What's easily missed is that this isn't just a list of names, but a deliberate declaration of diverse origins. By naming specific ethnic groups and cities from across the vast Assyrian and Persian empires, these adversaries are highlighting the sheer force and cosmopolitan nature of the opposition the returning Jews are facing. It shows that this isn't a local squabble, but a powerful, multi-ethnic coalition united in its hostility.
Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the returned exiles begin rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, their efforts are met with fierce opposition from the local Samaritans. This verse details the officials and diverse group of people who formally penned a letter to the Persian king, accusing the Jews and advocating for the work to be halted. Their message, backed by a coalition of foreign colonists settled in the region, aims to prejudice the king against the rebuilding efforts.
Ever feel like you're up against a diverse crowd with a unified agenda against you? This verse lists an astounding number of different peoples who joined forces to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. It's a picture of opposition coming from all sides.
Ezra 4:9, along with verses 8 and 10, paints a vivid picture of the diverse group that sent a letter to King Artaxerxes, accusing the returning exiles.
A Unified Front of Division
Notice how the text isn't just about one group, but a coalition:
This highlights a common tactic of opposition: it often comes from a seemingly random assortment of people, brought together by a shared dislike or fear of God's work. It's a reminder that spiritual battles can involve unexpected adversaries.
Ask a follow-up
Who were these people calling themselves 'Samaritans' in their letter? This verse gives us a clue by listing their diverse origins, revealing they weren't a single, pure ethnic group but a blend of many.
Ezra 4:9 is crucial for understanding the identity of the Samaritans during the post-exilic period.
A Colony of Nations
When the Northern Kingdom of Israel was exiled by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:24), the land was repopulated with people from various conquered territories.
Understanding this background helps us grasp why the Samaritans' involvement in rebuilding the Temple was viewed with such suspicion by Ezra and his contemporaries. They were a product of foreign occupation and religious compromise.
Understand the original words
gela · Aramaic Verb
Refers to the forced removal and relocation of populations, a common geopolitical strategy used by ancient empires to prevent rebellion and assimilate conquered peoples.
abhar nahara · Aramaic Noun phrase
A designation for the administrative territory located west of the Euphrates River, encompassing the region where the returned Jewish exiles settled.
The diverse list of names in this verse highlights the complex, multi-ethnic origins of the Samaritans, who were descendants of various groups resettled in Israel by the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. Their letter to the Persian king is a political maneuver by these established communities to obstruct the rebuilding efforts of the returning Jewish exiles.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Deportations and Colonization
Following the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel, the Assyrian Empire deported many Israelites and resettled the land with people from various parts of its empire, creating a mixed population.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports skilled workers and elites from Judah to Babylon, beginning the Babylonian exile and scattering Jewish populations.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining Jewish population. This event marks a profound crisis for Jewish identity and faith.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire, ushering in the Persian period. He allows exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Rededication
The Jewish people, under leaders like Zerubbabel and Joshua, complete and rededicate the Second Temple in Jerusalem after returning from exile.
c. 458-428 BC— this verse
Ezra and Nehemiah's Reforms
Ezra and Nehemiah lead further waves of Jewish returnees to Jerusalem, focusing on religious and social reforms, and rebuilding the city walls. This period sees significant tension with the surrounding populations.
This passage describes how the Assyrian king brought people from Babylon and other foreign lands to populate Samaria after exiling its original inhabitants, directly linking to the diverse origins of the individuals mentioned in Ezra 4:9.
Genesis 10:10This verse mentions Erech as one of the cities founded by Nimrod in Babylonia, providing geographical context for the Archevites mentioned in Ezra 4:9 as being from that region.
Nehemiah 4:1-3This passage shows a similar opposition to the rebuilding efforts of the Israelites, with Sanballat and Tobiah mocking and threatening them, paralleling the antagonistic spirit of Rehum and his companions.
Esther 1:1-2This passage sets the scene for the Persian Empire's vast reach, mentioning its dominion from India to Ethiopia and referencing Susa as a capital, which helps to understand the context of people from places like Susa and Elam being part of the empire.
gillEzra 4:9: "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,"
Then 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 Arc…
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…
What's easily missed is that this isn't just a list of names, but a deliberate declaration of diverse origins. By naming specific ethnic groups and cities from across the vast Assyrian and Persian empires, these adversaries are highlighting the sheer force and cosmopolitan nature of the opposition the returning Jews are facing. It shows that this isn't a local squabble, but a powerful, multi-ethnic coalition united in its hostility.
As the returned exiles begin rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, their efforts are met with fierce opposition from the local Samaritans. This verse details the officials and diverse group of people who formally penned a letter to the Persian king, accusing the Jews and advocating for the work to be halted. Their message, backed by a coalition of foreign colonists settled in the region, aims to prejudice the king against the rebuilding efforts.
As the returned exiles begin rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, their efforts are met with fierce opposition from the local Samaritans. This verse details the officials and diverse group of people who formally penned a letter to the Persian king, accusing the Jews and advocating for the work to be halted. Their message, backed by a coalition of foreign colonists settled in the region, aims to prejudice the king against the rebuilding efforts.
"Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, and the rest of the nations whom…" — What's easily missed is that this isn't just a list of names, but a deliberate declaration of diverse origins. By naming specific ethnic groups and cities from across the vast Assyrian and Persian em…
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Last reviewed October 2026
