Ezra 4:16

We certifie the king, that if this citie be builded againe, & the walles thereof set vp: by this meanes, thou shalt haue no portion on this side the Riuer. Ezra 4:16 (KJV)

again,

and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river. Ezra 4:16 (KJV)

This verse is part of a letter written to King Artaxerxes by the adversaries of the Jews during the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In the book of Ezra the Jewish exiles, led by Zerubbabel, were permitted to return to Jerusalem by the decree of King Cyrus of Persia to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. They began constructing the temple but faced opposition from the local non‑Jewish inhabitants. In Ezra 4 the opponents sent a letter to King Artaxerxes seeking to halt the work. The letter argued that if the city were built and its walls set up the Jews would no longer pay toll, tribute, and custom, thereby damaging the revenue of the king. The opponents therefore claimed that rebuilding Jerusalem would threaten the king’s financial interests.

The response of the provincial officials is recorded in Ezra 4:16 (KJV) and is echoed in the verse quoted above. The officials, described as “the chief men, and the priests, the people of the land, and the Levites, and the chief officers of the country,” answered and said to the Jews, presenting the same concern about loss of royal revenue. The letter succeeded in stopping the temple construction until the second year of the reign of King Darius (Ezra 4:24).

From a broader perspective this passage highlights the political challenges the Jewish people encountered in reclaiming their spiritual heritage. Their enemies used political maneuvering and appealed to the king’s self‑interest to hinder the rebuilding effort. The episode illustrates how external opposition and concerns about taxation could delay the restoration of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, underscoring the perseverance required of the returning exiles.