Ezra 4:16 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Ezra 4:16
We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
to know (properly · verb, hiphil active participle, masculine plural absolute
king
לְמַלְכָּ֔אle.mal.Ka'
H4430
a king · preposition + noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
if
הֵ֣ןhen
H2006
lo! also there(-fore) · conjunction
this
דָךְ֙doKh
H1791
this · demonstrative particle
city
קִרְיְתָ֥אkir.ye.Ta'
H7149
building · noun, common feminine singular determined + particle of affirmation
builded
תִּתְבְּנֵ֔אtit.be.Ne'
H1124
to build · verb, imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
walls
וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖הve.shu.rai.Yah'
H7792
a wall (as going about) · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural determined + particle of affirmation
up
יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְל֑וּןyish.takh.le.Lun
H3635
to complete · verb, imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
this
דְּנָ֔הde.Nah
H1836
this · demonstrative particle
means
לָקֳבֵ֣לlo.ko.Vel
H6903
(adverbially) in front of · preposition + noun, common both genders singular absolute
have
אִיתַ֖י'i.Tai
H383
properly · noun, common both genders singular absolute
no
לָ֥אla'
H3809
not (the simple or abs. negation) · negative particle
portion
חֲלָק֙cha.Lak
H2508
a part · noun, common both genders singular absolute
side
בַּעֲבַ֣רba.'a.Var
H5675
properly · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct
river
נַהֲרָ֔אna.ha.Ra'
H5103
a river · noun, common both genders singular determined + particle of affirmation
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Samuel 8:3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.
1 Kings 4:24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and h…
Ezra 4:20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was p…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ezra 4:6-16
Cyrus stedfastly adhered to the Jews' interest, and supported his own grant. It was to no purpose to offer any thing to him in prejudice of it. What he did was from a good principle, and in the fear of God, and therefore he adhered to it. But, though his reign in all was thirty years, yet after the conquest of Babylon, and his decree for the release of the Jews, some think that he reigned but three years, others seven, and then either died or gave up that part of his government, in which his successor was Ahasuerus (Ezr 4:6), called also Artaxerxes (Ezr 4:7), supposed to be the same that in heathen authors is called Cambyses, who had never taken such cognizance of the despised Jews as to con…
we have maintenance from the king's palace--literally, "we are salted with the salt of the palace." "Eating a prince's salt" is an Oriental phrase, equivalent to "receiving maintenance from him."
Adam Clarke on Ezra 4:15
The book of the records of thy fathers - That is, the records of the Chaldeans, to whom the Persians succeeded.
John Gill on Ezra 4:16
We certify the king, that if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up,.... As it formerly was, and now attempted, as they suggest:
by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river; the river Euphrates; intimating that the Jews would not only shake off his yoke, and refuse to pay tribute themselves, but would seize on all his dominions on that side the river, and annex them to their own.
Keil & Delitzsch on Ezra 4:6-23
Complaints against the Jews to Kings Ahashverosh and Artachshasta. - The right understanding of this section depends upon the question, What kings of Persia are meant by Ahashverosh and Artachshasta? while the answer to this question is, in part at least, determined by the contents of the letter, Ezr 4:8-16, sent by the enemies of the Jews to the latter monarch.
Ezr 4:6-7
And in the reign of Ahashverosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. שׂטנה, not to mention the name of the well, Gen 26:21, occurs here only, and means, according to its derivation from שׂטן, to bear enmity, the enmity; hence here, the accusation. ישׁבי על…
The Church Fathers
We announce to the king, that if that city is built, etc. He names the Euphrates river, within which is Syria. Which rightly indicates the stream of holy baptism, either because it is one of the four rivers which, rising from one source in paradise, irrigate the whole world; indeed in the figure of the four evangelists, who, inspired by the one source of life, that is, the Lord Savior, proclaim with a harmonious voice to all nations the washing of salvation; or because Euphrates is interpreted as fruitful; which name most aptly fits that sacrament by which the world, washed and sanctified, customarily brings forth the fruit of souls thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold to God. Therefore, the king of the Persians, who are interpreted as tempters, seeks possession beyond the river, when the ancient enemy, by stirring up the incursions of temptations, tries to break into the boundaries of the Church, and to subjugate to himself even those who are redeemed by the sacred font. The Samaritans help him, as heretics who attack the Church fight for the kingdom of the devil, and as if they are said to be grieving: Because if that city is built, and its walls restored, through true faith and the religious works of the righteous, he will not be able to have possession and place beyond the river, that is, in the hearts of those who are already reborn to God through baptism. They are also understood who do not understand the true faith, that one and the same mind cannot be possessed by light and darkness, iniquity and justice, Christ and Belial.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Rehum — Merciful. (1.) One of “the children of the province” who returned from the Captivity (Ezra 2:2); the same as “Nehum” (Neh. 7:7). (2.) The “chancellor” of Artaxerxes, who sought to stir him up against…
Accusation, False · .Against Jews, returned un — .Against Jews, returned un
Artaxerxes · .Prohibits the rebuilding of — .Prohibits the rebuilding of
Bishlam · A Samaritan who obstructed the rebuilding of the temple at — A Samaritan who obstructed the rebuilding of the temple at
Persia · Artaxerxes I — Artaxerxes I
Slander · Exemplified: Enemies of the Jews — Exemplified: Enemies of the Jews
Temple, The Second · The Samaritans: Wrote to Artaxerxes Smerdis to interrupt the building — The Samaritans: Wrote to Artaxerxes Smerdis to interrupt the building
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
The Persians had access to Babylonian records, which described Jerusalem’s revolts against Nebuchadnezzar (see 2 Kgs 24:1-7). • The claim that the Persians would lose the whole province west of the Euphrates was an exaggeration: The Jews actually comprised a small minority in that province.
Rashi on Ezra 4:16
We make known to the king [as translated,] we make known to the king.
that if this city that if this city is built, and its walls are founded.
because of this In view of this and because of this, you will have no part in the entire other side of the river, because Israel will rebel against you and take everything out of your hands.
in the other side of the river That is the entire area of the side of Israel, which is on the other side of the river of those who are in Babylon.
