Antiguo Testamento

Ezra — Capítulo 4

THE BUILDING HINDERED. (Ezr 4:1-6) the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin--that is, strangers settled in the land of Israel.

Versión

Texto — Reina-Valera 1960

1Oyendo los enemigos de Judá y de Benjamín que los venidos de la cautividad edificaban el templo de Jehová Dios de Israel,

2vinieron a Zorobabel y a los jefes de casas paternas, y les dijeron: Edificaremos con vosotros, porque como vosotros buscamos a vuestro Dios, y a él ofrecemos sacrificios desde los días de Esar-hadón rey de Asiria, que nos hizo venir aquí.

3Zorobabel, Jesúa, y los demás jefes de casas paternas de Israel dijeron: No nos conviene edificar con vosotros casa a nuestro Dios, sino que nosotros solos la edificaremos a Jehová Dios de Israel, como nos mandó el rey Ciro, rey de Persia.

4Pero el pueblo de la tierra intimidó al pueblo de Judá, y lo atemorizó para que no edificara.

5Sobornaron además contra ellos a los consejeros para frustrar sus propósitos, todo el tiempo de Ciro rey de Persia y hasta el reinado de Darío rey de Persia.

6Y en el reinado de Asuero, en el principio de su reinado, escribieron acusaciones contra los habitantes de Judá y de Jerusalén.

7También en días de Artajerjes escribieron Bislam, Mitrídates, Tabeel y los demás compañeros suyos, a Artajerjes rey de Persia; y la escritura y el lenguaje de la carta eran en arameo.

8Rehum canciller y Simsai secretario escribieron una carta contra Jerusalén al rey Artajerjes.

9En tal fecha escribieron Rehum canciller y Simsai secretario, y los demás compañeros suyos los jueces, gobernadores y oficiales, y los de Persia, de Erec, de Babilonia, de Susa, esto es, los elamitas,

10y los demás pueblos que el grande y glorioso Asnapar transportó e hizo habitar en las ciudades de Samaria y las demás provincias del otro lado del río.

11Y esta es la copia de la carta que enviaron: Al rey Artajerjes: Tus siervos del otro lado del río te saludan.

12Sea notorio al rey, que los judíos que subieron de ti a nosotros vinieron a Jerusalén; y edifican la ciudad rebelde y mala, y levantan los muros y reparan los fundamentos.

13Ahora sea notorio al rey, que si aquella ciudad fuere reedificada, y los muros fueren levantados, no pagarán tributo, impuesto y rentas, y el erario de los reyes será menoscabado.

14Siendo que nos mantienen del palacio, no nos es justo ver el menosprecio del rey, por lo cual hemos enviado a hacerlo saber al rey,

15para que se busque en el libro de las memorias de tus padres. Hallarás en el libro de las memorias, y sabrás que esta ciudad es ciudad rebelde, y perjudicial a los reyes y a las provincias, y que de tiempo antiguo forman en medio de ella rebeliones, por lo que esta ciudad fue destruida.

16Hacemos saber al rey que si esta ciudad fuere reedificada, y levantados sus muros, la región de más allá del río no será tuya.

17El rey envió esta respuesta: A Rehum canciller, a Simsai secretario, a los demás compañeros suyos que habitan en Samaria, y a los demás del otro lado del río: Salud y paz.

18La carta que nos enviasteis fue leída claramente delante de mí.

19Y por mí fue dada orden y buscaron; y hallaron que aquella ciudad de tiempo antiguo se levanta contra los reyes y se rebela, y se forma en ella sedición;

20y que hubo en Jerusalén reyes fuertes que dominaron en todo lo que hay más allá del río, y que se les pagaba tributo, impuesto y rentas.

21Ahora, pues, dad orden que cesen aquellos hombres, y no sea esa ciudad reedificada hasta que por mí sea dada nueva orden.

22Y mirad que no seáis negligentes en esto; ¿por qué habrá de crecer el daño en perjuicio de los reyes?

23Entonces, cuando la copia de la carta del rey Artajerjes fue leída delante de Rehum, y de Simsai secretario y sus compañeros, fueron apresuradamente a Jerusalén a los judíos, y les hicieron cesar con poder y violencia.

24Entonces cesó la obra de la casa de Dios que estaba en Jerusalén, y quedó suspendida hasta el año segundo del reinado de Darío rey de Persia.

