Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
Then Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter, along with the rest of their associates: the people from Dina, Apharsathca, Tarpel, Apharsa, Archeva, Babylon, Shushan, Dehava, and Elam.
This verse lists the various government officials and ethnic groups who joined together to write a complaint letter against the Jewish people rebuilding Jerusalem.
📚 Historical Context
After the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon around 538 BC, they began rebuilding the temple and city of Jerusalem. The local officials and various ethnic groups who had settled in the region during the exile felt threatened by this rebuilding effort. These groups represented a mix of peoples that the Assyrian and Babylonian empires had relocated to the area over the previous centuries.
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