Ezra 4 · Verse 23

Ezra 4:23

Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
Ezra 4:23, King James Version

Ezra 4:23 in other translations

BSBWhen the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
WEBThen when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force of arms.
ASVThen when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
YLTThen from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;
DARBYAs soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power.
BBEThen, after reading the king's letter, Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their friends went quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and had them stopped by force.
WebsterNow when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

What does Ezra 4:23 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Made them to cease by force and power - Commanded them on pain of the king's displeasure not to proceed, obliging all to remit their labors, and probably bringing an armed force to prevent them from going forward.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezra 4:6-24

It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences. All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they…

Read the full comment on Ezra 4:6-24 →

Ezra 4:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֱדַ֗יִן'e.Da.yinthenH116
מִן\־min-fromH4481
דִּ֞יdithatH1768
פַּרְשֶׁ֤גֶןpar.She.gen[the] copy ofH6573
נִשְׁתְּוָנָא֙nish.te.va.Na'letter theH5407
דִּ֚יdiofH1768
אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣שְׂתְּ'ar.tach.shas.teArtaxerxesH783
מַלְכָּ֔אmal.Ka'king theH4430
קֱרִ֧יke.Riit was read aloudH7123
קֳדָם\־ko.dom-beforeH6925
רְח֛וּםre.ChumRehumH7348
וְשִׁמְשַׁ֥יve.shim.Shaiand ShimshaiH8124
סָפְרָ֖אsa.fe.Ra'scribe theH5613
וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹןu.khe.na.va.te.Honand associates theirH3675
אֲזַ֨לוּ'a.Za.luthey wentH236
בִבְהִיל֤וּviv.hi.Luin hasteH924
לִירֽוּשְׁלֶם֙li.ru.she.Lemto JerusalemH3390
עַל\־'al-toH5922
יְה֣וּדָיֵ֔אye.Hu.da.Ye'Jews theH3062
וּבַטִּ֥לוּu.va.Ti.luand they made to ceaseH989
הִמּ֖וֹhi.MothemH1994
בְּאֶדְרָ֥עbe.'ed.Ra'with forceH153
וְחָֽיִל\׃\ \סve.Cha.yiland powerH2429

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezra 4:23

  • Romans 3:15

    Their feet are swift to shed blood:

  • Ezra 4:8-9

    Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

  • Micah 2:1

    Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

  • Proverbs 4:16

    For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

  • Ezra 4:17

    Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rehum.
8,9,17
they went up.
Pr 4:16; Mic 2:1; Ro 3:15
force. Chal. arm.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezra 4:22

    Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

  • Ezra 4:23

    Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

  • Ezra 4:24

    Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Read all of Ezra 4

Ezra 4:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces, cuando el traslado de la carta del rey Artajerjes fué leído delante de Rehum, y de Simsai secretario, y sus compañeros, fueron prestamente á Jerusalem á los Judíos, é hiciéronles cesar con poder y fuerza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Alors, aussitôt que la copie de la lettre du roi Artaxerxès eut été lue devant Rehum et Shimshaï, le secrétaire, et leurs collègues, ils allèrent en hâte à Jérusalem vers les Juifs, et les firent cesser par force et par puissance.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Hierauf, sobald die Abschrift des Briefes des Königs Artasasta vor Rechum und Schimschai, dem Schreiber, und ihren Genossen gelesen war, gingen sie eilends nach Jerusalem zu den Juden, und wehrten ihnen mit Gewalt und Macht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et consiliariis eorum: et abierunt festini in Jerusalem ad Judæos, et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.