Ezra 4:9
in Ezra 4From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
KJV
Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
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This verse in Ezra 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThen wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions,.... who all signed the letter; namely, the governors of the following nations: the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites; which were colonies from several parts of Chaldea, Media, and Persia, and were settled in the several cities of Samaria, as several of their names plainly show, as from Persia, Erech, Babylon, Shushan, and Elimais; some account for them all, but with uncertainty; according to R.
This site's exposition
wrote the letter against Jerusalem
on Ezra 4:8-10
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe write against Jerusalem. Verse 10 traces them to the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, who settled them in the cities of Samaria, the policy 2 Kings 17:24 records. The signers come from the same population that offered to help build in verse 2.
This site's exposition
the judges and officials over Tripolis
John Gill reads every name in the list as a people, colonies from Chaldea, Media and Persia settled in the cities of Samaria. The Berean reads several words as offices, the judges and officials, and the rest as places and peoples. Albert Barnes finds no satisfactory explanation of Apharsathchites.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
A copy of the letter itself, which Ezra inserts here out of the records of the kingdom of Persia, into which it had been entered; and it is well we have it, that we may see whence the like methods, still taken to expose good people and baffle good designs, are copied.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
These verses form the superscription or address of the letter (Ezr 4:11, etc.) sent to Artaxerxes. The Dinaites were probably colonists from Dayan, a country often mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions as bordering on Cilicia and Cappadocia. No satisfactory explanation can be given of the name Apharsathchites (see Ezr 5:6 note). The Tarpelites were colonists from the nation which the Assyrians called Tuplai, the Greeks “Tibareni,” and the Hebrews generally “Tubal.” (It is characteristic of the later Hebrew language to insert the letter “r” (resh) before labials. Compare Darmesek for Dammesek, 2Ch 28:23 margin).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Dinaites--The people named were the colonists sent by the Babylonian monarch to occupy the territory of the ten tribes. "The great and noble Asnappar" was Esar-haddon.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And the rest of the nations and the rest of the nations that Sennacherib exiled; they have all concurred.
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
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֱדַ֜יִן | ʾedayin | then | H116 → | 57 times |
| רְח֣וּם | rechum | Rehum | H7348 → | 8 times |
| בְּעֵל־ | beel- | lord of | H1169 → | 3 times |
| טְעֵ֗ם | teem | command | H2942 → | 28 times |
| וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ | veshimshai | and Shimshai | H8124 → | 4 times |
| סָֽפְרָ֔א | safera' | scribe the | H5613 → | 8 times |
| וּשְׁאָ֖ר | ushear | and [the] rest of | H7606 → | 12 times |
| כְּנָוָתְה֑וֹן | kenavatehon | associates their | H3675 → | 7 times |
| דִּ֠ינָיֵא | dinaye' | Dinay the | H1784 → | |
| וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞א | vaafarsatkhaye' | and officials the | H671 → | 3 times |
| טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣א | tarpelaye' | Tarpelites the | H2967 → | |
| אֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗א | ʾafaresaye' | Sipparites the | H670 → | |
| אַרְכְּוָיֵ֤א | ʾarkevai' | Erechites the | H756 → | |
| בָבְלָיֵא֙ | vavelaye' | Babylonians the | H896 → | |
| שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔א | shushankhaye' | Susanchites the | H7801 → | |
| דֶּהָיֵ֖א | dihu' | Dehavites the | H1723 → | |
| עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃ | ʾelemaye' | Elamites the | H5962 → |
אֱדַ֜יִןthen
ʾedayinH116 →57 times
רְח֣וּםRehum
rechumH7348 →8 times
בְּעֵל־lord of
beel-H1169 →3 times
טְעֵ֗םcommand
teemH2942 →28 times
וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙and Shimshai
veshimshaiH8124 →4 times
סָֽפְרָ֔אscribe the
safera'H5613 →8 times
וּשְׁאָ֖רand [the] rest of
ushearH7606 →12 times
כְּנָוָתְה֑וֹןassociates their
kenavatehonH3675 →7 times
דִּ֠ינָיֵאDinay the
dinaye'H1784 →
וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞אand officials the
vaafarsatkhaye'H671 →3 times
טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣אTarpelites the
tarpelaye'H2967 →
אֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗אSipparites the
ʾafaresaye'H670 →
אַרְכְּוָיֵ֤אErechites the
ʾarkevai'H756 →
בָבְלָיֵא֙Babylonians the
vavelaye'H896 →
שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔אSusanchites the
shushankhaye'H7801 →
דֶּהָיֵ֖אDehavites the
dihu'H1723 →
עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃Elamites the
ʾelemaye'H5962 →
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
Ezra 6:6Therefore Darius decreed: To Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates and officials in the region: You must stay away from that place!
it leads to
- Ezra 5:3
At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Ezra 5:3
Through
Isaiah 21:2A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 49:34
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.
- Isaiah 33:1
Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.
- Psalms 60:3
You have shown Your people hardship; we are staggered from the wine You made us drink.
- Isaiah 24:16
From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me.” The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal…
- Jeremiah 49:34
Through
2 Kings 17:24Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 18:34
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
- 2 Kings 18:34
Where this verse is studied
About Ezra
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Berean Standard Bible, Ezra 4; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.