Tanach
Ezra 4:1-6 עזרא ד׳:א׳-ו׳
Part of: Chapter 4
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ צָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן כִּֽי־בְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה בּוֹנִים הֵיכָל לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin [(stationed by Sancherev in Eretz Yisrael [viz. II Kings 17:24] heard that the men of the exile were building a sanctuary for the L-rd, the G-d of Israel.
And the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin [(stationed by Sancherev in Eretz Yisrael [viz. II Kings 17:24] heard that the men of the exile were building a sanctuary for the L-rd, the G-d of Israel.
Rashi
וַיִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל וְאֶל־רָאשֵׁי הָֽאָבוֹת וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהֶם נִבְנֶה עִמָּכֶם כִּי כָכֶם נִדְרוֹשׁ לֵֽאלֹהֵיכֶם (ולא) [וְלוֹ ׀] אֲנַחְנוּ זֹבְחִים מִימֵי אֵסַר חַדֹּן מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר הַמַּעֲלֶה אֹתָנוּ פֹּֽה׃
And they drew near to Zerubavel and to the heads of the fathers' [houses], and they said to them: Let us build together with you, for just as you, shall we solicit your G-d. And it is to Him that we sacrifice from the days of Essar-chaddon, king of Ashur, who brought us up here [(their intent being to sabotage the building of the Temple)].
And they drew near to Zerubavel and to the heads of the fathers' [houses], and they said to them: Let us build together with you, for just as you, shall we solicit your G-d. And it is to Him that we sacrifice from the days of Essar-chaddon, king of Ashur, who brought us up here [(their intent being to sabotage the building of the Temple)].
Rashi
ויאמרו להם נבנה עמכם. היו אומרים כך למען תתבטל מלאכת הבית על ידיהם שלא לבנות עוד:
and said to them, “Let us build with you...” They said this in order that through them the work of the Temple should be disrupted, that they should build no more.
מימי אסר חדון מלך אשור. בנו של סנחריב שלאחר שסנחריב הושיבם שם הרגוהו אדרמלך ושראצר בניו וימלוך אסר חדון בנו תחתיו שנאמר (ישעיה ל"ו) ויהי הוא משתחוה בית נסרוך אלהיו ואדרמלך ושראצר בניו הכוהו בחרב וגומר וימלך אסר חדון בנו תחתיו:
since the days of Esarhaddon the king of Assyria the son of Sannecherib, for after Sannecherib settled them there, as it says (II Kings 19:37, Isa. 37:38): “And he was prostrating himself in the temple of Nisroch his god, and Adramelech and Sharezer, his sons, slew him by the sword etc., and his son Esarhaddon reigned in his stead.”
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם זְרֻבָּבֶל וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּשְׁאָר רָאשֵׁי הָֽאָבוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹֽא־לָכֶם וָלָנוּ לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לֵאלֹהֵינוּ כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ יַחַד נִבְנֶה לַֽיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃
And Zerubavel and Yeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Israel said to them: It is not for you and us [together] to build the house of our G-d, but we [alone] shall build together to the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, as the king commanded us, Koresh, king of Paras.
And Zerubavel and Yeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Israel said to them: It is not for you and us [together] to build the house of our G-d, but we [alone] shall build together to the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, as the king commanded us, Koresh, king of Paras.
Rashi
כי אנחנו. אלא אנחנו לבדנו נבנה כי זה משמש במקום אלא:
but we Heb. כִּי, but we alone shall build. This כִּי serves in place of אֶלָּא, but.
וַיְהִי עַם־הָאָרֶץ מְרַפִּים יְדֵי עַם־יְהוּדָה (ומבלהים) [וּֽמְבַהֲלִים] אוֹתָם לִבְנֽוֹת׃
And the people of the land [(the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin)] weakened the hand [of the laborers] of Judah, and deterred them from building.
And the people of the land [(the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin)] weakened the hand [of the laborers] of Judah, and deterred them from building.
Rashi
עם הארץ. הם צרי יהודה ובנימן:
the people of the land They are the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin.
מרפים. לבטלם ממלאכתם:
were hindering to disrupt them from their work.
לבנות. כמו מלבנות, וכן עד כי חדל לספור:
from building Heb. לִבְנוֹת, lit. to build, and so (Gen. 41:49): “until one ceased to count (לִסְפֹּר).”
וְסֹכְרִים עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹעֲצִים לְהָפֵר עֲצָתָם כׇּל־יְמֵי כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס וְעַד־מַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃
And they hired counselors against them to defeat their counsels all the days of Koresh king of Paras [(and of Achashverosh, who followed him)] until the [(twelfth year of)] the reign of Darius, king of Paras.
And they hired counselors against them to defeat their counsels all the days of Koresh king of Paras [(and of Achashverosh, who followed him)] until the [(twelfth year of)] the reign of Darius, king of Paras.
Rashi
וסוכרים. כתיב בסמ"ך ופתרונו כאלו כתוב בשי"ן שהיו שוכרים יועצים כדי לבטל המלאכה:
And they would hire Heb. וְסֹכְרִים. This is written with a “sammech,” but its meaning is as though it was written with a “sin,” [meaning] that they would hire advisors to disrupt the work.
כל ימי. מלכות כורש ומלכות אחשורוש אשר מלך אחר כורש עד שנת שתים לדריוש שמלך אחר אחשורוש היתה המלאכה בטלה:
all the days of the reign of Cyrus and the reign of Ahasuerus, who reigned after Cyrus, until the second year of Darius, who reigned after Ahasuerus, the work was stopped.
וּבְמַלְכוּת אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ בִּתְחִלַּת מַלְכוּתוֹ כָּתְבוּ שִׂטְנָה עַל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ {ס}
And during the reign of Achashverosh, [(who followed Darius the Mede, and who took Esther to wife)], in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a libel against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [(to stop them from building the Temple)].
And during the reign of Achashverosh, [(who followed Darius the Mede, and who took Esther to wife)], in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a libel against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [(to stop them from building the Temple)].
Rashi
ובמלכות אחשורוש. שמלך אחר כורש הוא אחשורוש שלקח אסתר:
And in the reign of Ahasuerus who reigned after Cyrus; he is the Ahasuerus who took Esther.
כתבו שטנה. שלא לבנות בית המקדש:
they wrote an accusation not to build the Temple.
על יושבי יהודה וירושלים. להלשינם ולקנתר' שלא יבנו הבית:
against the dwellers of Judea and Jerusalem to inform on them and to chide them not to build the Temple.
צרי יהודה ובנימין. הם העכו"ם אשר הושיב סנחריב בא"י כמו שנאמר (מלכים ב י״ז:כ״ד) ויבא מלך אשור מבבל ומכותה ומעוה ומחמת ומספרוים ויושב אותם בערי שומרון תחת בני ישראל:
the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin They are the nations whom Sannecherib settled in the land Israel, as it says (II Kings 17:24): “And the king of Assyria brought [people] from Babylonia and from Cuthah and from Avvah and from Hamath and from Sepharvaim, and he settled them in the cities of Samaria instead of the Children of Israel.”