Ezra 4:4-5

4:4 Then the local people ¹  began to discourage ²  the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building. 4:5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time ³  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius ⁴  of Persia. ⁵ 

Ezra 4:22

4:22 Exercise appropriate caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger increase to the point that kings sustain damage?”

Ezra 6:2

6:2 A scroll was found in the citadel ⁶  of Ecbatana which is in the province of Media, and it was inscribed as follows:

“Memorandum:

Ezra 6:16

6:16 The people ⁷  of Israel – the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles ⁸  – observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy.

Ezra 7:10

7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself ⁹  to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching ¹⁰  its statutes and judgments in Israel.

Ezra 10:4

10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

[4:4]  ¹ tn Heb “the people of the land.” Elsewhere this expression sometimes has a negative connotation, referring to a lay population that was less zealous for Judaism than it should have been. Here, however, it seems to refer to the resident population of the area without any negative connotation.

[4:4]  ² tn Heb “were making slack the hands of.”

[4:5]  ³ tn Heb “all the days of.”

[4:5]  ⁴ sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 B.C.

[4:5]  ⁵ sn The purpose of the opening verses of this chapter is to summarize why the Jews returning from the exile were unable to complete the rebuilding of the temple more quickly than they did. The delay was due not to disinterest on their part but to the repeated obstacles that had been placed in their path by determined foes.

[6:2]  ⁶ tc The translation reads בִירְתָא (birta’, citadel”) rather than the reading בְּבִירְתָא (bÿvireta’, “in the citadel”) found in the MT. The MT probably experienced dittography here.

[6:16]  ⁷ tn Aram “sons of.”

[6:16]  ⁸ tn Aram “sons of the exile.”

[7:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “established his heart.”

[7:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to do and to teach.” The expression may be a hendiadys, in which case it would have the sense of “effectively teaching.”