Ezra 4:20

There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll was paid to them.

BSB

And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.

KJV

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

ASV

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all [the country] beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid unto them.

BBE

Further, there have been great kings in Jerusalem, ruling over all the country across the river, to whom they gave taxes and payments in goods and forced payments.

Original Hebrew

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וּמַלְכִין u·mal·khin and kings H4430 תַּקִּיפִין ta·ki·fin strong H8624 הֲווֹ ha·vo they were H1934 עַל־ 'al- over H5922 יְרוּשְׁלֶם ye·ru·she·lem Jerusalem H3390 וְשַׁלִּיטִין ve·sha·li·tin and having mastery H7990 בְּכֹל be·khol over all H3606 עֲבַר 'a·var [the] region beyond H5675 נַהֲרָה na·ha·rah' river the H5103 וּמִדָּה u·mi·dah and tribute H4061 בְלוֹ ve·lo tax H1093 וַהֲלָךְ va·ha·lakh and toll H1983 מִתְיְהֵב mit·ye·hev [was] being paid H3052 לְהוֹן le·hon to them H9038

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 6–24

It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences. All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they should encourage the adversaries of the church. The world is ever ready to believe any accusation against the people of God, and refuses to listen to them. The king suffered himself to be imposed upon by these frauds and falsehoods. Princes see and hear with other men's eyes and ears, and judge things as represented to them, which are often done falsely. But God's judgment is just; he sees things as they are.

Read Matthew Henry on Ezra 4 →

Cross-references

People & places

Jerusalem River

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.