The Meaning of Ezra 4:4 Explained

Ezra 4:4

KJV: Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

YLT: And it cometh to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,

Darby: And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building;

ASV: Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then the people  of the land  weakened  the hands  of the people  of Judah,  and troubled  {08675;01089:08764} them in building, 

What does Ezra 4:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezra 4:1-10 - The Building Of The Temple Opposed
So long as you lead a languid and unaggressive life, the enemy will leave you alone, but directly you begin to build God's temple, you may count on His strenuous opposition. When we are permitted to go on from day to day without much temptation, we may fear that we are doing little to destroy evil and construct good. But the virulent hate of the wicked one is a comfortable sign that his kingdom is suffering serious damage. Let us so live that we may give the devil good reason to fear and hate us. There is a stronger than he. We must beware of the proposal to join in with the ungodly. Their arguments may sound very fair and appeal to a false liberality of sentiment, but the golden cup contains poison, and beneath the kiss is the traitor's hand. This is why so many fair enterprises have miscarried. They have seemed to afford common ground for cooperation with the false and counterfeit Israel, but they have ended in disillusion and disappointment. Though the Jews excited the intense hatred and opposition of their would-be helpers, their policy of exclusiveness was amply justified by the result. The old proverb reminds us that we must never trust our enemies when they offer blandishments and gifts. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezra 4

1  The adversaries, being not accepted in the building of the temple with the Jews,
4  endeavor to hinder it
7  Their letter to Artaxerxes
17  The answer and decree of Artaxerxes
23  The building is hindered

What do the individual words in Ezra 4:4 mean?

And the people of the land tried to discourage the hands of Judah - they troubled them in building
וַיְהִי֙ עַם־ הָאָ֔רֶץ מְרַפִּ֖ים יְדֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה [ומבלהים] (וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים) אוֹתָ֖ם לִבְנֽוֹת

עַם־  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מְרַפִּ֖ים  tried  to  discourage 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
יְדֵ֣י  the  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
[ומבלהים]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
(וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים)  they  troubled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּלָה  
Sense: to wear out, become old.
לִבְנֽוֹת  in  building 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.