Ezra 4:5

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

and are hiring against them counsellors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even till the reign of Darius king of Persia.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְסֹכְרִ֧ים עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹעֲצִ֖ים לְהָפֵ֣ר עֲצָתָ֑ם כָּל־יְמֵ֗י כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס וְעַד־מַלְכ֖וּת דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרָֽס׃

Transliteration

And wᵉsōkᵉrîm against them yôʿăṣîm to lᵉhāpēr their ʿăṣātām all yᵉmê kôreš melek pāras and until malkût dārᵉyāweš melek-pārās.

Grammar Details

• *wᵉsōkᵉrîm*: waw-conjunction + qal participle, masculine plural - and hiring
• *yôʿăṣîm*: noun, masculine plural - counselors/advisers
• *lᵉhāpēr*: preposition + hiphil infinitive construct - to frustrate/annul
• *ʿăṣātām*: noun, feminine singular + 3rd masculine plural suffix - their plan/counsel
• *yᵉmê*: construct noun, masculine plural - days of
• *kôreš*: proper noun - Cyrus
• *melek*: noun, masculine singular construct - king of
• *pāras*: proper noun - Persia
• *malkût*: noun, feminine singular construct - kingdom of/reign of
• *dārᵉyāweš*: proper noun - Darius
• *pārās*: proper noun - Persia

Word Meanings

• *wᵉsōkᵉrîm*: hiring/bribing
• *yôʿăṣîm*: counselors/advisers
• *lᵉhāpēr*: to frustrate/to annul/to break/to make ineffective
• *ʿăṣātām*: their plan/their purpose/their counsel

