Ezra 4:24 Meaning and Explanation
“Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The building of the house of God halts and remains stopped until the second year of King Darius.
What Does Ezra 4:24 Mean?
The chapter ends in stillness. The work of the house of God at Jerusalem ceased, and it remained stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius. After all the offers, accusations, and decrees, the temple stands unfinished and the labor falls silent for years. The verse closes the account of opposition on a note of apparent defeat, the building abandoned and the enemies seemingly triumphant.
Yet even this pause is dated, and the date is a promise. The work ceased only unto the second year of Darius, the very year when, as the next chapters tell, prophets would stir the people and the building would rise again. God's delays are bounded; they have an appointed end written into them. What looks like the death of a holy work is often only its winter, and the same Lord who let it pause was preparing to bring it, in His season, to completion.
Ezra 4:24 in the Original Language
betel (בְּטֵל), 'ceased' -- to stop or be made to cease, the work brought to a standstill rather than destroyed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ezra 4:24
What does Ezra 4:24 mean?
The building of the house of God halts and remains stopped until the second year of King Darius.