these kings here to highlight the resistance that the remnant experienced overall. 16
Note : Ezra 4:6–23 appears to be a parenthetical statement in the sequence of the narrative. That means this section of the chapter is not in chronological order. Ezra 4:6–23 is grouped into this passage according to theme, not chronology. When you read this section, you are reading letters that were written over 70 years after the rest of the passage, but these letters are placed here by the author to reveal the gravity of the opposition.
Kathleen B. Nielson, in her 12-week Bible study, explains the timeline like this:
Ezra 4:6 jumps forward to oppression during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, king 486–464 BC—when Esther lived).
Ezra 4:7–23 jumps forward again to oppression during the reign of Artaxerxes I (464–423 BC—which was during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah).
Ezra 4:24 picks up the story again from 4:5, moving back to the time of Zerubbabel but also moving forward from the reign of Cyrus to a later king, Darius (whose second year would have been 520 BC, making the period of inactivity under Zerubbabel about 15 years). 17 1. Read Ezra 4:1 and note the “adversaries” of Judah and Benjamin in 2 Kings 17:24 and 41. These people were deported to Israel and living in the land. Why do you think they were opposed to the rebuilding of the temple?
2. What tactics did Israel’s adversaries employ, and how does the enemy use similar deceptive tactics today to hinder Christians and the church (vv. 2–5)?
16 John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Handbook , (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003), 123–124. 17 K athleen B. Nielson, Ezra and Nehemiah: A 12-Week Study , (Wheaton: Crossway, 2016) 22.
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