Ezra 4:8

4:8 Rehum the commander ¹  and Shimshai the scribe ²  wrote a letter concerning ³  Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:

Ezra 4:14

4:14 In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, ⁴  and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, ⁵  we are sending the king this information ⁶ 

Ezra 4:19-20

4:19 So I gave orders, ⁷  and it was determined ⁸  that this city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It has continually engaged in ⁹  rebellion and revolt. 4:20 Powerful kings have been over Jerusalem who ruled throughout the entire Trans-Euphrates ¹⁰  and who were the beneficiaries of ¹¹  tribute, custom, and toll.

Ezra 5:6

5:6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and his colleagues who were the officials of Trans-Euphrates sent to King Darius.

Ezra 5:15

5:15 He said to him, “Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location.” ¹² 

Ezra 6:7

6:7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone. ¹³  Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.

Ezra 6:18

6:18 They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, ¹⁴  in accord with ¹⁵  the book of Moses.

Ezra 7:14

7:14 You are authorized ¹⁶  by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession, ¹⁷ 

Ezra 7:18

7:18 You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues ¹⁸  with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God.

¹ tn Aram “lord of the command.” So also in vv. 9, 17.

² sn Like Rehum, Shimshai was apparently a fairly high-ranking official charged with overseeing Persian interests in this part of the empire. His title was “scribe” or “secretary,” but in a more elevated political sense than that word sometimes has elsewhere. American governmental titles such as “Secretary of State” perhaps provide an analogy in that the word “secretary” can have a broad range of meaning.

³ tn Or perhaps “against.”

⁴ tn Aram “we eat the salt of the palace.”

⁵ tn Aram “the dishonor of the king is not fitting for us to see.”

⁶ tn Aram “and we have made known.”

⁷ tn Aram “from me was placed a decree.”

⁸ tn Aram “and they searched and found.”

⁹ tn Aram “are being done.”

¹⁰ sn The statement that prior Jewish kings ruled over the entire Trans-Euphrates is an overstatement. Not even in the days of David and Solomon did the kingdom of Israel extend its borders to such an extent.

¹¹ tn Aram “were being given to them.”

¹³ tn Aram “upon its place.”

¹⁶ tc For the MT reading “the work on this temple of God” the LXX reads “the servant of the Lord Zurababel” [= Zerubbabel].

¹⁹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

²⁰ tn Aram “according to the writing of.”

²² tn Aram “sent.”

²³ tn Aram “in your hand.”

²⁵ tn Aram “brothers.”