded Xerxes.] Clearly the incident reported in these verses took place long after the temple was complete. It really involved the attempt by Israel’s enemies to halt the rebuilding... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Ezra 4:1-24

Feud Between the Jews and SamaritansThis chapter describes the desire of the Samaritans to take part in the rebuilding of the Temple, and their successful opposition to the Jews on their request being refused.1. The adversaries] The term is here anticipatory of the opposition subsequently displayed. The people thus designated were the Samaritans, who, in the main, were the descendants of the immigrants who, to replace the Israelite population that had been deported after the fall of Samaria,... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Ezra 4:7

(7) In the days of Artaxerxes.—This must be Gomates, the Magian priest who personated Smerdis, the dead son of Cyrus, and reigned only seven months: note that the expression used is “days,” and not “reign” as in the previous verse. This Artaxerxes has been thought by many commentators to be the Longimanus of the sequel of this book and of Nehemiah, and they have identified the Ahasuerus of Ezra and Esther with Xerxes. This would explain the reference to “the walls” in Ezra 4:12; but in Ezra... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Ezra 4:6-23

THE COST OF AN IDEALIST’S SUCCESSEzra 4:6-23THE fourth chapter of the Book of Ezra contains an account of a correspondence between the Samaritan colonists and two kings of Persia, which follows sharply on the first mention of the intrigues of the enemies of Judah and Benjamin at the Persian court in the later days of Cyrus, and which precedes the description of the fortunes of the Jews in the reign of Darius. If this has its right chronological position in the narrative, it must relate to the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Ezra 4:1-24

CHAPTER 4 1. The offer of the Samaritans refused (Ezra 4:1-6 ) 2. The letter to King Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7-16 ) 3. The king’s reply (Ezra 4:17-22 ) 4. The work is stopped (Ezra 4:23-24 ) Ezra 4:1-6 . The adversaries were the Samaritans. (There is an interesting correspondence with the book of Acts. After the Spirit of God had begun His blessed work, the enemy from without and then within started his hindering work.) They had watched silently the work of restoration and then appeared... read more