Ezra 4:4
New International Version
Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.

New Living Translation
Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.

English Standard Version
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build

Berean Standard Bible
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.

King James Bible
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

New King James Version
Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,

New American Standard Bible
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,

NASB 1995
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,

NASB 1977
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,

Legacy Standard Bible
So the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and dismayed them from building,

Amplified Bible
Then [the Samaritans and others of] the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them [to deter them] from building,

Christian Standard Bible
Then the people who were already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the people who were already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build.

American Standard Version
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

Contemporary English Version
Then the neighboring people began to do everything possible to frighten the Jews and to make them stop building.

English Revised Version
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the people of that region discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to continue building.

Good News Translation
Then the people who had been living in the land tried to discourage and frighten the Jews and keep them from building.

International Standard Version
After this, the non-Israeli inhabitants of the land undermined the people of Judah, harassing them in their construction work

Majority Standard Bible
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.

NET Bible
Then the local people began to discourage the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.

New Heart English Bible
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

World English Bible
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the people of the land will be slackening the hands of the people of Judah, and terrifying them in building,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Juda, and troubled them in building.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, it happened that the people of the land impeded the hands of the people of Judah, and they troubled them in building.

New American Bible
Thereupon the local inhabitants discouraged the people of Judah and frightened them off from building.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the Gentiles of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and terrified them that they should not build,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Gentiles of the land were weakening the hands of the people of Yehuda and wore them down that they would not build.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and harried them while they were building,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered them in building,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Adversaries Hinder the Work
3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.” 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 4:1-3
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 6:9
For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.

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 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 6:1-2
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.

Nehemiah 6:5-8
The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter / that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king, / and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.” ...

Nehemiah 6:13-14
He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me. / 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.

Nehemiah 4:11
And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”

Nehemiah 4:15
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.

Nehemiah 4:17-18
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. / And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.

Nehemiah 6:16
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

Nehemiah 6:19
Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

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 14:2
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Acts 17:5-8
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!” ...


Treasury of Scripture

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

weakened

Ezra 3:3
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.

Nehemiah 6:9
For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

Isaiah 35:3,4
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees…

troubled

Nehemiah 4:7,8,11
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, …

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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














Then the people of the land
This phrase refers to the inhabitants of the region surrounding Judah, primarily the Samaritans and other groups who had settled in the area during the Jewish exile. Historically, these people were a mix of various ethnicities brought in by the Assyrian Empire to repopulate the land after the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered. Their presence and opposition highlight the ongoing tension between the returning exiles and those who had established themselves in the land during the Jews' absence. This tension is a recurring theme in the post-exilic period, emphasizing the challenges faced by the Jewish community in re-establishing their identity and religious practices.

set out to discourage
The Hebrew root for "discourage" is "רָפָה" (raphah), which can mean to weaken or to cause to lose heart. This action was a deliberate attempt to undermine the morale and determination of the Jewish people. In a spiritual sense, this reflects the broader theme of opposition that God's people often face when undertaking His work. The discouragement was not just physical but also psychological, aiming to sow doubt and fear, which are powerful tools of the enemy to halt progress and obedience to God's commands.

the people of Judah
This phrase identifies the returning exiles, the remnant of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, who had been in Babylonian captivity. Their return to Jerusalem was a fulfillment of God's promise and a significant moment in redemptive history. The people of Judah were tasked with rebuilding the temple, a symbol of God's presence and covenant with His people. Their identity as the people of Judah underscores their connection to the Davidic line and the promises associated with it, including the coming of the Messiah.

and make them afraid
Fear is a common tactic used by adversaries to prevent the fulfillment of God's plans. The Hebrew word for "afraid" is "בָּהַל" (bahal), which conveys a sense of terror or panic. This fear was intended to paralyze the people of Judah, stopping them from rebuilding the temple. In a broader spiritual context, fear is often used by the enemy to deter believers from pursuing God's will. However, Scripture repeatedly encourages God's people to be strong and courageous, trusting in His protection and provision.

to build
The act of building here specifically refers to the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem. This was not merely a physical construction project but a spiritual endeavor to restore worship and the centrality of God in the life of the Jewish community. The temple represented God's dwelling place among His people and was essential for the restoration of proper worship and religious practices. The opposition to this building project highlights the spiritual warfare involved in advancing God's kingdom and the need for perseverance and faithfulness in the face of adversity.

Verse 4. - Then the people of the land (i.e. the Samaritans) weakened the hands of the people of Judah. As aiding is called "strengthening the hands (infra, Ezra 6:22; Isaiah 35:3; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16:49, etc.), so hindering is expressed by "weakening the hands" (Jeremiah 38:4), though this latter phrase is, comparatively speaking, unusual. And troubled them in building. Probably as Sanballat and his followers troubled the builders of the wall in Nehemiah's time (Nehemiah 4:1-12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then
וַיְהִי֙ (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the people
עַם־ (‘am-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

of the land
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

set out to discourage
מְרַפִּ֖ים (mə·rap·pîm)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7503: Sink, relax

the people
עַם־ (‘am-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

of Judah
יְהוּדָ֑ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

and make them afraid
וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים (ū·mə·ḇa·hă·lîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1086: To fail, to wear out, decay

to build.
לִבְנֽוֹת׃ (liḇ·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1129: To build


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OT History: Ezra 4:4 Then the people of the land weakened (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 4:3
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