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THE MESSAGE

Ezra 4:6

In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Accusation, False;   Joshua;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Medo-Persian Kingdom;   Temple, the Second;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahasuerus;   Darius;   Persia;   Samaritans;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ahasuerus;   Samaria, samaritans;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Samaritans;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ahasuerus;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Artaxerxes;   Ezra, the Book of;   Haggai;   Persia;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exile;   Ezra, Book of;   Zerubbabel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahasuerus;   Darius;   Ezra, Book of;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahasuerus ;   Ezra, Book of;   Persia, Persians;   Sitnah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ahasuerus;   Assyria;   Persia;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ahashve'rosh;   Ahasue'rus;   Per'sia;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ahasuerus;   Cambyses;   Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ahasuerus;   Cambyses;   Ezra-Nehemiah;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahasuerus;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Captivity;   Esther;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, the people who were already in the land wrote an accusation against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem.
Hebrew Names Version
In the reign of Achashverosh, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
New Century Version
When Xerxes first became king, those enemies wrote a letter against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
New English Translation
At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Amplified Bible
Now in the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), in the beginning of his reign, the Samaritans wrote [to him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [who had returned from exile].
New American Standard Bible
Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
World English Bible
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And in the reigne of Ahashuerosh (in the beginning of his reigne) wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Berean Standard Bible
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Contemporary English Version
In the first year that Xerxes was king, the neighboring people brought written charges against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Complete Jewish Bible
During the reign of Achashverosh, at the beginning of his reign, they brought a charge in writing against the people living in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.
Darby Translation
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Easy-to-Read Version
These enemies even wrote letters to the king of Persia trying to stop the Jews. They wrote a letter the year that Xerxes became the king of Persia.
George Lamsa Translation
And in the reign of King Akhshirash, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Good News Translation
At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Xerxes, the enemies of the people living in Judah and Jerusalem brought written charges against them.
Lexham English Bible
In the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Literal Translation
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan Ahasuerus was kynge, in the begynnynge off his reigne wrote they vnto him a complaynte agaynst them of Iuda and Ierusalem.
American Standard Version
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Bible in Basic English
And in the time of Ahasuerus, when he first became king, they put on record a statement against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And in the raigne of Ahasuerus, euen at the beginning of his raigne, wrote they vnto him a complaynt against the inhabiters of Iuda and Hierusalem.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
King James Version (1611)
And in the reigne of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reigne, wrote they vnto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And in the reign of Assuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.
English Revised Version
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe in the rewme of Assueris, he is Artaxersis, in the bigynnyng of his rewme, thei writiden accusing ayens the dwellers of Juda and of Jerusalem;
Update Bible Version
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Webster's Bible Translation
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote [to him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
New King James Version
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
New Living Translation
Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
New Life Bible
In the beginning of Ahasuerus' rule, people of the land wrote that the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem had done something wrong.
New Revised Standard
In the reign of Ahasuerus, in his accession year, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation, against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.
Revised Standard Version
And in the reign of Ahasu-e'rus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Young's Literal Translation
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

Contextual Overview

6 In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem. 7 Again later, in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote regarding the Jerusalem business to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. (What follows is written in Aramaic.) 8Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: From: Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, backed by the rest of their associates, the judges and officials over the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, Elamites of Susa, and all the others whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places in the land across the Euphrates. (This is the copy of the letter they sent to him.) To: King Artaxerxes from your servants from the land across the Euphrates. We are here to inform the king that the Jews who came from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and have set about rebuilding that rebellious and evil city. They are busy at work finishing the walls and rebuilding the foundations. The king needs to know that once that city is rebuilt and the wall completed they will no longer pay a penny of tribute, tax, or duty. The royal treasury will feel the loss. We're loyal to the king and cannot sit idly by while our king is being insulted—that's why we are passing this information on. We suggest that you look into the court records of your ancestors; you'll learn from those books that that city is a rebellious city, a thorn in the side to kings and provinces, a historic center of unrest and revolt. That's why the city was wiped out. We are letting the king know that if that city gets rebuilt and its walls restored, you'll end up with nothing in your province beyond the Euphrates.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3475, bc 529

Ahasuerus: Heb. Ahashverosh, This was Cambyses, son of Cyrus, who succeeded his father, am 3475, and reigned seven years and five months.

wrote: Matthew 27:37, Acts 24:5-9, Acts 24:13, Acts 25:7, Revelation 12:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:21 - Sitnah Esther 1:1 - Ahasuerus Daniel 11:2 - three

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, "I've gotten a man, with God 's help!"
Genesis 4:3
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.
Genesis 4:8
Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.
Genesis 4:13
Cain said to God , "My punishment is too much. I can't take it! You've thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I'm a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me."
Isaiah 1:18
"Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God 's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so.
Jeremiah 2:31
"What a generation you turned out to be! Didn't I tell you? Didn't I warn you? Have I let you down, Israel? Am I nothing but a dead-end street? Why do my people say, ‘Good riddance! From now on we're on our own'? Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign,.... According to Jarchi, this was Ahasuerus the husband of Esther; but, as most think d, was Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus; so Josephus e; who was an enemy to the Egyptians; and, fearing the Jews might take part with them, was no friend to them; their enemies therefore took the advantage of the death of Cyrus, and the first opportunity after Cambyses reigned in his own right:

and wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem; full of hatred and enmity, spite and malice, charging them as a turbulent, disobedient, and rebellious people.

d Spanhem. Introduct. Chron. ad Hist. Eccl. p. 54. & Universal History, Vol. 5. p. 203. Prideaux, p. 175. e Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 11. c. 4.) sect. 4, 6. Vid. R. David Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 8. 2. So Dr. Lightfoot, Works, vol. 1. p. 139.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ahasuerus - Or, Cambyses, the son and successor of Cyrus. Persian kings had often two names.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezra 4:6. In the reign of Ahasuerus — This is the person who is called Cambyses by the Greeks. He reigned seven years and five months; and during the whole of that time the building of the temple was interrupted.


 
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