Question 1

Why did King Artaxerxes order the work in Jerusalem to stop?

Accepted Answer

Artaxerxes ordered the work to stop because he believed the report sent by Jerusalem’s enemies. He had people search the official records and found that Jerusalem had rebelled against earlier kings and had once ruled over nearby lands and collected taxes. Fearing that a rebuilt and strengthened city might again cause trouble or reduce royal income, he told the officials to command the builders to cease. He did not carefully check what the Jews were actually doing and seems to have accepted a one‑sided picture of the situation.

Question 2

What does it mean that Jerusalem had made insurrection against kings?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says the city had made insurrection against kings, it refers to times in the past when the rulers of Judah rebelled against foreign powers who ruled over them. The royal records would have included things like the rebellion against the king of Babylon, and possibly earlier refusals to submit to Assyria. Artaxerxes hears about these events and treats Jerusalem as a dangerous place with a history of resisting imperial control, instead of asking whether the current builders actually planned any revolt.

Question 3

How did Rehum and Shimshai use the king’s letter against the Jews?

Accepted Answer

Once Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions received the copy of the king’s letter, they hurried up to Jerusalem. The order focused on stopping the city from being rebuilt as a strong, walled place. But these officials took it further. Using the authority and power the king had given them, they forced the Jews to stop, treating the temple work as if it fell under the ban. They used both the written order and their physical force to bring the building to a halt.

Question 4

What does it mean that the work of the house of God ceased?

Accepted Answer

The phrase means the rebuilding of God’s temple in Jerusalem stopped and stayed stopped for a long time. The enemies, armed with the king’s letter, managed to bring the construction to a standstill. The narration notes that the work did not pick up again until the second year of Darius, a later king of Persia. This shows how pressure from opponents, joined with royal orders and lack of energy among the builders, can delay God’s work for years.

Question 5

Who are the “mighty kings over Jerusalem” mentioned in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When the king’s reply mentions mighty kings over Jerusalem, it is pointing to earlier rulers of Israel and Judah who were strong and influential. Kings like David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem and had authority over lands beyond the local area, receiving toll, tribute, and custom from other peoples. These records were used to argue that if Jerusalem was rebuilt, its people might again seek that kind of power, which made Artaxerxes cautious about letting the city become strong.

Question 6

Why did the work remain stopped until the second year of Darius?

Accepted Answer

The text says the work of the house of God ceased until the second year of Darius, showing a long pause between kings. After Artaxerxes’ command, the enemies had both royal backing and their own eagerness to stop the work. The builders, facing pressure and likely discouragement, did not push forward. Only later, under a new king, did the situation change so the rebuilding could start again. This gap highlights how changing rulers and local hostility can slow down what God’s people know they should be doing.

Question 7

What does this passage show about the misuse of authority?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows how people can twist a ruler’s words for their own aims. The king’s order focused on the city, but the local officials stretched it to cover the temple as well. They had real authority and perhaps military backing, and they used that power to go beyond what was clearly said. It warns that when leaders rely only on one‑sided reports, and when local officials are eager to harm God’s people, decisions from the top can be misapplied and cause long‑lasting harm.

Question 8

How can this story help believers think about delays in God’s work?

Accepted Answer

This story reminds believers that God’s work can face real delays from outside pressure and from coldness inside the community. The enemies were quick and eager to stop the building, and they succeeded for a time. Yet the pause did not mean God had abandoned his plan. Later, the work would start again under a different king. Today, when spiritual work seems blocked or slow, this passage can encourage patience, honest self‑examination, and renewed dependence on God’s timing rather than giving up.

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.

The Decree of Artaxerxes

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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.

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The Decree of Artaxerxes

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