Ezra 4:5
What does Ezra 4:5 mean?
A plain-English look at Ezra 4:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Ezra 4:5 means
The adversaries intensify their strategy by hiring counselors—professional agents or officials—to thwart Judah’s efforts. This was not a brief flare-up but a long campaign, lasting from Cyrus’s days “until the reign of Darius.” Opposition becomes bureaucratic, leveraging influence at court to frustrate the purpose. The verse emphasizes duration and design: obstacles are planned, financed, and persistent. God’s people face not only discouragement but also political maneuvering that complicates permissions and stalls progress. The mention of Cyrus and Darius anchors events in real reigns, reminding readers that the work of God advances within history, where hostile forces can temporarily prevail without nullifying His ultimate purposes.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they gave payment to men who made designs against them and kept them from effecting their purpose, all through the time of Cyrus, king of Persia, till Darius became king.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and are hiring against them counsellors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even till the reign of Darius king of Persia.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their design all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Context
After local harassment in verse 4, verse 5 reveals organized, systemic resistance. The time marker (“all the days of Cyrus… until the reign of Darius”) signals a prolonged season of delay. This paves the way for verses 6–23, which step into examples of legal and diplomatic opposition during later reigns. The narrative broadens the lens: what began with local trouble becomes a regional and imperial issue. The flow prepares readers to see letters, accusations, and royal decrees that will formally halt building.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 2:1
Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
- Ezra 5:5
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
- Ezra 4:24
Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
- Nahum 1:11
There is one gone forth out of thee, that deviseth evil against Jehovah, that counselleth wickedness.
- Acts 24:1
And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with certain elders, andwithan orator, one Tertullus; and they informed the governor against Paul.