Ezra 4:13
in Ezra 4Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful unto the kings.
KJV
Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
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This verse in Ezra 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Toll, tribute, and custom - Rather, “tribute, provision, and toll” (so Ezr 4:20). The “tribute” is the money-tax imposed on each province, and apportioned to the inhabitants by the local authorities; the “provision” is the payment in kind, which was an integral part of the Persian system; the “tolI” is probably a payment required from those who used the Persian highways. The revenue - The word thus translated is not found elsewhere, and can only be conjecturally interpreted.
This site's exposition
This is the text of the letter
on Ezra 4:11-13
The charge is specific. The Jews are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, and if the work goes on they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll. The accusers argue from the royal treasury, making a rebuilt wall a threat to Persian income.
This site's exposition
they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll
Albert Barnes takes tribute as the money tax, duty as payment in kind, and toll, probably, as a charge for use of the Persian highways. He finds the word for royal treasury nowhere else.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Be it known now unto the king,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
toll, tribute, and custom--The first was a poll tax; the second was a property tax; the third the excise dues on articles of trade and merchandise. Their letter, and the edict that followed, commanding an immediate cessation of the work at the city walls, form the exclusive subject of narrative at Ezr 4:7-23.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Toll, tribute, and custom - The first term is supposed to imply the capitation tax; the second, an excise on commodities and merchandise; the third, a sort of land tax. Others suppose the first means a property tax; the second, a poll tax; and the third, what was paid on imports and exports. In a word, if you permit these people to rebuild and fortify their city, they will soon set you at naught, and pay you no kind of tribute.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Let it be known to the king Let it be a known thing to the king.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כְּעַ֗ן | kean | now | H3705 → | 13 times |
| יְדִ֙יעַ֙ | yedia' | known | H3046 → | 47 times |
| לֶהֱוֵ֣א | leheve' | let it be | H1934 → | 71 times |
| לְמַלְכָּ֔א | lemalka' | to king the | H4430 → | 180 times |
| דִּ֠י | di | that | H1768 → | 345 times |
| הֵ֣ן | hen | if | H2006 → | 19 times |
| קִרְיְתָ֥א | kiryeta' | city the | H7149 → | 9 times |
| דָךְ֙ | dokh | this | H1791 → | 13 times |
| תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א | titbene' | it will be built | H1124 → | 22 times |
| וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖ה | veshuraiyah' | and walls the | H7792 → | 3 times |
| יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְל֑וּן | yishtakhlelun | they will be finished | H3635 → | 7 times |
| מִנְדָּֽה־ | mindah- | tribute | H4061 → | 4 times |
| בְל֤וֹ | velo | tax | H1093 → | 3 times |
| וַהֲלָךְ֙ | vahalokh | and toll | H1983 → | 3 times |
| לָ֣א | la' | not | H3809 → | 82 times |
| יִנְתְּנ֔וּן | yintenun | they will give | H5415 → | 7 times |
| וְאַפְּתֹ֥ם | veapetom | and certainly | H674 → | |
| מַלְכִ֖ים | malkhim | kings | H4430 → | 180 times |
| תְּהַנְזִֽק׃ | tehanzik | it will injure | H5142 → | 4 times |
כְּעַ֗ןnow
keanH3705 →13 times
יְדִ֙יעַ֙known
yedia'H3046 →47 times
לֶהֱוֵ֣אlet it be
leheve'H1934 →71 times
לְמַלְכָּ֔אto king the
lemalka'H4430 →180 times
דִּ֠יthat
diH1768 →345 times
הֵ֣ןif
henH2006 →19 times
קִרְיְתָ֥אcity the
kiryeta'H7149 →9 times
דָךְ֙this
dokhH1791 →13 times
תִּתְבְּנֵ֔אit will be built
titbene'H1124 →22 times
וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖הand walls the
veshuraiyah'H7792 →3 times
יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְל֑וּןthey will be finished
yishtakhlelunH3635 →7 times
מִנְדָּֽה־tribute
mindah-H4061 →4 times
בְל֤וֹtax
veloH1093 →3 times
וַהֲלָךְ֙and toll
vahalokhH1983 →3 times
לָ֣אnot
la'H3809 →82 times
יִנְתְּנ֔וּןthey will give
yintenunH5415 →7 times
וְאַפְּתֹ֥םand certainly
veapetomH674 →
מַלְכִ֖יםkings
malkhimH4430 →180 times
תְּהַנְזִֽק׃it will injure
tehanzikH5142 →4 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 9:9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
it leads to
- Luke 5:27–38
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him,
- Mark 2:14–22
As He was walking along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Levi got up and followed Him.
- Luke 19:2–10
And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.
- 1 Kings 19:19–21
So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.
- Mark 3:18
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,
- Luke 5:27–38
Through
Nehemiah 5:4Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
it leads to
- Ezra 4:20
And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezra 4:20
Through
Psalms 52:2Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:21
Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Proverbs 6:16–19
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
- Proverbs 18:21
Where this verse is studied
About Ezra
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).