be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Samaritans are skillfully twisting the truth by accusing the Jews of rebuilding the entire city's walls. They know the Jews had only begun repairing their own houses and the Temple, making the claim about the city walls a blatant, exaggerated lie to stir up the king’s fear. This shows how powerfully words can be used to manipulate and incite opposition, even when they're built on a shaky foundation of falsehood.
be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The leaders of the Samaritans, worried about the growing influence of the returning Jews, write a letter to the Persian king, twisting the truth to stop the rebuilding efforts. They accuse the Jews of not just rebuilding the Temple but of fortifying Jerusalem itself, calling it a rebellious city that threatens the king's authority. This letter kicks off a series of accusations and bureaucratic delays that would halt the Jewish people's progress for years.
Ever feel like your good intentions are misunderstood or even deliberately misrepresented? The enemies of God's people were masters at this.
In Ezra 4:12, the Samaritans send a letter to the king with a clear agenda: to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem. They start with a seemingly factual statement: 'the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem.' But they immediately twist this truth.
Strategic Exaggeration
They declare the Jews are 'rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city' and are 'finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.' The historical context, however, tells a different story. The Jews had permission to rebuild the Temple, not the city walls. The commentary suggests this was a deliberate exaggeration, perhaps even a complete fabrication, meant to paint the Jews as a threat to royal authority. They were building houses and working on the Temple, but the city walls were not yet begun, and wouldn't be for decades.
Fueling Fear
By calling Jerusalem 'rebellious and wicked,' they tap into the king's potential fears. Throughout history, Jerusalem had indeed rebelled against foreign powers. The Samaritans used this past to incite present suspicion, aiming to prejudice the king against the Jews.
Have you ever noticed how the names people use for you can shape how they see you? The enemies of God's people used names strategically.
In Ezra 4:12, the text notes that the people who returned to Jerusalem are referred to as 'the Jews.' This might seem straightforward, but it marks a significant shift.
Ask a follow-up
From Israelites to Jews
Historically, the people of God were known as Israelites, descendants of Jacob (Israel). After the division of the kingdom and the exile, the term 'Jew' (derived from Judah, the Southern Kingdom) became more prominent. It essentially signified the remnant of God's people who were identified with the Southern Kingdom and its territory, especially after the Northern Kingdom fell.
A Label for Opposition
When the Samaritans use the term 'Jews,' it's not just descriptive; it's part of their propaganda. By calling them 'the Jews who came up from you to us,' they are emphasizing their foreignness and otherness from their perspective within the Persian Empire. It's a way to frame them as outsiders, potentially disloyal subjects returning to a problematic city, differentiating them from the established populations of the empire. It highlights the historical reality that the destiny of God's people was becoming increasingly tied to the name 'Jew' after the Babylonian exile.
Understand the original words
merad · Aramaic Adjective
An act of defying or rising up against legitimate authority, especially that of God or a sovereign ruler. It implies a persistent state of active opposition and disobedience.
be'esh · Aramaic Adjective
Pertaining to moral corruption, evil, or a state of being morally depraved. In scripture, it describes actions or entities that are fundamentally opposed to God’s standard of righteousness.
The accusation that the Jews were 'rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city' and finishing its walls was a calculated exaggeration and likely a falsehood. The Samaritans, who had their own complex history and animosity towards the returning Judeans, sought to exploit the fears of the Persian authorities by framing the reconstruction of Jerusalem as a political threat, when the primary focus at this time was rebuilding the Temple and establishing a community, not military fortification. The reference to 'walls' likely conflated the ongoing rebuilding efforts of the Temple and possibly some houses with the larger, more formidable city walls that were not yet begun and would only be seriously undertaken later under Nehemiah.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, and its people are exiled. Many non-Israelites are resettled in the region, becoming the ancestors of the Samaritans.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Southern Kingdom of Judah falls to the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Jerusalem is destroyed, and the Judean elite are exiled to Babylon. This marks a significant turning point for the identity of the people who would become known as Jews.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, conquers Babylon. He issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
The returned Judean exiles, after facing opposition and delays, complete the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, a project initiated under Cyrus.
c. 458 BC
Ezra's Return and Reforms
The scribe Ezra leads a group of Judeans back to Jerusalem. He institutes significant religious and social reforms, emphasizing the observance of the Law.
c. 445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah's Arrival and Wall Reconstruction
Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, arrives in Jerusalem with permission to rebuild the city walls. Despite strong opposition from surrounding peoples, including the Samaritans, the walls are completed.
This passage describes a future restoration of land and property for God's people, contrasting with the accusations in Ezra 4:12 that the rebuilding efforts were illegitimate or harmful.
Nehemiah 4:1-3This passage shows a similar situation where adversaries mock and threaten the builders of Jerusalem's walls, highlighting the persistent opposition faced by the returning exiles.
Psalm 127:1This psalm emphasizes that building efforts are in vain unless the Lord is involved, providing a theological perspective that counters the political accusations made against the Jews in Ezra 4:12.
1 Corinthians 3:11This New Testament passage speaks of building on the foundation of Christ, offering a spiritual parallel to the physical rebuilding in Ezra, and reminding us that true building is God's work through Christ.
bensonEzra 4:12: "Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations."
Ezra 4:12 . Thy servants, and at such a time, &c. — The particular time when the letter was written was no doubt expressed therein; but in this narrative it was sufficient to mention it in general. Ezra 4:12 . And have set up the walls thereof — This was a mere calumny, for they had a…
henryEzra 4:6-24: "And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem."
4:6-24 It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the cons…
The Samaritans are skillfully twisting the truth by accusing the Jews of rebuilding the entire city's walls. They know the Jews had only begun repairing their own houses and the Temple, making the claim about the city walls a blatant, exaggerated lie to stir up the king’s fear. This shows how powerfully words can be used to manipulate and incite opposition, even when they're built on a shaky foundation of falsehood.
The leaders of the Samaritans, worried about the growing influence of the returning Jews, write a letter to the Persian king, twisting the truth to stop the rebuilding efforts. They accuse the Jews of not just rebuilding the Temple but of fortifying Jerusalem itself, calling it a rebellious city that threatens the king's authority. This letter kicks off a series of accusations and bureaucratic delays that would halt the Jewish people's progress for years.
The leaders of the Samaritans, worried about the growing influence of the returning Jews, write a letter to the Persian king, twisting the truth to stop the rebuilding efforts. They accuse the Jews of not just rebuilding the Temple but of fortifying Jerusalem itself, calling it a rebellious city that threatens the king's authority. This letter kicks off a series of accusations and bureaucratic delays that would halt the Jewish people's progress for years.
"be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations." — The Samaritans are skillfully twisting the truth by accusing the Jews of rebuilding the entire city's walls. They know the Jews had only begun repairing their own houses and the Temple, making the cl…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026