And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
I gave orders for a search to be conducted, and we discovered that this city has a long history of rebelling against kings, with many acts of revolt and uprising happening there.
The Persian king is explaining that his investigation revealed Jerusalem had a pattern of revolting against previous rulers.
📚 Historical Context
This verse records King Artaxerxes' response to accusations made against the Jews who were rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. Local officials had written to the king claiming the Jews were planning rebellion, so the king ordered a search of historical records. The investigation confirmed that Jerusalem had indeed rebelled against previous empires, including Babylon, which led to its destruction and the Jewish exile.
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