the Fifth Sunday after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
La Bible Ostervald
Esdras 4:7
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
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:
Et du temps d'Artaxerxès, Bischlam, Mithredath, Thabeel, et le reste de leurs collègues, écrivirent à Artaxerxès, roi de Perse. La lettre fut transcrite en caractères araméens et traduite en araméen.
Et du temps d'Artaxerxes, Bislam, Mithredat, Tabéel, et les autres de sa compagnie écrivirent à Artaxerxes Roi de Perse. L'écriture de la copie de la lettre était en lettres Syriaques, et elle était couchée en langue Syriaque.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
am 3482, bc 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, Ezra 4:9, Ezra 4:17, Ezra 5:6
the Syrian tongue: That is, probably, both the language and character were Syrian or Chaldaic; and therefore, from the Ezra 4:8, of this chapter, to Ezra 7:27, the original is not Hebrew, but Chaldee, in those parts which consist of letters, decrees, etc., originally written in that language. 2 Kings 18:26, Isaiah 36:11, Daniel 2:4
Reciprocal: 1 Kings 21:8 - she wrote Ezra 8:36 - lieutenants Jeremiah 29:25 - Because Obadiah 1:19 - the fields of Ephraim Zechariah 1:19 - scattered
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And in the days of Artaxerxes,.... The same with Ahasuerus, in the preceding verse; and who also is Cambyses, which is his name in Heathen authors, Artaxerxes being a common name to the kings of Persia; though some f think this was Smerdis, the magician and impostor, who was between Cambyses and Darius; but as he reigned but seven months, it is not very likely that he should be wrote unto, and an answer received from him; besides he sent to every nation he ruled over g, and so to the Jews, and proclaimed to them freedom from tribute and the militia for three years, to ingratiate himself to them:
wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions; or his company; for Jarchi thinks only one person is meant; that Mithredath Tabeel is the name of one of the adversaries of Judah; and that Bishlam is an appellative, and signifies that he wrote in peace, or in a way of salutation and greeting; but they seem to be the names of governors in the cities of Samaria under the king of Persia: these wrote
to Artaxerxes king of Persia; instigated by the Samaritans:
and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue; or Chaldee, of which Ezra gives a copy in the Chaldee language; the meaning either is, that it was written both in Syriac letters, and in the Syriac language; for sometimes words are written in one language and in the character of another, as the Syriac is sometimes written in, Hebrew characters, and the Hebrew in Roman; or else there was a postscript added to this letter, explaining some things in it, which also was written in the same language: some take h the word "nishtevan", rendered "written", to be the name of a province on the borders of the country beyond Euphrates, whose figure and characters were in high esteem, and fit to write in to kings; but the words and language were Syrian, and needed interpretation.
f Prideaux's Connect. par. 1. p. 175. Authors of the Universal History, vol. 5. p. 199, 203. So Vitringa, Hypotypos. Hist. Sacr. p. 108. g Herodot. Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 67. Justin. l. 1. c. 9. h Praefat. Arugas Habbosem apud Buxtorf. de liter. Heb. add.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Artaxerxes - Gomates, the Pseudo-Smerdis. He succeeded Cambyses (521 B.C.), and reigned for seven months, when he was deposed and executed by Darius Hystaspis.
Written in the Syrian tongue ... - Or, “written in Syriac characters and translated into Syriac.†On the use of this tongue as a medium of communication between the Jews and their Eastern neighbors, see 2 Kings 18:26 note.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ezra 4:7. 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.