JAMIESON-FAUSSET-BROWN BIBLE COMMENTARY

Versículo 2

I. we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon . . . whic…

we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon . . . which brought us up hither--A very interesting explanation of this passage has been recently obtained from the Assyrian sculptures. On a large cylinder, deposited in the British Museum, there is inscribed a long and perfect copy of the annals of Esar-haddon, in which the details are given of a large deportation of Israelites from Palestine, and a consequent settlement of Babylonian colonists in their place. It is a striking confirmation of the statement made in this passage. Those Assyrian settlers intermarried with the remnant of Israelite women, and their descendants, a mongrel race, went under the name of Samaritans. Though originally idolaters, they were instructed in the knowledge of God, so that they could say, "We seek your God"; but they served Him in a superstitious way of their own (see on Kg2 17:26-34, Kg2 17:41).

Versículo 3

II. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua . . . said . . . Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto o…

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua . . . said . . . Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God--This refusal to co-operate with the Samaritans, from whatever motives it sprang, was overruled by Providence for ultimate good; for, had the two peoples worked together, familiar acquaintanceship and intermarriage would have ensued, and the result might have been a relapse of the Jews into idolatry. Most certainly, confusion and obscurity in the genealogical evidence that proved the descent of the Messiah would have followed; whereas, in their hostile and separate condition, they were jealous observers of each other's proceedings, watching with mutual care over the preservation and integrity of the sacred books, guarding the purity and honor of the Mosaic worship, and thus contributing to the maintenance of religious knowledge and truth.

Versículo 4

III. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, &c.--Exasperated by this r…

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, &c.--Exasperated by this repulse, the Samaritans endeavored by every means to molest the workmen as well as obstruct the progress of the building; and, though they could not alter the decree which Cyrus had issued regarding it, yet by bribes and clandestine arts indefatigably plied at court, they labored to frustrate the effects of the edict. Their success in those underhand dealings was great; for Cyrus, being frequently absent and much absorbed in his warlike expeditions, left the government in the hands of his son Cambyses, a wicked prince, and extremely hostile to the Jews and their religion. The same arts were assiduously practised during the reign of his successor, Smerdis, down to the time of Darius Hystaspes. In consequence of the difficulties and obstacles thus interposed, for a period of twenty years, the progress of the work was very slow.

Versículo 6

IV. in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they . . . an accusation--Ahasuer…

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.

Versículo 7

V. LETTER TO ARTAXERXES. (Ezra 4:7-24)

LETTER TO ARTAXERXES. (Ezra 4:7-24) 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 AramÃ&brvbran 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 Kg2 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.

Versículo 9

VI. the Dinaites--The people named were the colonists sent by the Babylonian monarch to occupy the te…

the Dinaites--The people named were the colonists sent by the Babylonian monarch to occupy the territory of the ten tribes. "The great and noble Asnappar" was Esar-haddon. Immediately after the murder of Sennacherib, the Babylonians, Medes, Armenians, and other tributary people seized the opportunity of throwing off the Assyrian yoke. But Esar-haddon having, in the thirtieth year of his reign, recovered Babylon and subdued the other rebellious dependents, transported numbers of them into the waste cities of Samaria, most probably as a punishment of their revolt [HALES].

Versículo 12

VII. the Jews which came up from thee to us--The name "Jews" was generally used after the return from …

the Jews which came up from thee to us--The name "Jews" was generally used after the return from the captivity, because the returning exiles belonged chiefly to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Although the edict of Cyrus permitted all who chose to return, a permission of which some of the Israelites availed themselves, the great body who went to settle in Judea were the men of Judah.

Versículo 13

VIII. toll, tribute, and custom--The first was a poll tax; the second was a property tax; the third the…

toll, tribute, and custom--The first was a poll tax; the second was a property tax; the third the excise dues on articles of trade and merchandise. Their letter, and the edict that followed, commanding an immediate cessation of the work at the city walls, form the exclusive subject of narrative at Ezra 4:7-23. And now from this digression [the historian] returns at Ezr 4:24 to resume the thread of his narrative concerning the building of the temple.

Versículo 14

IX. we have maintenance from the king's palace--literally, "we are salted with the salt of the palace…

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."

Versículo 24

X. Then ceased the work of the house of God--It was this occurrence that first gave rise to the stro…

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. Next: Ezra Chapter 5

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