Ezra 4:7 describes a written appeal sent to King Artaxerxes by local officials in Aramaic to halt the rebuilding in Jerusalem.
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic (Ezra 4:7). This verse highlights the efforts of local officials who opposed the returned Jewish exiles’ rebuilding of Jerusalem, particularly the temple. Persia was at that time the dominant empire in the region (539-330 BC), and Artaxerxes I reigned over it from around 465 to 424 BC. The men listed here—Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and others—sought to undermine the exiles by sending a formal letter in Aramaic, the administrative language of the Persian Empire, to the king. Their goal was to convince Artaxerxes that the rebuilding in Judah threatened his authority, thus prompting a royal decree to halt construction.
By specifying that the letter was written in Aramaic and then translated, Scripture underscores how such official communications went through layers of bureaucratic and linguistic formality. The opposition’s strategy was to cast suspicion on the rebuilding project by depicting the returning exiles as rebellious subjects, echoing earlier attempts to restrict them (Ezra 4:21). In sending letters to a distant ruler, these opponents sought to leverage imperial power against the Jewish people, providing one of many examples throughout Israel’s history where adversaries used political influence to disrupt God’s work.
Viewed through a broader biblical lens, Ezra 4:7 testifies to the persistence of those who oppose God’s purposes and how the faithful must trust Him amid resistance. Believers in the New Testament also faced local and imperial hostility (Acts 4:18-21). Yet God’s plan continually progresses, as He prepares His people to walk in faith, even under oppression.
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Ezra 4:7 meaning
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic (Ezra 4:7). This verse highlights the efforts of local officials who opposed the returned Jewish exiles’ rebuilding of Jerusalem, particularly the temple. Persia was at that time the dominant empire in the region (539-330 BC), and Artaxerxes I reigned over it from around 465 to 424 BC. The men listed here—Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and others—sought to undermine the exiles by sending a formal letter in Aramaic, the administrative language of the Persian Empire, to the king. Their goal was to convince Artaxerxes that the rebuilding in Judah threatened his authority, thus prompting a royal decree to halt construction.
By specifying that the letter was written in Aramaic and then translated, Scripture underscores how such official communications went through layers of bureaucratic and linguistic formality. The opposition’s strategy was to cast suspicion on the rebuilding project by depicting the returning exiles as rebellious subjects, echoing earlier attempts to restrict them (Ezra 4:21). In sending letters to a distant ruler, these opponents sought to leverage imperial power against the Jewish people, providing one of many examples throughout Israel’s history where adversaries used political influence to disrupt God’s work.
Viewed through a broader biblical lens, Ezra 4:7 testifies to the persistence of those who oppose God’s purposes and how the faithful must trust Him amid resistance. Believers in the New Testament also faced local and imperial hostility (Acts 4:18-21). Yet God’s plan continually progresses, as He prepares His people to walk in faith, even under oppression.