Ezra 4:5
New International Version
They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

New Living Translation
They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

English Standard Version
and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Berean Standard Bible
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

King James Bible
And hired counsellers against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

New King James Version
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

New American Standard Bible
and bribed advisers against them to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NASB 1995
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NASB 1977
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Legacy Standard Bible
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Amplified Bible
and hired advisers [to work] against them to frustrate their plans during the entire time that Cyrus king of Persia reigned, [and this lasted] even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Christian Standard Bible
They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

American Standard Version
and 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.

Contemporary English Version
During the time that Cyrus was king and even until Darius became king, they kept bribing government officials to slow down the work.

English Revised Version
and 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They bribed officials to keep the people of Judah from carrying out their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

Good News Translation
They also bribed Persian government officials to work against them. They kept on doing this throughout the reign of Emperor Cyrus and into the reign of Emperor Darius.

International Standard Version
by bribing their consultants in order to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia until Darius became king.

Majority Standard Bible
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NET Bible
They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

New Heart English Bible
and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Kurush king of Persia, even until the reign of Darayavush king of Persia.

Webster's Bible Translation
And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

World English Bible
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and are hiring against them counselors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Young's Literal Translation
and 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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And counselors being hired against them to annul their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, and even to the kingdom of Darius king of Persia.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And 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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then they hired counselors against them, so that they might argue against their plan during all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.

New American Bible
They also bribed counselors to work against them and to frustrate their plans during all the years of Cyrus, king of Persia, and even into the reign of Darius, king of Persia.

New Revised Standard Version
and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And hired objectors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they hired obstructers against them that they would nullify their counsels all the days of Kurash the Persian King, until the kingdom of Darius King of Persia.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and 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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and continued hiring persons against them, plotting to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Adversaries Hinder the Work
4Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build. 5They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Cross References
Nehemiah 4:7-8
When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious, / and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.

Nehemiah 6:1-9
When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates— / Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. / So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?” ...

Daniel 6:4-5
Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. / Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”

Nehemiah 2:19-20
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” / So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah 4:1-3
Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews / before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” / Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

Nehemiah 6:14
O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.

Esther 3:8-9
Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. / If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”

Acts 13:8-10
But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. / Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked directly at Elymas / and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

Acts 4:18-21
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. / But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. / For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ...

Acts 5:27-29
They brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest interrogated them. / “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.” / But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

Acts 6:9-14
But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen, / but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. / Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” ...

Acts 17:5-9
The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people. / But when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here, / and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!” ...

Acts 19:23-41
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. / It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen. / Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity. ...

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews, / who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, / hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

Matthew 10:17-18
But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. / On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.


Treasury of Scripture

And 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.

hired

Psalm 2:1,2
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? …

Nahum 1:11
There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counseller.

Acts 24:1
And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

Darius

Ezra 4:24
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.

Ezra 5:5
But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.

Ezra 6:1
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

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Ezra 4
1. The adversaries, being not accepted in the building of the temple with the Jews,
4. endeavor to hinder it
7. Their letter to Artaxerxes
17. The answer and decree of Artaxerxes
23. The building is hindered














They hired counselors against them
The phrase "hired counselors" indicates a deliberate and strategic effort by the adversaries of the Jews to impede their progress. The Hebrew word for "hired" (שָׂכַר, sakar) implies a transactional relationship, suggesting that these counselors were professionals, possibly skilled in legal or political maneuvering. This action reflects the persistent opposition faced by the Israelites, a theme recurrent throughout their history. The adversaries' willingness to invest resources in hiring counselors underscores the intensity of their opposition and the perceived threat of the Jewish community's restoration efforts.

to frustrate their plans
The word "frustrate" (בָּטַל, batal) in Hebrew conveys the idea of nullifying or thwarting. The adversaries aimed to disrupt the rebuilding efforts, which were not merely physical but also spiritual and communal. This opposition can be seen as a broader spiritual battle, where the forces against God's people seek to hinder His purposes. The plans of the Israelites were aligned with God's will, as they were rebuilding the temple, a central place for worship and covenantal relationship with God. The frustration of these plans was an attempt to delay or derail the fulfillment of God's promises to His people.

throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, is a significant figure in biblical history. His decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-4) was a fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1). The mention of his reign sets a historical context, highlighting the initial support the Jews had from a foreign ruler, which was unprecedented. However, despite this royal decree, the opposition persisted, illustrating the tension between divine providence and human resistance.

and until the reign of Darius king of Persia
The transition from Cyrus to Darius marks a period of continued struggle and perseverance for the Jewish community. Darius I, known for his administrative genius, eventually reaffirmed the decree of Cyrus, allowing the temple's construction to continue (Ezra 6:1-12). This phrase indicates a prolonged period of opposition, yet it also foreshadows eventual victory and divine intervention. The reign of Darius represents a turning point where God's purposes prevail despite prolonged adversity.

(5) And hired counsellors against them.--They adopted a systematic course of employing paid agents at the court: continued for eight years, till B.C. 529. Cambyses, his son, succeeded Cyrus; he died B.C. 522; then followed the pseudo-Smerdis, a usurper, whose short reign Darius did not reckon, but dated his own reign from B.C. 522. A comparison of dates shows that this was the first Darius, the son of Hystaspes.

Verse 5. - And hired counsellors against them. It is always possible at an Oriental court to bribe some of the royal favourites, and induce them to use their influence with the monarch for the furtherance, or hindrance, of any work that is being proceeded with in any part of the country. The Samaritans now had recourse to this system, and employed it with great success for a considerable period. All the days of Cyrus. i.e. "all the remaining days," from B.C. 537 to B.C. 529, when Cyrus died, and was succeeded by his son Cambyses. Even until the reign of Darius. It is implied that the reign of Darius did not immediately follow on that of Cyrus. Profane history tells us of two intermediate kings, via, Cambyses, son of Cyrus, who reigned from B.C. 529 to B.C. 522, and Smerdis, or Bardes, a usurper, who occupied the throne for about ten months in the years B.C. 522, 521. Darius became king in this last-named year, but seems to have counted his reign from the date of the decease of Cambyses.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They hired
וְסֹכְרִ֧ים (wə·sō·ḵə·rîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7936: To hire

counselors
יוֹעֲצִ֖ים (yō·w·‘ă·ṣîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3289: To advise, to deliberate, resolve

against them
עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to frustrate
לְהָפֵ֣ר (lə·hā·p̄êr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6565: To break up, to violate, frustrate

their plans
עֲצָתָ֑ם (‘ă·ṣā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6098: Advice, plan, prudence

throughout
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the reign
יְמֵ֗י (yə·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of Cyrus
כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ (kō·w·reš)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3566: Cyrus -- a person king

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Persia
פָּרַ֔ס (pā·ras)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6539: Persia -- a country in west Asia which conquered Babylon

and down to
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the reign
מַלְכ֖וּת (mal·ḵūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4438: Royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom

of Darius
דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ (dā·rə·yā·weš)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1867: Darius -- the name of several person kings

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Persia.
פָּרָֽס׃ (pā·rās)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6539: Persia -- a country in west Asia which conquered Babylon


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OT History: Ezra 4:5 And hired counselors against them to frustrate (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 4:4
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