Referenced Verses

• Ezra 4:24 : 24 then ceased the service of the house of God that `is' in Jerusalem, and it ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
• Ezra 5:5-6:18 : 5 And the eye of their God hath been upon the elders of the Jews, and they have not caused them to cease till the matter goeth to Darius, and then they send back a letter concerning this thing. 6 The copy of a letter that Tatnai, governor beyond the river, hath sent, and Shethar-Boznai and his companions, the Apharsachites who `are' beyond the river, unto Darius the king. 7 A letter they have sent unto him, and thus is it written in it: 8 `To Darius the king, all peace! be it known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the great house of God, and it is built `with' rolled stones, and wood is placed in the walls, and this work is done speedily, and prospering in their hand. 9 Then we have asked of these elders, thus we have said to them, Who hath made for you a decree this house to build, and this wall to finish? 10 And also their names we have asked of them, to let thee know, that we might write the names of the men who `are' at their head. 11 `And thus they have returned us word, saying, We `are' servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built many years before this, that a great king of Israel built and finished: 12 but after that our fathers made the God of heaven angry, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the Chaldean, and this house he destroyed, and the people he removed to Babylon; 13 but in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God, 14 and also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar had taken forth out of the temple that `is' in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, them hath Cyrus the king brought forth out of the temple of Babylon, and they have been given to `one', Sheshbazzar `is' his name, whom he made governor, 15 and said to him, These vessels lift up, go, put them down in the temple that `is' in Jerusalem, and the house of God is builded on its place. 16 Then hath this Sheshbazzar come -- he hath laid the foundations of the house of God that `is' in Jerusalem, and from thence even till now it hath been building, and is not finished. 17 `And now, if to the king it be good, let search be made in the treasure-house of the king, that `is' there in Babylon, whether it be that of Cyrus the king there was made a decree to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the will of the king concerning this thing he doth send unto us.' 1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and they sought in the house of the books of the treasuries placed there in Babylon, 2 and there hath been found at Achmetha, in a palace that `is' in the province of Media, a roll, and a record thus written within it `is': 3 `In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king hath made a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: the house let be builded in the place where they are sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits; 4 three rows of rolled stones, and a row of new wood, and the outlay let be given out of the king's house. 5 `And also, the vessels of the house of God, of gold and silver, that Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple that `is' in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, let be given back, and go to the temple that `is' in Jerusalem, `each' to its place, and put `them' down in the house of God. 6 `Now, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, the Apharsachites, who `are' beyond the river, be ye far from hence; 7 let alone the work of this house of God, let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God on its place. 8 `And by me is made a decree concerning that which ye do with the elders of these Jews to build this house of God, that of the riches of the king, that `are' of the tribute beyond the river, speedily let the outlay be given to these men, that they cease not; 9 and what they are needing -- both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs for burnt-offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil according to the saying of the priests who `are' in Jerusalem -- let be given to them day by day without fail, 10 that they be bringing near sweet savours to the God of heaven, and praying for the life of the king, and of his sons. 11 `And by me is made a decree, that any one who changeth this thing, let wood be pulled down from his house, and being raised up, let him be smitten on it, and his house let be made a dunghill for this. 12 And God, who caused His name to dwell there, doth cast down any king and people that putteth forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that `is' in Jerusalem; I Darius have made a decree; speedily let it be done.' 13 Then Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king hath sent, so they have done speedily; 14 and the elders of the Jews are building and prospering through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, and they have built and finished by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 And this house hath gone out till the third day of the month Adar, that is `in' the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 16 And the sons of Israel have made, `and' the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the captivity, a dedication of this house of God with joy, 17 and have brought near for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks a hundred, rams two hundred, lambs four hundred; and young he-goats for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel; 18 and they have established the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God that `is' in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
• Ps 2:1-2 : 1 Why have nations tumultuously assembled? And do peoples meditate vanity? 2 Station themselves do kings of the earth, And princes have been united together, Against Jehovah, and against His Messiah:
• Nah 1:11 : 11 From thee hath come forth a deviser of evil Against Jehovah -- a worthless counsellor.
• Acts 24:1-9 : 1 And after five days came down the chief priest Ananias, with the elders, and a certain orator -- Tertullus, and they made manifest to the governor `the things' against Paul; 2 and he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse `him', saying, `Much peace enjoying through thee, and worthy deeds being done to this nation through thy forethought, 3 always, also, and everywhere we receive it, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness; 4 and that I may not be further tedious to thee, I pray thee to hear us concisely in thy gentleness; 5 for having found this man a pestilence, and moving a dissension to all the Jews through the world -- a ringleader also of the sect of the Nazarenes -- 6 who also the temple did try to profane, whom also we took, and according to our law did wish to judge, 7 and Lysias the chief captain having come near, with much violence, out of our hands did take away, 8 having commanded his accusers to come to thee, from whom thou mayest be able, thyself having examined, to know concerning all these things of which we accuse him;' 9 and the Jews also agreed, professing these things to be so. 10 And Paul answered -- the governor having beckoned to him to speak -- `Knowing `that' for many years thou hast been a judge to this nation, the more cheerfully the things concerning myself I do answer; 11 thou being able to know that it is not more than twelve days to me since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and neither in the temple did they find me reasoning with any one, or making a dissension of the multitude, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city; 13 nor are they able to prove against me the things concerning which they now accuse me. 14 `And I confess this to thee, that, according to the way that they call a sect, so serve I the God of the fathers, believing all things that in the law and the prophets have been written, 15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, `that' there is about to be a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous; 16 and in this I do exercise myself, to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always. 17 `And after many years I came, about to do kind acts to my nation, and offerings, 18 in which certain Jews from Asia did find me purified in the temple, not with multitude, nor with tumult, 19 whom it behoveth to be present before thee, and to accuse, if they had anything against me, 20 or let these same say if they found any unrighteousness in me in my standing before the sanhedrim, 21 except concerning this one voice, in which I cried, standing among them -- Concerning a rising again of the dead I am judged to-day by you.' 22 And having heard these things, Felix delayed them -- having known more exactly of the things concerning the way -- saying, `When Lysias the chief captain may come down, I will know fully the things concerning you;' 23 having given also a direction to the centurion to keep Paul, to let `him' also have liberty, and to forbid none of his own friends to minister or to come near to him. 24 And after certain days, Felix having come with Drusilla his wife, being a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith toward Christ, 25 and he reasoning concerning righteousness, and temperance, and the judgment that is about to be, Felix, having become afraid, answered, `For the present be going, and having got time, I will call for thee;' 26 and at the same time also hoping that money shall be given to him by Paul, that he may release him, therefore, also sending for him the oftener, he was conversing with him; 27 and two years having been fulfilled, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus; Felix also willing to lay a favour on the Jews, left Paul bound.