Ezra 4:1 Meaning and Explanation
“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Opponents of Judah and Benjamin learn that the returned exiles have begun rebuilding the temple of the LORD.
What Does Ezra 4:1 Mean?
The chapter opens with a turn from joy to opposition. In the previous chapter the foundation of the temple was laid amid weeping and shouting; now those hostile to the work take notice. They are called adversaries, the local peoples settled in the land during Judah's long absence. The phrase children of the captivity names the returned exiles by their recent history, a people defined by the deliverance that brought them home.
Whenever God's people begin a faithful work, watchfulness follows. The news that travels fastest to enemies is the news of obedience. Yet the verse quietly anchors everything in its true center: the temple is being built unto the LORD God of Israel. The opposition is real, but it gathers around a work that belongs to God, and what belongs to God will be carried to its appointed end.
Ezra 4:1 in the Original Language
tsar (צַר), 'adversary' -- one who presses in against another, a foe who narrows and confines.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ezra 4:1
What does Ezra 4:1 mean?
Opponents of Judah and Benjamin learn that the returned exiles have begun rebuilding the temple of the LORD.