Discovery BoxEzra 4:23--5:2 
Context4:23 Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem 1 and stopped them with threat of armed force. 2
4:24 So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. 3
5:1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son 4 of Iddo 5 prophesied concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem 6 in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began 7 to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
1 tn Aram “to Jerusalem against the Jews.”
2 tn Aram “by force and power,” a hendiadys.
3 sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522–486
4 tn Aram “son.” According to Zech 1:1 he was actually the grandson of Iddo.
5 tn Aram “and Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo the prophet.”
6 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
7 tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.
