Ezra 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.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Jerusalem's historical rebellions against Babylon (597-586 BC) provided grain of truth that opponents exploited. The city had indeed revolted, resulting in its destruction. However, this occurred generations earlier under different circumstances. The opponents attempted to make past rebellion predict future behavior, ignoring changed conditions and Persian imperial policy differences from Babylon's approach.
The mention of walls touched a nerve in Persian imperial concerns. Ancient Near Eastern cities derived their defensive capabilities from walls. A walled Jerusalem could potentially withstand imperial forces, making it a security concern. The opponents understood this vulnerability and crafted accusations specifically to exploit it.
Archaeological evidence shows that Jerusalem in this period remained small and poorly defended. The wall construction claims in this letter were fabrications or at best gross exaggerations of minor repairs. Later, when Nehemiah assessed the actual walls (Nehemiah 2:13-15), he found them still in ruins from the Babylonian destruction 140 years earlier.
Questions for Reflection
- How do false accusations mixing partial truths with outright lies become especially dangerous and difficult to refute?
- What does this passage teach about the need for careful investigation before accepting serious accusations?
- How should believers respond when characterized with inflammatory labels designed to discredit legitimate work?
Analysis & Commentary
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. The letter's core accusation begins with 'Be it known'—a formal opening for important intelligence. The description of Jews as 'which came up from thee' cleverly makes Jerusalem's rebuilding the king's responsibility, suggesting that his own authorization created the problem. This rhetorical strategy sought to provoke royal action by implying the king's policies had backfired.
The characterization of Jerusalem as 'rebellious and the bad city' (qiryeta maradeta u-bishta) employs inflammatory language designed to alarm. The Aramaic marad means 'rebellious' or 'seditious,' while bish means 'bad' or 'harmful.' These weren't objective descriptions but loaded political accusations. The letter provided no evidence for these claims, relying instead on emotional manipulation and vague historical references.
The claim that Jews 'have set up the walls... and joined the foundations' appears to be either exaggeration or outright falsehood. The walls weren't actually rebuilt until Nehemiah's mission thirteen years later (445 BC). This demonstrates how opponents were willing to lie to advance their agenda. Their strategy combined partial truths (Jews returned from exile) with fabrications (completed wall construction) to create plausible-sounding accusations.