The Meaning of Ezra 4:8 Explained

Ezra 4:8

KJV: Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

YLT: Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

Darby: Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king after this sort:

ASV: Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Rehum  the chancellor  and Shimshai  the scribe  wrote  a  letter  against  Jerusalem  to Artaxerxes  the king  in this sort: 

What does Ezra 4:8 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 4:8 mean?

Rehum the chancellor the commander and Shimshai scribe the wrote letter a against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes King in this fashion
רְח֣וּם בְּעֵל־ טְעֵ֗ם וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ סָֽפְרָ֔א כְּתַ֛בוּ אִגְּרָ֥ה חֲדָ֖ה עַל־ יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּא מַלְכָּ֖א כְּנֵֽמָא

רְח֣וּם  Rehum 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְחוּם 
Sense: an man who returned from exile with Zerubbabel.
בְּעֵל־  the  chancellor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּעֵל  
Sense: owner, lord.
טְעֵ֗ם  the  commander 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טְעֵם  
Sense: decree, taste, judgment, command.
וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙  and  Shimshai 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁמְשַׁי  
Sense: the scribe for Rehum, the satrap of Judea for the Persian government.
סָֽפְרָ֔א  scribe  the 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: סָפַר  
Sense: scribe, secretary.
כְּתַ֛בוּ  wrote 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כְּתַב  
Sense: to write.
אִגְּרָ֥ה  letter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִגְּרָה  
Sense: letter, missive (Aramaic loan-word used in last OT books).
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל  
Sense: upon, over, on account of, above, to, against.
יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשְׁלֶם  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּא  to  Artaxerxes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא 
Sense: son and successor of Xerxes as emperor of Persia, 465–424 BC.
מַלְכָּ֖א  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular determinate
Root: מֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king.
כְּנֵֽמָא  in  this  fashion 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כְּנֵמָא  
Sense: thus, so, accordingly, as follows.

What are the major concepts related to Ezra 4:8?

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