Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;
Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who had returned from exile were building the temple for the LORD God of Israel,
The writer is describing how the enemies of God's people learned that the Jewish exiles had returned and were rebuilding God's temple.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Ezra, which chronicles the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem, this verse describes the early stages of rebuilding the temple after King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree around 538 BC allowing the Jews to return and restore their worship. The "children of the captivity" refers to these returning exiles from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who were focused on reestablishing their faith and national identity. The adversaries mentioned were likely local inhabitants, such as the Samaritans, who opposed the project due to political and religious rivalries, seeing it as a threat to their own influence in the region.
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