Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
Now because we receive our living from the king's palace, and it would not be right for us to see the king dishonored, we have sent this message to inform the king;
The writers are telling the king that because he supports them, they feel obligated to warn him about something that might harm his reputation or authority.
📚 Historical Context
This letter was written by local officials in the Persian province that included Jerusalem, addressed to King Artaxerxes around 458 BC. These officials were opposing the Jewish people's efforts to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple after their return from Babylonian exile. They were essentially government employees who received their wages and position from the Persian king, so they claimed loyalty to him while trying to stop the Jewish reconstruction project.
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