Ezra 4 · Verse 7

Ezra 4:7

And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
Ezra 4:7, King James Version

Ezra 4:7 in other translations

BSBAnd in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
WEBIn the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.
ASVAnd in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian character, and set forth in the Syrian tongue.
YLTand in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written unto Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaean, and interpreted in Aramaean.
DARBYAnd in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.
BBEAnd in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.
WebsterAnd in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian language, and interpreted in the Syrian language.

What does Ezra 4:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ezr 4:7-24. Letter to Artaxerxes.

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 2Ki 18:26; Is 36:11). The object of their letter was to press upon the royal notice the inexpediency and danger of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They labored hard to prejudice the king's mind against that measure.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 In the days of Artaxerxes - After the death of Cambyses, one of the Magi named Oropaestus by Trogus Pompeius, Smerdis by Herodotus, Mardus by Aeschylus, and Sphendatates by Ctesias, usurped the empire, feigning himself to be Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses, who had been put to death. This is the person named Artaxerxes in the text: or, following the Hebrew, Artachshasta. It is generally believed, that from the time of Cyrus the great, Xerxes and Artaxerxes were names assumed by the Persian sovereigns, whatever their names had been before. Written in the Syrian tongue - That is, the Syrian or Chaldean character was used; not the Hebrew. Interpreted, in the Syrian tongue - That is, the language, as well as the character, was the Syriac or Chaldaic.

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 4:7 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.

וּבִימֵ֣יu.vi.Meiand in [the] days ofH3117
אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֗שְׂתָּא'ar.tach.Shas.ta'ArtaxerxesH783
כָּתַ֨בka.Tavhe wroteH3789
בִּשְׁלָ֜םbish.LamBishlamH1312
מִתְרְדָ֤תmit.re.DatMithredathH4990
טָֽבְאֵל֙ta.ve.'ElTabeelH2870
וּשְׁאָ֣רu.she.'Arand [the] rest ofH7605
כְּנָוֹתָ֔יוke.na.vo.tovcolleagues hisH3674
עַל\־'al-toH5921
אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּ'ar.tach.shas.taArtaxerxesH783
מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428
פָּרָ֑סpa.RasPersiaH6539
וּכְתָב֙u.khe.Tavand [the] writing ofH3791
הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֔ןha.nish.te.Vanthe letterH5406
כָּת֥וּבka.Tuv[was] writtenH3789
אֲרָמִ֖ית'a.ra.MitAramaicH762
וּמְתֻרְגָּ֥םu.me.tur.Gamand [was] translatedH8638
אֲרָמִֽית\׃\ \פ'a.ra.MitAramaicH762

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

Cross references for Ezra 4:7

  • 2 Kings 18:26

    Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab–shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews’ language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

  • Daniel 2:4

    Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.

  • 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.

  • Isaiah 36:11

    Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

  • Ezra 4:9

    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,

  • Ezra 5:6

    The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar–boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 3482. B.C. 522. Artaxerxes.This Artaxerxes was one of the Magi, who usurped the throne after the death of Cambyses, for seven months, feigning himself to be Smerdis, brother of Cambyses: he is called Oropoestus by Justin, Smerdis by Herodotus, Mardus by AEschylus, and Sphendatates by Ctesias.
Bishlam. or, in peace. companions. Heb. societies.
9,17; 5:6
the Syrian tongue.That is, probably, both the language and character were Syrian or Chaldaic; and therefore, from the 8th verse of this chapter, to ch. 7:27, the original is not Hebrew, but Chaldee, in those parts which consist of letters, decrees, etc., originally written in that language.
2Ki 18:26; Isa 36:11; Da 2:4

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

Context

  • Ezra 4:6

    And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Ezra 4:7

    And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

  • Ezra 4:8

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

Read all of Ezra 4

Ezra 4:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y en días de Artajerjes, Bislam, Mitrídates, Tabeel, y los demás sus compañeros, escribieron á Artajerjes rey de Persia; y la escritura de la carta estaba hecha en siriaco, y declarada en siriaco.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et aux jours d’Artaxerxès, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeël et le reste de ses collègues, écrivirent à Artaxerxès, roi de Perse; et la lettre était écrite en écriture syriaque et traduite en syriaque:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und in den Tagen Artasastas schrieben Bischlam, Mithredath, Tabeel und seine übrigen Genossen an Artasasta, den König von Persien. Die Schrift des Briefes war aber aramäisch geschrieben und ins Aramäische übersetzt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsit Beselam, Mithridates, et Thabeel, et reliqui qui erant in consilio eorum, ad Artaxerxem regem Persarum: epistola autem accusationis scripta erat syriace, et legebatur sermone syro.