Ezra 4:5

4:5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time 1  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius 2  of Persia. 3 

Ezra 4:24

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. 4 

Ezra 5:5

5:5 But God was watching over 5  the elders of Judah, and they were not stopped 6  until a report could be dispatched 7  to Darius and a letter could be sent back concerning this.

Ezra 8:29

8:29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem, 8  in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.”

Ezra 9:4

9:4 Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe 9  gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the exile. 10  Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering.

1 tn Heb “all the days of.”

2 sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 B.C.

3 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.

4 sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522–486 b.c.

5 tn Aram “the eye of their God was on.” The idiom describes the attentive care that one exercises in behalf of the object of his concern.

6 tn Aram “they did not stop them.”

7 tn Aram “[could] go.” On this form see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 58, §169.

8 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

9 tn Heb “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”

10 tn Heb “the exile”; the words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.