Why did the enemies send an accusation against Judah and Jerusalem to the king?

The enemies of the Jews saw the rebuilding in Jerusalem as a threat to their own position and comfort. They had been settled in the land by earlier kings and did not want a strong Jewish city nearby. So they took the first chance, especially at the start of a new king’s reign, to poison his opinion. They wrote that the Jews were a rebellious people and that rebuilding the city would harm royal power. Their goal was not truth but to stop the work and keep their own influence.

Who are Rehum, Shimshai, and the other groups named in this passage?

Rehum is called the chancellor, a leading official, and Shimshai is the scribe, the one who wrote and handled the letter. The Dinaites, Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, Dehavites, and Elamites are groups brought from different regions of the Assyrian and later empires and settled in Samaria. Together they form a mixed population around Judah. These people join in the letter, presenting themselves as loyal servants of the king, while working against the Jews in Jerusalem.

Why do the accusers call Jerusalem “the rebellious and the bad city”?

The accusers take parts of Jerusalem’s past and twist them to make the city look dangerous. In earlier times some kings of Judah did rebel against foreign rule, and the city was destroyed for its sins. Instead of seeing what God is now doing in restoring the people and calling them to pray for their rulers, the enemies dig up that history and use it as a weapon. They ignore the Jews’ present obedience and paint them as naturally disloyal, so the king will fear them and stop the rebuilding.

What do “toll, tribute, and custom” mean in this passage?

“Toll, tribute, and custom” are three kinds of payments to the king. They cover taxes on people, on land or goods, and on trade that passes through the area. The enemies argue that if Jerusalem is rebuilt with strong walls, the Jews will stop paying these charges and the king will lose income. This is meant to scare the king and appeal to his concern for money and control. There is no proof given that the Jews plan to do this; it is a fear‑based argument, not a fair report.

Why do the enemies tell the king to search the book of the records?

They urge the king to search the records of former kings because they know those records mention times when Jerusalem opposed foreign powers. They expect that if the king reads about past rebellions, he will see the city as a danger again. They present this as concern for the king’s honour, saying they cannot bear to see him dishonoured. In truth they are using the past to stir up suspicion and to give weight to their slander, so the rebuilding will be ordered to stop.

What does this passage show about spiritual opposition and slander?

This passage shows that when God’s people try to do what is right, they often face organized resistance. The accusations are not just simple complaints; they are carefully worded, exaggerated, and mixed with half‑truths and lies. The enemies appeal to fear of rebellion and loss of money. This reflects how evil works: using twisted words, old sins, and imagined future problems to block good work. It reminds believers that false charges and misrepresentation are part of the struggle when serving God.

How were the facts about rebuilding in Jerusalem misrepresented in the letter?

The letter claims that the Jews have already set up the walls of Jerusalem and joined the foundations, as if the city is almost fully fortified and ready to resist the king. In reality, they were just beginning to rebuild, especially focusing on the temple. The city walls were not yet restored. By speaking as if the defenses were nearly complete, the enemies make the situation sound urgent and dangerous, hoping the king will act quickly against a threat that does not yet exist.

How can this passage guide believers who face false accusations today?

This passage shows that false accusations are not new. God’s people can be called rebellious, ungrateful, or dangerous even when they are trying to obey him and live peacefully. The text encourages patience and faithfulness rather than panic. It points to the need to keep doing what is right, to trust that God knows the truth, and to expect some people to twist words and motives. Believers today can remember that God sees both the accusations and the hearts behind them, and he is able to defend his people in his time.

What does “no portion on this side the river” mean in the warning to the king?

When the enemies say the king will have “no portion on this side the river,” they are warning that if Jerusalem is rebuilt and walled, the Jews will not only stop paying taxes but might also take over the whole region west of the Euphrates. It is a way of saying, “You will lose your share, your control, and your rights here.” This stretches the threat far beyond anything the Jews were doing. It shows how the accusers use fear of losing land and power to push the king to act against them.

Ezra.4.6

Ezra 4:6

King James Version (KJV)

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.

Chapter:

Context:

Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

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.

¶ And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

¶ This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

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.

Cross References

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