Ezr 4:6-7, 24 | JFB | STEP | 6. in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they . . . an accusation —Ahasuerus was a regal title, and the king referred to was successor of Darius, the famous Xerxes. . LETTER TO ARTAXERXES.

Ezra 4:6-7

6. in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they . . . an accusation—Ahasuerus was a regal title, and the king referred to was successor of Darius, the famous Xerxes.

Ezr 4:7-24. LETTER TO ARTAXERXES.

7. in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, &c.—The three officers named are supposed to have been deputy governors appointed by the king of Persia over all the provinces subject to his empire west of the Euphrates.

the Syrian tongue—or Aramæan language, called sometimes in our version, Chaldee. This was made use of by the Persians in their decrees and communications relative to the Jews (compare 2Ki 18:26; Isa 36:11). The object of their letter was to press upon the royal notice the inexpediency and danger of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They labored hard to prejudice the king's mind against that measure.

Ezra 4:24

24. Then ceased the work of the house of God—It was this occurrence that first gave rise to the strong religious antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans, which was afterwards greatly aggravated by the erection of a rival temple on Mount Gerizim.